Chapter 8 Oliver
Oliver
Did I want her getting in on my deal?
Not particularly, but she had cash, and I was going broke fast. There was no way I’d be able to get us where we needed to go. The car only had a quarter of a tank of gas.
I wanted to get some miles between us and the house I stole it from before even thinking about stopping for fuel.
I didn’t need someone to see us, recognize the car, and report it stolen.
After making our little deal, she settled in for the long ride ahead.
She crossed her arms over her chest, leaned her head against the headrest, and directed her eyes to the passenger side window.
All talk stopped with neither of us having anything to say, but I had plenty on my mind.
Neither of us mentioned our moment earlier in the day, when it seemed like we were both trapped in each other’s eyes with a million possibilities between us. I felt it again when we were crammed into that tiny closet together.
I’d only known this girl for a total of twenty-four hours, and even with all the trouble she’d already brought to my life, I still couldn’t control the feelings I was having for her.
I didn’t know what to do with that either.
I’d never been the relationship type. I was always too busy trying to keep my head above water to think about relationships or a future.
I fucked and left. It was what I was good at.
I wasn’t a monk by any means. If I wanted the company of a woman, I’d go out and find someone to spend the evening with, but it never went past that. In fact, Amelia was the first girl I’d spent more than a couple of hours with in I didn’t even know how long.
She was different from any of the ones that came before her, too.
She seemed to be everything all at once.
She drove me fucking crazy, but I had a feeling she was the only thing keeping me sane since my life went crashing down around me.
She was annoying, beautiful, and good, much too good for the life she’d been living.
And as I got closer to her, I could only hope that I could be better so I could give her the life she deserved.
Those were the kind of thoughts that terrified me.
Since when did I think of shit like that? Since when did I want to provide for someone else? Since when did I ever think of anyone but myself?
My payday wasn’t the only thing that had changed when she crashed into my life. I did too. I just didn’t know how to accept it or what to do with it.
I didn’t tell her my Chicago plan. I wasn’t sure why, but decided to keep it to myself for now. Maybe I was scared she’d tell me she was leaving because Chicago wasn’t the city for her. I didn’t know and didn’t want to find out. I only hoped we ended up there. Together.
Fuck me for that thought.
Just one big job was all I needed to get the hell out of this life, open a mechanics shop, and just relax finally. The only thing I’d ever been good at was cars. I loved them.
We drove for a solid hour in silence before I finally took the off-ramp and rolled into the next town. I stopped at the first gas station I came to, and we both climbed out of the car. I began pumping the gas while she headed inside to use the bathroom, grab a snack, and pay for our fuel.
I finished up and leaned against the hood of the car to stretch my legs and get some fresh air while waiting for her to come back out.
I could see her through the window as she stood at the counter, talking to the cashier.
Just watching her made my heart race. When she threw her head back and laughed at whatever the cashier said, I couldn’t help the rush of jealousy that filled my chest. Then I was flooded with anger.
Not at her. Not at the cashier, who was clearly hitting on her, but at myself.
I was being fucking stupid, and it pissed me off.
I pushed off the front of the car and moved back into the driver’s seat. I started the engine and pulled into the parking space along the front of the store. She glanced my way before cutting her conversation short and exiting the building.
She climbed into the car and slammed the door closed behind her.
“Such a nice guy,” she said, pulling on her seatbelt. “So, what’s the plan?”
“What made him nice?” I ignored the question, wondering what this guy could possibly have said that made her assume he was nice.
“Oh, um, I don’t know. He was just… nice.”
“I’m nice,” I muttered.
“Sometimes.” She gave me a small smile.
I swallowed and cleared my throat before answering her previous question.
“We’ll get a few more hours in on the road, then we’ll stop and grab some dinner and a room for the night.”
She nodded. “Okay, wake me when we get there. I’m taking a nap.” She reclined her seat a little and closed her eyes.
I backed out of my parking spot and made my way toward the highway once again.
Somehow, the drive seemed even longer with her asleep next to me.
I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road.
They kept wandering back to her, back to how her blonde hair fell in a mess of soft waves all around her.
I noticed the way her long lashes fanned across her cheeks, how they were perfectly curled with no products at all.
They’d make any woman jealous. Her lips were a light pink, plump, and slightly puffy from sleep.
I watched the way her chest rose and fell with her deep, even breathing.
That made me remember how she felt against me that morning.
My dick grew hard, and the car drifted from my lack of attention.
I jerked the wheel back when the tires hit the rumble strip.
She jumped awake, her words tumbling out in a sleepy mumble. “What’s going on?”
I clenched my teeth, annoyed with myself yet again. “Rabbit. Go back to sleep.”
She took a deep breath, sat up, and unzipped her jacket. She pulled it off and balled it up to use as a pillow.
“Try not to wreck again, huh? You don’t have the best driving record.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that my driving record was perfect until she came along, but I snapped my mouth closed and bit my tongue. There was no sense in arguing.
A few hours later, my stomach was growling, and my eyes were burning from driving for too long. I exited the highway and followed the road signs to another small town. I found my way to a little bar and grill about a mile off the highway. I pulled into the gravel lot and killed the engine.
“Wake up, Crash. Time for some dinner.” I removed my seatbelt as she stirred awake.
“Where are we?” She righted her seat and looked around.
“Bum fuck nowhere if you ask me, but they got a bar, and it serves food. Let’s go enjoy ourselves before turning in for the night.”
She pulled her jacket back on and reached for the door handle. “I could use some food, but I don’t drink.”
I climbed out and shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
I pulled open the door of the bar, and we were greeted with some loud country music.
The place was in full swing, but it wasn’t overly crowded.
The bar was lined with older men and women, while couples and friend groups filled the scattered tables.
I took a seat at the first booth I came to, and Amelia slid in across from me.
There were already menus on the table, wedged between the ketchup and mustard bottles, so I grabbed both and slid one over to her.
A waitress came over and put two drink napkins down in front of us. “Can I get you guys started with some drinks?”
“I’ll take a beer,” I said, looking up at her.
She gave me a wide smile and nodded before looking across at Amelia. “And for you?”
Amelia shrugged. “Just water will be fine.”
“OK, I’ll be right back.” She turned and walked toward the bar to fetch our drinks.
I went back to the menu, settling on a half-pound burger and fries. When the waitress was back with our drinks, I ordered, and Amelia stuck to her usual chicken strips.
I grabbed the beer bottle when the waitress left to take our order to the back.
“What is it with you and chicken strips? Don’t you eat anything else?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. I’m just not big on red meat.”
I scoffed and tipped my beer back, taking a long drink. The cold liquid rushed down my throat, cooling me from the inside out. That’s exactly what I’d been needing.
“I used to work in a place just like this,” she mumbled, eyes moving about and taking in the place.
“Yeah? Did you bartend or waitress?”
“Both. It just depended on the night. I preferred waitressing, though. I made more in tips.”
“Really? I would have thought you’d make more bartending. Drunk people like to tip pretty girls.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but when you’re stuck behind the bar, you can only wait on those twelve people.
When you’re a waitress, you get all the tables where people tip more than a dollar or two at a time.
Plus, it was usually the rowdy crowd that occupied the bar, unless Alex and his buddies came in. ”
“Alex is the loser boyfriend, huh?”
She nodded, a sad look washing over her pretty face.
“What did he say when you caught him and broke up with him?”
“He didn’t say anything.”
“How’s that even possible?” I drank again.
“Because he didn’t know I caught him. I got out of there before he could see me.”
“So, you didn’t even get the satisfaction of breaking up with him?”
She sighed. “No, I got the satisfaction of wrecking his most prized possession.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know why you stayed with that loser. You probably could have thrown a rock and hit twelve guys that would’ve treated you better than he did.”
“It was a small town.” She reached for her glass of water. “I was scared that Alex and his friends would start trouble if I tried to leave or go with anyone else.”
I lifted my brows at that statement. “Were they some kind of gang or something?”
She sipped her water and put the glass down. “They don’t like that term. It’s a motorcycle club.”
A group of girls started laughing, and we both looked in their direction, finding five or six of them up on the dance floor, dancing together.
Each one was dressed skimpier than the last, most of them in short shorts or skirts.
Only one of them was wearing a tight pair of jeans, and each one of them had either their stomach or the swell of their tits poking out of their tight tops.
They had their arms in the air as they moved their hips back and forth to the beat of the music.
I didn’t mean to check them out, but apparently that’s what I did because the grin left my lips when I heard Crash scoff.
“There’s a group of them in every bar,” she muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I looked back at her.
She rolled her eyes. “The group of girls who are loud and want all the attention. It doesn’t matter what bar you go to, you’ll find that group.”
“Don’t be a hater. They’re just having fun.”
She looked at me like I’d betrayed her. “What’s so fun about getting hammered and shaking your ass for a bunch of guys?”
I shrugged. “It’s not about shaking their ass for a bunch of guys. It’s about the freedom you feel when you have a buzz going. Have you ever drunk before?” I picked up my bottle and took another swig.
“No, I don’t drink. I saw the way it made my dad and all his stupid friends act. I saw how it made everyone act when working at a bar.”
“You need to learn how to chill out and not be so judgmental. If you don’t want to drink, fine, but don’t be one of those people who turn their nose up at people who do. Unless you’ve experienced it, you can’t say shit about it.”
“Are you seriously defending a bunch of drunk girls right now?”
“I’m defending everyone in this bar that has a drink in front of them.” I rubbed my jaw. “Look, I get where you’re coming from. People have done some bad things after drinking. I mean, there are people who drink and drive and end up killing an innocent person.”
She nodded.
“There are guys who drink and then go home and beat on their families.”
She nodded again.
“I’m not saying that people can make some bad choices while drinking. And obviously, things are different for addicts. But if you can handle yourself and aren’t overindulging, there’s nothing wrong with having a few drinks and cutting loose from time to time.”
“Fine. What’s so great about it?”
I laughed.
“What’s so great about it?” I shook my head, not even sure how I could explain it to her.
“It’s called a social lubricant for a reason.
It makes you let go of everything negative you’ve been holding onto, even if it’s only for a couple of hours.
It makes you not give a shit that someone is sitting across the room, judging you for how you’re dressed.
You don’t care if you’re being loud because you just want to have fun.
And yeah, it might make you get up in front of everyone and dance like an idiot, but it’s fun.
You just…” I shook my head as I reached for my beer.
“You just won’t understand until you experience it yourself. ” I took a swig.
“Fine.”
“Fine, what?” I asked after I swallowed.
“I’ll do it. “
“Do what?”
“I’ll get drunk.”
“Don’t go breaking your rules for me, Crash.”
“Ugh, I hate that nickname. Can’t you just call me Amelia?”
I snorted. “I could, but what fun would that be?”
“Can I get you another beer?” the waitress asked, walking up to our table.
I had just finished mine, so I handed it over to her. “Yes, please.”
“I’ll take one too.”
The waitress nodded. “Coming right up.”
I leaned toward her. “I wasn’t trying to pressure you into anything. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“No, I know. But you’re right. Plus, how am I going to start a new life if I haven’t even experienced everything this one has to offer?”
I couldn’t argue with her there, so I sat back with a grin plastered to my face.
The waitress was back a few minutes later, putting a bottle of beer on the table in front of both of us. I picked mine up and held it in the air.
“To your first time, sweetheart.” I tapped the neck of my bottle against hers.
She poured a drink into her mouth and swallowed. She didn’t make a disgusted face, but she didn’t look like she liked it either.
“How’s it feel to pop my cherry?” she asked, grinning widely, the words completely unlike the woman I’d come to know.
My cock throbbed instantly at what she was implying. “I’m glad it was me. Don’t have any more cherries that need popping, do you?”
She laughed. “Sorry, you’re a bit too late there.”
We’ll see about that.