Carl

Because I was just so irritated with the conversation with Scott and the very fact that I was thinking about Melanie still, I went to the cupboard to get a drink and found that I’d had the last of the whiskey. Instead of staying sober for the night, I decided that I should go out and get some more.

I got dressed and ran a hand threw my hair before I left the house. I wasn’t too worried about my appearance. I was just going out for a few drinks and was still sweaty from working at Scott’s house. The bar was small, but it was packed for a weekday and I hoped that I didn’t know anyone in here because if Bianca found out I was here and I wasn’t answering her calls, I was never going to hear the end of it. The last thing that I needed was her bitching at me.

The bar was full to the brim and there were only a couple of seats at the bar. I saw a flash of red and I knew who it was almost immediately. She was as easy to spot in a crowd as her brother was and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that turning around and walking away was literally the best thing that I could do in this situation. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to be around her.

I would have turned back and got some whiskey at the gas station, but then I saw her talking to Jake Caller and I knew that I had to stay. I was staying to make sure she was okay. The man had one hell of a reputation and it was not one that I thought was made up. I knew Jake a little bit and I knew how he was with girls. I knew that Scott wouldn’t want Melanie around him, so I was going to stay for his sake.

This is what I told myself as I made my way to the empty seat beside her. Jake was on the other side, most likely the reason that it wasn’t occupied. Everyone in their right mind would want to sit there. She was just as hot as I remembered and now I could look at her as much as I wanted.

She still had freckles that were painted all over her nose and cheeks. It was a light sprinkling that wasn’t too much and I really liked the way it looked. She laughed at something that Jake had said and she hadn’t even noticed me yet. She didn’t turn to me until I gave my order to the bartender. I thought she’d seen me when I first came in, but then her eyes flickered away and she was talking to Jake, so I wasn’t sure.

“Carl. I didn’t know that you came here.”

“It’s the only bar in Jefferson.”

“I know. I just, never mind. Good to see you. Thanks for helping out with the driveway earlier, it looks great.”

I was surprised that she even noticed, but then I realized that I was still wearing some of the black, sticky sealant on my clothes and a little on my hands. I had working hands that never did seem to be completely clean.

“No problem. Your dad is a great guy and I always like to help if I can.”

She smiled at me and I felt my heart skip a beat. It was something that I would never notice before, but I don’t think it’d ever happened before. It must be that Scott told me I couldn’t have her and that was why I was thinking about her so much. That’s why her scent was drawing me in like a magnet. It must be the hands off thing that was bothering me so much because I was bothered more than I cared to say. I never thought about females this much.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Melanie motioned to the one in her hand. “Jake was nice enough to get a couple for me. You know Jake, right?”

It was like she remembered that he was next to her and she had been previously talking to him. I wasn’t too worried about Jake, but I nodded my head to him and told him that I knew him a little bit. I didn’t mention that I didn’t care for him all that well because he was a cocky jerk, but I was going to leave that unsaid.

Jake tried to get her attention and I decided that I had to instead. I couldn’t let her get involved with a guy like that. It just wasn’t right.

“So how is school going?”

Melanie smiled and then it flattered a little bit. “It’s going okay. Just having trouble with my professor.”

“The one you were dating?”

She shrugged and looked away. “I could kill Scott for saying that in front of you. He should have kept his big mouth shut.”

“Well it was true what I said about you liking older guys then I guess. You never did find a guy your own age huh?”

“Yeah, I guess not.”

“You’re over that, though right? The older guy thing.”

I don’t know what exactly I was asking her, but damn if I didn’t want her to say that she wasn’t. Melanie was quite a bit younger than I was and I didn’t like to think that there was no chance at all. I didn’t like the idea of that at all and I wanted it not to be true. I didn’t want what she said about older guys to be true.

“I don’t know. I’m just naturally attracted to them I guess. There isn’t anything I can do about it, but it shut my brother up.”

Jake was staring me down and I ignored his look. He wouldn’t do anything. He knew better and after a few minutes of Melanie sort of flirting with me and ignoring him, he left to go to the pool tables and I smiled to myself. That hadn’t been so bad.

“Why did you want him to leave?”

“Who?”

“Jake, you practically pissed on me for him to leave.”

“Pissed on you?”

“Yeah like a dog marking his territory.”

It wasn’t how I would have worded it, but it was aptly correct. I wanted Jake to go away and I did claim her in a way to get him to go. He did and now I didn’t have to be that way anymore.

“It was for your own good. He’s a jerk and a womanizer.”

“We dated a few years back. I broke up with him, not the other way around. You don’t have to protect me from Jake.”