Lila Kate
SEA BREEZE, ALABAMA was similar to Rosemary, but it was completely different. The beaches looked the same. Sea Breeze and Rosemary were on the same coast. However, the town of Sea Breeze was . . . well . . . less structured. There was no country club, and the stores weren’t high end. There were souvenir stores with large tacky floats outside and airbrushed t-shirts that you would never see along the streets of Rosemary Beach. I loved it. The realness. The neon yellow signs flashing Free Hermit Crabs and Twenty-Four-Hour Breakfast and All You Can Eat Shrimp made me feel like I was in another world already.
My GPS was programmed to lead me to Nate’s, but they weren’t expecting me until later. I wanted to explore first. And to have some time to myself before I had to talk about my plans yet again. And Nate would ask. My actions were so out of character for me that I was expecting him to ask a lot of questions.
I made a quick call to let Mom know I made it to Sea Breeze safely, was doing some shopping and exploring, and that I’d call when I got to Nate’s later. That way she’d relax and stop worrying. I decided to drive around until I saw another neon sign that said Live Music and Fresh Crab, so I turned in. It was almost six o’clock, and I had told Nate and Bliss I would eat dinner before I got there. This looked like a good place to stop. The building was crowded already, so I could just blend in.
The music could be heard pouring from the speakers inside out into the parking lot. It wasn’t bad. Not my thing but then I was changing me so I should learn to enjoy this kind of thing. Walking inside, I realized this was a bar. I was second guessing my decision to eat here when I realized that was an old Lila Kate way of thinking. The new Lila Kate was good with bar food. She’d try it.
The tables surrounding the place were tall with stools. They were also packed with girls in tiny shorts, halter tops and some wearing their bikini tops. Summer was over, but it was still hot outside. Fall didn’t arrive until late October here. Tourists still came to the area, but the way everyone seemed to know each other, I wondered if this was the local crowd.
I decided to take one of the empty spots at the bar. The bartender was female which made me feel more relaxed. I sat down and turned back once to glance around. I watched the band on stage and took in the way the people acted. It was like some of the bars I’d gone to with friends when I was in college. I had never fit in there. But I would here. I was determined.
“What can I get for you?” I swung my attention back around to see the stunning bartender smiling at me. Her hair was a shade of red people paid good money for, and her eyes were an icy green that made me envious.
“Uh, yes. A menu perhaps?” I replied.
That response got a large grin from her. “Yeah, okay.” She slid one over to me. “You look that over, and I’ll be back. Unless, you know, you want to order a drink right now?”
“Oh, no, I need a moment. Thank you.”
She started to walk off then paused. “You’re not from here, are you?”
I shook my head. “No.”
She seemed amused. “Didn’t think so. If you’ve got any questions holler. My name’s Larissa.”
“Yes, okay. Thank you, Larissa.”
I studied the menu. Crab nachos—I’d never heard of that combination. Did they make nachos with crab on them? It sounded like an excellent idea. Fried pickles, I’d seen those at bars before, but I’d never tasted them. Dancers had to keep their weight in check. Fried foods were off limits. I thought about trying that. Redneck caviar, now that sounded intriguing. But I wasn’t a fan of black-eyed peas, and it didn’t seem anything like caviar to me.
“Try the loaded potato skins with crab meat. Greasy as hell, and not at all healthy, but so damn good,” a male voice said close by, startling me. I jumped a little and dropped the menu.
I turned my attention to him, and my breath caught a little. He was blonde, tall, tanned, well built and his smile was something. He also smelled good. Like soap and . . . whiskey. But it was a good combination.
He picked up my menu and handed it back to me. “I’ve been eating at this bar since before it was legal for me to get inside. Trust me. Go with the potato skins.”
I nodded. I should say something witty or flirty, but I had nothing. I was sucking at this new Lila Kate thing. “Okay,” was my wonderful response. Just “okay.” What was wrong with me? I had seen attractive men all my life. Why was this one making it hard for me to talk?
“Larissa!” he called out, and the redhead turned to look at him with a frown that reached her forehead.
“What, Eli?” She didn’t move from her position at the bar.
He looked at me. “What’s your name?”
That I could answer easily enough. “Lila,” I replied deciding that the new Lila Kate was going to drop that Kate. That name was silly and it made me sound ten years old. Lila was . . . sexier.
He gave me a crooked grin. “Lila. I like that. Fits you.” Then he turned back to Larissa. “Lila here wants the potato skins loaded with crab.”
Larissa walked over to us. “I see you’re making friends,” she said to Eli and then smiled at me. “He’s had a little too much tonight. I’d cut him off but trust me this is a rarity for him. Anyway, did he order for you because he’s planning on eating your food, or do you want the loaded potatoes?”
Everyone knew each other here. How nice. It was like a television show. “Yes, he has sold me on them. They sound delicious.”
Larissa chuckled. “Don’t set your hopes too high. They’re good but delicious may be pushing it. What about a drink?”
Normally, I’d order bottled water. Instead, I said, “Dirty martini please.”
“Got ID?”
I reached for my purse and took out my license then handed it to her. She glanced at it and nodded then looked at the guy beside me. “Behave,” she said before walking off behind the bar.
He sat down on the stool beside me and leaned back against the bar looking out over the crowd. “I’ve never seen you here before. Where are you from Lila?”
I started to say Rosemary Beach but stopped myself. I didn’t know this guy. He was a stranger. I wanted to live free and wild, but I needed to be careful to a certain degree.
“Florida,” I replied instead. It was a big state. I could be vague.
He nodded. “Florida, huh? I was assuming you were on vacation, but if you’re from Florida, I doubt that. Why vacation at this beach when you have beautiful ones there? What brings you to Alabama?”
I liked his voice. It was soothing. It paired nicely with the way he smelled—very appealing. “I’m traveling west. Going on an adventure of sorts.”
He turned to look at me then. “An adventure? Alone?”
Okay, that was a bad idea. I shouldn’t tell a strange guy I was alone. “No, I’m traveling with friends,” I lied quickly.
He didn’t look convinced. “Really?”
I nodded. “Yes, really.”
“Dirty martini,” Larissa said placing the drink I ordered in front of me. It had the ice slivers in it that I loved.
“Thank you. This looks wonderful.”
“She’s the best,” Eli agreed. “Now how about another Jack?” he asked her.
“How about a glass of water first,” she said sliding a glass of water in front of him.
“You’re killing my buzz, Larissa,” he said looking unhappily at his glass of water.
“I’m saving your ass,” she told him. Then she turned and said to me over the music that was growing louder, “Eli’s a nice guy. Better when he’s sober. And your food will be out in five,” she said holding up her hand with her five fingers spread.
I figured he had the approval of the bartender who seemed nice enough. I wasn’t going to be abducted or raped tonight. That was a relief.