Chapter 6

Note: Warning!  Annoyingly short chapter.  I realize it.  

"'Table 3 wants extra cheese on their I'm so Lonesome I could Cry Burger" Jackie stated as she walked into the small kitchen.  She was wearing a blue jean skirt with a white smock shirt, cowboy boots and an apron.  It wasn't the worst uniform he'd ever seen her in.  Actually it was his favorite.  She looked cute as hell.  

"The extra chili Ain't nothing but a hound dog is ready to go out" he returned, motioning toward the volcano of meat he'd placed on the counter. 

"God do these people have an incredible desire to weigh 400 pounds?"

He gave her a nod of agreement.  They had been working at The Cowboy Café for about a week but that was all it took to realize that grease was the drug of choice in Tennessee.  Hyde thought it had been an incredible stroke of luck that they had found cheap lodging and 2 jobs as quickly as they had.  The southern hospitality had been great so far.  But after a week of working in a busy kitchen feeding very hungry people he was tired.  Jackie was tired too.  She was working double hard even though she shouldn't feel responsible for funding her own abduction.  He thought she secretly enjoyed it.  No one here knew her as a pampered princess.  They all saw her as a sweet girl from Wisconsin trying to get to the beach before the summer was over.  Which is what she was.  Hyde was quickly forgetting all his memories of that old Jackie himself.  Actually when he looked at her these days –he didn't even think of them as the same people.  He didn't think of himself as the old Hyde either.  On the road they were more open people.  They weren't controlled by their crappy upbringing or labeled by their high school status.  They were two hard working adults.  But as tired as they were Hyde had made plans to go out and celebrate their good fortune.  A night out, painting the town with Jackie. The old Hyde would have avoided it at all costs.  The new Hyde couldn't wait.    

"So where  ya'll goin tonight? Hank asked. 

Hank was the owner of the place.  He had enough employees to run the place but he came in every morning.  He was always around helping out anyone who needed it, whether it was the cook, or a waitress, or the dishwasher.  He was a cool guy. 

"I don't know man.  I was thinking about The Pistol".

"The Pistol? You trying to have a real good time aren't cha'?"

The Pistol was a bar –that had live music- just about two blocks from the café.  All the locals went there.  It was heralded as THE place to wind down, live it up and get sideways drunk. 

"Well just watch my girl –don't let her dance on the bar.  These good ol' boys won't be able to handle the temptation".

Hyde frowned at that.  Lots of guys came in the café and were already having problems with just that.  The problem was Hyde thought that they were "good" guys and if he'd been able to tell them she was his – they would back off.  But he couldn't.  They were broken up.  And if Jackie wanted to go out with some Nashvegan –she could.  It wasn't that he still didn't trust her –it was just that he had kidnapped her and whether or not she was willingly going along and having a good time – she still could change her mind.  They weren't back together yet.  Hank cuffed him on the shoulder "Don't sweat it man, stay away from the Tequila and you'll be just fine."

**Note** Okay I was going to combine the next two chapters to make them longer but I don't want to.  So I'll post them at the same time.  I can't make this story have long chapters.  I just can't.  I'm sorry.  I really did try -but I'm not that good of an author –what comes to me comes to me