Beth wandered into Bob's Bar, loud music, together with the jangle of voices filled the air as she approached the bar area. Her bright blue eyes became round and alert as she scanned the sea of faces for Amy. She sighed and chewed down on her lip as she quickly realized her friend wasn't there yet.
"You okay, Beth? What can I get you?" The bartender Martinez was there to take her order in a flash, his dark gaze dropping momentarily to her neckline.
"I'm fine for the minute - I'm waiting for Amy," Beth explained politely. She knew all the men in their small town were on the alert to look out for all their women folk at present after the news had spread round like a wildfire that the streets weren't safe and there was a potential manic killer on the loose.
Sinking down into a bar stool, Beth twisted her hair around her finger in a seemingly absent minded way. It wasn't unusual for Amy to be late. They had arranged to meet for drinks at 7pm, but it was Amy's night off from working here and Beth had half expected her friend to be running a little late.
Reaching to pull her phone out of her purse to check for messages, Beth noticed a familiar looking guy with dark hair and soft brown eyes stood across the other side of the bar from her. He was the kind of guy it was impossible to miss - insanely handsome and immaculately dressed, and something about him really caught Beth's attention as she gazed at him for a moment. Before she had the chance to look away, he turned to flash her an instant charming and confident smile. She recognised him immediately, it was Gareth, the pushy pharmaceuticals rep from the other day, when she had been working alone in the office.
She felt a flush creep up her cheeks with embarrassment as she looked down at her hands, the last thing she wanted to do was give him the wrong impression by staring at him across the room like an idiot, and she silently willed Amy to hurry up.
"You know that guy over there?" Martinez questioned curiously, coming back over to where Beth was sat on her own.
Beth cringed - was it that obvious Gareth was now looking straight at her? She really didn't want to appear like some stupid girl drooling over some smugly good-looking guy that wasn't even her type anyway.
"Oh, nah, not really," she replied casually.
"Well he sure can't take his eyes off you," Martinez shrugged, as he was called away to serve someone else now the bar was started to get more busy. It was the most popular drinking establishment in their small town and was pretty busy most nights. Now, seemed to be no exception either, everyone wanting to meet up for a few sociable drinks after a hard day's work, and all anyone seemed to want to talk about at the moment was the murder of poor Lizzie Sammuals.
"It's Beth, right? - We meet again." Beth suddenly heard a smooth male voice say by her side. "Here all by yourself?"
She flinched, her wide eyes looked up immediately to see Gareth was stood right beside her. His face was perfectly symmetrical and his dreamy light brown eyes were enough to make any girl go weak at the knees. But despite being gorgeous, there was just something about him that creeped Beth out slightly. He just seemed too polished, too perfect.
"I'm actually meeting a friend," she mumbled back.
"I thought so. A girl as pretty as you would hardly be here all alone," he flattered with a warm smile.
Beth bit her lip and smiled weakly back, glancing across his chiseled jawline and angular cheek bones. "She should be here any minute," she continued, not wanting to get into a longer conversation with the handsome stranger.
"Well, then let me buy you a drink while you wait," he was quick to suggest.
"Oh, thats very kind but I'm really fine thanks," she replied.
"Nonsense, you're sat here all alone with no drink. That will never do. I'm actually new in town here and could do with a friend - so let's have a drink while you wait, you'd actually be doing me a favor," he insisted, looking over to catch Martinez's eye behind the bar.
Beth drew in a breath. She didn't normally accept drinks from strangers but this one didn't seem to be taking no for an answer. Plus, he might be a bit pushy, but Beth knew he was only being nice to her to try and get her to put a good word in with Andrea, hoping her boss would buy into some of the new samples he was paid to sell. She'd had other rep's try and get round her in the past too, so she knew the score.
She silently watched him move up the bar to say something to Martinez that she couldn't hear, and she relaxed a little. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea. But there was no harm in one drink while she waited, was there?
Instinctively her blue-eyed gaze flickered back over to the bar entrance again, looking out for Amy. When her stomach unexpectedly started to somersault as she saw Daryl walking in.
Her night was getting more interesting by the second Beth thought - her eyes suddenly wide and alert as she shifted in her stool a little, adjusting her long, blonde hair over her shoulders, the heels of her tan cowboy boots catching on the metal frame as she put her hand down to touch the light denim of her skimpy shorts. The bar was busy and she wondered if Daryl had clocked her straightaway, as her eyes subtly looked back over in his direction shyly. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen him in here, and she couldn't help but be curious as to what he was dong here right now.
Was he here to meet someone?
He looked a little on edge as his dark blue eyes looked out through the hair falling into his eyes, and he scanned the busy room. Beth felt certain he had noticed her too as his gaze stopped in her direction for a moment, causing a rush of butterflies to rocket through her. He put his hand up to lightly rub his chin as though he was debating something, and he appeared deep in thought as he looked away from her and continued to look around. Beth felt a brief surge of disappointment that he hadn't held her gaze or moved over in her direction, but she also felt a little relief she wasn't quite sure what she would say to him.
But within moments Beth looked over again in Daryl's direction hoping to subtly attract his attention again, and her pupils flared as she wondered if he would come over. Just the thought of being close to him again stirred a fluttering deep within her, Beth couldn't remember the last time a guy had evoked this kind of response in her. If she was honest Beth had thought of nothing all day but the time they had spent alone together in the woods the day before. It might have been brief and just something they'd had to do. But she had felt so relaxed in Daryl's company in a way she had never done with guys her own age, where she constantly felt judged and as though she had to pretend to be something she wasn't all the time. They didn't listen when she talked.
With Daryl it was different. He seemed to get her. He genuinely seemed interested in what she had to say.
As if sensing her gaze he glanced back in her direction again and this time he had to acknowledge her as he simply nodded once at her, his face was unreadable and his body language seemed awkward as he hesitantly started to make his way nearer to her.
"There you go..I took the liberty of ordering something extra special, I hope you don't mind," Gareth suddenly appeared and said, holding up two flutes of peach coloured sparkling liquid. "Champagne Bellini's, my favourite!"
Beth's expression dulled, she pressed her lips together as her eyes were drawn to the impressive looking drinks in his hand and she looked from them up to his mesmerising, persuasive brown eyes again, before they slid subtly back over to where Daryl was stood. This time she was sure she detected the faintest trace of a scowl forming on Daryl's face, and his eyes narrowed into slits as he looked away from her and Gareth.
Beth felt her heart quickly sink as she watched Daryl turn and walk away to the opposite side of the bar from where she was sat.
...
Ignoring Beth, Daryl quickly spotted Carol sat in a booth on her own by the window. She had a large glass of red wine in front of her and she looked miles away, as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders as she sat serious and alone in the middle of the crowded room alive with the sound of people laughing and joking all around her.
Sensing him walking over, she looked up and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks for coming."
"No problem," he replied in a low grumbling voice.
He sat down opposite her, unable to stop himself from quickly stealing another small glance in Beth's direction before turning his attention back to his friend. The sight of the gorgeous young blonde at the bar, had had an effect on him from the moment he had walked in and spotted her, sensations that were starting to become all too familiar whenever she was around. Strange, alien sensations, but the sight and thought of her made him feel good, he knew that. After the few encounters he'd had with over the past week or so, he had been stupidly starting to believe that maybe they had some sort of a connection, that maybe perhaps she was someone that he could potentially get to know better. That wouldn't judge him and was actually worth spending time with. Maybe!
But he'd felt like a complete fucking fool thinking things like that, the instant he had set eyes on the well- dressed, good-looking and smug seeming guy she was in here with tonight. He looked like the type of the man that had money and status, and proper game with women. The sort of man he knew Beth Greene would want to spend time with, would want to date, to introduce to her family, and to also do other things with.
The thought of that made him feel an uncontrollable urge to go over there and smash the guys head up against the side of the bar that he was so smugly perched up against. Because uniform or not, wasn't that the kind of guy he really was? just some jackass redneck, socially awkward and over fifteen years older than Beth Greene at least. The fact that he was trying to turn his life around now, and thanks to Rick work for the sheriff's department, was irrelevant in the bigger picture. She was too good for him.
He grimaced, and furrowing his brows he told himself he didn't give a damn anyway. He'd never allowed a woman to get under his skin before, he wasn't about to start now. Screw Beth Greene, with her perfect smile and sparkling blue eyes, teasing a man with that luscious blonde hair and those near perfect, long shapely legs of hers that she insisted on showing off whenever she got the chance. Screw her and her prick boyfriend.
He had more important things to think about. He turned back to Carol, "Where's Sophia?"
"She's fine, she's at Lori's. She can stay there tonight," Carol answered in a shaky voice.
"What happened?" Daryl asked seriously.
She didn't answer him straight away, and unable to help himself Daryl found his hard eyes quickly flash back over to the bar while he waited for Carol to respond. He scowled when he noticed Beth was now smiling at something her male companion was saying to her as his arm gently touched her shoulder and he leaned into her ear to talk to her over the loud music.
"I got you a beer," Carol said forcing a smile, averting the question.
"I'm fine," Daryl replied brusquely.
"Have a beer, you're not working tonight, you deserve it all that hard work you're doing round the clock to find Lizzie's killer," Carol persisted, sliding the bottle over the table to him.
His mouth set into a firm line, ignoring it. "How bad is it?" He asked again, his eye's deadly serious now fixing Carol with all his attention, he knew she wouldn't have called him here unless it was bad. That was the only thing that mattered now.
She looked away from him and sipped her wine. Daryl was the only person in their town that Carol felt she could be completely honest with. She knew he would never judge her, and she also knew, he kept it hidden well but he had a kind heart underneath his rough exterior.
"Show me," he ordered, his voice low and gruff.
Carol slowly unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse to reveal the top of a deep purple, bruised gash, she winced as she put her hand up to grip the fabric of her blouse with one hand, before reaching for her wine again with the other.
Daryl clenched his teeth, feeling his fists form into two tight balls. If it weren't for his badge he would march over and teach Ed Peletier a lesson, he'd always known there was something dodgy about the man right from the first moment he'd laid eyes on him. He could spot the bad ones a mile off. This kind of shit was just a little too close to home for Daryl too. It felt personal.
"You should see a doctor," he said firmly, studying the older woman intensely with empathy and kindness flooding his eyes, he was concerned for her.
"No, I'm okay. I can't keep rushing to Andrea all the time. This is something I need to sort out on my own," Carol replied.
"Y'know he aint gonna stop. He'll keep on going until he kills ya," Daryl hissed with passion now, screwing his face up and stabbing a finger in her direction. "You got a kid to think bout."
"I know," she agreed, raising her eyebrows weakly, her face completely serious as she looked up to meet his eye. "I know I can't go back."
"I've been doing some research," he responded, his eyes locking with hers. "There's this shelter in Atlanta."
"No - no, I can't go to another shelter, not again, he'll find me," she shook her head.
"This one is different, he won't find it, they have top security and it's further away. Take your kid and get the hell away from him," he snapped back.
"It's not the answer, Daryl. This is our home, right here. Sophia has school and friends, I can't take her away from that. What we need is some place to stay, just for a while. A place where he won't be able get to us."
Daryl looked down at the bottle of beer in front of him, he knew what she was asking. He picked it up and took a sip, and he looked back over to the bar again to see Beth and the guy were still there but the smile had faded from Beth's face, she looked more serious and thoughtful now. He wondered what she was thinking? He couldn't help it. He told himself he didn't care, but he did.
"It won't be for long, Daryl," Carol said quietly.
He turned his eyes away from Beth and back to the older troubled woman.
...
Beth sipped her drink slowly through gritted teeth, she was half listening to what Gareth was saying to her, the other half of her unable to stop thinking about the fact Daryl was in the bar too.
She had thought hanging out here wasn't his style. But the fact that he was here now, under different circumstances, would have provided the prefect opportunity for her to have sparked up another casual conversation with the usually surly, sheriff's deputy that she had been crushing on so badly recently. But as much as she would love to be chatting to Daryl again instead of the annoyingly perfect Gareth, Daryl seemed to be fully engrossed in another conversation with Carol Peletier.
"Would you excuse me a moment?" Gareth said as his cell went off noisily from his pocket and he walked away to take the call.
Sat alone again, Beth folded her arms against her chest and looked over to the booth Daryl and Carol were sat in. They looked to be having a pretty serious conversation. Daryl was doing all the talking and Carol's eye's were focused on him as he spoke passionately. Beth's curiosity was roused. Daryl never really spoke to anyone for that long, and rather than appear his usual moody self, he seemed to be addressing Carol as a friend with genuine concern. If he'd been on duty Beth would have presumed he was advising her in his role as deputy. Most probably something to do with her scumbag husband. The whole town knew Ed Peletier was bad news, you only had to look at him to see the man had a mean streak. But as Andrea had stated many a time, what went on between a husband and wife behind closed doors was difficult to prove and hard to intervene with. Why Carol had always seemed so hell bent on protecting her asshole husband, Beth could never work out. But again Andrea had said that those types of situations were more complicated than most people seemed to realise.
Right now Daryl most definitely didn't appear to be on duty, he had a beer and he was dressed in a leather vest and tatty jeans. Beth presumed he must be into motorbikes like his brother and there was definitely something dark and sexy about that.
She sipped the fruity, sparkling cocktail in her hand, and threw the odd couple another curious glance. She couldn't help but in a strange way feel a little envious of Carol at that moment. It was clear that Daryl cared about her on some level, and Beth wished that it was her he was staring at the way he was staring at Carol right now. Giving her his full undivided attention, like she was the most important thing in the world. Apart from look her way a couple of times when he'd first come in, Daryl now seemed completely oblivious to Beth's presence.
She bit down on her lower lip, fighting the strong urge to go over and speak to him again. Beth wanted to ask him how the murder investigation was going? Whether they were any closer to catching whoever had been responsible? But she knew now wasn't the right time.
As if sensing her inquisitive gaze, Daryl suddenly jerked his head to slide his eyes over in Beth's direction, from where he was still sat opposite Carol.
Beth gulped and instantly blushed and for the briefest of seconds their eyes met, before she looked away and down at her drink again. A small tingle spreading through her.
"Sorry, work call," Gareth came back and announced with an apologetic smile.
Beth let a small sigh under her breath, cursing Gareth, Daryl obviously thought she was on a date here with him or something she had seen it in his eyes, he had looked almost hurt. He was probably thinking that she didn't want to talk to him because she was here with Gareth. Which was the last thing Beth wanted Daryl to think and completely untrue. She barely knew Gareth and she had bumped into him here tonight through complete coincidence, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was definitely something about him, about the way he smiled at her and studied her face, that made her feel a little uneasy.
"Listen, Beth, I have to go now. But if this isn't too presumptuous of me, I'd like to take you out to dinner soon. Get to know you better. As I already mentioned I'm new here in town and I don't know that many people," Gareth said smoothly, almost as if he had said the same thing a thousand times before.
Beth's face went blank and she blinked a few times, twisting her mouth as she started hesitantly, "I um…" Wondering how best to blow him out.
"You don't have a boyfriend do you?" he was quick to cut in with another slick smile, his eyes widening and dazzling her as he stared at her intensely.
'Lie, lie, lie,' Beth silently willed herself as she blinked some more, digging her nails into her palm. Her big blue eyes instinctively floated across to where Daryl was still sat with Carol, just in time to see Carol lean across the table and plant a little kiss on Daryl's stubbled cheek.
"No, I don't," Beth found herself blurting out turning back to Gareth, her heart sinking slightly.
"Okay then, well I'll meet you back here tomorrow?" he suggested, a twinkle appearing in his brown eyes, and Beth could just tell that he always got what he wanted.
"I can't tomorrow, I have plans, " she was quick to say, looking back to see Carol had now gone and Daryl was sat on his own in the booth, sipping his beer while clearly making no secret of watching her and Gareth now.
"Okay, well Friday then?" Gareth asked, unfazed.
"I'm not sure, my boss may need me to babysit," Beth lied, a heat spreading up her body.
"Here's my card, call me to confirm," he said, handing her an expensive looking business card, flashing her a suggestive wink. "Bye Beth."
...
"Who was that?" Amy suddenly appeared and exclaimed, her mouth gaping open as her green eyes followed Gareth wandering off into the other direction.
"Just a pharmaceuticals rep, wanting to sweeten me up," Beth replied dismissively, rolling her eyes.
"Looked pretty sweet to me," Amy responded. "Maybe I should have a word with my sister about a job, if you get guys as hot as that chasing you."
Beth screwed her face up.
"Sorry I'm late," Amy said, changing the subject, sinking down into Gareth's vacant seat.
"Let me guess, Randall?" Beth asked a little annoyed.
"No. Actually he's been acting a little weird," Amy replied, furrowing her brow, before she went on to explain. "Actually I was at Andrea's watching Judith. There was some emergency she and Rick were both called to."
"Oh," Beth responded, her eyes flickering.
She looked back over to where Daryl was still sat in the booth, if Amy hadn't turned up when she had, Beth would have taken it upon herself to go over and say hi to him. But now it just didn't feel right. She'd missed her chance. Before she could give it any more thought he stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket to put it to his ear and say something, his face was serious. Beth couldn't hear what he was saying but she was pretty sure she could make out from his lips, he said, 'Be right there," before he started to make his way over to the exit. His eyes were unable to avoid Beth's as he walked past where she was sat with Amy at the same spot at the bar - and he gave her a half smile and nod. Nothing more, to Beth's disappointment. He looked serious and stressed and she wanted to ask him if he was okay, but he was gone.
Martinez appeared at the bar again to take their order.
"Two tequila," Amy said, oblivious to Daryl walking past them and the effect it had provoked on Beth.
"Y'know it's double hour," Martinez replied, raising a brow with a smirk.
"Well, then it's double double?" Amy said to Beth, her eyes lighting up.
Beth shrugged, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "Okay fine with me!"
A/N - Thanks for reading - Sorry for the angst and lack of cute Bethyl in this chapter! But it's setting things up for some hot action in the next few chapters - and lets face it, it's never going to be plain sailing for our favourite couple! ...Please leave a review if you can :)
