There is a slight nod to my Toby in this chapter. I in no way have any rights to his music or ideas. Same goes for Eric Clapton but he isn't mine. J
Chapter 3
With a ghost of a smile on her full lips she asked, "Lookin' for some lovin' tonight cowboy?"
Now it was quite obvious, with him in a suit and all, that this was not his calling in life however, he decided to play along.
"Well now," he drawled "I ain't as good as I once was, I've got a few years on me now. But there was a time, back in my prime, when I could really lay it down. If you need some love tonight, then I might have just enough. I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was."
His whole world tumbled upside down when that laugh left her. It was like music and was even more unexpected due to what the bartender had said. He started thinking that he was doing just fine and that apparently the others just didn't know what they had right in front of their faces. Can you say great rationalization my friend? You are in sooooo deep now…. his brain teased.
"That's a great song." she murmured after she had caught her breath.
"One hell of a pick-up line," the stranger said agreeing as a slow smile spread across his face..
Suddenly a shadow crossed her face and she took a quick sip of the drink in front of her. The stranger noticed that one of the songs he had chosen had begun. He watched her intently and listening to the lyrics of the song tried to understand why.
I must be invisible;
No one knows me.
I have crawled down dead-end streets
On my hands and knees.
I was born with a ragin' thirst,
A hunger to be free,
But I've learned through the years.
Don't encourage me.
'Cause I'm a lonely stranger here,
Well beyond my day.
And I don't know what's goin' on,
So I'll be on my way.
When I walk, stay behind;
Don't get close to me,
'Cause it's sure to end in tears,
So just let me be.
Some will say that I'm no good;
Maybe I agree.
Take a look then walk away.
That's all right with me.
As the song ended he could have sworn he saw a tear fall from her eye and onto her cheekbut as quickly as it may have been there it was gone again. He didn't know how she did it. Must have been when she brushed her hair away from her face.
"So you been chatting with Mike huh?" she asked directly.
"Who?" asked the stranger, clearly confused.
"Mike would be the bartender that brought you your first drink. So tell me, what took you so long to come over here? Working up the nerve?" she asked with a hint of venom in her voice.
As he open his mouth to speak she jumped right in. "Is it impossible for a guy to fathom a woman alone in a bar?"
He was taken aback. How had this done a complete 360 in the matter of moments especially when he hadn't said a word in those few moments. She looked as though she was waiting for an answer but he could not form the words. He looked back to the bar and this time saw Mike watching him and shaking his head. This irked him. With the adrenaline rising up he dove right in.
"How did you know I was here that long?" he asked puzzled.
He had kept his eyes on her from the very minute he had walked into the place. He waited for an answer but was met with only silence. He was beginning to lose his patience and figured he had already done the damage.
"Have I done something to offend you?" he asked fairly rudely.
"You really don't have a clue do you?" she said bewildered.
What the hell was that supposed to mean, he thought to himself. All the while in the back of his head all he could hear was I told you so, I told you so… as his brain humiliated him further in an off key, falsetto voice. Looking at her a little more closely he could see that see looked tired. Maybe tired wasn't the word for it, more like drained. Every emotion that would be in an average person's eyes was missing from hers. He came to the conclusion that Mike was right.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly trying to sound genuine.