3. Casey
3
CASEY
“So tell me again why we’re driving twenty minutes out of Holebeck to drink, when we could just go to Maggie’s like we always do?”
Dave, who’s driving, sighs at Rodney, in the back seat. “Because, Rod-lover. That waitress at Maggie’s has a thing for me, and I’m sick of ducking her, all right?”
“The one with the sleeve tat, old enough to be your grandma?”
I laugh. “You’ve gotta stop denying, bro. You two are meant for each other.”
The whole car cracks up, and Chris flips everyone the bird. A few minutes of friendly smack talk later, we’re pulling into The Low Rider, a bar I’ve never been to. I’ve been to plenty of dives before, but this one looks like a cheap hotel crossed with a dumpster.
“Seriously?” I ask as we walk to the door.
Chris shrugs. “You too good for a watering hole now? A few minutes with the Reverend’s daughter turn you into royalty?”
“Shut up,” I growl, threatening with a jab as we swing through the door.
The old man checking IDs is nearly sleeping and wouldn’t know the difference if we were middle-schoolers. We find a booth, and Dave waves down a waitress in a black tank and shorts that leave nothing to the imagination.
“You a shooter or a rider, cowgirl?” he asks with an obnoxious wink, eyeing her boobs as she leans on the table, letting her cleavage do her work for her.
“Depends on whether you tip or not, baby,” she replies. This gets the boys laughing.
“Why don’t you bring us over a pitcher,” I chime in, handing her a five up front. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” She smiles. “My name’s Destiny, by the way.”
“Not as bad as you thought, eh?” Dave asks as she steps away from the table.
“So Casey,” Chris says. “Fill us in. Yesterday you were about to tell us this issue you had with the Reverend. What’s the deal? He kill your dad or something?”
Just like that, my palms start sweating, and I’m clenching my fists. “That guy’s a real son of a bitch. He may look the part, but he skims money from the church. That’s how he’s so rich.”
There’s a pause before anyone speaks.
“You serious?” Dave asks. “No way. How could you know?”
“My mom’s got a friend who works for the church on the business side. Trust me, it’s real.”
Destiny returns with a pitcher of beer and four glasses. She flashes me a grin and bends just the right way to get a guy’s attention. I fake a smile, and she leaves.
“Jesus. If this got out…” Rodney says.
“No kidding.” I nod.
I see Dave glancing over my shoulder. “Hey, Casey? Speaking of the Reverend. Isn’t that his daughter right there? The girl from yesterday?”
I just grin and shake my head. I know the guys are screwing with me. But when the Rodney and Chris turn, and I see the looks on their faces shift, I’m not so sure. So I turn and look too, and sure enough, I see Michelle sitting in a booth with a blond girl around her age.
My heart skips a beat, and I grab my glass so tightly I’m surprised it doesn’t shatter.
“What the hell is she doing here?” I say. “She told me she was eighteen.”
Rodney laughs. “And? You didn’t have a fake ID at eighteen?”
Before anyone can say anything, I’m on my feet. I march straight over to their booth and sit down beside Michelle, who’s right in the middle of laughing at something her friend just said.
She looks up in shock and nearly flinches away, but then she recognizes me and relaxes.
“Um, excuse me?” her friend asks, all sassy-like. “Who are you? We’re right in the middle of something.”
“Taylor, it’s okay,” Michelle says softly. “This is Casey. He’s…working on the house my dad is having built.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she replies, clearly flirting and clearly tipsy.
Michelle groans. “Excuse her. She’s been drinking.”
“And you haven’t? I figured that must be why the two of you are all the way out here, am I right? Escaping the grasp of The Reverend for the evening?”
Michelle raises her glass–some kind of vodka tonic it looks like–and cheerses the air. “Don’t forget my future husband.”
“So you were actually serious about that?” I press, feeling my anger rising like a ball of molten steel in my windpipe. “You’re actually marrying that prick?”
Michelle shrugs. “Tradwife life, here I come.”
“Where’s the ring?” I press.
Again, she just shrugs. “Arranged marriage. I guess I don’t get one.”
“You know who his family is, right?” I’m furious. “They’re awful. They buy up any cheap, local real estate they can get their hands on and gentrify it–”
“Hey!” Michelle snaps. “Did you not miss the part yesterday where I mentioned I have no say in the matter?”
I keep eye contact with her as all the blood rushes to my cock.
She’s got a fire in her that I don’t think she even knows is there. But I can see it. She just needs to get out from under the thumb of the Reverend and the Williams family.
Don’t worry, baby. I can save you .
“So fight it!” I urge. “Tell your dad you’ll marry who you want. That this isn’t medieval England where women are married off by their fathers.”
What am I even doing? I’m losing control of myself. I’m smitten.
This girl has me behaving in ways I’ve never behaved before. Normally I’m laid-back, cool, easygoing. But right now I’m steaming. I want to grab her, shake her, and get her to fix her life tonight so she can be mine tomorrow.
“Who do you think you are?” Taylor chimes in, giggling. “Michelle’s life coach?”
I hide my smile. She’s got a point. I’m probably coming off pushy, and Taylor’s just looking out for her friend. After all, she doesn’t know me from Adam.
“She’s not single,” she adds. “But I am.”
Michelle groans. Just then, there’s a commotion at the door. I look up and see Jerry and two of his friends heading right for us. Jerry does not look happy.
“Well, well, well,” he sneers, glaring right at me. “Look who we have here. Stalking my fiancée now?”
“Actually I was just out for a drink and I happened to see Michelle sitting here. So I came over to say hi.”
“Right. And I’m Spiderman,” he scoffs.
“Speaking of stalking,” Michelle chimes in. “How did you even know I was here, Jerry? Have you been following me? Do you have an app on my phone or something?”
Jerry bites his lip and shifts his feet.
Busted, buddy.
“Hey, if it’s just a big coincidence that you and Mr. Saw Boy over here ran into each other”—he gestures dismissively at me—“why can’t it be a coincidence with me?”
I’m getting heated. The arrogance is dripping off this bastard like condensation dripping off a tub of cottage cheese.
“Because a guy like you wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this,” I say, standing. “Not without a good reason. Like, say, tracking his fiancée’s every move?”
Jerry’s wanna-be tough guy friend behind him steps forward. “Watch your mouth, pal.”
“Or what? You gonna throw Daddy’s money at me?”
Jerry laughs and steps right into my face. “Listen, pal. I get it. You don’t like me. I’m rich. My family’s rich. We could buy whatever shitty little neighborhood you grew up in and tear the whole thing down. You’ll never have a life like mine, and that kills you.”
His perfect teeth gleam as he talks. It looks like he’s had them whitened. Or maybe he’s just never had a cavity. Either way, even the way he speaks says “money.”
I can feel the rage inside me reaching a boil as he refuses to shut his mouth.
“But I know what really drives you crazy is that you have to build the house that I’m going to live in with a girl you thought you actually had a chance with.”
My fists clench at my sides. My jaw goes tight. My abs tense.
“You’re going to sweat and struggle every day to put that house together, and when it’s all done, I’m going to take that girl you want so badly inside it, and I’m gonna fuck her brains out–”
That’s it.
I swing.
The next thing I expect to feel is this son of a bitch’s cheekbone against my knuckles. But that’s not what happens.
I feel about six hands grabbing me all over and my crew’s voices loud in my ears.
“Whoa, take it easy! Take it easy!” Rodney says as they all pull me back from Jerry.
“You bastard!” I rage, completely out of control. I struggle, but my boys have got me. I can’t break free of all three of them.
Somehow, the old man at the door has woken up from his nap and is screaming loudly for us to get out.
“Yeah, get out of here, Saw Boy,” Jerry laughs as I’m hauled away. “Go back to the side of town where you belong!”
He and all his friends laugh as I’m dragged out of the bar and into the parking lot. The boys finally let me go, and I try to rush back inside, but Dave boxes me out.
“Cool it!” he shouts. “The fuck, man? You know who that guy is?”
“Of course I do!” I roar.
“And you’re trying to what? Get arrested and sued for assault over some girl you just met? He’ll take you for every penny you’ve got!”
Panting, I sink to one knee.
My heart is pounding in my chest. I’m so fired up that I just want to get back in there and beat Jerry Williams to a pulp, but Dave does have a point.
It takes me a minute, but I’m finally able to cool down.
“Come on, guys,” Chris says. “Let’s get outta here.”
I take Rodney’s hand, and he hauls me to my feet. We pile into the car and head out. It’s mostly silent on the way home. Not even the rest of the guys are joking around. They were right for pulling me out of there, but I know one thing for sure: This isn’t the end of things.
That girl will be mine.