Thoughtless (8 page)

I was beginning to get a little irritated at her looking at him like she was, and continuing to call him “that”, like he wasn’t a fully formed person or something.

“Well, having my boyfriend there helps, of course.” It came out a little sarcastically, but honestly, what did she think we were doing at our house?

She laughed a little. “Oh, sweetie…do you think that matters to him?

Baby, I was married and that didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest.” She put the last two bottles on the counter with a small smile on her lips.

“Well worth it though.” She winked.

I dropped my mouth in shock. Rita was at least twice his age and, from what I’d heard, was currently on husband number four. Apparently Kellan wasn’t too choosey about who he brought home? And I was starting to get the feeling that was everybody. It was kind of odd that I hadn’t seen any girls at the house yet.

Gathering my composure, I muttered, “Well, it matters to me.” I grabbed the bottles and walked back to the guy’s table, slightly agitated…and not sure why.

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4

Chapter

Changes

Denny quickly impressed the people at his work, just like I knew he would, and we didn’t have nearly as much time together as I would have liked. I tried to still see him off every morning, but as I started getting in-to the routine of going to bed later and later, it became harder and harder to wake up with him. Eventually, he got a “see-ya” kiss out of me in bed, and that was about it. Wanting to make a good impression with his bosses, he usually stayed past the time I had to leave for work as well. That made it pretty evident early on, that the only time we’d have together was the weekend afternoons before my shift, and the night or two I had off during the week.

He did what he could to still spend time with me though. He’d come into the bar after work to see me, sometimes staying for dinner or a drink with Kellan and the guys. We would hug and kiss tenderly and the regulars at the bar would groan in mock-exasperation. Someone even threw a crumpled up napkin at us once. I had a sneaking suspicion that had been Griffin. I was glad it had only been a napkin.

The month of June sped by in our easy routine and before I knew it, it was July. Denny had to go into the office on Fourth of July afternoon – I had been a bit perturbed over that, since we had planned on spending the day at Denny’s favorite beach here, Alki Point (a little sun and water for my water-loving boy), but he promised he would come into Pete’s that night and spend the entire evening there, even though I’d be working, and that cooled my ire a bit. I ended up spending most of the day reading a book in the small, sunny backyard and tanning. Well, tanning implies that my skin was the type that would darken into a beautiful sun-kissed color like Denny’s. My alabaster skin did not. My skin went bright pink then right back to pale white. So, I popped on a two piece swimsuit, slathered on the sunscreen, to at least avoid the bright pink
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part, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun, if not the color-changing side effects.

I read my book and basked in the warmth tickling my thighs and lower back. I looked up and spotted a dainty dragonfly just inches in front of my face, resting on a long blade of grass. Its body and the very tip of its tail were the same bright turquoise as some of the Native Amer-ican jewelry I’d seen displayed in some of the local shops. It seemed completely happy, resting on its little perch and enjoying the perfectly sunny day, just like me. I smiled at it and then went back to my book. It was nice to not be completely alone back here.

Eventually my body had absorbed its daily quota of vitamin D, and I stumbled into the house in a sun-drunken state, almost instantly falling asleep on the couch. I awoke a half hour before my shift was to start and hurried to change and get ready. I made it to the bus and to the bar, just in the nick of time. Well, at least I wouldn’t be tired during my shift.

True to his word (as he always was), Denny came into the bar that evening, when he was done with work. It was oddly packed, considering it was a holiday, and he had to sit on a stool at the bar. Rita’s appealing glances at him were starting to really irritate me, when suddenly, Kellan and the band appeared. They confiscated their usual table when they came in and happily squeezed in an extra chair for Denny. Even in the packed bar, the laughter at that table was loud the whole night.

A bit before the band’s evening performance, Denny and Kellan went over to shoot some pool. I stopped and leaned against the archway on my way to the kitchen, and couldn’t help the smile on my face as I watched their easy friendship. They joked around and talked while they played, like they’d been best friends for years, never having spent any time apart. I also couldn’t help the smile on my face at how bad at pool Kellan was. Denny would chuckle at his missed shots and try and teach him how to do it properly, only making Kellan laugh and shrug his shoulders, like he knew he was never going to get it. I wasn’t that great either, and Denny, who was actually really good, had tried to teach me a time or two. He had patiently told me on several occasions, “It’s just physics, Kiera”, as if just by knowing that, somehow the shot would ma-gically become easier. Denny noticed me watching the two of them play and gave me a wink as I sighed happily and went back to my work.

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They had just finished their game, Kellan starting to make his way over to the stage, when we heard the city’s fireworks display from outside. Matt and Griffin got goofy grins on their faces and ducked out the front door – a half dozen girls following them. Grinning, Evan and Jenny followed a moment later, with another half dozen people. Kellan approached Denny and me with a short blonde girl, her hair an interesting mix of bright red and bright blue streaks. He threw his arm around the girl’s shoulders and smiling, motioned for us to follow him. We shrugged at each other and left the bar with about a dozen people following us.

About half the people from the bar were in the parking lot, looking up at the sky over Lake Union, where the city was lighting off explosion after explosion. Fireworks in breathtaking colors and beautiful designs lit the city skyline. Griffin and Matt were off to one side, watching the display. Well, Matt was watching. Griffin had grabbed a girl inappropriately and was being assaulted – and loving every minute of it.

Jenny had her arms around Evan’s waist and, leaning against him cozily, was watching the show on the other side of the lot.

Denny slipped his arms around me, hugging me tight to his chest, and I relaxed back into him laying my head against his shoulder. Kellan was in front of us, one arm slung casually around the girl, his hand in her back pocket. He had brought his beer out with him, and turning his head away from the girl to take a swig, he noticed Denny and I behind him.

He swallowed his drink then smiled warmly at us, when he caught my eye. I blushed lightly and Denny sighed contently, kissing my head.

The woman with Kellan must have spoken to him, for he turned back around to her and said something quietly. She leaned up and kissed his neck, slipping her hand into his jeans pocket. He smiled and hugged her tight and I wondered if I would see her in the morning.

I was turning my attention back up to the show, when I heard, quite loudly, from behind us, “Hey! I don’t pay you guys to star-gaze.” Turning, I saw Pete standing near the front doors, eyeing Kellan with an unhappy expression; they were already supposed to be onstage. “Go play,” he muttered, indicating inside the bar. He looked up at the display
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for a brief moment while Kellan chuckled, and then he brought his attention down to Jenny and me. “And you two. Go…waitress. There are still thirsty people in there.”

Jenny released herself from Evan and gingerly bounced over to Pete.

“Sorry, Pete,” she said brightly, as she kissed him on the cheek and then darted into the bar.

Kellan followed immediately after her, his red and blue striped girl in hand. “Yeah…sorry, Pete.” Then grinning crookedly, he gave Pete a quick peck on the cheek as well. He quickly darted back as Pete made a move to smack him, the girl at his side giggling uncontrollably, and then he ducked back into the bar after Jenny.

Denny and I lingered for a second in each other’s arms, watching the dazzling display, and then followed the rest of the crowd back into the bar. The band was particularly good that night and Denny stayed for the entire show; we even snuck in a couple dances together. By the end of my shift, I was ready to go home and snuggle in bed with him. As I was finishing up my duties, I happened to catch sight of Kellan as he left the bar and, surprisingly enough, he was alone. Denny grabbed my hand as I came out of the backroom a few moments later, and smiling at each other, we went home.

I sighed as I snuggled in bed with him later, happy, and loving my little life here, finding enormous contentment in the fact that nothing about it would be changing again, for at least the next two years. It was nearly two weeks later, on a Friday evening at work, when something unexpectedly did change…

The guys were at their regular table in the back, relaxing before their show. To the delight of several nearby females, Griffin was shirtless. He was showing Sam a new tattoo on his shoulder that he had gotten sometime last week. It was a snake wrapping itself seductively around a naked woman. Sam was grinning; he seemed to really like it. I thought it was a little tasteless. The snake was just a bit too sensual and the woman was outrageously un-proportioned. Seriously, a real woman shaped like that would not be able to stand straight. I had to smile though; the tasteless tattoo did match its owner perfectly.

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Matt was also showing Sam his new tattoo, a symbol on his inner wrist. I didn’t know what it was, or what it meant, but I highly preferred it to Griffin’s. Sam nodded at him then looked back at the naked woman tattoo. I was ready for Griffin to put his shirt back on. Evan, who had tattoos all up and down his arms, was ignoring the show-and-tell - too busy sitting on the edge of the stage, flirting with a group of girls.

Kellan was sitting backwards on his chair, watching me. When he caught my eye, he motioned me over.

“Hey. Beer?” I asked.

He smiled warmly and nodded. “Yeah, thanks, Kiera.” I suddenly wondered if Kellan had any tattoos, like the rest of them. Realizing I had seen him nearly naked before, I blushed. If he did have one, it was well hidden. He noticed my blush. “What?”

Knowing it would just be easier to ask him, I said, “Do you have one?” and pointed at Griffin’s shoulder.

He looked over at a still half-naked Griffin. “Tattoo?” he asked, shifting back around to face me. He shook his head as he said, “No, I can’t think of anything I’d want permanently etched on my skin.” He smiled crookedly at me. “You?”

I blushed again at his charming smile. “Nope…virgin skin here.” I instantly regretted saying that, as my face surely went bright red. He chuckled, enjoying my reaction, and I muttered, “I’ll be right back with your beer…”

I hurried away as quickly as I could, murmuring softly about how I really needed to think before I speak, and almost collided into Denny as he was entering the bar. “Oh, hey! Guess what?” Denny grabbed my shoulders, beaming.

Smiling at his enthusiasm, I said, “I have no idea.”

“Mark from the office pulled me aside today. They want me to go with them to set up the new office in Tucson!” He seemed really excited at this prospect…my heart sank.

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“Tucson? Really…for how long?” I tried not to deflate his excitement, but I was already not thrilled over this idea.

“I don’t know…couple months maybe?” He shrugged his shoulders.

My mouth dropped open. “A couple months! But, we just got here? I start school in a little over a month! I need to get registered, get my schedule, books…I can’t go to Tucson right now?” He looked at me, a little confused. “You wouldn’t need to come. It’s just for a couple months, Kiera.”

Now I didn’t care about his enthusiasm. Now I was mad. “What!” I said that rather loudly, and people around us turned to look. Denny looked around, then gently grabbed my arm and pulled me outside.

Once in the cooler air of the parking lot, he grabbed both of my shoulders again and forced me to look at him. “It’s my job, Kiera…our future. I need to do this.”His accent was thick over the words, as concern filled him.

I could feel tears welling. “Two months, Denny…that’s so long.” In all our time together, the longest we had ever been apart, was the two weeks when he had gone home to visit his parents after his grandfather had died. I had hated every minute of those two weeks.

He brushed aside a tear that had fallen. “Hey…it’s okay. Maybe it won’t be that long? I’m not really sure.” He pulled me in for a hug. “This is for us, Kiera. Okay?”

“No,” I said brokenly. Two months sounded like an eternity. “When would you leave?” I whispered.

“Monday,” he whispered back. I couldn’t stop the tears then. After awhile, Denny released me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you’d be happy for me?” He frowned a little. “Sorry, I should have waited until after work to tell you.”

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Sniffling a little, I felt the guilt coming on. “No, its fine. You just surprised me, that’s all. I’m overreacting. It will be fine, really.” He hugged me again for a few minutes. “I’m sorry…I can’t stay.” He looked at me sheepishly. “They want me to come back to the office, get some details hammered out. I have to go, I’m sorry. I just really wanted to tell you.”

I blinked back tears. “Go, its fine. I have to get back to work anyway…”

He held my cheeks in his hands. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I muttered back.

He kissed my forehead and sprinted back to his car. He sure seemed peppy to ditch me. I sighed and waved as he drove away. Sullenly, I walked back into the bar. The first thing I noticed, was Kellan leaning against the counter, talking to Rita and sipping on a beer. Oh, yeah. He’d wanted a beer before…Denny. The thought brought fresh tears to my eyes and I quickly swiped them away, but not before Kellan noticed.