Nemesis: One In A Row, Pt. I
Luke walked into the bar through the front door. He could already hear the sounds of laughter and such before he’d even opened the door. Still, it was a pleasant greeting he received, with multiple people shouting out his name. After the night he’d had so far he needed a little comfortable chaos.
He had a beer in his hand before he’d taken half a dozen steps. Pops was behind the bar with Jay, his evening bartender. Jay was making up a batch of cocktails while Pops leaned on one arm, engrossed in the telling of yet another story. He acknowledged Luke with a smile and a brief raise of the glass but didn’t interrupt himself. Luke offered a couple of hugs and handshakes as he made his way to the bar.
No one from the day group was still in attendance except Don White, who never seemed to want to miss a party. He was crouton at this point—beyond toast—leaning into his hand, propped up on the bar by one elbow, his cocktail half-water in front of him. It was mainly the younger patrons who were in attendance, those much closer to Luke’s age, if not younger. A good crowd, though, maybe forty or so people still around. The jukebox was playing Clapton at the moment and a few patrons were trying their hardest to do “Cocaine” justice. And failing.
Luke walked over to where Pops was and took a seat between Don and a younger couple he didn’t know. They were listening to Pops with polite smiles. “…and I looked at the asshole and said—“
“Hey, Luke!” Jay came over with a draft, ignoring the one already in Luke’s hand.
“Heya,” Luke replied. He made a point of looking around the bar. “Good crowd.”
Jay nodded. His temples were damp. “Really busy earlier. Thinned out a bit since midnight.” He smiled. “Happy New Year, by the way.”
“Back atcha, brother,” Luke said, toasting him with his beer.
“So anyway,” Pops said, trying to continue his story. “This guy sits down next to me and I said…”
“Excuse me.”
Pops sighed as Luke turned around. He blinked. The woman standing before him was stunning.
Long blond hair fell just over one ear, the other side tucked behind. She was of average height, wearing a basic top with a jean jacket over and a long skirt. She had the most startling blue eyes Luke had seen in a long time. She was a few years younger than Luke.
“Um…”
Pops snorted. “What can we do for ya, miss?”
She smiled at Luke politely before shifting her attention to Pops. “My car is dead. I guess I left my lights on?” She smiled and blushed. “I hate living up to the blond stereotype. Anyway, I was hoping I could get a jump.”
Pops glanced at Luke, then nudged him. “Luke?”
“Huh? Oh, right.” Luke stood up. “Yeah. I can jump you.” There was a long pause. The girl smiled again and dropped her eyes, her cheeks a touch more pink than they were. “I mean, I have cables. I’ll pull my truck around.”
“That’d be great,” she said. “It’s the grey Mercedes on the side lot.” She turned and disappeared back into the crowd.
Pops snorted again. “’I can jump you’?” he mocked. “Nice line, kid.”
Luke shot Pops a hard glance and took another gulp of his beer. He nodded to the snickering couple and left out the back entrance. It was closest to his truck.
A minute later he’d pulled into the side lot one building over. It was well lit and held about thirty cars total. It was mostly full at the moment but Luke had no problem seeing the girl standing by her car. She waved anyway and he pulled around to the front and got out. He withdrew his jumper cables from behind his front seat and said, “Could you pop the hood, miss?”
The blond nodded and Luke popped the hood on his truck. In moments he’d connected the cables and lifted the hood of the Mercedes. He took a moment to admire the car, a silver CLK350 two-door convertible. Nice car, he thought. He poked his head around the hood after he’d connected the cables to the battery.
“Wait until I give my truck a little gas,” he said. “Then try it.”
The blond smiled and nodded. Nice girl, he added as he got back into his truck. He revved it a couple of times to give her the signal, then eased the pedal down. There was a cranking sound from her car, then it started right up. Luke jumped out and disconnected the cables from his battery, then hers. He pushed her hood closed and tossed the cables by his truck.
She’d stepped back out of the car and was smiling again. Luke felt stomach do a little flip-flop. It really was that kind of smile.
“Thank you so much,” she said, reaching out her hand. Luke took it, smiling in return.
“No problem,” he replied. “We look out for our people here.”
She nodded, her hair bouncing around her shoulders. She pushed it back behind her ear with a practiced gesture. “It was my first time but Pops and everyone were great.”
“It’s a good place,” Luke agreed.
They stood staring at each other for several long moments before the girl half-turned back to her car. “Well, I should probably go. I have to get my friend home.”
Luke looked through the window and noticed the woman asleep in the passenger seat. She was wearing dark clothes and had dark hair and, in the shadow under the light against the black leather seats, was nearly invisible. He still felt like an idiot.
It must’ve shown on his face because she said, “No, don’t worry about it. But I should go.” She paused a moment. “Thanks again.”
Luke smiled. “No problem.”
She smiled one last time and got into the car. Luke gave a wave and grabbed his cables off the ground with one hand, shut the hood of his truck with the other and climbed in. He pulled back to allow her to leave, then pulled into the same spot.
He went back inside in a half-daze. Pops and Jay both managed to give him a knowing wink but after a little bit he let it go as he did with the events from earlier in the evening. The cryptic note, the kiss with Ophilia, the noise and chaos that was the debut of The Conquistadors…it all ended up pushed back and out of the way so that he might salvage some comfort in being around people he knew on this special night.
All too soon the evening was over and Luke was helping clean up, gathering glasses and wiping down tables while Pops did dishes and Jay cleaned behind the bar. They worked in a comfortable rhythm, trading comments and barbs about the evening, Luke laughing at some of the craziness he’d missed at midnight. Apparently Ken had made it to the dropping of the ball, the seventy-something-year-old getting “happy feet” and doing a jig to AC/DC before finally calling it a night.
Jay finished up and Luke volunteered to help stock, feeling somewhat guilty that he hadn’t been there for one of the busiest nights of the year. Jay made his goodbyes and headed out, Pops locking the door behind him while Luke went back for a load of beer to stock.
“Saw you on TV tonight,” Pops said conversationally as he straightened the barstools. Luke smirked. “Not quite the party I was hoping for,” he replied.
“Kid, you guys made the news all across America. You can’t be at a better party than that.”
Luke shrugged and began placing the bottles into the cooler. “Glad we made an impression.”
Pops sighed and shook his head. “You wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.”
Pops opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a tapping at the door. He turned with a scowl. “Who the fuck is that?” he muttered aloud. Luke stopped his stocking and waited for his boss and friend to unlock the front door.
Pops growled something and Luke didn’t hear a reply, but Pops stepped back and gave Luke a wink. Behind him entered the blond from before.
Luke couldn’t help but smiling. “Hey. Did you forget something?”
“Yeah.” She walked forward, unhurriedly, gracefully. “I forgot to tell you my name. I’m Jen.” She held out her hand.
Luke took it and gave it a polite shake. “Luke.’
She cocked her head to the side, managing to look cutely accusing. “You didn’t tell me you worked here.”
“He doesn’t,” Pops said from the back. He snorted and went back to arranging chairs.
Luke chuckled. “I work Monday and Tuesday nights, mostly, and fill in here and there.”
Jen nodded. “I’ll have to come in again, then.”
Luke’s smile broadened. “Yeah, you should do that.”
She nodded in a “that’s settled, then” sort of way. “Okay, then." She again pushed her hair behind her ear in a practiced gesture. "I’ll see you soon. Luke.”
Luke’s smile mirrored hers. “I’ll look forward to it.”
She exited and Pops made polite goodbyes as he locked up behind her. He gave Luke a broad grin. Luke shrugged and went back to stocking. He started whistling a Scorpions tune he'd heard not too long before, "There's No One Like You."
The night hadn’t turned out so bad after all.
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Comments
Ah oh, Phi's got
Ah oh, Phi's got competition.
--
Imagination is the seed of intelligence. Nourish it and watch it grow.
(No subject)
Now see here
Bob Dole likes this young woman. Bring that young woman over here to Bob Dole.
(makes beckoning gestures with his good hand)
And bring Bob Dole a Pepsi.
And a Viagra.
And a Viagra.
*stomps*
*stomps*
LOL! This is great news!
LOL! This is great news! Could it mean the end of sexual tension in the clubhouse?
Excellent work, Dave. Nicely written, very engaging. Loved it.
jshowell wrote:LOL! This is
If we were only that lucky.
--
Imagination is the seed of intelligence. Nourish it and watch it grow.
Oops
I forgot to comment on this. :) That's what'll happen when I greedily lap them up in the wee hours of the morning.
I like the idea of this piece a lot. I think it fits and am excited to see Luke get himself a girl. Admittedly, she's too damn likable for my tastes, cuz I really would prefer hating her. *grin* (stomp!)
I thought she came off as very endearing with all of her cute little mannerisms (I hate her!).
Oh my gawsh! And that line, I'll give you a jump. ha! I laughed very hard when I read that. ...and was happy to see Pop's give him a hard time about it.
...anyways. Great addition to the overall story. Not that Phi needs anything else to bellyache about, but this should help if she runs out of fires to put out.
LOL! This is great news!
Regarding that line. The tension has definitely shifted at the Cathedral. Although really only the staffers would feel the brunt of it. Not sure exactly how...but it has. Likely just as uncomfortable, just not so much sexual tension any more as overly professional. (somthin' like that)
Maybe it's my cynical
Maybe it's my cynical nature, but I see this turning out really bad. Like when she turns out to be a super-villainess, or a demon, or a psychic vampire or something of that sort.
Cause, you know, they always do.
I'd still hit it.
I'd still hit it.
That does not surprise me in
That does not surprise me in the least. ; )