Maggie - Benny boo’s Wild West Saturday
“Not even one teensy tiny drink, Benny boo?” Kelly pouted in a cutesy voice, reaching up from the backseat to pat Ben’s T-shirt clad shoulder, making him slightly flinch.
We were on our way to a new western bar called The Rusty Rose. I was directed to wear something “western-y cute,” but I didn’t have much that fit that description except black cowboy boots with white stitching I bought for a concert a couple years ago. I settled on a black, long-sleeved bodycon dress– it was one of the only things that could actually stretch over my cast– and paired it with the boots.
Even though Kelly lived within walking distance to the bar, I decided to take advantage of Ben being my designated driver and directed him to pick her up before going there because walking into a bar alone was kind of intimidating. But now I was regretting that decision.
I waited for Ben to snap back at Kelly for calling him Benny boo , I waited for him to brush her delicate hand off him. He did neither. He just smirked. And I had the overwhelming urge to scream at him and smack her hand away.
Why was the whole macho don’t-call-me-that routine reserved for me?
Was he not yelling at her because he liked her?
And why did the thought of them together make me want to scream?
I had zero right to feel territorial. I totally knew that. But the way she seemed to be talking to him so flirtatiously right in front of me made my eye twitch.
But she’s not flirting with him. She’s interested in Mark. You know this, I mentally snapped at myself.
This was just Kelly’s way.
Her high-pitched voice and movements made everything she did seem sensual, from the way she pushed her shiny blonde hair off her shoulder, to the way she applied her lipstick. She was just effortlessly cute and sexy, always. Deep down, I really wish I knew how to do that. I just… couldn’t. I had a feeling if I were to pet Ben the way she did, it’d make things even more awkward between us.
But what about him? Why wasn’t he reacting?
“I’m on the job,” Ben said to her in a bored tone, keeping his gaze trained on the road ahead.
“Oh, so that’s why you didn’t want to change into something a little sexier? Although, you definitely work those joggers,” Kelly said, trailing a finger down his shoulder. This time, his flinch was more noticeable.
“You good, Jinx?”
Feeling flustered, I faced forward. I hadn’t even realized I was staring at his profile.
Kelly laughed and leaned between the two front seats. “Jinx? What’s that nickname about?”
“Nothing,” I bit out a little too aggressively.
Ben tore his attention from the road for a brief second to arch a dark eyebrow at me.
“Okay,” Kelly giggled. “Touchy subject, noted.”
I wanted to sink into the stupid Escalade. I didn’t mean to bite her head off. And I didn’t want Ben reading into my reaction.
“Are we meeting Mark there?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“Yes! He said he’s already there!” she said, excitedly clapping her hands together. “He said there’s a bunch of people and it’s a cool vibe. I’m really so excited we’re doing this!”
“Me too,” I told her with a forced smile.
______
The Rusty Rose was your typical western bar– uneven wood flooring throughout the entire place, a huge round bar to the side, some stations with mechanical bulls on the other side, and at the center was a wooden dance floor stretched out before a sizable, elevated stage.
Almost everyone milling around and standing at the high-top tables were dressed in plaid, some with cowboy hats, others with snapbacks. To my pleasant surprise, the ratio of guys to girls was actually in my favor for once.
I followed Kelly as she wiggled her way through the throngs of people up to the bar. I expected Ben to follow, but he parked himself in a corner and spoke a few words to a bouncer. I supposed he didn’t have to follow to keep an eye on us, he was pretty much taller than everyone else in the place. He crossed his thick arms over his chest and watched over us with a stony expression on his face. Wearing a black long sleeve and black joggers, he looked more like a security guard than a bar-goer himself.
“What’re you two lovely ladies drinkin’?” an older bartender with a long gray beard and a cowboy hat asked. “You two know the band is here tonight?”
“The band?” Kelly asked, her eyes excitedly dancing to mine. “What band?! I love live music!” She was practically bouncing out of her skin.
“The Backroad Boys are playing, then we have a DJ playing afterwards. It’ll be a fun night for sure. So, what can I help ya with?” he gestured to the alcohol behind him.
“Two vodka sprites please,” Kelly said with a smile.
A minute later, he pushed the drinks toward us and gave us both a wink. “Have a fun night you two.”
We walked over to a high top table, and a minute later, we were flanked by a guy group. This seemed way too easy, but maybe it was because I was finally in an area where guys outnumbered the girls.
“What’s your name?”
I looked up to see a guy who definitely had to be a couple years younger than me wearing a cowboy hat and donning a thin mustache on his boy-ish face.
“Maggie, what’s yours?”
“Chase.”
“Nice to meet you, Chase. How old are you?”
He tipped his head back with a gorgeous smile under that distracting mustache. “I’m 25.”
“I am 30,” I deadpanned, waiting for his reaction.
Dipping his head, he grinned. “No, you are sexy. Age is just a number.”
My face flamed at his brashness.
“And I’m looking for a dance partner tonight. What’d ya say?” He hit me with a lopsided grin full of challenge and fun.
Kelly made eye contact with me and gave a little nudge, urging me to say yes.
“That depends,” I said as coyly as I could.
He smiled. “Okay.” He liked this. “On what?”
“On if you can keep up.” My cheeks heated at my own words.
His boys hooted at my reply.
He tipped his beer back for a swig. “Oh, I can keep up,” he said, stepping in closer to me and smoothing his hand around my waist.
I liked Chase’s muscular arm around me. I missed physical touch. I craved it at this point. A single girl had to take all she could get.
My only slight hesitation came when I caught sight of Ben across the room. His face looked murderous as he scanned Chase up and down.