Page 15 of Tequila & Lace
“Exactly. She thought she was going to get discovered by some top modeling agency and make it big, but she never did.”
“Is she still there?”
“Actually, no. She moved to New York to try her luck out there.” I took a pull of my beer. “After my last deployment I moved back home for good. The night I heard she moved to New York was the night I knew we were officially never going to get back together. I was at a bar drowning my sorrows and I met a lady…”
“Hey, handsome.”
I turned at the sound of the female’s voice and watched as she ran her fake red acrylic nails along my forearm. I knew what it looked like. I was in a bar, drowning my sorrows with shots of tequila, but I wasn’t looking to get laid tonight. Even though it had been almost nine years since I’d seen Vanessa, I couldn’t be in this town and not think of her. I only wanted to spend my last few bucks on as much alcohol as I could.
When Cochran died, Gabe had to fight his own demons, but Vanessa was living. She didn’t want me, yet I was the idiot who couldn’t stop wanting her. So in front of Gabe—in front of everyone, I pretended I didn’t want anyone, that I was sowing my oats. Maybe I was, but being back home was a reminder of what I’d once had. The bottle of Patrón would be my friend for the night, not this chick.
“Do you know the best way to drink a shot of tequila?” she continued. I finally looked over at her as she sat next to me. I did know the best way—everyone knew. I cracked a smile because I couldn’t help it.
“Off a woman.”
She shook her head no. “Not off any woman. Off of me.”
I laughed. “Off of you?”
“Yep.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep, but first—”
“Get out of here, Candy.”
Her eyes became huge. Without a word, she huffed and left. I turned and stood. “What the fuck?” I didn’t want Candy, but seriously, what if I’d wanted to fuck her brains out until I couldn’t remember my own name? It wasn’t as if I was coming back to this dump again. I wasn’t even in Malibu. I’d driven down the Pacific Coast until I knew I wouldn’t see anyone familiar before I stopped to get my drink on.
“Listen, kid. If you want the herp, then you can fuck Candy, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that’s not your thing.” His gaze flicked down to the dog tags on my chest. “And at fifty bucks, she’s a cheap hooker too.”
I blinked.
He laughed. “Do you have fifty bucks?”
I shook my head. I didn’t. I was spending my last few bucks on my drinks. Sure the Army was giving me money, but it wasn’t enough.
“Would you like a job?”
I finally found my voice. “You’re offering me a job?”
“I’m not sure yet. We should talk. My name’s Bobby.” He reached out his hand for me to shake.
The next day I’d met Bobby at his office in Malibu and he talked to me about Saddles & Racks and what they had to offer. He was the LA head person and Mark was the Vegas person.
“Why was he at a shit bar?” Nancy asked.
I laughed. “I asked him the same thing. He said it was where he found all his recruits. Like diamonds in the rough or some shit.”
“But not Candy.”
We both laughed. “No, not Candy. Thank God for Bobby or I might have the herp.” I was half-joking. I might have had enough money for her to blow me that night.
“Things happen for a reason.”
“Yeah, they do.”
We ordered another round of drinks, talked some more, and then I convinced Nancy to leave with me so her friends would think we were hooking up and I walked her to her car.
