Love Her - Andrea Johnston Page 0,11

red lips set in a smirk greet me.

“You plannin’ to stare at my ass all night, Cowboy?”

“Not a cowboy.”

Throwing her head back in a throaty laugh she captivates me. Mesmerizes me. What the fuck am I saying? I’ve never once used those words to describe anything, let alone myself when it comes to a woman.

“But you’re plannin’ to stare at my ass?”

I shrug and lift the glass to my lips. “It’s a fine ass.”

“I’d have to agree. I’ve not seen you around here before. Are you new to town?”

“Why? Are you the Welcome Wagon?”

Her hand settles on my leg, pushing it to the side. I allow her to move me so I’m facing her direction. Taking a step, she leans forward, and my mouth goes dry. I’m not new to hooking up. Hell, I work in a bar and rarely go home alone most nights. Case in point, my black eye.

That’s why I’m here tonight. Three towns away from Lexington where I’m not the bartender and nobody knows me. Anonymity is my friend here, and I like it that way. No complications and no morning after awkwardness. I probably should have found this place before I started hooking up with chicks where I work.

“Honey, you couldn’t handle me. Have yourself a good night.”

With a giggle she places a kiss on my cheek and steps away. Against my better judgment, I call after her.

“Hey beautiful, what’s your name?”

Without a response, she steps out the door. Maybe she saved me more grief down the road. If I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that I’m not exactly the lucky type.

Those legs though.

Chapter 5

Felicity

Listening to her hiccups as the tears pour from her eyes, my heart aches in ways I haven’t felt since I was a teenager. Heartbreak comes in many forms. Sometimes it is thrust upon you by the boy you’ve loved from afar while he never noticed you existed. But for some it’s in the form of your father leaving you and missing every important part of your young life. No matter how it comes, heartbreak is devastating. My daughter’s heart is shattered because of so many reasons, but tonight’s devastation is courtesy of the ever present mean girl.

It’s a persona I know well. I have been that girl in this town most of my life. There was a time I saw the title as a badge of honor. Something that set me apart—and above—everyone else. Girls wanted to be my friend because they assumed it kept them safe from my wrath. The boys wanted in my pants because the rumor was that bitchy girls gave it up.

All of it was inaccurate. I was cruel and mean to everyone regardless of whether you sat with me at lunch or not. And, I was a virgin until I was twenty years old.

Now, as I hold my daughter in my arms and try to soothe her with my fingers scratching her back, I wonder if this is the universe’s way of paying me back for my treatment of others. Karma at its finest. Her sobs are gone and replaced with sniffles and the occasional sigh. I remember being ten years old and full of emotions. It sucked then but something about watching my daughter at this age is worse.

“Honey, I know your feelings are hurt but those girls aren’t worth your tears.”

“You don’t understand what it’s like,” she wails. If only she knew. “What did I do to them? We were friends and now they are saying all those mean things. Shanna wouldn’t even sit with me at lunch.”

It has only been a few years since my daughter was no different than these girls. Her attitude and treatment of others was less than sweet. It was downright dreadful. Children learn their behaviors and boy did she learn mine. Thankfully, with a new reality and the help of my parents we’ve both succeeded at turning things around. Yet, reminding Clementine of how she behaved wouldn’t be productive nor would it make her feel better. I want her to know that, like she has changed, like we’ve both changed, these girls will too. Or they won’t. No matter what happens tomorrow or five years from now, I know this moment will make her stronger and remind her to be kind.

“You know, when I was your age, Grammy would hold me like this and remind me that I was special and loved deeply no matter what happened at school. I didn’t believe her then. I thought she was