Thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 10
Daryl leaned over his plate and took another bite off of the soft flour tortilla, a bit of liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth, down his stubbly chin.
"What do ya' call these things again?" he asked, pulling an onion from the tortilla and sucking the carmel-colored strand slowly through his lips.
"Fajitas. Fa-heat-uhs." Hallie said slowly, watching him eat. She was getting excited just watching him, licking his fingers, licking his lips, sucking on his third bottle of Dos Equis. Sometimes she just had to watch him, reveling in how truly fine he was. The drinks were pretty strong in this place and she was having a hard time not coming across the table. At one point she thought that he'd better call himself a cab because if the got in the same car together, she wasn't going to be able to control herself.
"Damn. Ain't never had Mess'ican before. Pretty fuckin' good."
Hallie just shook her head. "I know, if you didn't kill it, you don't usually eat it."
"Ain't nothin' wrong w' that!" he snorted, half offended.
"No, there's not. Nothing wrong with that at all. You just might want to broaden your horizons a bit."
"I'm gonna' broaden YER' horizons." he mocked, throwing a tortilla chip in her direction.
"You're all talk." she shook her head, taking a sip of her second drink.
"Yer' all rules." he smirked, picking a piece of beef off his plate and dropping it into his mouth, chewing it slowly, watching Hallie watch him. "This's number two, by tha' way."
"No way."
"Yup. Last week was number one. This is number two."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"'Cause. Ya' like it."
"No. I most certainly do not. I don't like it one little bit."
"I told ya'. We 'r gonna' play by yer' rules."
"If we're playin, then how come I'm not having any fun?"
"Well now I'm just insulted."
"You know what I mean."
"So, ya' didn't have no fun when ya' were on tha' phone at that there hotel?"
"Ok, well, yeah, that was a lot of fun. So why doesn't that count as number two?"
"''Cause we weren't together."
"Oh, I think we were pretty together." She smiled and lowered her head. Hallie looked up at him, her head still down. "I think we were exactly...together." she said quietly, knowing he knew full well what she meant.
"Woman," he said in a whisper, "shut it. I'm gettin' hard just thinkin' 'bout it."
"I can take care of that for you." Hallie said, looking into the deep blue of his eyes. They were about half-closed and she could tell that Daryl was not entirely with her. She held his gaze for a second and then picked up her margarita, running her tongue over the rim of the glass before she took a sip. She sat her glass down slowly and slid her tongue slowly over her bottom lip. "Mmmm. Salty." she said, never letting her eyes leave his.
Daryl swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Fuck me." he whispered, feeling his jeans suddenly become tight.
"Well, I been TRYIN'!" Hallie said loud enough for the people around them to hear.
"I'm gonna make ya' pay fer this." he said. "Yer gonna' pay big-time." he warned, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Yer' gonna scream."
"Dude, I'm screaming now. You apparently just ain't listening."
"Oh, I'm a' listenin'. I just ain't reactin'."
"Bull SHIT!" Hallie laughed loudly. "You can't tell me you don't go home and rub one out every night. On your lunch hour. While we're talkin' on the phone. When you're hunting in the woods. You can't stop thinking about it and you know it."
"That mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble."
"There you go again. Making promises you don't intend to keep."
"Oh, I'm keepin' em. Fer' sure. I'm keepin' e,. Ya' just gotta' wait fer it."
The waiter came over and refilled Hallie's water glass, clearning his throat. "Will there be anything else tonight, then?" he asked.
"Nope. Thank you, but I know the answer to that already. Sadly, no, there will be NOHTING else for me tonight." Hallie said, shaking her head as she kicked Daryl's shin under the table.
XXXXXX
Hallie stuck the nozzle of the gas pump into her car and leaned back against the rear quarter-panel, absent-mindedly watching the pump numbers tick-tick-tick way. She didn't hear the man approaching until he was standing a few feet in front of her. She turned and her stomach did a flip-flop.
"Merle! Hey, how are you?" she decided to play the nice and friendly.
"Well, Sweet Thang, I am five-by-five. Yerself?"
"I'm good, thanks. What brings you out here?"
"Workin'." He just stood there, hands in his pockets, staring at her.
"Merle, listen, I owe you a big thank-you. I...I did what you told me to do and it turned out good. I'm really grateful for your...encouragement."
"No shit, Babydoll? Then tell me why the hell is ma' brother is so fuckin' miserable?" his face turned harsh.
"What? He's miserable? Did he say that?"
"No. He don't talk about ya'. But I can tell. He's jumpy an' pissy an' acts like he ain't gettin' laid. He better be gettin' laid. You best be takin' care a' him, Little Lady. You best be makin' him feel real good 'r I'm gonna' have ta' step in."
So much for nice and friendly. Hallie was beside herself now. She was more pissed than scared and she was tired of his threats already. She pulled out the now-stopped pump handle and sat it in the cradle. She slowly turned back to the car, replaced the gas cap and shut the little door that covered it. Then she turned to Merle and took a step closer to him, putting her hands on her hips.
"Now you listen to me, Merle Dixon, and you listen good. Stay out of this. Your brother and I are just fine. If he's feeling...frustrated...it's his own doing. It was his decision to stick with something and see it through and it's his own damn fault. I told him he didn't have to. I've been begging him to forget it, but no...he's being stubborn. I'm bettin' he comes by that honestly, doesn't he? He's waiting for our third date, which should be soon, so thank you very much for your concern about your brother getting laid, but mind your own fucking business." By this time, Hallie was eye to chest with Merle and poking her finger in his belly on the last three words for extra emphasis.
"So what, this some kinda' sex game 'r sumpthin'? Never thought ya'd be the kinky type from lookin' at ya', but whatever floats yer' boat, I say! Ya' like ta' be spanked too? I like ta' give a hot little ass a good spankin' now an' then."
"No, you sick fuck. This is not a sex game! It's your brother showing he's a gentleman. That he has control. That he thinks I'm worth the wait!" she said loudly.
"Well, ya' fuckin' well better be. Third date. What tha' fuck kinda' horseshit 's that?" Merle roared. "Sounds like yer' jus' playin' him. 'S 'at it? Yer' a cock tease? You ain't gonna' fuck him no more at all are' ya? Yer' just stringin' him along. Who's tha' sick fuck now?"
Hallie lost all control at that point and doubled her fist. She landed the blow on his jaw, making him take a step backwards, mostly in surprise. He rubbed his face with his hand and grinned. "We'll, Sweet Cheeks, I see I hit a nerve."
"Fuck you, Merle. What Daryl and I do or don't do is none of your business." she said. "Stay the fuck out of it." she said, her doubled fist still raised.
Merle grabbed her fist with one hand and held it tight. "Now ya' listen here, Missy. What you an' ma' brother do IS ma' business. He's ma' baby brother an' I ain't gonna let ya' do anythin' ta' hurt him. You ain't gonna fuck him over an' break his heart. You do an' you'll answer ta' me. You got that? You hear me loud an' clear? I will fuck you up if ya' hurt him."
Merle's face was close to Hallie's now and she could smell the tobacco and alcohol on his breath. He looked a lot like Daryl, only bigger, taller, beefier. With years more worry and anger and sadness etched in his face. She wrenched her hand away, rubbing her wrist where his hand had dug in.
"If you're doing this to get me to run away from Daryl, so you can prove something to him, you're wrong. It ain't gonna work. You don't scare me. You're not going to scare me away no matter how much you try, Merle. You're the one that better be careful. You better hope I don't tell Daryl you've been threatening me. How do you think he'd feel if he knew what you said to me? Who'd be hurting him then, huh Merle?"
Merle looked at her, surprised for a second. She wasn't backing down. His jaw did kinda' smart, too. "You just 'member sumpthin'. " he growled. "I'll be watchin'." he said, poking her in the forehead with his index finger then turning slowly and walking to his truck.
"I'm sure you'd love to watch, Asshole, " she called after him. "gut you ain't gonna get to. And I'm...not...scared."
Merle pulled the truck onto the road and rubbed his jaw. He reached into his pocket and took out a handfull of pills, swallowing them with the help of the quart he had on the seat next to him. "She fuckin' hit me." he said disbelievingly, looking in the rear view mirror. "Fuck! I like that lil' bitch!"
XXXXX
It was Wednesday evening. Hallie walked to the porch and took the mail out of her box. A little white envelope with no return address caught her eye. She sat down on the wicker rocker and tore it open gently. It was written in a scribble, definitely masculine. Daryl's handwriting. Inside was a folded piece of notebook paper.
#3
pack a bag for the weekend
outdoor clothes
6:00 p.m. Friday
p.s. panties not necessary
Her heart skipped a beat and instantly a warm tingle spread through her, starting low, building, aching. Reminding her of what was to come. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, remembering everything she could about that first night together. Her phone angled in her purse, jolting her back to reality.
"Hello?"
"Get ma' note?'
"Yeah, just read it. I'm sitting here fantasizing about it, in fact."
"That's why I called. Add something to yer' list." his voice was low and gravely. Like he was thinking things he ought not to be thinking...and enjoying every minute of it.
"Ok, what?"
"Lube."
Hallie let out a little noise from the back of her throat. Not a whine or a moan, sorta of a cross between them, high and thready. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"
Click
XXXXX
Hallie' jumped as her phone rang. She'd been cleaning off her desk to kill time. Her nerves were on edge. She'd been anxious all day, impatient for five o'clock to come. Anxious to see his old pick-up pull up in the drive. Anxious to start their weekend together. Their THIRD date. She had her bag beside the front door. Jeans, sox, a couple hoodies, jacket, hiking boots, some new lacy underwear, despite his instructions. A bottle of tequila and six limes, and after a trip to the adult book store out by the interstate, a new bottle of something guaranteed by the woman working there to be "the best stuff ever." She looked like she knew what she was talking about, so Hallie took her word.
"You all set?" Daryl's voice was soft, slow.
"Ready. Got everything packed and waiting."
"Good. I gotta' tell ya' sumpthin'."
"Daryl, no, you're not going to cancel, are you? Please, no." Hallie moaned.
"No, shut up. I need ta' say sumpthin' to ya'."
"What?"
"I don't want ya' ta' think that the only reason I'm doin' this is ta' get in yer' pants."
"Ok."
"This weekend ain't all 'bout that fer' me. It's more."
"Ok."
"Damn it. I'm tryin' to tell ya' I got feelins' for ya."
"Daryl. I...that's the sweetest thing you've ever said." Hallie sat down hard in her chair. "I have feelings for you too. I knew I did before we ever got back to my house that first night."
"Jus' wanted ya' to know."
"That means a lot." Hallie could tell how difficult this was for him, even through the phone. Daryl was not one to talk about feelings much. "Daryl?"
"Yup."
"You're still planning to get in my pants, though, right?"
Chuckle. "Hope ya' got the big bottle."
Click
XXXXXX