inside, and noticed several women smile at him, and a lot of the men step out of his way. He wandered around, not seeing his brothers.
A pretty waitress noticed his cut as she walked by. “Your friends are out back.”
Cole smiled at her. “Thanks, darlin’.”
“Want me to bring you a drink, honey?”
Cole gave her his order, and shoved a five in the tip glass on the tray she carried.
He wandered out to the back patio, which was actually more like a beer garden. He found Crash and Cajun sitting at a table. He noticed Green and Wolfman had also shown up.
Crash stood up when he saw him. “Hey, Cole. You made it.”
They slapped each other on the back. “Told you I would, brother.”
He nodded to the other guys, as he sat down. Wolfman was busy hitting on one of the waitresses, and Green, who was always successful with the women had a cute blonde sitting on his knee.
Cole smiled at him, and shook his head, shouting across the table, above the crowd noise. “Some things never change.”
“Luck ‘o the Irish, my man,” Green shouted back.
Cole lit a cigarette, and the waitress appeared with his drink. She leaned over him as she set it on the table, her cleavage coming level with his face. He smiled up at her. “Thanks, darlin’.”
Crash’s head turned, and watched her as she walked away. “Doable. Totally doable.”
Cole glanced at her, and looked back at Crash. “You’ll never guess who I just ran into.”
Crash was still watching the waitress’s ass as she walked away. “Hmm, mmm. That strut’s as sweet as honey. Was it anything as cute as that?”
Cole took a hit off his cigarette. “Better.”
That got his attention. Crash’s head swiveled back to him.
Cole smiled. “Remember the girls from the back of Ling’s van?”
“Yeah.”
“Ran into one of ‘em at the gas station.”
“No shit?”
“Remember the pretty blonde that gave me shit?”
“The one you yelled at? Got right in her face, if I recall.”
Cole blew out a stream of smoke, and smiled. “That’s the one.”
“Damn, that girl was fine. You recognized her, huh?”
“Nope. She came up to me.”
“No shit?”
Cole nodded. “She gets out of this silver, convertible Mercedes, and walks over to me. Asks me, do I remember her? I’m standing there, pumping gas, looking her up and down, thinking, how the hell did I forget a babe like her. I was sure she’d lost her mind.”
“And?”
“She says, ‘you pulled me out of the back of a van’, and it hits me who the hell she is. Hits me like a ton of bricks. I about dropped the nozzle.”
“Why doesn’t shit like that ever happen to me?”
Cole took a hit off his cigarette, and blew the smoke in the air. “Bought me a drink, too.”
“And you left that to come here? Did you fall on your head?”
Cole smiled. “Meetin’ her again tomorrow.”
“You dog! She got a friend for me?”
Cole grinned, and took a sip of his drink.
*****
Cole pulled into the parking lot of the bar at five minutes to four. His eyes ran over the silver Mercedes that was parked near the door. Shannon was already here. He got off his bike, and walked inside.
When he stepped through the door, it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light. He didn’t see her sitting at the bar.
Marty looked over, and saw him, and nodded his head toward one of the booths.
Cole glanced over, and saw her sitting in the second booth. He walked over, and slid onto the seat across from her. “Hey, darlin’. How are you?”
She smiled up at him. “Fine. I’m glad you came.”
Cole noticed there were two glasses of bourbon on the table.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you,” she explained.
“I see that.”
“I hope that’s okay.” She suddenly felt unsure of herself.
“Sure. Thanks.” Cole took a sip.
Shannon watched him.
“Been here long?” he asked.
“Just a few minutes,” she replied.
Cole nodded. “To tell the truth, I kind of thought you might change your mind, and not come.”
The smile disappeared from her face. “Why? Why would you think that?”
He lit a cigarette. “Come on, darlin’. We’re not exactly drinking buddies. And I can’t see you bein’ interested in me, unless you’re lookin’ to go slumming. Is that it?”
“No.” She looked down.
“You tryin’ to piss daddy off?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s usually the only reason little girls like you wanna mess with the likes of me.”
“I’m not a little girl.”
“You’re way outta my league, darlin’. Lookin’ to play with the big boys? You