CONTENT AND LANGUAGE WARNING!

The bar was quiet but a Hank William's Jr. song played softly from a jukebox in the corner. Sutton saddled up to the bar and looked at the bottles of liquor on display. "What'll it be pretty lady?" The bartender said smiling at her. The man was older, maybe Ted's age. His comment made her skin crawl, but he held the goods.

She looked past him at the bottles, "Gin and tonic?" She said remembering an old drink Thayer once ordered. The man smiled then turned around.

"So what brings you in?" He asked as he wiped a glass with the apron around his waist.

Sutton looked up, "Nothing. Just had a bad night." She said. She wasn't really in the mood to chat. She reached for her phone and pulled it out. He hadn't even tried to call her. Of course he wouldn't, she thought. He was probably back at the party doing shots off some slutty 18 year-old freshman.

"Well I hope the night gets better for ya." The bartender said placing the drinking in front of her.

She took a sip of the drink and looked around the bar. There weren't too many people around. An older couple slow danced to "The Dance" by Garth Brooks. The bar was pretty empty, but right now, Sutton needed some alone time.

"I love this song." A man said beside her. She was captivated by her surroundings and her thoughts, she barely noticed him slide into the bar stool beside her.

She looked up at him, "Oh me too!" She said smiling. His blue eyes sparkled underneath his long brown hair. She took another sip of her drink and looked at the guy again, "This used to be my dad's favorite song." She smiled remembering when she was a little girl and he'd play this song while they danced in her bedroom. She would stand on his feet and they'd glide around while her princess dress swished around her legs with every twirl. "When I was little he'd put me on his feet and we'd dance around my room like I was Cinderella and it was the ball." She laughed. Then she looked up embarrassed, "I'm sorry. I'm sure you don't care."

The guy smiled at her, "No no. It's cute." Then he looked down, "I'm sorry. That was forward."

Sutton smiled. The guy was cute. He wore a worn in blazer and a pair of khaki pants. His brown loafers looked like they'd seen better days. His hair was swept to the side, but stuck up in a few places. His teeth were white like he'd spent a fortune on having them whitened and his eyes sparkled in hers, "No. It's okay."

The guy smiled at her, "Would you like to dance?" Then he looked down, "I'm sorry. I'm new at this. Was that too forward?"

Sutton smiled, "No. It wasn't too forward at all." Then she sat her drink on the bar and placed her hand on the hand that was extended for her. She followed him to the dance floor and he pulled her into his arms.

He swayed to the beat of the song, "So I don't think I quite caught your name. I'm Austin." He said. He was much taller than she was and he smiled down at her.

"Oh." She laughed, "I'm Sutton." The feeling of his hand wrapped gently around her felt oddly protective and his fingers laced around her tiny fingers made her feel secure.

"So I heard you say you had a bad night?" He asked as he pulled her along to the sound of the music.

Sutton shook her head, "Oh. Yeah, it's nothing, Just got in a fight. It's whatever though. So what drinks you here? Isn't your girlfriend wondering where you are?" Because surely a guy this beautiful had someone to go home to at night.

Austin looked down, "I actually don't have a girlfriend. I just moved here for work and I don't know many people outside of the ones I work with." He said blushing, "I'm actually here because my guy friends think I need to make new friends."

Sutton blushed, "Well I don't know if an empty bar in the middle of nowhere is going to get you very far." She laughed.

"I found you, didn't I?" His eyes sparkled and her smile faded.

She nodded slightly, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you did."

"So you said this was your dad's favorite song? Did he change it to something less…old?" He joked.

Sutton looked down, "No. Actually he passed away." A sudden feeling of sadness washed over her and she fought hard to let another wave of tears consume her.

"Oh. I'm sorry." He said gently, "My dad passed away too. But I was younger."

Sutton looked up at him, "Oh. I'm sorry." She said softly. "My dad passed away 4 years ago. He was in a car accident."

Austin nodded. "I'm sorry. My dad had a heart attack when I was 7. I saw him pass away in my mom's arms. I think her face was more traumatizing then seeing his lifeless body in her arms."

Sutton looked up at him. Her eyes met his with an understanding that only someone who'd been through this typed of tragedy could understand. She smiled when he looked at her. She felt herself resting her head on his chest as the music slowed to an end. But she wasn't ready to break the bond. "I'm sorry about your loss." She said. She could feel his heart beating against her temple and she smiled. For once, she wasn't bothered by her problems with Thayer or the fact that she was just stood up tonight.

"I'm sorry for your loss too. It sucks." He said running his hand over her hair threading his fingers through her curls. She felt close to Austin, even though she just met him 20 minutes ago.

She looked up at him, "It really sucks." She said shaking her head.

For a minute they stayed on that dance floor, not moving. Both stared into the others eyes, "Would it be too forward if I asked to kiss you?"

Sutton's heart fluttered, she hadn't felt this way about a person in a long time. She looked down and smiled then looked up and shook her head, "No." She said shyly.

Austin smiled and leaned down, gently kissing her lips. Immediately her hand went to the back of his head and she pressed her hand down, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. When she pulled back, her head spun and she felt like someone had sucked all the oxygen from the room. "Why don't we go somewhere a little quieter." He suggested.

She looked back at the bar, "I have to pay."

Austin took her hand, "It's on me." He said with a wink.

Sutton blushed. "Thank you." She said.

When Austin came back from paying the bill for his drink and hers, he took her hand. "You ready?" Sutton nodded, "I don't live too far from here. I actually walked here."

"Oh." Sutton said grabbing her keys, "What about my car?" She pointed the key to her car and the lights flashed.

"We can take that. But it's only right up the street." He said pointing down the busy street past the bar.

They climbed into Sutton's car and she turned on the car. The radio blasted The Neighbourhood's Sweater Weather and she turned up the volume, "I love this song!" She said as she sang along.

Austin watched her with a smile as she joyfully sang along to the lyrics. Then he looked ahead, "It's right here." He said pointing to the first apartment complex complex. She took the left turn and followed his directions. When they arrived she killed the ignition and followed him up the stairs. The apartment was nice. Large space and it was clean. She had to appreciate a man who kept his living space clean. Almost immediately she was met by a grey fluffy cat rubbing her head on Sutton's leg. "Oh I'm sorry." He said lifting the cat, "This is Skyler. She won't bite you. She loves people. Clearly I don't give her enough attention." He said petting the cat under her chin. The cat lifted her head and purred.

"No. She's cute." Sutton said reaching up to pet the cat.

"Well come on in. Make yourself comfortable." He said turning on the living room light. The room was quaint. A blue sofa sat along a wall, on each side matching end tables with matching lamps on top. The coffee table was neatly organized, some magazines sprawled out across the top on display. The TV was large and hung on the wall above a large black cabinet. Two large shelves on either side of the TV were filled with books, DVD's, framed photo's of what must have been his family and friends back home. She walked over and looked at one. "Oh that's my mom and me when I was little."

Sutton looked up at him, "Cute!" She smiled, "Were you an only child?" She set the photo back down and walked to the couch.

"Yeah unfortunately." He said sadly. He sat beside her and touched her hand, letting his fingers gently linger over hers.

Heat rose up her arm and she looked at him, "Why do you say that?"

"I always wanted a sibling growing up. Someone to talk to. Someone to play hide and seek with. Someone to blame all my wrongdoings on. It was always hard to blame the broken lamp on our cat Muffin. Especially after she died. What about you?"

Sutton shook her head, "I have a little sister. Her name's Laurel. I blamed everything on her." she said laughing, "Oh and I have a twin sister! Her name is Emma."

Austin looked at her surprised, "Wait, there's two women in this world that look this beautiful?"

Sutton blushed, "Yeah. I guess." But when Austin pressed his knuckle under her chin and forced her to look at him, she suddenly felt warmth consume her. That familiar warmth she got when Thayer'd look at her just before she'd fall asleep in his arms. She pushed Thayer out of her mind. Austin's lips pressed gently against hers and she leaned into the kiss. She deepened the kiss and opened her mouth allowing his tongue to slip in just a little.

Before she realized what was happening, his hand was pushing the thick straps of her black dress down her arms and pressing gentle kisses to her shoulder. She looked at him. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she wanted it. She wanted to feel like someone cared about her. She wanted to feel like she was special. She laid back against the couch and he laid on top of her. His hand gently rubbed her breast over her dress. She reached for his dress shirt and slowly unbuttoned each button with care. His chest was warm and she pressed her hands to his skin. He definitely wasn't a stranger to a gym, that was for sure. His back muscles were strong and she rubbed her hands down his back. He sat up only long enough to pull her dress over her head and then returned to kissing her. His hands ran through her hair and down her body. He rested his fingers along her panty line and gently pulled them down. He looked at her for reassurance and when she kissed him, he knew it was okay. She helped him with his pants and then his boxers.

Now they both laid naked on his couch, kissing passionately and exploring each others bodies. He looked at her, "Are you okay, Sutton?" He asked tenderly not wanting to hurt her.

Sutton looked at him. "I'm positive." She said then pulled him down for a kiss. He kissed her as he entered her. She let out a grunt and looked at him. He was beautiful. His smile, his eyes. The way his sweat left a sheen around his neck.

When it was over, Sutton laid there feeling like she'd just had the best sex of her life. Somehow halfway through, they'd managed to make it to his bedroom. Now she curled into his arm and he pressed gentle kisses on her sweaty forehead. "You're beautiful, Sutton. I hope you know that."

Sutton nodded, she knew that. But she was too high on adrenaline to speak. Her eyes fluttered as she fell into a deep sleep. After all the crying, the screaming, and the sex, she was exhausted. She'd deal with Thayer tomorrow morning.