Chapter 3

Hallie occupied herself with work for the next few weeks. She avoided going out with the rest of her girl friends and definitely avoided Pete's Bar. She continued to be embarrassed about what Kelly began referring to as "The Cuervo Incident" and continued to remember only bits and pieces. She was thankful that she hadn't heard from him, which would only have added further to her embarrassment. Hallie reminded herself that he may not have gotten her phone number but he knew where she lived and if he'd wanted to see her again, he damn sure could have just driven over. She caught herself vacillating between being disappointed and relieved.

"So, what do you think?" Kelly said. "Are you coming?"

"No."

"You can't avoid it forever."

"Watch me. From now on, work is my life. No more going out. I'm going to become a nun."

"Fat chance. " Kelly smirked. "I saw you and him kissing. You ain't never gonna be a nun."

"Fuck you!" Hallie squeaked. "I am not going." she said decidedly.

"Oh, yes you are. It's my birthday and you can't refuse me."

"Yes I can. I'll take you out for lunch. We'll go to Build-a-Bear. I'll buy you a fucking pony. But I am not going back to Pete's."

"Yes you are, or I'll tell everyone what you did." Kelly teased.

"You don't know what I did." Hallie narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "Hell, I don't even know what I did!"

"That won't stop me from making up shit. I'll make up some really good shit, too. Kinky stuff that every body would say, naw, I don't believe it, but deep down they all really would because you know what they say about you quiet, shy girls."

"I'm NOT shy," Hallie protested. "and you so would not do that!"

"I so WOULD and I will if I don't see your ass on that barstool tonight by 6:00." Kelly smirked. "I'll let you skip the tequila if you want." she added.

"I hate you, you know."

"No you don't. You love me..." her friend smiled, patting her on the arm. "...because you know that I know deep down, you want to see him again."

"Oh, no, I most certainly do NOT!" Hallie snorted. "Not ever. I wouldn't know what to say. Seriously. 'Oh, Hi Daryl. By the way, thanks for screwing me so hard I couldn't remember your name the next morning .' Yeah, that would be nothing but awkward!"

"See you tomorrow night." Kelly said, with a click of her phone.

XXXXX

Hallie walked into Pete's slowly, scoping out the parking lot for pick up trucks. There were none, which was a bit unusual, but the coast was clear. The Friday-night-after-work crowd was dwindling down and the the-weekend's-here-let's-party crowd was starting to arrive. She found her friends in the corner and a large round table and slid into the banquette to a chorus of ear-piercing squeals and greetings.

The girls chatted, gossiped and ordered bar food for a couple hours. Hallie declined any alcohol and stuck to her guns, despite a good deal of pressure from her friends. "No. " she said firmly. "I drove here. I'm not drinking. Diet Coke or I'm leaving." She scanned the bar several times and each time, let out her breath. So far so good. Kelly watched her and leaned over. "He ain't here yet."

"What do you mean 'yet'?" Hallie furrowed her brow. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"

"No, Silly." Kelly laughed, starting to feel the effects of a few too many free birthday beers. "I mean, just be patient. It's Friday night. He'll be here eventually."

Another hour passed and Hallie was starting to feel like a duck out of water with her partying friends. She walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. You just need to go home, she said in the mirror. As she exited the door and walked down the short hall to the bar area, she heard the jukebox kick in. "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." She shook her head. Kelly's favorite song. Let the bad dancing begin, she smiled. She rounded the corner Hallie Jane McAllister came face to chest with Daryl Everett Dixon.

XXXXX

Daryl took a deep breath and walked into Pete's. He hadn't been there at all since the night he and Hallie met. He was hoping that she was there, but frankly, was knew he'd be at a loss as to what to say to her. He'd taken a lot of crap from his brother for wanting to see her again, but he couldn't help it. He kept thinking about her, about that night. He definitely wanted to see her again. "Move on, Dickweed." Merle had said. "She was just a piece a' ass. A good lay. That's all women r' good fer anyhow."

Daryl started to walk up to the bar and order, but he'd decided to hit the restroom before he started. He waved to a sort-of friend sitting at the end of the bar and headed down the hall to the johns. As he got to the hallway that contained the restrooms, he stopped dead in his tracks. She was here. He could smell her perfume. A split second later, Hallie rounded the corner.

Daryl's heart started to pound as he took her in. She was wearing a pair of straight-leg jeans and a deep purple sweater that hugged her body in all the right places. The neckline of the sweater was cut square in front and a bit low. He could see the rounded tops of her breasts as he looked down. He couldn't help but look down, she was so much shorter than him. The color of the sweater made her big green eyes stand out. Her long hair was down, a mass of reddish-brown curls spilling over her shoulders and down her back. One side was pinned back with a silver comb, making the curls fall in a cascade around her pale neck. He wished he was biting on that neck again. He took what he could catch of a deep breath and inhaled slowly. She smelled exactly as he remembered. Warm, soft, spicy, sweet. His nose had not deceived him.

Hallie put out her hand to avoid a collision with the person in front of her. As she said "Whoa. Sorry!" she raised her eyes upwards and saw Daryl. Her heart stopped. "Oh. Oh! Ahh. Uhm. Hey." she stuttered. "I didn't expect to...I mean...I..." she sighed at her complete lack of ability to put together a coherent sentence. "Fuck." she squeaked.

Daryl smiled. He realized that when Hallie was flustered, she cussed. "Hey." he said. "How are ya'?"

"Good. You?"

"Not bad. You here with somebody?" he asked. He knew the answer. He'd seen her friends at the corner table, rather, he'd HEARD her friends at the corner table. A rather wide middle-age woman came down the hall towards them and he pulled Hallie by the elbow off to the side, leaning against the wall to make a path.

"Just friends. It's Kelly's birthday and..."

"You drinkin'?" he grinned.

"God, no. They're making up for it, though." she smiled and nodded in the girls' direction. She realized that he still hadn't removed his hand from her elbow. "You here alone?"

"Yeah. Well, hopefully not now." he said, his words falling out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying and could pull them back in. He looked to see her reaction and saw Hallie press her lips together, trying to hide a smile.

"Um, then can I buy you a beer?" she said.

"One condition." he said, looking towards the now-rowdy table in the corner "We get a booth. Over there." He pointed to the corner furthest away from the commotion.

Hallie smiled. "You don't want to sit with my friends?"

Daryl grimaced. "No. Not for a long time." he said, squeezing her elbow and walking towards the men's room.

XXXXX

Hallie walked to the bar and motioned for Pete. "Bud long neck and another Diet Coke." she said.

Pete grinned. "You want me to start a tab"

Hallie narrowed her eyes as she grinned. "That's enough out of you." she said "Don't you have some glasses to polish or something?"

"No, I'll be too busy cutting up limes. You know. For later. When you start ordering the Cuervo."

Hallie threw down a five and picked up the bottle and the can in one hand. She turned, flipping her hair, and shot him the bird over her shoulder.

Daryl sat down opposite her in the booth and picked up the bottle. He held out the neck towards Hallie and they clinked can and bottle together. Hallie looked at him and he was grinning. No, more like beaming.

"So, what have you been up to?" she said, leaning on her elbow, her chin resting on one hand.

"Work." he said. "Don't do much else. You?"

"Same thing. You work construction, right?" She was purely guessing at this point.

"Yeah. What is it you do?"

"Rummage sales."

"What?"

"Rummage sales. Auctions. Estate sales. Garage sales." She took a drink from the can. "You ever been to Cracker Barrel?" she asked him.

"Yeah. Who hasn't?"

"You know all that crap they have on their walls?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"That's my job. I work for the guy who owns the company that finds that crap and sells it to restaurants and bars to screw into their walls so you'll have something to talk about while you're waiting on your biscuits and gravy to arrive."

"No shit?"

"No shit. I get paid to go to garage sales. Cracker Barrel, T.G.I. Friday's, Lambert's. All kinds of places want all kinds of old crap...and I find it."

"Wow." he was speechless. "What kinda' degree ya' gotta' have ta' do that?" he was teasing now.

"I actually have a degree in history. But this is way more fun and pays a lot more than being a teacher. Plus, I get to shop for myself too. It's actually a pretty good job come to think of it."

"Sure beats mine." he said, unaware that he was rubbing the calluses on his fingers.

"Oh, no way. You get to be outside, in the sun, breeze blowing through your hair, doing stuff with your hands. building stuff. Creating. You get to see an actual SOMETHING when you're done. A finished project. You get a sense of completion."

"I get sunburned, stung by wasps an' get splinters," he laughed. "oh, yeah, an' rainy days off."

"Well, ok, you got me there." she giggled. Oh, you did not just giggle, the voice in her head said. Get a grip.

There was a pregnant pause that seemed like it went the full nine months.

"I, uhm, I thought about calling you." he said his head down, peeling the label from the bottle.

"You had my number?" she asked, draining the can.

"Yeah." he said, still with his head down. "I didn't think you wanted to talk, though."

"I probably would have been too embarrassed. I still am." she admitted. "Like I said, I've never done that before. I never thought I was that kind of a girl." she said.

"Yer' not." he looked up, his blue eyes so clear and deep it almost took her breath away. "I knew that from the get-go." he said. "Don't be embarrassed, ok?"

"What really pisses me off is that I don't remember much of it." she said, her voice in a whisper.

Daryl leaned forwards and put his hand on Hallie's. "Yes ya' do." he said. "Close yer' eyes."

"Daryl. Really."

"Close yer' eyes." he said again, rubbing his thumb across the soft part of her hand above her thumb and forefinger. She closed her eyes and he continued to rub gently. "Just let yer'self remember." he said in a low voice.

Hallie closed her eyes as Daryl had asked and took a deep breath. Her hand was so hot. He thought for a second that it was shaking a bit. He continued to rub his thumb across the top of her hand, slowly stroking back and forth. She shut her eyes tighter and tried to relax. The butterflies in her stomach had now scattered to all parts of her body and there was a slow burn trying to catch all the butterflies. The room was heating up as Hallie tried to think back to that night.