CHAPTER 8
"Is this another part in your plan to annoying me into signing?" Jake asked, turning off the engine and jumping out the truck in front of the pub. Melanie stepped out the other side and nodded sweetly. Emma was at home on her own, claiming that pizza made the best babysitter; Jake had a date and Melanie was going to catch up with some old friends and annoy the hell outta Jake.
"Jake!" They turned to see some small, dark haired girl run towards them.
"Hey babe." Jake said, holding out his arms for her to run into them.
"Who's that?" she asked, noticing that Jake wasn't alone. Melanie smiled and held out her hand.
"Hey, you must Jake's hot date. I'm Melanie, Jake's snotty Yankee bitch wife that he refuses to divorce."
They shook hands quickly and looked at Jake, who winced and blushed slightly. Ignoring Melanie and arm round his girlfriends shoulder, Jake made his way into the pub.
Lurlynn was first to recognize Melanie. They both screamed and Melanie ran over to her.
"Melanie! You look, um, different. Really nice though."
"Thanks. And look at you. You have a baby……in a bar."
Lurlynn smiled and the baby perched on her hip gurgled and sucked its finger. Melanie returned the smile, chatted for a while, then wandered round the bar, catching up with old friends and meeting a few new ones. And, as everyone she met insisted on buying her a drink, and she bought a few of her own, she was a little tipsy by the time they all gathered round the pool table to watch her challenge Jake.
Three rounds and goodness knows how many beers later, Melanie was well out of things and it showed. Slurring her words and swaying about unnervingly, she fired insults and cutting remarks at her friends, who were mostly too shocked or upset to answer back. Bobby Ray was last. He didn't look too offended; but then again, Bobby Ray didn't easily get wound up.
"What'd I ever do to you?" he asked. Everyone looked at Melanie waiting to hear her reply. In fact, the entire pub was silent but this didn't seem to affect her.
"Oh, you didn't do anything to me...or any other girl for that matter." she answered sweetly. Jake cringed and Bobby Ray blushed. The others stared from Melanie to Bobby Ray and back to Melanie again, not sure what to believe. It was Jake who moved first. Taking the half drunk glass from her hand and setting it on the edge of the pool table, he grabbed Melanie's arm and propelled her outside into the car park.
"What is it?" she slurred.
"You can say what you like to me but I'm not having you come down here and speak to my friends like that."
Melanie tried to tell him to get lost but her words tumbled over each other until she leaned over and threw up. Jake groaned.
"Go and get in the truck. I'm taking you home."
Jake's 'hot date' chose that moment to appear.
"Jake honey, what's going on?"
"Get in the truck." He repeated, sternly. "Nothing sweetie" he continued. "I need to take Mel home. She's had maybe one drink too many. I'll call you tomorrow honey."
His girl stalked off with a final look of disgust at Melanie who was leaning out the window being violently sick. Jake groaned and got in the truck. Maybe having Melanie back was more than he had bargained for.
"Is this another part in your plan to annoying me into signing?" Jake asked, turning off the engine and jumping out the truck in front of the pub. Melanie stepped out the other side and nodded sweetly. Emma was at home on her own, claiming that pizza made the best babysitter; Jake had a date and Melanie was going to catch up with some old friends and annoy the hell outta Jake.
"Jake!" They turned to see some small, dark haired girl run towards them.
"Hey babe." Jake said, holding out his arms for her to run into them.
"Who's that?" she asked, noticing that Jake wasn't alone. Melanie smiled and held out her hand.
"Hey, you must Jake's hot date. I'm Melanie, Jake's snotty Yankee bitch wife that he refuses to divorce."
They shook hands quickly and looked at Jake, who winced and blushed slightly. Ignoring Melanie and arm round his girlfriends shoulder, Jake made his way into the pub.
Lurlynn was first to recognize Melanie. They both screamed and Melanie ran over to her.
"Melanie! You look, um, different. Really nice though."
"Thanks. And look at you. You have a baby……in a bar."
Lurlynn smiled and the baby perched on her hip gurgled and sucked its finger. Melanie returned the smile, chatted for a while, then wandered round the bar, catching up with old friends and meeting a few new ones. And, as everyone she met insisted on buying her a drink, and she bought a few of her own, she was a little tipsy by the time they all gathered round the pool table to watch her challenge Jake.
Three rounds and goodness knows how many beers later, Melanie was well out of things and it showed. Slurring her words and swaying about unnervingly, she fired insults and cutting remarks at her friends, who were mostly too shocked or upset to answer back. Bobby Ray was last. He didn't look too offended; but then again, Bobby Ray didn't easily get wound up.
"What'd I ever do to you?" he asked. Everyone looked at Melanie waiting to hear her reply. In fact, the entire pub was silent but this didn't seem to affect her.
"Oh, you didn't do anything to me...or any other girl for that matter." she answered sweetly. Jake cringed and Bobby Ray blushed. The others stared from Melanie to Bobby Ray and back to Melanie again, not sure what to believe. It was Jake who moved first. Taking the half drunk glass from her hand and setting it on the edge of the pool table, he grabbed Melanie's arm and propelled her outside into the car park.
"What is it?" she slurred.
"You can say what you like to me but I'm not having you come down here and speak to my friends like that."
Melanie tried to tell him to get lost but her words tumbled over each other until she leaned over and threw up. Jake groaned.
"Go and get in the truck. I'm taking you home."
Jake's 'hot date' chose that moment to appear.
"Jake honey, what's going on?"
"Get in the truck." He repeated, sternly. "Nothing sweetie" he continued. "I need to take Mel home. She's had maybe one drink too many. I'll call you tomorrow honey."
His girl stalked off with a final look of disgust at Melanie who was leaning out the window being violently sick. Jake groaned and got in the truck. Maybe having Melanie back was more than he had bargained for.