CH 29 - #girlsnightout
#girlsnightout
Madison
Songs: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars), and “Drunk On You” by Luke Bryan
“Okay, what do you want to drink?” I asked my sister. We’d just sat down at the bar at Midnight Rodeo. The place was packed.
“White wine for me. What about you?”
“Luke turned me on to Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey, so that’s what I’m having. No more than two glasses, though, or I might get into trouble.”
Meredith giggled. “I am really happy to see you and spend time with you. I’ve missed you a lot.”
“I’ve missed you too. Even though you and I talk and text all the time, it doesn’t compare to doing something like this,” I said, waving my hands around.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“You and Tanner are still doing really well?”
“We are. I just wish I’d get pregnant. We keep trying.”
“Has he been checked for low sperm count, because the women in our family are all fertile Myrtles?”
“That’s my next request of him. I’ve let it ride, thinking he would eventually knock me up, but it obviously hasn’t happened.”
“If the reason you haven’t is on Tanner’s shoulders, what’s your next step?”
“I don’t know. That’s obviously something I’ll have to discuss with my OB/GYN.”
I grabbed my sister’s hand and held it. “You’re going to get pregnant. Until you do, would you like to take your spoiled niece home with you?”
“I would love to!” Meredith chuckled.
“She would love it, as well.”
“Howdy, ladies! What can I get for you tonight?” a tall, dark, and handsome bartender asked, pulling my and Meredith’s attention to him.
“What kind of white wine do you have?” my sister asked.
“Any kind you want.”
“I’ll take some sauvignon blanc.”
“Do you have a preferred brand?”
“Becker.”
“Got it. What about you?” the bartender asked, focusing on me.
“Buffalo Trace, please.”
His chocolate brown eyes bounced between my sister and me. “A city girl and a country girl.”
“We’re both from Dallas, but I’ve temporarily relocated to Amarillo,” I said.
“How do you like it?”
“I love it.”
“It has that kind of effect on city-folks. Give me a minute, and I’ll have you ladies all set.”
“Thanks.”
He walked off. I looked at Meredith, who already had her eyes on me.
“Okay, I’m going to have to get Tanner a fucking cowboy hat,” she said.
I burst out laughing. “Right?”
“Sweet Jesus, the men around here.”
“They’re very manly.”
“To say the least. I’m ovulating right now, so I know that’s why they’re affecting me the way they are.”
“The power of hormones.”
“God, I’m all flustered from our bartender and still thinking about Justin’s sexy self.”
“No harm done from looking.”
“You mean lusting?”
“Whatever you want to call it.”
“Luke is as hot as Justin, if not hotter.”
“He’s definitely hotter. I’ve experienced him up close and personally.”
“Okay, seriously, how was that first fuck with him?”
“Mind-blowing. He took charge of me and did everything he needed to do to send me into orbit. I couldn’t get over his big dick energy, lasting long enough for me to cum first. Ty rarely could.”
“Tell me what Luke was like with you when the sex was over.”
“Tender, sweet. He actually gave me aftercare.”
Meredith’s black eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Really. I didn’t know how to take it since I’d never experienced that with Ty, but then I went with it, keeping a close eye on Luke as he cleaned his semen and all my wetness off me.”
“Just when I thought I couldn’t be any bigger a fan of his, I am. Men like him are rare.”
“I know. You have one in Tanner.”
“And I love him so much.”
“I know you do. Y’all are a beautiful couple and are going to have beautiful babies. It’s going to happen. I feel it.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m so ready to hold a little one of my own.”
The tall, dark, and handsome bartender returned with our drinks, setting them on top of napkins in front of us. “Enjoy, ladies!”
“What do we owe you?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“Someone paid for your drinks.”
“Who?”
“I’m not telling,” the bartender said, grinning.
“Fine.”
He chuckled, then went to wait on another customer.
I looked at my sister. “What the heck?”
“Someone close by must be a fan of ours.”
We both looked around, not seeing anyone who stood out. Then a song that Meredith and I knew well and had danced to countless times before started blaring through the dance hall’s speakers: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars). Her mouth fell open.
“I told you that Midnight Rodeo plays more than country music,” I said.
“We just got our drinks, but I have to dance with you to this song!”
Let’s down our drinks, then we’ll hit the dance floor as we’ve always done.”
She gritted her teeth and nodded. “Ready?”
“I’m counting to three. One, two, three.”
We finished off our drinks in seconds, Meredith grimacing afterward.
“Damn, that makes me want to slap somebody,” she said.
I laughed. “Come on! Time’s a’waistin’.”
“Listen to you, all countryfied.”
“Can’t help it.”
“And I can’t blame you.”
She and I headed to the dance floor, side by side, moving our bodies to the beat, our hands in the air.
Countless others were line dancing to “Uptown Funk,” but not my sister and me.
We were in city-girl mode in our country-girl outfits, making our Dallas moves, facing each other, lost in the music.
When the lyrics, “Stop. Wait a minute. Fill my cup, put some liquor in it. Take a sip, sign the check. Julio, get the stretch! Ride to Harlem, Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi. If we show up, we gon’ show out.
Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy. I’m too hot (hot damn).
Call the police and the fireman,” played, Meredith and I were facing each other with intoxicated smiles and still dancing like sexy vixens to the song.
When it ended, she and I hugged, giggling.
“Ready for another round of drinks?” I asked her.
“Oh yeah!”
“Let’s go.”
Back at the bar and sipping our glasses of wine and whiskey, Meredith’s eyes grew big as she looked over my left shoulder. I turned to see what she was looking at.
“Hey, Justin!” I said.
“How are you?”
“Having a ball with my sister.”
He came to stand beside me and glanced at Meredith. “Good for y’all. How long have you been here?”
“Not even an hour. Did you just get to Midnight Rodeo?”
“I’ve been here for a little while. Needed to decompress.”
“I understand. What are you drinking?”
“It was whiskey. I finished mine.”
“What’s your preferred brand?”
“Jack Daniels.”
“Try mine. It’s Buffalo Trace.”
I handed Justin my glass and watched his lips, surrounded by black scruff, touch the rim, then he took a sip. “That’s damn good,” he said, looking at me, surprised.
“It’s really smooth, isn’t it?”
He gave me my glass back. “Sure is. I may have to get myself some of that.”
“Luke introduced me to it. I love it.”
“Where is he tonight?”
“Currently visiting his mom in Lubbock.”
“Yeah, Hayden shared his family’s tragedy about losing his dad with me.”
“It’s been really tough on him, Luke, and their mom.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Tell me about yourself, Justin.”
“What would you like to know?”
“Are you from Llano?”
He chuckled. “You’ve checked me out.”
“A little.”
“I’m actually from East Texas.”
“So is our dad,” I said, motioning at Meredith. She was wide-eyed, staring straight at Justin.
“The Piney Woods are my home, although I enjoy wandering across our Lone Star State.”
“There’s lots to see.”
Just then, Luke Bryan’s “Drunk On You” began playing.
“This song’s a good one,” Justin said, pointing up at the speakers on the ceiling.
“A really good one.”
“Would you mind dancing with me to it?”
I glanced at Meredith. “I-I…”
“Just as friends. I haven’t danced in quite a while.”
“Um, sure. One dance won’t hurt.”
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”
“Never doubted it.” I looked back at my sister. “Be back in a few.”
“Have fun.”
Justin held out his hand for mine. I gave it to him, then he led me to the dance floor, walking slightly ahead of me to my left.
He had on a straw cowboy hat, curved a bit differently from Luke’s.
He was also wearing a tight black T-shirt that hugged his muscular chest, jeans, a black belt, and black cowboy boots.
When we reached the dance floor, he turned to me, pulling me to him and placing my left hand on his shoulder while taking my other hand. We started country dancing, Justin’s right hand on my waist, the fronts of our bodies barely touching.
“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” I asked.
Justin grinned. “You’re forward.”
“It’s the only way I know to be.”
“I had a girlfriend for two years.”
“What happened?”
“Someone else grabbed her interest.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is. I don’t expect much from people anymore. I used to look for them to approach my relationship with them like I did. I gave it my all, but not anymore.”
“Don’t let their shittyness make you like that. Keep being you.”
“It only gets me hurt.”
I let go of Justin’s left hand and hugged him, the two of us still moving across the dance floor.
“Thanks for that,” he said, looking down at me as I looked up at him, so tall like Luke.
“You’re welcome. Promise me that you won’t give up on finding the woman meant for you.”
“At this point, I think I’m better off staying single.”
“God made us for companionship.”
Justin sighed. “If I could find someone like you, then I’d reconsider it.”
“I appreciate your compliment, but I’m far from perfect.”
“I don’t want perfect. I want a real woman who’s down to earth, knows who she is, and doesn’t waver from it.”
We grew quiet but kept gazing into each other’s eyes. “I sincerely hope you find her,” I said.
“Thanks, Madison. Luke is a lucky man to have you.”
“I’m lucky to have him.”
“When is he coming back to Amarillo?”
“Late tonight. Was Hayden doing better before you came to Midnight Rodeo?”
“He was. I warmed up a can of vegetable-beef soup for him. He ate it with some crackers.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
“Have you always been so caring?”
“For those I care about.”
“You seem to care about me a little.”
“My heart bleeds for anyone who’s hurting. I can tell that your last romantic relationship majorly burned you.”
“It did. I gave Amber all I had, but it obviously wasn’t enough.”
“That’s your ex-girlfriend’s name?”
“Yep.”
“Forget it and move on.”
“Easier said than done.”
“You must’ve been in love with her then.”
“Still am, trying to let her memory go.”
“Some, you can’t.”
Justin took a deep breath, nodding. “You’re right. Thanks for talking to me about all of this. I didn’t intend for our conversation to take this route.”
“You and I are just relating, one human to another. I’ve been burned too.”
“By your ex-husband?”
“Yep. He had an affair.”
Justin shook his head. “Damn, I’m sorry.”
“Like you with Amber, I gave my ex, Ty, all I had to give. It would have never been enough, though.”