31. Storm
Ispend the entire fifteen minutes staring at the doors, waiting for her to come back. Fifteen agonizing minutes until she steps through, looking down at her phone and sliding it into her pocket. Relief sweeps over me. My angel is back in the bar, putting my mind at ease as I work.
Even though I have no control over what Ross plays through the speakers, I find “Tennesse Whiskey” and smile, knowing that this was the first time I held my angel that stormy night in this very bar. I don’t hesitate and go to her, even though I have people to serve. A few people are dancing, but I don’t take her to the dance floor. I spin her and she laughs, pulling her close and swaying slowly to my favorite song.
Her cheeks are blushing. “What’re you doing?”
I sing to her. Every word. She beams. She giggles. She turns red. Her eyes get watery and she rests her head on my chest. I’m embarrassed to say, the first time I danced with a woman was with Auden. The song came on and as soon as I heard the tune, I stared right at her soaking wet body, shivering at the end of the bar. This song will forever belong to us. Because she rescued me when I was at the bottom, and she will forever be engrained in my soul for being my savior.
Auden deserves me at my best. She deserves the best. Leah must be having a field day watching us.
Auden cranes her neck and kisses me. Bells? Symphony? Clapping? Gasps? I feel like everything I’ve ever lost in life, everything I’ve given up, she’s fixed and pushed me to be better. I will be better, I’ll never give up, because of her. Everything will be for her. Utter glorious proof that God created this beautiful angel just for me.
“I’m happy, Auden.”
“Good,” she says, then laughs and pushes me off her as the song comes to an end. “Because you’re leaking out of me like crazy right now.”
“Hot.” I snicker, tapping her ass as she makes her way to the bathroom. One last glance over her shoulder before she disappears into the stall.
Ross drapes a cloth on his shoulder, nudging me as I make my way behind the bar. “You are pussy-whipped.”
I laugh, nodding at one of the guests. “And?”
“She’s leaving soon.”
“Yeah, I know.” It doesn’t take me more than a second to think this over, and I know I’ll mean every word of it. “That’s why I decided I’m leaving with her.”
“What?” he says loudly.
I shrug, making a Sex on the Beach for the two ladies in front of me. “It’s time I get outta this shit hole.”
Ross scoffs. “You were planning on telling me, when?”
I laugh. “Probably while I was driving Auden home on Friday.”
“Dude.” Ross tilts his head, about to give me shit. I don’t know what stopped him, but when we make eye contact, he smiles, pulling me into a hug. “I’m happy for you, man.”
I want to leave with her on Friday, to show her that she has become my home. I want to prove to her that we can do this, with time, with love, we can thrive. I’m finally going to make something of myself with the best girl this world has ever seen.
I am finally free.
“Thanks.” I chuckle. “Let’s hope Auden’s okay with it.”
He widens his eyes. “You haven’t told her yet?”
I spot her coming out of the washroom and she smiles at Stevie. She’s perfect in every way. “Kind of…I will.”
A tap on my shoulder startles me out of my trance and I look over to see Frank standing at the end of the bar with a beer in his hand. “Can I talk to you a sec?” he asks, draining the rest of his beer.
I take another Heineken from the fridge, and pop the cap off, handing it to him. “Shoot.”
“I will kick your ass if you break her heart,” he spits out, then shakes his head. “I know I don’t have the right to say anything since she’s only been my daughter for a few days now, but I mean it, Storm—”
“I’m going to marry this woman, Frank. There’s nothing you have to worry about,” I interrupt him.
He laughs, but it’s not the type of laugh that makes me feel good. It’s a laugh as if it’s hard for him to believe someone with my reputation just admitted to wanting to marry an out-of-towner. But then his face softens and he squeezes my shoulder with a smile I’ve seen so many times growing up. When I ran my first home run in Little League, Frank and my dad cheered the loudest in the stands. He smiled like this when he taught me how to ride a bike. When I graduated high school. Having Frank smile like this shows there’s hope for me yet.
“It’s good to finally see you happy,” Frank says, tilting his beer at me.
“It’s good to finally be happy, Frank.”
For years I buried my feelings in shitty lays, pot, and alcohol. People noticed and did nothing but talk badly about me behind my back. I let the whispers and the gossip about me grow into hating myself so much that it was just another reason to leave his earth. No one would care if I was gone other than Heath. Now, I have something more to lose. Someone so special, it’s hard to believe I ever thought of ending my life a few days ago.
People notice my happiness.
People notice my angel.
But no one will ever know that my angel saved me that night.
She saved my life and on Friday she might be leaving without me if I don’t tell her this is what we’re doing. We haven’t had a serious talk about it; finding a job and tossing out that I’m leaving with her are just words. Auden needs stability, she needs me to prove to her this is real.
I show her how perfect we are. Because waking up without seeing that beautiful smile every morning will only bring me back to the slump I was in that stormy night. If I’m back in that slump, there’s no telling if I’ll ever get out of it alive this time.
***
Around ten, the party starts to die down. Auden and Annie are clearing off tables, and Ross and David are wiping down the bar while I’m sweeping the floor. There are still some guests; Leah, her future husband, a couple of her friends, and mine.
Auden plops down on a seat and sputters, looking heavenward as Annie stands beside her complaining about something. Auden laughs, making me smirk. I love her laugh. I love everything about her. I’ve known her for five days. That’s it. And she’s changed everything about me. She’s warped my world. Opened my eyes. Saved me. She fucking saved my life and doesn’t understand how much that means to me.
I pour her a glass of water and drop a few lemons in it before I make my way to her. Everything uplifts when I approach. Heaven. I’ve walked into heaven. “Hey, babe.”
Auden groans. “Mm, I need a bubble bath.”
I straddle her on the chair. “I can go for a bubble bath.”
“Oh, my God.” She laughs. “Get off. You’re far too heavy for me.”
“Shh,” I say, kissing her all over her face. She giggles. I’ll never get tired of her giggles.
“Are we allowed to eat some of the food?” Annie asks. “I’m fucking starving.”
Auden pushes her lips together. “Me, too.”
I get off her and shrug, kissing the tip of her nose. “I mean, the party’s dead anyway, I don’t see why not.”
“Come with me.” Annie takes Auden’s hand and pulls her to the buffet table, handing her a plate. Auden takes a second one without even thinking it over and starts filling both plates with whatever is left. She’s too damn good to me.
“I told you,” Ross says, as I plop down in the seat and he takes the one beside me, blocking my view. “Pussy-whipped.”
I laugh. “Shut up.”
Ross chuckles, squeezing my shoulder. “It’s weird seeing you this hung up.”
“She’s not like the gashes in this town,” I explain, leaning forward to look over at Auden eating another mozzarella stick. I’ll take note to always buy her some when I do groceries.
Ross nods behind me as a few of the guys approach the table, Leah right behind them. “You heading out?”
“Yeah, just wanted to say bye,” she says.
I roll my eyes and look over at Auden, she’s coming back. Right on time, baby!
Ross gives Leah a little wave. “See you Saturday.”
Leah takes her fiancé’s hand. “Remember you have to have something blue on you.”
Auden sets the plates down in front of me and smiles at Leah. The type of smile that shows how better off I am, that shows what a sexy fucking angel she is. “Congrats, again,” Auden says, sitting on my lap.
Leah’s face goes red, and everyone notices her nostrils flare, and dare I say, smoke is leaving her ears like a cartoon. She wanted me to be sad, to hate the world, to hate myself, and I was like that for years. Until I met Auden.
“You and Storm are more than welcome to come,” Leah says, trying to get a rise out of me.
“Nope,” I spit out.
Auden takes a bite out of another mozzarella stick. “Thanks for the invite, but we’ll be in New Jersey.”
We’llbe in New Jersey? I won’t get my hopes up, but Auden’s careful with her words and usually means what she says. I should tell her I was serious about coming. I want to move in with her. I’d do anything to remain in this happy place with my angel.
“Oh,” Leah says, looking at me, but my focus is on Auden. I never noticed it before but she has freckles on her shoulders. I leave a kiss on her shoulder, then another, and another. My angel has freckles and it’s the cutest thing in the entire world.
My life was meaningless a few short days ago. Auden ignited something in me. She gave me meaning again. I lost everything three years ago, and I’m finally awake. When her blue eyes meet mine as they did the first time on that rainy night, everything in me wants to thrive. I’m not hurting as much, I’m not sad. An angel fell from the heavens just for me. My salvation, my reason to live, my everything.
Everyone bids their goodbyes to the happy couple but me. I don’t care how salty it seems, I refuse to show them any decency since Leah ripped my heart out and killed it.
“Can I take the leftovers home?” Annie asks Ross, barbecue sauce covering her fingers and lips.
Ross shrugs, taking a rib from her plate. “Sure, was gonna toss it out anyway.”
Annie wipes her hands on a napkin. “How much did you make in tips, Auden?”
Auden reaches into the front pouch of her apron and hands Annie a wad of cash. At least two hundred dollars. “Well, you made a shitload more.”
Annie gasps, counting the cash Auden places on the table. “Holy fuck. I told you she’d make more because she’s hotter than me,” Annie whines. Auden laughs, looking back at me and wrinkling her nose. “Thanks, Auden.”
“It’s no problem,” Auden says, with her mouth full.
I tap the side of Auden’s butt so she can get up as I take our plates. “We’re gonna turn in.”
“Bye guys,” Auden says, wiggling her fingers over her shoulder at everyone as they bid us goodnight.
I lead us to my apartment, holding the door with my foot for her. She sips her water and takes her plate from me, plopping on my couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table. Stunning. God was a pure genius when he made her. Those long legs so effortlessly shining, her perfect lips sliding right off the fork, and those breasts. Goddamn, I am one lucky son of a bitch.
“Stare at me like that anymore and I’ll throw fried chicken at you,” she says, eyeing me.
I smirk, letting out a chuckle before joining her on the couch and letting my arm drape to the back of it. “You told Leah I was coming to New Jersey with you,” I blurt out, watching her chew her food.
She stops, side-glancing at me, and shrugs. “No offense, but she’s a real bitch.”
I brush my fingers on her shoulder, appreciating every single thing this woman has done for me. “Thank you.”
“For what? Calling her a bitch?”
“For making love to me in front of her.” I kiss her shoulder. “For kissing me.” I kiss it again. “For dancing with me.” I press my lips on her freckles, inhaling. “And calling her out on her shit.”
“She killed your babies. Don’t get me wrong everyone has their reasons and everyone has a choice, but you guys were in a serious relationship. She could have at least merited you with a conversation before killing them…she’s a horrible person in my book,” Auden replies, licking her fork. I grab her face and kiss her, no matter what food she has in her mouth. She giggles against my lips and nudges me away. “Let me eat.”
“I wanna eat, too,” I tease, licking her neck. She laughs, forking potato salad into her mouth. Sliding the fork between her beautiful supple lips again as if she knows this is oddly doing it for me.
She holds out a bite for me, I’m not a fan of potato salad, but I’ll eat anything off her fork. She puts the plate down and curls her legs up on the couch, being sure her shoes don’t rest on it. My angel, in all her glory, looking as flawless as ever.
She points to the hat on the back of the couch behind me. “That hat yours?”
“Yeah,” I say, taking it and fixing the black flat-brim hat on my head. “You should see how many hats I have in my closet.”
“Real hipster if you ask me.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask, taking the hat off and putting it on her. She looks damn cute in it.
“You have your little hat collection, your abundance of t-shirts, that trench coat I claimed, and those bracelets you wear.” She giggles. “Hipster. Google it.”
I laugh, looking at the leather and beaded bracelets around my wrist. Heath got these for me for my birthday. They’re not my style, but I like how she’s analyzing me right now. She sees everything and yet still doesn’t judge me.
I tongue food from my cheek. “You like studying people, don’t you? That why you’re becoming a therapist?”
“I wanted to be a doctor, but there’s so much to know and memorize, so I figured I’d still have the doctor title and I’d still be helping people. And if I became a psychiatrist, I wouldn’t have to deal with blood and all that jazz.” She nods. “Why? Wanna be my first client?”
I laugh. “You’d have a field day with me, baby.”
“I can tell.” She chuckles. I love how blunt she is. She tugs the neck of my t-shirt and fingers the pendants around my neck. “Why do you wear that?”
She points at my Saint Christopher medallion. I started wearing this when Leah and I broke up. Having him around my neck gave me some symbol of hope that life moves on and I’d be all right. It didn’t. He didn’t help protect me from the horrors this world brings. But I wore it anyway, in the hopes that one day it would. It did. Saint Christopher is the patron saint of safe travels and protection. He brought me safe travels with Auden.
“I’d tell you but then I’d have to smother you in kisses.”
“Who says I’d be opposed to that?” She sticks her tongue between her teeth and bites her bottom lips. Oh, babe, I’m going to make sweet love to you tonight.
My front door opens right as I have my hand on Auden’s leg, and Matt staggers in, tripping on my throw rug. He chuckles and sways, closing one eye to try and focus. “Storm,” he slurs.
I scoff. “Go home, Matt.”
“Ross took my keys.” He drops his keys at his feet. “And no one will gimme a lift. Your couch is my home tonight,” he says, holding onto the door for support. He’s looking at Auden. I hate the way he looks at her. He wants to undress her. He’s imagining what she tastes like. He’s staring at her tits wondering what they feel like. He’s gawking. His eyes are roaming. I’m going to rip his fucking eyes out.
“We’ll be in my room,” I say, taking her hand to join me. “Don’t puke on my couch.”
“Worse things have been spewed on this couch,” Matt jokes, making me roll my eyes. He approaches Auden’s side of the couch and she rises, threading her fingers with mine. “You joining me on the couch?”
She takes my hat off. “No, I’m good.”
He grabs her arm, giving her that look I’ve seen him give so many drunk girls. Auden doesn’t fall for his trick and grabs at his wrist to let go of her. I have to take a breath before I bash his face in. I’ve known Matt since primary school and ruining a friendship over a girl is not smart, but there’s no girl like this one. I’d break his neck and not think twice about our history.
There are other ways of getting your word across than violence.
I crack the bones in my neck and take a breath, listening to my angel’s words and stepping away from hurting him.
“Don’t make me do something I’m gonna regret,” I huff. “Let go of her, Matt. It’s not worth getting into this now.”
“I’ve had your sloppy seconds before. What makes her so different?” Matt asks, trying to grab her arm again but I bring her behind me.
I gently push him so he falls back on the couch. “This one’s mine.”
Matt chuckles, resting his head back, and snorts before closing his eyes. I’ve seen him drunker than this before, a quick cat nap will do him some good.
Auden looks at her arm as we retreat to my room. “Your friend’s very grabby,” she says, sitting on the bed to untie her laces.
I shake my head. “Sorry. I have no excuse as to why he’s such a dick.” I can’t take my eyes off her arm. I understand how easy it would be for her to leave. She can have anyone she wants at her fingertips. But she chose me. “Where were we?”
I step forward, raking my teeth on my bottom lip. She places her fists on her hips and looks off at the washroom. “Do you have bubble bath?”
I shrug, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “I might.”
She peels her dress over her head, letting it fall on the floor. I scan her as she walks to the washroom, that sexy fucking ass of hers flashing me in that thong. “Come take a bath with me.”
A growl rumbles through me as she unhooks her bra and lets that fall to the floor, too, walking off to the bathroom and leaving her succulent perfume lingering in the air.
Sorry, ladies, Storm Bowman is off the market for good.