Page 19 of Brett and Rowdy
“Excuse me, ladies,” Ashley said. “I hate to bother y’all, but Rowdy here, he’s got a seeing eye dog and really needs to be able to sit. I don’t suppose y’all would mind sharing with us?”
“There’s four of you,” Deidre said, lip curling.” It’s a six top and there’s four of us.”
“Very good. I hate to have to ask, but?—”
One of Rowdy’s eyebrows lifted above the glasses. “Jesus Christ, ladies. Surely somebody is really going to let my ass sit down so that my dog doesn’t get stepped on. Or are y’all just as big a bitches as you always were?”
“Well, I never!”
Crystal chuckled. “No shit on that.”
“That’s not what I heard.” There was no moss growing on Rowdy, that was for damn sure.
Brett did not smile. He did not laugh. But oh God, he was dying inside.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have a choice. But if you don’t mind…” Ashley was still going for sweet.
“Of course we don’t mind.” He didn’t remember that little girl’s name. Sally, Sarah, Samantha. Something. She was one of those mousy ladies who desperately wanted to fit in but really was too nice to be with the big mean girls, so she just ended up being the little not-mean girl. “We’re more than capable of standing. I’m sorry about whatever happened to you.”
“Got kicked in the head. Snapped my optic nerves like they were chopsticks. Went to work one afternoon, eight seconds later, never saw another thing.”
Just the thought of that made Brett want to barf. He couldn’t imagine.
“Well, that’s what happens when you’re rodeo tr?—”
“Deidre!” There was Sally, Sarah, Samantha again, this time not sounding quite so mousy. “That’s enough. Please, Rowdy. Have a seat.”
“Well, if you’re going to be like that, Susan, then you can just sit here with them and we’ll go find somewhere to sit.”
Susan. Her name was Susan.
Susan rolled her eyes. “I’m not eighteen anymore. If y’all wanna go sit somewhere else because you don’t wanna sit with Rowdy, have fun. I’m perfectly happy right here. We’ll hang out.”
Deidre and a couple of her other hangers-on stomped off, and Ashley sat with Rowdy and they all plopped down.
Ashley reached over and grinned at Susan. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“You know, she’s no better, she’s no different than she ever was. She’s still a bitch.” Susan winked at Ash. “I swear to God. You know she expects because she’s what? A housewife from Columbia, that we’re supposed to kiss her fat ass. Not gonna happen.”
“So what are you doing now?” Ashley asked, and Susan grinned. “I’m an RN. I work in Atlanta at the ICU in one of the big hospitals. But come on. I’m married, I have five kids, and I work full-time. I don’t need her shit. You look great, Ashley.”
Ashley just glowed. “Well, thank you.”
“Are you still living here?”
“I do. I live here with my husband. Our daughter just graduated from college.”
“That’s so cool, I can’t believe it. I feel old now and also a little bit jealous.”
Rowdy cracked up. “How old are yours?”
She sighed a little dramatically. “Eleven, eight, five, and I have two that are three.”
“Oh my God.”
“Yeah.”
Crystal smiled and lifted her glass. “Do you get to come here by yourself?”
