Hey, Midknite here, again. Now I know that ya'll want me to just go the hell away but I need to add another disclaimer here so deal with it for a min ok? I don't own Big and Rich or their song "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" but I think its one of the best songs ever! ok lata!
Cowboy, Take Me Away
Part Two
Duo returned to the diner every day for a week, for breakfast and a late dinner, and every night that week there was no trouble from the three drunks. He was having trouble understanding Thea. She knew he was a Preventer but she didn't seem to think twice about why he could have been there, in that little back-water town. On top of that, he couldn't believe that his excuse, to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, had worked either. She gave the impression that she was very intelligent, she was a brain augment for crying out loud, shouldn't she had put two and two together? In the back of his mind he knew she could have put two and two together the first time she's seen him and was playing him, but he was having an impossible time believeing that.
Duo was finding the more he hung around with Thea the less he was focusing on the mission, which also frustrated him slightly. The truth of it was, he was having the time of his life, and he hadn't even done anything terribly exciting. He just hung out at the diner or his disgusting motel room, he preferred the diner.
He was sitting in his now usual booth, having just finished his late dinner. When Thea came over and plopped herself in the booth chair opposite to him. He could tell she was exhausted due to the expression on her face and by the way she just let herself fall into the seat. She looked over at him after a minute. "Have you ever seen three big tour buses full of already agitated elderly stop at a small diner in the middle of hick-nowhere for seeming no reason other then to terrorize the only thee people working there?"
"Yeah, its called Hell," he said laughing.
"Welcome to our lovely little world..." she sighed, "I'm not goin' for a walk tonight, sorry, I'm goin to bed..." she said. There was silence for a moment then she suddenly perked up as though she had been stung in the backside by an invisible thorn. He jumped at her sudden movements.
Good Lord, this woman's randomness was going to be the death of him. Heart attack or other wise... No, he stopped that thought. She wasn't for him, and he could never have her. In a few weeks time she'll be out of his life anyways. She brought him out of his thoughts as quickly as they had come.
"Oh yeah! Tomorrow, we're closed for the day, spending some time out on the boat then maybe to the tavern, it's ladies' night," she said sitting up properly, "And you're comin' weather you like it or not," she added. "You've probably been bored out of your mind so don't argue with me, okay?"
"I wasn't going to," he said.
"Good. Be at the house around nine-thirty okay?"
Duo left his motel room at nine and swung by the local retail shop to buy swimming trunks and the other necessities for the day. He parked his truck in front of their house they shared on the lake front. It wasn't much of a house, a great deal smaller then the others near them, but it was cozy. He got out of the truck and was about to head to the front door when he heard voices. The first he didn't recognize but the second he knew was Thea's. "B.J. said you invited someone? Who is it? I'm curious," the woman's voice said.
"Well, his name is Duo, he's a Preventer," he heard Thea say.
"Oooo... Is he sexy?" he heard the other voice say and laugh.
"Oh, you have no effin' clue," Thea said enthusiastically. Duo couldn't help but smile.
"So, what's a Preventer doin' here?" she asked.
"He said he just wanted a vacation from the hustle and bustle of the big city. I don't blame him, I hate big cities," Thea answered. Duo, who was still standing on their door step, was listening intently and wanting to hear more, when the two girls came around the corner of the house. When Thea's eyes came upon him, her face turned a deep shade of red, apparently concerned that he heard their conversation. "Uh... Err... Hi... Duo... ..." she said slowly. Her friend looked Duo up and down then turned to Thea.
"You sure as hell weren't kidding, you lucky bitch," she said slapping her arm. Thea, however, didn't seem to notice, she was moving her mouth as if to speak, but no sound was coming out. Christy came around corner as well at that moment. She raised here eyebrow at the three that were standing in silence and Duo saw a sly smile crossed her lips.
"Ya know, if someone were to fart right now, that would just be really funny." Her miscellaneous comment broke any awkwardness that once existed. Duo, being the testosterone that most men are, couldn't help but notice the bikini swimsuits the three girls were wearing. Thea, he noticed right off the bat, was wearing a red triangle bikini and a cover up skirt that that a beach scene screened on to it with red flowers. Christy had a black suit with black bored shorts and the unknown woman had a hot pink suit. All three women were attractive, but Thea he found stunning. He was finding it difficult to take his eyes off her.
"Duo this is Tate, B.J.'s girlfriend. She's a student at the university, on a Preventer's scholarship," Thea said. Tate extended her hand to Duo and he shook it.
Another Preventer here? What exactly was going on?
"Come on! We don't have all day!" said B.J. clearly agitated, as he came around the corner of the house. "Hey Christy, Ben told me to give you the keys to his jet-ski," he said smiling as he tossed Christy the keys.
"Yeah, he just wants to get in my pants, which isn't going to happen because that man is just ugh... and there are plenty of other sexy men for me to get my hands on," she said causing a low roar of laughter as she took the key from B.J. anyway. "Well, I'm checkin' out, I have some close, personal time to spend with the wakes. Later!" she called at them and departed down the hill to their dock.
For Duo, there were a few memorable events that took place that morning and early afternoon. The most memorable of these being tubing behind B.J.'s boat, "Lake Melody" style. Which meant Duo and Thea were tossed onto the tube together and B.J. took the boat as fast as it would go around the lake, and doing doughnuts if the idea struck him, also meaning the tube was going as least sixty miles per hour into a large buoy, sending its two riders high into the air and landing with a hefty splash. Duo remembered the way Thea's sopping wet hair clung to her face while screaming obscenities at B.J. about watching where he was going. He had never laughed so hard in his life.
He was now waiting in the tavern for Thea and Christy, who drove Thea's jeep so Tate and B.J. could ride together in case they decided to retire early for the night. He had just sat down on a barstool when the door opened and two familiar smiling faces stepped inside. Christy had on a black tank top that said, "I'll Mess With Texas" and jeans that turned a few heads as she walked in the door. Thea had a straw cowboy hat on and a white tank that said, "Kenny, I Think Your Tractor's Sexy" that she had obviously gotten at the same place Christy had gotten hers, with a pair of tight fitting green pants. She smiled brightly when she caught his eye in the midst of the crowded pub. She hopped up on the barstool next to him and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You ready for it to get a little drunk out?" she joked. He raised an eyebrow, then Christy jumped in their conversation.
"Yeah, I give B.J. an hour before he's in the bag," she said. Tate's "Save me," glance their direction from where her and B.J. were sitting down the bar a ways confirmed her suspicion. Christy sighed, "He's going to be dead by the time he twenty-five," she said then chucking sarcastically.
"One more year then," Thea joked back then ordered a drink, "Something strong, I got hit with a buoy today." The bartender gave her an odd look before serving her something orange-ish in a shot glass. She drank it on one gulp and ordered another one. "You better hurry and catch up before I drink you under the table," she teased him. He found he hated that and loved it at the same time.
"Yeah, under the table..." he trailed off, letting his mind wander before ordering a drink himself.
Yes, an hour later B.J. was nearly "in the bag", but he was not alone. Tate had given in after being volunteered for a chugging contest with another girl there, which Tate won with flying colors. Christy had made a bet on Tate and was celebrating by dancing with a random guy that happened to have tight jeans and a cowboy hat on, she was in heaven. She had quit drinking for the evening, telling Thea and Duo that she figured she would end up the designated driver. Duo, however, was working on catching up with B.J. He had just finished his beer when suddenly Thea gasped excitedly.
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAAAAA
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAAAA!
He jumped and looked at her. She grabbed him by the wrist and drug him away from the bar. He heard a few "WHOOOOO!" calls and a few other couples gathered around them dancing to the song that had just started playing. She looked up at him for a moment as though something were missing, then a light shown on her face as she seemed to remember. She ran to Tate and B.J. and ripped his cowboy hat straight off B.J.'s head. He spun around to give her a quizzical look but she was gone, already on the floor with Duo. She slapped the hat on Duo's head and he gave her the same look B.J. tried to give her. "He's off his ass, he won't care," she said and winked at him. She then seemed to realize that his look wasn't because of the hat. "Hello? It's 'Save a Horse, Ride A Cowboy'!" she yelled over the music that was beginning to pick up the pace. He looked around, then a thought had popped into this slightly intoxicated brain: she just made him a cowboy.
Well, I walk into the room
Passing out hundred dollar bills
And it kills and it thrills like the horns on my Silverado grill
And I buy the bar a double round a crown
And everybody's gettin' down
An' this town ain't never gonna be the same.
He looked back at her nodded lightly. She grabbed his wrist again but this time put it on her hip as she began to move her body to the rhythm. It didn't take long for the blood in his alcohol system to decide that yup, he was drunk enough to dance. Something that usually was not his style.
Cause I saddle up my horse
and I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
on my old stud Leroy
She was a decent dancer, definitely making his body and mind not want to work together, his body was almost too close to hers to bare and his mind was somewhere else entirely. It was damn sexy, the way she moved. Even if he was thinking straight, he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her. He caught her eyes for a moment and he saw something different, and yet oddly familiar in them. He hadn't seen her eyes like that before, but he had seen that look before, it was in movies, on TV, and even a few times on Hilde's face. Hilde, he had nearly forgotten about her, and now he wanted to forget. He caught her eyes again. Desire, that was the look in her eyes. It was having the equal effect on him.
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy
She softly bit her bottom lip and it was like a gong had gone off inside Duo's head. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.
Well I don't give a damn about nothin'
I'm singing and Bling- Blinging
While the girls are drinking
Long necks down!
And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy
or my Chevrolet for your Escalade
Or your freak parade
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town
He now had both his hands on her lower back and dipped her backwards. When he brought her back up she wrapped her hands around his neck and gave him a sassy smile that he could have sworn stopped his heart for a moment or two.
And I saddle up my horse
and I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
on my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy
She was singing along with some of the other people in the tavern to the song. Duo found him self doing the same in a short amount of time.
I'm a thorough-bred
that's what she said
in the back of my truck bed
As I was gettin' buzzed on suds
Out on some back country road.
We where flying high
Fining, whine, having ourselves a Big and Rich time
And I was going, just about as far as she'd let me go.
But her evaluation
of my cowboy reputation
Had me begging for salvation
all night long
So I took her out gigging frogs
Introduced her to my old bird dog
And sang her every Willie Nelson song I could think of
And we made love
And I saddled up my horse
and I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
on my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy
What? What?
Save A Horse Ride A cowboy
Everybody says
Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy.
Duo was grinning wider then he ever had been since his arrival in the town. They were standing outside the tavern, ready to leave since it was heading on two in the morning. Thea took her keys out of her pocket and tossed them to Christy, who got in the driver's seat of the jeep. Duo was saying goodnight to Thea, who seemed reluctant to let him even think about driving. "Let us give you a ride to your hotel or something," she said, "We're already driving B.J. and Tate, We'll bring you back here tomorrow to pick up your truck."
"She's right Duo," Christy chimed in, "You're new around here, the cop would be brutal on you." Duo shrugged his shoulder and climbed in the back of Thea's jeep after Tate and B.J. Thea hopped in the passenger seat and swore at herself. "What?" Chris asked looking over at her. Thea leaned over and rested her head on Christy's shoulder looking at something on the dash board.
"I forgot to fill the tank this morning," she groaned and sat back up. Christy rolled her eyes ay Thea and gave her a disappointed look.
"A bit distracted were we?" she asked. Thea gave her a glare out of the corner of her eye. "There might be just enough to get back to the house... Oh fuck it, Duo you're staying at our house tonight," Christy said simplifying matters while starting the jeep. Duo agreed, at this point there wasn't much he didn't like.
Duo saw Christy shoot a glance to B.J. in the rear-view mirror who looked disapproving of the situation but didn't say anything.
They drove home in silence. The full moon was out and made it feel like twilight rather then the middle of the night. The air smelled fresh and heavy as the evening dew hung in the air.
Christy pulled the jeep in the driveway and parked it. The five got out and walked, stumbled, and giggled to the back door. Christy unlocked it with ease walked in as though she were a mother duck herding her chicks around. Even through his inebriated senses, he could feel the warmth of this home as soon as he walked in the door. The place radiated respect and love, and he could almost swear he heard the laughter of a child coming from upstairs... No, it was the alcohol, it had been a long time since he partied this hard.
B.J. and Tate went to his bedroom in the partially re-done basement after saying their goodnights. Christy walked, Thea and Duo staggered, up the stairs where it seemed to take both Christy and Thea to show Duo the guest room at the end of the hall. Thea was more giggly then Duo had seen her yet before Christy pulled her away from his door by the shoulders and pointed her to the room near the stairwell. "Oh, by the way Duo," Christy said peaking her head out of the door way of her own room, "Make yourself at home. There's aspirin and Alka-Seltzer in the cabinet by the sink and plenty of crappy-filet leftovers in the fridge if you have late light urges like some people in this house," she said giving a nonchalant glance to Thea's room. Duo grinned and waved good night to her before shutting his door.
The room wasn't very big, but big enough for one person. It was a light blue in color and some of the furniture items in it seemed small as well, like they were for a child. Duo brushed it off. The room was about the same size as this dorm room at the Preventers base, and it seemed smaller when you share it with the most uptight, irritable, clean-freak that he shared it with. Duo didn't have anything personal against his room-mate, Marcus, but Duo shortly discovered you can only take him in small doses, and don't ask him to bend any rules, oh boy he nearly got demoted for that one. Duo decided to call it a night as he flipped off the light and climbed in bed. The soft, clean cotton sheets were soothing against his skin and before he knew it he was fast asleep.
Duo awoke with a start, it was another nightmare. He had grown used to them by now, but the hangover he was starting feel was not helping. He yawned and stretched then decided that he might take advantage of Christy's aspirin offer. He crept quietly out of his room and down the stairs. He noticed immediately that there was a light on in the kitchen. Once his eyes descended below the ceiling he saw that it was in fact Thea, who was reading a newspaper eating a piece on cantaloupe on a fork from a bowl in front of her. She was even sexy with bed-head, Duo's fairly sober mind, and pajamas.
He stopped himself at that thought. He shouldn't think of her that way, he was giving himself false hope.
She looked up from her paper and smiled at him, or was it at the bed-head that he assumed he had? "Morning, Sunshine," she said. He half yawned, half grunted in response. She pointed to the cupboard left of the sink, "Aspirin's in there," she said going back to her paper. He opened the cupboard and with little effort he found the small bottle. Realizing he needed a glass as well, he looked over to Thea who seemed to be anticipating this told him the next cupboard over with out ever looking up from her paper. He filled his glass with water and sat down at the table opposite her before taking the two tiny pills.
"How can you eat? You drank more then I did," said, slightly shocked at her ability to even think about food with out her stomach turning over. She raised an eyebrow at him over her paper.
"I don't get hangovers," she said not looking up from her paper. Duo realized that she probably wouldn't, being an augment, hell she was practically immortal from what he took from the few things he's heard about people's encounters with them.
Brain augments were a very rare find. Augmenting had become illegal shortly before the Eve wars started because someone had tried it to help out the Alliance by genetically "building" better soldiers. It failed miserably. The nine-teen subjects escaped and killed everyone in their path, including their creator and nearly one thousand civilians. With their increased abilities the police and even the military didn't even stand a chance. before they were captured and exterminated they had nearly succeeded in wiping out an entire city. A city that was half the size of the large Capitol City where Preventer HQ was. But still, at half the size, it was still a large city. In response to the tragedy, augmenting became illegal and all the products of which had to be destroyed. He only knew of three other people that brought brain augments in to Preventers, and none of them were still living.
Thea set the paper down. "Sorry, my baseball team is doing really well this season so far," she said.
"Who's that?" he asked continuing their conversation, trying to distract himself.
She laughed.
"Promise you won't laugh?" she asked. He held up two fingers,
"Scouts honor," he said.
"...Rock City Lumberjacks," she said timidly, awaiting his reaction. She got one. Duo gapped at her for a moment, then burst out laughing despite his promise and the pounding in his head when he did.
"Are you kidding me? They haven't won a championship in years!" he laughed.
"Almost a century," she said bitterly, "but they're doing awesome this year, got the wild card already." She went back to reading her paper and finished her fruit. Duo went to put this glass in the sink. When she finished her article as well she got up and went to put her dish in the sink as well. She gave Duo a playful shove in his side so she could reach the sink and was surprised when he gasped and jumped backwards. She looked over at him with a light shock on her face and said, "Are you ticklish?"
"No," he replied too quickly, giving him away. She smiled an extremely evil smile and poked him in the side again. She got the same reaction. When she had him cornered in front of the counter she began her attack. She got a few pokes in before he had her wrists held together high above her head. By instinct she wiggled easily out of the Preventer's grasp and continued her attack. "No-No!-Stop-ha-Come-ha-on-Not-haha-cool-no-seriously-hey!" he squealed between his laughter. He grabbed her by the wrists again but this time pressed her up against the refrigerator, holding her in place with his own body, since his hands were trying desperately to keep her evil fingers at bay. "Well, this puts you in a compromising position," he said grinning his own equally evil glare. She narrowed her eyes at him.
He had her and she knew it.
He wasn't sure where to go next, he had several ideas in his hungover head, but didn't quite have her permission to act upon them yet. He tried to glance down for a moment but his eyes were held there by the sight down Thea's pajama tank top. He looked back up, trying harder then ever before to contain his desire. He was startled by the look on her face, the look from earlier, her own desire. At that moment all rational thought went out the window. Her lips connected with his in a passionate kiss where he was no longer using his hands to hold hers back, but to keep himself standing. He released from her lips only from a moment only to move to her cheek and down her neck, stopping at her collarbone when he could hear her sharp inhales and soft moans, he had found her spot. His hands slid down her arms and down her sides, feeling her gentle curves. She suddenly pushed him back so they were looking at each other.
"You... really shouldn't do that..." she said between breaths.
"Oh, I think I should..." he said with the evil grin still on his face and went for her collarbone again. She let out another moan and this time he stopped on his own accord. "Alright, we shouldn't do this in the kitchen," he said breathlessly, "Upstairs?"
