"So, that Justin seems pretty smitten with you." Karen leaned an arm on the counter in front of Lindsay's desk and smiled down.
"What makes you say that?"
"I ran into him in the grocery store the other day and asked him about all the lunch hours ya'll are spending together. He started grinning like a fool, reminded me of how my first husband would look when he'd pass his mistress in the office."
Lindsay looked up.
"That's how I found out she was the mistress." Karen shrugged. "Plus, Jesse has sworn hatred for Justin. He thinks that you were supposed to be off limits once he professed his feelings for you to Justin. It was the ultimate young love betrayal."
Lindsay just smirked, and rested her chin in her hand. Poor kid. She had to let him down easy the next time she went shopping there.
"So, do you like him?" Karen pushed.
"I wouldn't go that far."
"Well, most girls around here don't get boys to walk them anywhere unless they plan on courting each other."
"I don't get him to walk me anywhere. He stalks me."
"Yet you haven't called Sheriff Harris," Karen smiled.
The younger woman sighed.
"So, does your hesitancy with Justin have anything to do with the black eye you had before?"
She bit her lip.
"I don't know. Everything is just so different now, and I don't want to end up back there again. And Justin is so annoyingly persistent."
"Yeah, he has a way of weaseling in where you don't want him, at least, it's where you think you don't want him. Does he know about ‘cabinet man'?"
Lindsay shook her head.
"Well, before you write him off, give him a chance to prove himself. And if you really want to be honest, tell him about what happened. I'm sure he'll understand your need to take things slowly."
"There's nothing to take slowly," she went back to her computer screen. "There's nothing between us."
Karen nodded knowingly.
"When do you think you'll see him again?"
Her fingers paused on the keyboard.
"We're having dinner tonight."
Justin had told Lindsay not to dress too nice, just something she would be comfortable in. She opted for some jeans and a tank top under a blue and white checkered button down shirt. She had just slipped on her white and blue tennis shoes, when Justin knocked on the door. Before running to open it she slipped on her sunglasses and looked at herself in the mirror once more. Justin was right about the sunglasses. She sighed, took them off, and put them on the bathroom counter. Then, running a hand through her hair once more, she rushed to the door to answer it.
"Hey," Justin said, smiling brightly.
He was dressed in faded jeans, and a white baseball tee with black sleeves, along with his black chucks.
She smiled.
"Will I need a jacket?"
He shrugged.
"Couldn't hurt, but we're not going far," he said.
She nodded, and grabbed one of the jackets she had hanging by the door, tying it around her waist and grabbing her keys before closing and locking the front door. She walked down the steps to catch up to Justin, who was waiting for her at the bottom.
"Where are we going?" she asked, walking in step with him.
"You'll see." He continued down the road.
Lindsay looked out at the horizon as they passed his house and headed down a trail off to the side. After a little while longer they were coming up to a huge oak tree. It was summer time, so the sun stayed out longer and the day seemed to go by slower. The land around them was completely covered in grass. Grass so tall that you could lay down and almost not be seen. Justin turned when he noticed she wasn't walking as fast as him, and noticed her looking around the property.
"C'mon City Girl, it's only the country," he teased.
She looked at him, and rolled her eyes before running a little to catch up to him.
"You're a comedian, you know that?" She said.
"Don't you love it?" He gave a cheesy smile.
They continued their walk for several more feet, when she noticed something out in the distance. There was a bright red and white blanket lying in a clearing of the grass and a light wooden basket sitting next to it under the shade of a big oak tree. To the right of the blanket was a big fire pit, stacked with wood and old newspapers.
‘Creative,' Lindsay thought as she followed him.
They reached the blanket, and Justin turned to Lindsay to see her reaction.
"What are we having?" She questioned.
He laughed.
"Thanks. No, ‘wow Justin that is so sweet of you! Thank you so much'," he said, his voice high to imitate a girl.
She gave him that look, and then batted her eye lashes.
"Wow, Justin, all this for me?" she put a hand to her chest, "How ever will I repay you?"
He smirked and nodded.
"Much better."
When he turned away she lowered her head and mumbled.
"I'm not gonna kiss your ass."
"No one said you had too. But I wouldn't turn down the offer." He winked, and nudged her arm.
She laughed, her jaw dropping open, and nudged him back. He laughed as he went and sat down on the blanket, Lindsay following his lead. She sat down next to him on the blanket, which was a step in the right direction for Justin. He opened the basket, taking out two bottles of water and putting them on the blanket.
"Now it's not the most exciting thing, but I have to confess that I can make a pretty mean sandwich," he said, taking out two flat square tupperware containers.
He set them down on the blanket and then pulled out two small bags of kettle chips. He quickly closed the lid of the basket, and Lindsay looked at him curiously.
"What else are you hiding?" She questioned.
He laughed, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Nothing," he said, reaching for a bag of chips.
"Something," Lindsay said, leaning over to grab the basket.
Before she could put her hands on it, he quickly grabbed the handle and pulled it behind him.
"Aren't you hungry?" He asked.
Lindsay frowned as she took one of the water bottles from the blanket, and opened it to take a drink. He laughed as he handed her a sandwich and a bag of chips before opening his own and started eating. Lindsay lifted the lid off her tupperware and took the sandwich out to bite into it. Justin watched her intently.
"Good?" He questioned.
She nodded, wiping her mouth off with the napkin he had provided. He nodded and took another bite of his sandwich too.
"You have a lot of space here," Lindsay said. "Planning on doing anything with it?"
Justin looked out around the property, before shrugging.
"Haven't thought of anything yet. But I'm not going anywhere, still have time," he said.
She nodded, as she popped a chip in her mouth.
"So how come you're growing your hair out?" She questioned.
Justin looked at her, as he ran a hand through his hair self consciously.
"Why you like it?" He winked.
She rolled her eyes.
"How come every time I ask you something about yourself you make it sound like I want to jump you?"
"Well, I guess you should stop asking questions," he said.
Lindsay was about to respond, but she closed her mouth quickly, causing Justin yet again to burst out laughing. Lindsay shook her head, taking a drink of her water, trying her best not to laugh. He definitely had a contagious laugh.
"You're mean to me," she stated once he was done with his laughing fit.
Justin sighed, and wiped his eye brow like he had laughed so hard he began sweating.
"I got you so good," he said.
"That's about all you'll get from me," she mumbled.
"Oh come on, it's all in good fun."
"It's all in good fun," she mimicked, making a face.
Justin smiled at her before going back to his meal. They actually made some pleasant conversation as they continued their meal. Both of them made sure that the topic of the past or family didn't come up as they switched from one topic to the next. Their conversation went from movies, to books, to TV shows, and even food. They were slowly but surely getting to know each other, and it was actually fun.
After they finished eating Justin brought the basket back in front of them. They were now sitting across from each other, Justin's back to the field, as he faced Lindsay sitting crossed legged on the blanket.
"Alright, now for desert," he announced.
He reached into the basket and took out two more tupperware bowls, and opened them both up. Inside one was fresh strawberries with the green stem already cut off, and in the other was slightly melted whipped cream.
"Oh my god, those are my favorite," Lindsay said with a smile. "How did you know?"
He laughed, "I didn't, but I like em too."
He offered her the bowl and she took one, dipping it into the whipped cream.
"You know what's even better?" She asked.
He shook his head as he reached for a strawberry, dipping it into the whipped cream as well.
"Chocolate covered strawberries."
"Those are good, and so is strawberries dipped in sugar. But these are better," he said, licking his lips of the juice that remained there after biting into the strawberry.
They both indulged in their desert for awhile, not saying anything to each other, just looking out at the horizon as the sun started to set. Justin had had his fill and was now lying on his side, facing Lindsay as she sipped the rest of her water, leaning back on her arms.
"So are you uncomfortable?" He questioned.
She looked from the horizon back to him, and shook her head.
"Should I be?"
He shrugged.
"Have anymore wild geese hissed at you recently?" He asked with a laugh.
Lindsay giggled.
"No, but," her eyes squinted as she looked past him, "are they supposed to be running at us like that?"
Justin turned to look behind himself quickly, and saw the wild geese running full speed at them, their wings flapping, quacking loudly, like they were charging at them. Justin's eyes grew big as he quickly stood up, grabbing Lindsay's hand and practically dragging her behind a tree. Lindsay couldn't stop laughing as Justin leaned back against the tree, kind of panting from his quick reaction.
"Are they hungry or something?"
He chuckled at her.
"Or something," he nodded.
It was good to see her laughing. He smiled as he watched her cross her arms over her chest. She peeked her head around the tree to glance at their picnic and saw the geese now rummaging around in it, pecking at the remainder of their strawberries and cream.
"Um, Justin," she said giggling once more.
He seemed to snap out of a day dream and focus on her.
"I hope you were done with desert," she said.
Justin quickly looked around the tree and groaned when he saw the geese.
"Oh, you stupid birds," he said.
He started to run at them, shooing them away. Lindsay stayed behind the tree as she watched him, and couldn't help but laugh. When Justin finally got them away he turned back to face Lindsay and saw her laughing at him. He shook his head and hung it, a little embarrassed.
"It's fine Justin," she said. "I was done anyway."
He sighed, "stupid birds."
Lindsay came from around the tree and helped him clean up the mess the birds had left, packing the remainder of the foods and tupperware back into the basket. The sun was almost completely hidden under the skyline, and Justin went over to the fire pit, taking out a match book from his back pocket.
"Want to sit by a fire for awhile?"
She shrugged as he lit a match, putting it to one of the newspapers under the logs. He held it there till it slowly started to catch the rest of the wood on fire. Justin moved the blanket by the pit and sat down, waiting for Lindsay to sit down herself. She finally noticed how dark it was, as they sat there by the fire. She could barely make out her house in the distance.
"You have a flash light, don't you?" She questioned.
"How come?"
"It's dark," she said.
He smiled.
"Don't worry, I'll get you back safe."
"My hero," she bat her eyelashes at him again.
He laughed as he looked at the flames once more, "smart ass."
Lindsay smiled to herself.
"So, how's work?"
She shrugged.
"It's work. Karen's nice, and she's understanding so it makes for a better environment."
"Understanding about what?"
Lindsay looked over at him, did she just say that?
"Anything," she tried to cover her slip. "Everything."
"Oh," he looked to the fire once more.
"Do you have any friends out here?" She was dying for a subject change. "Besides, you know, old man Ackerman."
Justin chuckled, "I got some buddies, they don't live here though they live in the next town. I need my space"
"Were you smothered as a child?" She smirked.
He looked at her, and grinned before looking back at the fire. Grabbing a long stick, he started to poke the wood with it, causing the fire to spread.
"Did you have any good friends there in California?" He questioned.
Lindsay looked at the fire
"Yeah. Ashlynn," she said. "She's been with me through a lot of stuff."
"You should have her come visit."
She nodded.
"I will. She's busy with work and stuff too," she shrugged.
Justin nodded; he could tell she was starting to get uncomfortable with the questions so he stayed quiet as they continued to look at the fire. Lindsay looked up in the sky and noticed the bright shining stars all around. She was amazed. There was no way you would be able to see this back in LA. Justin glanced at her and noticed her dazed look as she looked at stars.
"Great view isn't it?"
Lindsay glanced at him, then back at the sky and nodded.
"You'd probably never see this in California, definitely not in the city," she said.
They remained quiet as they lay on their backs looking up at the sky, keeping themselves warm with the fire. Pretty soon the fired died down, and it was time to head back. Justin picked up the basket and blanket, and grabbed Lindsay's hand to lead her down a small path back to the house. She had to give him credit for knowing where he was going in the dark. They reached his house, where he dropped off his things on the porch before walking her down the street to her house. They walked in silence, Justin still holding onto her hand.
"Have any plans for the weekend?" He asked.
Lindsay shook her head no.
"Not really, maybe a little cleaning."
"Hmm," Justin said. "Well, maybe if you're not doing anything at night we can go out again?"
Lindsay grinned at him, her cheeks blushing a little. She really didn't have a bad time and he was incredibly sweet. No, they didn't talk much about their pasts, but there was so much more to a relationship then that. Maybe it wouldn't be an issue after all. She would agree to see him again, but not right away just to make him squirm a little bit.
"We'll see," she said with a smile. "I know where to find you."
He laughed as they reached her porch and she dug into her pocket to get her keys out. She got them and opened her door, then stood outside holding the screen open.
"Well, I guess this is it," Justin said.
Lindsay nodded. It was.
"Mind if we take that next step?"
She looked at him wearily.
"What next step?" She questioned.
"Well, we passed the hand shaking and the holding hands. How about a hug?" He smiled, his head leaning to the side.
Lindsay looked at him; he was considerate of her feelings, she had to give him that much. She guessed she could give him this one. She stepped off the door step and wrapped her arms around his neck as he put his arm her waist. Lindsay inhaled deeply, smelling that musky scent of him and felt his lips sneak a kiss on her cheek. They broke the hug and Lindsay went back to her door way, as Justin made his way down the steps.
"I'll see you around City Girl," he said with a wave.
Lindsay watched him as he made his way down the street. She giggled to herself as she walked into her house and closed the door, leaning back against it with a sigh. Was she really falling for this guy?
"So, how are things going with Justin?" Karen was leaning on the counter over Lindsay's desk again.
The girl smiled, not looking up from her computer. She and Justin had been on a second date-date the night before. This time he took her to the local drive-in movie in his supped up old red Camero. She didn't even know they still had drive-in movies now a days. They'd had a good time, and while he'd had his arm around the back of her seat, they hadn't passed the "hug and hand holding" stage.
"Things are fine. Nothing special," she replied.
"Nothing special. Folks around town seem to think it's more than nothing special."
"Shows what folks around town know."
"You're not going to give me any details, are you?"
"Karen," Lindsay smiled.
"You like him."
"I wouldn't go that far."
That was a lie and she knew it. Even against her wishes and better judgement, she was beginning to develop feelings for Justin. He was proving himself to be nothing like the annoying young man she thought he was at first, and he was the complete opposite of Adam, which did nothing but work in his favor. When she was around Justin, her troubled relationship with Adam was the farthest thing from her mind.
Before the two women could say anything more the door opened and Justin came strolling in wearing an orange Abercrombie tee shirt and black sunglasses. Karen turned to Lindsay and gave her an excited look before heading into her own office.
"Afternoon Ms. Anderson," Justin called.
"Afternoon Justin, good to see you again. Lindsay, I'll be back here making phone calls if you need me."
Justin folded his arms and leaned on the counter, watching Lindsay through his frames.
"You better be careful about wearing glasses inside. People might think you're rude."
He smiled, pulling the glasses off and slipping them into his pocket.
"Just trying to be like you, City Girl."
"Keep trying," she smirked. "So, what can I do ya for?"
"Well, I was on my way to the grocery store when I remembered you saying something about needing to go last night, so I thought maybe you could take a lunch and go with me."
Lindsay gave him a look.
"Grocery shopping on my lunch break?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"What am I going to do with the groceries while I'm at work later?"
"Well, I could drop them by your place for you, or hold onto them at my place until you get home."
Lindsay tilted her head.
"I don't know Justin. This seems a little strange."
"Ok, I confess," he said. "I was just desperate for a reason to see you. Come shopping with me, please."
She's got me love stoned
I think I'm love stoned
She's got me love stoned
"I don't even think I can go right now. Karen's on the phone so someone will have to be here incase anyone comes in."
"Lindsay!" Karen's voice came floating in. "Why don't you go ahead and take your lunch now."
Lindsay turned, shooting a look towards Karen's cracked door. Justin laughed and leaned down closer.
"Someone agrees with me. Come on, you're wasting time City Girl."
Lindsay stood, pulling her purse from under the desk, and walked around the counter to meet Justin. He let her walk ahead, holding the door open as she stepped into the sun. When her feet hit the sidewalk she understood why he needed the sunglasses. It was the middle of summer, and it felt like it was 112 degrees.
"Let's go, City Girl," Justin grabbed her hand, pulling her along.
They walked down Main St, talking quietly amongst themselves about nothing in particular. The movie they'd seen, the weather, the geese staked out on Justin's front lawn. When they reached the grocery store, Justin opened the door for her, and they both glanced towards the register. Jesse was sitting there, magazine in hand when he heard the bell. At first he barely glanced up at the pair, and then went back to his article. But then he did a double take, his eyes going wide and then narrowing on Justin and Lindsay's intertwined fingers.
Both stifling a giggle, they grabbed two baskets and headed to the back of the store.
"He's really pissed isn't he?" She whispered.
"I told you he was in love with you. I'd be pissed too."
He turned away, dropping a loaf of bread into his basket, and missed the smirk on her face.
"So, what are we doing tonight?" She asked, picking up a dozen eggs.
"Did we have plans?" He looked amused.
"Well, you've been planning all my nightly activities so far this week," she shrugged. "I figured it was a safe bet."
Justin nodded.
"Well if I had known in the beginning that you were going to become so obsessed with me-."
She cut off his sentence with an elbow to the gut.
"Yeah right."
He chuckled, following her to the next isle where they loaded up on more items.
"Actually I hadn't planned anything for tonight. You're using up all my ideas. Anything in particular you wanted to do?"
"You, running out of ideas to swoon girls?"
"Shocking, I know," he nodded.
"I have no ideas whatsoever," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Maybe I'll stay in tonight."
"You sure?" he questioned.
"Yeah. I need to catch up on my rest anyways."
When they were done they walked to the counter, setting down their baskets. Jesse hesitated a moment before he stood, pulling Lindsay's basket first.
"Did you find everything okay?"
"Yes, thank you."
Jesse proceeded to ring up her items, put them into a brown paper bag, and make change for her. Then he turned to Justin, and Lindsay could swear she'd seen his lip snarl.
"I found everything okay too," Justin provided.
Jesse said nothing while Lindsay turned her back to giggle.
"I'm starving," Justin announced, reaching for a chocolate chip cookie in a plastic display case next to the register.
"You want one, City Girl?"
Lindsay turned to face him, nodding her head. Justin handed her a sugar cookie.
Without speaking a word, Jesse rung up Justin's items, and put them into a bag, then waited for the payment. After making his change, Jesse sat back down, giving Justin the evil eye as he and Lindsay headed toward the door. Justin opened it, allowing Lindsay to step out first.
"This isn't over little man," he said, pointing to the young teenager.
"Stop it," she pulled his shirt, yanking him out onto the sidewalk with her.
"What?"
"Picking fights with fourteen year olds. That's mature."
"Who ever said I was mature?" He asked, following her back toward the law office.
Again they merely chitchatted on their way back to the office, stopping in front of the doors to finish their ‘lunch'.
" So, you sure you want to stay in alone tonight? I'm always up for company."
"I'm sure," Lindsay nodded. "But thank you for the offer."
"Of course. That's southern hospitality, which you wouldn't know much about, since you spent so much time in California."
Lindsay rolled her eyes and nudged his side.
"So what about your groceries?" He motioned to her bag.
"Do you mind dropping them on my back porch for me? There's nothing frozen so it should be alright until I get home."
"Sure," he said, taking it from her arms.
"Thanks. I'll see you later."
Justin nodded, quickly leaning forward to kiss her cheek.
"I'll call you later City Girl."
Lindsay returned home around 4:30 that afternoon. She made her way to the back door, finding the paper bag of groceries sitting just outside the screen as she'd requested. She left the back door open so some air could flow through and carried the items into the kitchen to put them away. In the middle of her task the phone started to ring. Figuring it to be Justin, she closed the refrigerator and made her way towards it.
"Hello?"
"Lindsay?"
That most certainly wasn't Justin. He'd only called her Lindsay twice, once when he was outside in the rain, and the other time when she'd bumped into him in town trying to escape her ghost person.
"Who is this?" She asked.
"Lindsay, it's Adam."
Her face fell blank and everything in her paused. Adam? Calling her house?
"How did you get this number?"
"Michael gave it to me."
Michael was Ashlynn's boyfriend. He must have gotten it after one of their conversations. Damn caller ID.
"Linds, what are you doing? Where is this area code anyway? Out in the boonies?"
"Don't call me again," she instructed, moving to hang up, but his voice stopped her.
"Don't call you again? What are you talking about? What are you doing? You're my girlfriend and you're off skipping around the middle of nowhere-."
"I'm not your girlfriend anymore, don't you get that? I stopped being your girlfriend when you started hitting me. That's why I left."
"I wouldn't be forced to do that if you didn't agitate me so," he said. "Tell me where you are so I can come get you."
"No way."
"We have unfinished business Lindsay."
"You're right, up until now it was unfinished. But now it's done. Goodbye Adam."
"Lindsay, don't think I won't be able to figure out where you are-." His voice was distance as she reached out to hang up the receiver.
Even though the call was done, she still felt a chill running through her. Now she was rigid and on edge. Every movement in the fields behind her home made her jerk with anxiety. She rushed to the backdoor, closing it and locking the bolt. Hugging her arms around herself and paced the livingroom, looking around cautiously. Obviously he didn't know where she was, because he called instead of showing up. But was he right? Was it a matter of time until he found her now?
Her nerves being so on edge was making her crazy, and she could only think of one place to go where she felt safe. Picking up her keys she locked the front door and headed up the road to Justin's.
This one had been the longest walk of her life. She kept looking around as if Adam were going to jump out of the bushes any moment now and drag her to the airport. When she finally reached Justin's porch she was nearly in tears. Luckily his Mercedes was parked outside, so she was pretty sure he was home.
"Hey, City Girl," he opened the door a moment after she knocked.
He smiled at her as he unlatched the screen door.
"I thought you were staying in. Couldn't resist, huh?"
His smile faded however, when the door opened and he saw her face clearly.
"Hey, Lindsay, you okay?" He asked, his face forming a frown.
Lindsay nodded, or attempted too at least.
"Can I come in?"
"Of course," he held the door open as she passed him and went to the living room to sit.
Justin closed his front door, turning off the stereo and the lights in the kitchen before moving into the room and sitting on the sofa next to her.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Nothing," she lied automatically.
From the corner of her eye she saw him give her a look.
"I just got a little spooked," she said. "You know those geese."
Justin nodded, moving from the sofa to sit on the coffee table in front of her. His time he took her shaky hands in his own.
"Strike two. How about this time we try the truth?"
Lindsay looked up at him, sincere blue eyes watching her every move carefully.
"I need a drink," she announced. "Got anything?"
Justin's brow furrowed. He'd never figured her for much of a drinker.
"Yeah, I have something."
"Good. I need a glass of whatever is the strongest."
His brow furrowed even more before he slowly rose from the table and headed into the kitchen. He pulled a small glass from the cabinet and dropped some ice cubes into it before filling it three-quarters of the way with whiskey. He headed back into the living room, handing it to her. To his surprise, she downed it all, then hacked a little at the taste.
She grabs the yellow bottle
She likes the way it hits her lips
She gets to the bottom
It sends her on a trip so right
"Can I have another one?" She held it out to him.
Justin took the glass, and went into the kitchen, pouring more alcohol into it. Again, when he handed it back, she swallowed all the contents, and then closed her eyes as the liquid burned her throat. When she held it up to him again he shook his head and sat down.
"You want to tell me when you became an alcoholic?"
Lindsay looked at him, and licked her lips, tasting the alcohol on them. She remained quiet for a while, and finally he rolled his eyes.
"If I get you another one, will you talk?" He asked.
Lindsay looked up at him, not saying a word as her lips started to form into a pout. Justin looked at her once more before sighing and getting up, pouring a little bit more of the whiskey into the glass. He walked back into the living room and handed her the glass. Instead of gulping the thing, she took a sip then cleared her throat of the burning sensation. Justin sat back on the coffee table as he continued to watch her.
"What happened?" He questioned once more.
Lindsay looked into his eyes, and took another drink of her whiskey.
"I got a phone call," she said simply.
Justin leaned his arms on his legs, as he rested his chin on his hands.
"Okay," he said, waiting for her to finish.
"It was the ghost," she finished her whiskey.
After she downed the rest of her glass, she reached over and put it down on the table beside Justin. She took a deep breath, but could feel herself starting to shake once more.
"He found me," she said. "And I didn't want him to."
Justin watched her; this was why she came to this town, out of no where. This was why she was so secretive about her past. Something bad had happened.
"Does he know where you are?" He asked.
She shook her head no.
"Not yet anyway, just the number. He got it from Ashlynn's boyfriend," she explained. "But it won't be long before he starts looking for me."
She could feel the tears start to well up in her eyes. Everything had been fine until now. She was starting to be independent, she didn't need anyone else. Now it was slowly crumbling down around her.
"Why did you leave?" He pushed. "What did he do to you?"
Lindsay sighed before glancing up at him, a tear escaping her eye. She quickly reached up to wipe it away before it was evident. But Justin saw it; he knew it had to be something awful.
"I need another drink," she said, standing up.
Justin stood up as well, holding onto her shoulders to keep her in place.
"Oh no," he said. "You need to spill."
Lindsay looked at him; he was not making demands at her was he? Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. Who was he to make her do anything?
"I'll just leave then," she said and started to walk to his door.
Justin ran after her.
"Alright, alright, wait a second," he said.
She was in no condition to be wandering the streets. Especially not after all of that whiskey.
He grabbed her hand, taking her back into the living room. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out a beer for her. He popped open the cap and walked back into the living room, handing it to her.
"Lite beer?" She questioned, taking the bottle anyway
Justin looked at her, "It's alcohol."
Lindsay sighed and took a drink; mixing never did her well, but right now she could care less.
"What's with the ghost Lindsay?" He asked.
He never called her Lindsay, she knew he was being serious.
"He's just someone I don't want in my life anymore."
Justin sat down next to her. This time he sat on the couch facing her, hoping to make her feel more comfortable about this talk they were going to have. Lindsay took another gulp of the beer, and put it down on the table before facing Justin once more.
"I thought we weren't going talk about each other's past anymore." She said.
"Well obviously, if it affects us, then we need to talk about it."
"Affects us?" She questioned. "How does this affect us?"
"Lindsay, you came to my door looking like you saw a ghost," he said. "Something is affecting you in a negative way and you need to tell me what it is."
"I need to tell you, do I?" She questioned.
Justin sighed. This was getting nowhere. She was being secretive and defensive about the whole thing, and it only made him more curious. She reached over and took the bottle once more, taking another big gulp.
"Listen," he said, reaching over and taking one of her hands in his. "I care about you a lot ok, and I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm fine," she said, stubbornly.
Justin sighed; taking his hands away and running them over his hair.
"Did this guy attack you or something?"
Lindsay looked at him, her eyes starting to fill up with tears once more. Justin had found something. He watched her go from a distant person, to practically crumbling before his eyes. She leaned her arm against the couch, hiding her face in her hand as she started to shake with the tears struggling to escape. His face fell at the realization of what she had been trying to hide.
"He hurt me, so I left," she spat out in-between tears.
Justin reached out and rubbed her back, removing her hand from her face and laying it against the couch. Her history was spilling out of her lips.
"I moved to California, and immediately attached myself to him after we met," she said, "I had no one else."
She was trying to control her crying as she continued her story. But it was only making it worse, and she just wanted to cry harder. She knew she shouldn't have had that last shot or even the beer.
"I got my Associates," she started, "and wanted to get my Bachelors, but I needed to get a job, because at that time Adam and I were living together and I needed to help with the rent."
"Adam is the ghost?" Justin asked.
Lindsay sniffled as she nodded. Now her eyes were blood shot red, the tears evident on her cheeks.
"About a year and a half ago he started getting rough with me, and really controlling. He had to know where I was at all times, who I was hanging out with, how much I was spending, and on what."
Justin continued to watch her as she spilled her story. No wonder she was so hard to get to, she had been through enough in her short life already: from losing her parents, to an abusive boyfriend.
"Everyone kept telling me to leave him, and I tried a few times before, but I really had no where else to go. He hit me a few weeks ago, that's when I decided I needed to get away and I came here," she finished, tears falling down her cheeks.
Justin reached over and gently wiped her tears away, he hated it when chicks cried. She looked over at him, and grabbed his hand from her face and held onto them tightly.
"I thought if I didn't tell you, and didn't think about it, then it would just go away," she said. "But then the phone rang."
"Is that why you wore those sunglasses when you first got here?" He questioned. "Did he leave a mark?"
Lindsay nodded, "he gave me a black eye, and as soon as I came too I packed what I could and got out of there."
She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"I knew I shouldn't have called Ash. If I hadn't, he would have never known where I am."
Justin moved himself closer to her on the couch, and put his arm around her shoulder trying to get her to move closer to him. The alcohol was taking affect, and she started to cry all over again- she was a light weight and emotional drunk.
"Shhh…" Justin soothed, as she laid her head on his chest.
"He's going to come drag me away from here, and I'm gonna be a prisoner with him," she started to ramble on against his chest.
Justin did his best to calm her down, as he hugged her tightly.
"I'm not going to let that happen, okay?" He said, as he ran a hand through her hair. "He's not going to come anywhere near you."
"But what if he does?" She questioned looking up at him, her eyes searching his.
She needed someone to protect her; yet she tried to remain strong because she was supposed to becoming independent. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"He won't" he said. "You're apart of this town, and anyone here would stand up for you in a minute."
"Really?" she sniffled.
He nodded, as he moved the hair from her face. She looked into his eyes, and hiccupped as the after math of her crying took over her body. She sighed once more and laid her head back on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"You're gonna stay here tonight," he said. "And I don't want to hear any fuss about it."
Lindsay sighed, "Fine."
"I'll take you to your house to get your night stuff, but you're coming back," he insisted.
"Yes sir," she mumbled.
He smirked.
A short while later, they emerged from his house and Justin grabbed her hand as they headed towards Lindsay's. They reached the house and Lindsay took her keys out opening the door. Justin stepped inside first, turning on the light and looking around. Everything was as she left it, including the bag of groceries she had left on the counter.
Lindsay went into the bedroom, as Justin walked into the kitchen and started to unload the bag that was sitting on the counter. She emerged a few minutes later with a small bag, and saw Justin looking around the house. She'd changed a couple of things since the last time he'd been inside, but it was still nicely decorated. He heard the creaking of the hard wood floor and he turned to face her as she walked out of the bedroom.
"You ready?" He asked.
She nodded. He leaned forward and took the bag from her grasp before heading towards the front door. She followed behind him, closing and locking the door before stepping off the porch to stand next to him. She felt like a little weakling again, she needed a man to take care of her; she couldn't do it on her own.
They walked in silence back to the house and Justin held the door open for her as she walked in. He handed her the bag.
"There's a guest bedroom up the stairs, first door to your right," he said.
Lindsay nodded, took the bag, and walked up the stairs, gripping the rail as she went. Justin watched her go before he walked into the kitchen, and took out the cell phone he had in his pocket. He searched through his phone book before pressing the button and putting it to his ear, peeking his head out of the kitchen to make sure she wasn't coming.
He stepped out of his back door, as the person on the other end answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me. I need a favor."
"What is it, Hines?"
"I need you to get a hold of that guy. The one that cleaned up that Thomas mess for you."
"Him? Why?"
"I got a guy I'd like him to have a little conversation with. Call me when you get a hold of him."
"Could be a day or two."
That would give him time to find out more about Adam, like a last name and an address.
"Fine. Call me."
Justin hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He went back inside, putting away Lindsay's empty whiskey glass and beer bottle, then headed up the stairs in search of her. He found her already changed and laying in the bed of the guest room.
"Hey," he moved to sit on the mattress next to her. "Feeling better?"
She shook her head, rolling onto her back.
"All that alcohol is mixing. My stomach is jumping all over the place."
He smirked, but she couldn't see it because the lights were dimmed.
"It'll pass when you fall asleep, I think." He ran a hand over her hair.
She laid there for awhile, his fingers slowly weaving in and out of her hair. Her eyes were starting to drift closed and he figured it was time to retire to his own room and get some rest. He leaned down, kissing her forehead, and then stood to leave. She barely noticed him get up from the bed and turn off the lamp, but when the comforting hair rubbing stopped and her side started to get cold she woke up a little.
"Justin?"
"Yeah?" He turned to look back at her.
"Thank you, for letting me stay here and everything."
"Any time," he smiled.
When she didn't say anything more he turned to head for the door again. But once again, her voice stopped him.
"Justin?"
"Huh?"
"Stay with me? Just until I fall asleep."
Justin watched her for a moment before he sighed and walked back towards the bed. He pulled the throw blanket from the bottom of the bed and laid down on top of the comforter next to her, covering himself up. Lindsay scooted closer, tucking her body against his side. His arm wrapped around her and he let out a soft sigh. They laid there quietly for several minutes, him looking toward the ceiling and she toward the door he'd left cracked open. The alcohol coursing through her system was beginning to take its real toll. Her emotions were getting the best of her, and her actions became bolder. She used to lay like this with Adam, in the beginning. It always made her feel better. Towards the end though, they mostly stayed on their opposite sides.
Justin was just beginning to feel himself relax and drift off when she moved. First her hand smoothed over his stomach and up his chest, then slowly slipped back down again. Then she shifted, sitting up a little and leaned over him, searching for his face in the dark. Her fingers ran over his cheek. There was a twinkle, the moon reflecting from his eyes, but nothing more. Justin could clearly make out her features however, because of the soft light through the windows as she hovered over him. Her hair fell as a curtain around him, and she remained silent as her head lowered, briefly touching their noses together.
Justin mind whirled with curiosity, but he remained silent when she leaned down again, this time briefly touching their lips together. She didn't pull away completely, but more lightened the pressure between them as she changed the tilt of her head, putting one arm on either side of him so she could hover over him completely. Justin reached up, brushing her hair back out of his face and holding her head with his hand as their kiss grew stronger. Lindsay reached up, gently pulling his jaw down so her tongue could slip into his mouth.
Justin groaned, his body hypnotized by everything she was doing, but in his mind he could see things getting caught up very quickly. When Lindsay pulled away briefly to catch her breathe, he looked up into her eyes. Something was different, something behind her stare was softer. But he didn't know if that was because she felt more comfortable with him, or if it was whiskey courage. He put his hands to her shoulders, stopping her forward motion. Her brow knitted slightly, as he pushed her to lay on her back next to him. Then he leaned down and gently placed his lips to hers, and then her forehead.
Then Justin leaned back and curled up next to her.
"Sleep City Girl," he whispered.
The next morning Lindsay awoke in the guest bedroom alone. Slowly but surely her mind cleared, and she remembered all of the events of last night. The whiskey, the confession, the kiss. She looked over to where he had been. There was an imprint on the pillow next to her, but other than that there was no sign that Justin had even been there. Lindsay groaned, dropping her head onto the mattress.
Just after seven, Lindsay descended the stairs and turned the corner to find Justin at the stove, scrambling eggs.
"Hey," she said, standing on the other side of the island.
"Morning," he smiled. "Hungry?"
"Yeah," she nodded. There was cut up cantaloupe and toast on the breakfast table. She took a piece and spread some butter on it.
"Sleep well?" He asked.
"Yeah. Surprisingly, better than I did the bight before at home."
"Whiskey will do that, especially for a light weight like you. It put you out cold turkey," he turned to face her, pulling the skillet from the stove top.
She smirked, looking down at the bread in her hands.
"Listen," she began. "I'm sorry about upstairs-."
"Don't be," he smiled. "I'm not. We both knew it was a matter of time before you gave into your true feelings about me."
She snorted a laugh and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Justin just grinned at her, before motioning to the skillet.
"Eggs?"
"Yes, please."
Justin pulled two plates from the cabinet, and put eggs and fruit on both of them before coming to sit across the table from her. He let a few minutes pass before he started a new conversation.
"Do you want to talk about last night?"
She paused in her chewing, then picked up her orange juice glass.
"What more is there to say?"
"Well, want to tell me about Adam?"
She shrugged.
"There isn't much to him. We met in Canyon College, we had the same English 1A class. We got very serious, very quickly. Moved in together shortly there after, and it all went down hill from there."
"Where did you guys live? On campus?"
"No. His fraternity found us this apartment close by, in the Five Canyons complex. Really ritzy place. That was the one good thing about living with Adam. We had the nicest apartment in the building, up at the very top."
Justin nodded, storing the information in his mind until later.
"How long were you together?"
"Three years. A year and a half too long it seems."
"Do you really think he'll come looking for you?"
"I don't know.
"Think he'll call again?"
"Don't know."
He could tell she was getting a little annoyed with the probing, and his line of questioning probably wasn't putting her in the best of spirits for the day.
"I just have one more question."
She looked up at him.
"Did you seriously like that movie we saw?"
Lindsay laughed out loud, setting down her fork.
"Yes. It was interesting."
"It was dumb."
"It's called artistic expression, Justin."
"That artist needs to keep his feelings to himself."
After breakfast Justin walked her back down the road to her house so she could change and get ready for the work day. He had to go put the final touches on the painting of the motel. When they reached her porch she unlocked the door and turned to look back at him.
"Justin, thank you for taking care of me last night. I appreciate-."
"Don't mention it," he interrupted. "I'm here whenever you need me. Whenever."
Lindsay nodded, looking down at the floor boards. They stood there silently for a few moments, not sure how to end the morning. Both thinking about a goodbye kiss, Justin's suspicions were confirmed. Her actions the night before had been liquid courage. Regardless, he didn't want to back track from before.
"Well, you better get going so you're not late," he said.
"Yeah." But she made no attempt to move from the doorway where she stood.
So he stepped forward, putting a hand on her cheek and tilting her face up. He kissed her gently, once then twice before he stepped back.
"Have a good day, City Girl."
He knew he wasn't imagining the bright smile on her face as he let the screen door close in front of her.
"See you later, Justin."
Justin headed back down the road, waiting until he was a little ways from her house before pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Dialing the same number he had the night before, he waited until the person on the other end picked up.
"Hello?"
"It's me again. I have some more information for you."
"Go ahead."
"Frat boy out of Canyon College in California. Lives alone in Five Canyons condo complex, top floor."
"Got a name?"
"Adam, couldn't get a last name."
"Hmm. What did Adam do to piss you off so bad? Didn't you move out to the country get away from the drama and be around the ‘nice' people?"
Justin chuckled.
"That I did. But he hurt someone I care about, and you know how I feel about family."
"I do. The Hines family were always protective of their own. So, what do you want my guy to tell this Adam when he tracks him down?"
Justin smirked, "Tell him that hitting women isn't nice. He ought to learn to keep his hands to himself."
Lindsay sat crossed legged on the sofa in Justin's yellow sunroom, watching the television.
It had been nearly a month since Adam's phone call, and while they still hadn't confirmed their status as a couple, they'd certainly settled into acting like one. Justin came over to Lindsay's house, often staying late into the night. They had lunch together at the diner every day, and they spent more time making out than most high school sweethearts did.
"Hurry up, the commercial break is almost over!" She called into the house.
"I'll be right there!" He replied.
A moment later he stepped into the room with two beers and a bowl of buttered popcorn.
"Scoot over."
Lindsay looked at the spot next to her, then up at him as he set the items on the coffee table.
"You have plenty of room, just sit down," she said, popping a piece of the pop corn into her mouth.
"There is no room!" He whined.
Before Lindsay could respond, he sat down on the couch, purposely moving himself in front of her so he practically laid on her.
"Justin!" She squealed.
She fell on her back on the couch, laughing as he lay on top of her, moving his hands to her sides as he tickled her. Lindsay screamed with laughter, her legs kicking in the air. The summer temperatures were getting hotter and hotter, and Lindsay was only in Adidas track shorts and a white tank top, while Justin was in baggy khaki shorts and a black wife beater. Justin's hands traveled her stomach and sides, as she wiggled and swatted at his hands.
"Please don't!" She cried, still laughing
When Justin stopped, Lindsay was laying flat on her back her face red from laughing so hard as she tried to catch her breathe. Justin was laying on top of her, half holding himself up with an arm on each side of her. Lindsay looked up at him, as she tried to control her breathing.
"You know that I'm ticklish," she said.
"Isn't that the fun of it?" His face inching closer to her.
"No," she pouted.
Justin couldn't resist, and leaned down nipping at her lips slowly. Lindsay closed her eyes at the feel of Justin's lips on hers; she could feel his tongue prodding at her to get her to open her mouth. Lindsay finally gave in with a soft sigh, as Justin fully lay on top of her.
So much for watching the movie. They missed the first 15 minutes as they laid together and made out through it.
Lindsay broke the kiss sometime later, needing to catch her breathe, and she knew Justin's wandering hands had to stop. She wasn't ready for that yet. When she broke the kiss Justin took that as a hint, so he moved himself off of her and sat down beside her, reaching for the beer on the table.
Lindsay sat herself up, and adjusted her white tank top. She moved herself over to where Justin was leaning against the couch and sat herself next to him leaning into his chest. He watched her with a smile as he put am arm around her. He noticed Lindsay was a cuddlier, even if it was 100 degrees outside. She leaned forward putting the bowl of popcorn on her lap and they both tried to get into the movie.
About half an hour later, Lindsay leaned her head back against Justin's shoulder with a sigh.
"You pick horrible movies," she stated.
He looked down at her.
"Thanks," he laughed.
She looked up at him, then at the television once more. Justin seemed to be into the movie, so she'd feel bad if she changed it, but it just wasn't interesting enough to keep her attention. She took a piece of the popcorn into her fingers, and flipped it up over herself, hitting Justin in the face. Lindsay felt him shift, and he looked down at her while she giggled.
"Sorry, sorry, I meant to throw it up and catch it in my mouth," she lied.
"Hmm," he replied, and turned his attention back to the movie.
Lindsay tried her hardest not to laugh, as she settled back down in Justin's arms. She reached for more popcorn.
"Don't even…" he warned.
Lindsay put the piece of popcorn into her mouth.
"I wasn't going to do anything," she replied.
"Don't make me tickle you again.
She sighed and laid her head back against his shoulder once more.
"Is it really that boring, that you can't get into it?" Justin asked
Lindsay shrugged.
"I'll live."
Justin chuckled as he turned his attention back to the movie. It was almost over when his phone vibrated on the table. They both looked at it, and Justin leaned forward to look at the caller ID as Lindsay got out of his embrace.
"I'll be right back," he announced getting up off the couch, walking to the front door, and stepping outside.
Lindsay watched him walk away, and leaned back against the couch looking at the TV. He had been getting a lot of calls lately, and he always took them in private. It really wasn't that big of a deal. He could have been getting them all the time before and she didn't never noticed.
She reached forward and finished off her beer, putting the bottle back down on the table. The popcorn was about done, and his beer had been finished so she took everything into the kitchen. She put the bowl into the sink after trashing the kernels, and rinsed out the bottles putting them by the sink for the recycler. As she was drying her hands on the dish towel, she heard Justin's familiar footsteps and turned as he walked into the kitchen.
"Sorry," he said.
Lindsay shrugged.
"Who was that?" She questioned, knowing she probably shouldn't.
"That was Trace. His birthday is this weekend and he wants me to go to his party."
"Oh."
"You want to come with?" He suggested.
Lindsay looked up at him; he wanted her to meet his friends?
"Are you serious?" She questioned, getting a little nervous.
He laughed, "Well, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't serious."
"I guess so," she said.
"Well, don't sound so excited," he winked.
"Well, I don't know your friends," she said, feeling shy all of a sudden.
He took her hand and brought her back into the sun room so they could sit on the couch once more.
"That's why you should come," he said.
Lindsay shrugged.
"Sure. When is it?"
"Saturday, we'll leave at six. I'll pick you up ok?"
She nodded, "What does your friend like? I'll have to get him something."
He smiled at her.
"You don't have to, he won't care."
She looked over at him, "What does he like anyway?"
"He likes alcohol," Justin said with a laugh."Really, you don't have to."
Lindsay gave him a look.
"I'll get him something, and I'll put your name on the card," he said.
"Alright," she said, letting out a sigh.
"What?" He questioned with a laugh.
"I'm nervous!"
Justin smirked.
"Already? It's not until this weekend."
"I know, but these are your friends."
He laughed, and leaned forward to kiss her lips lightly.
"Stop. You're fine," he said.
Then he glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was almost seven.
"Did you want dinner or something?"
It was finally Friday, the weekend upon them, and it was greatly needed. Lindsay was at work filling some information for Karen, when Karen came strolling back into the office from her lunch break, wearing a big grin.
"Hey, did you have a good lunch?" Lindsay asked when she heard the bell jingle.
Karen's smile grew brighter, "Did I ever."
Lindsay remained quiet as she watched Karen wink at her before entering her office.
"Okay," she mumbled to herself.
She knew Karen had been seeing this mystery man for a good couple of weeks now, and every time she came back from her lunch she had the same big cheesy grin on her face. Lindsay was happy for her, she deserved to have someone, and there wasn't very much in this small town, well except for Justin. Did she just admit that? She shook her head free of her thoughts as she tried to finish up her work.
As she continued working, she found herself glancing out the window hoping to catch a glance at her new found fellow. After admitting her growing feelings toward him to herself, he was hard to be away from. She was finding herself becoming more and more comfortable with him, and attached, and that scared her a little bit. That was how her last relationship started.
She spotted him a minute later, walking down the street carrying a paper bag from the market, and a big manila envelop. He was dressed casual once again in some jeans and a baby blue and white stripped polo shirt, his sunglasses covering his eyes. She was so busy staring that she didn't hear Karen walk back into the main office.
"Am I interrupting?" She questioned with a smirk
Lindsay almost jumped out of her skin as she turned quickly and saw Karen looking at her with that knowing smile on her face.
"I was just um-," Lindsay started.
"I know," Karen said and started to laugh, "I just caught you this time."
Lindsay frowned and Karen continued to laugh at her expense.
"You guys have plans this weekend?" Karen questioned as she set more files on Lindsay's desk.
"I'm supposed to go with him to meet some friends," Lindsay said. "It's his buddy's birthday."
"Oh, meeting the friends huh?" Karen questioned.
Lindsay nodded, "I'm kinda nervous about it."
"Where abouts is he taken you?"
Lindsay shrugged, "Some bar in the next town, Jacked Up or something."
"Oh man, that one," she said, "Talk about a guy's bar."
Lindsay looked up at her kind of anxious, "I don't know what to wear either."
"Well, don't wear cow girl stuff, it's not that kind of bar," Karen warned.
Lindsay gave her a look. She didn't even own any cow girl stuff.
"Are you going to be the only girl?" Karen asked.
Lindsay shrugged, "All I know is that it's his friends Birthday."
"Hmm," Karen mused, "You should be okay, it's a step in the right direction, ain't it? Him wanting you to meet his friends?"
"I guess so."
Karen smiled at her, and patted her back.
"You'll be fine."
She started to walk back into her office but stopped and turned in the hall.
"Oh, I wanted to close up at three today," she said. "I've got a long night ahead of me."
Lindsay laughed and shook her head as Karen headed back into her office. It was three, and she just finished up her job, when Karen practically pushed her out the door. Lindsay got into her car and drove back to her house to try and get ready for her night out with Justin and his friends.
She put the key into her door just as the phone started to ring. She rushed into the kitchen to grab the phone off the cradle, thinking it may be Justin.
"Hello?"
There was nothing on the other end.
"Hello?"
Silence.
That had been happening a lot lately. Sometimes she could hear someone breathing on the other line, and sometimes it was complete silence. She hung up the phone quickly.
Lindsay hadn't told Justin about the calls, she didn't want him to worry more then he already was. Already she had to sometimes force him to leave the house night, insisting she would be fine.
She ran her hand through her hair, before she headed into her bathroom to turn on the shower and let the water get hot, then walked into her room and started to get ready for her night out with the "boys".
Lindsay emerged from the shower a short time later wrapped in her terry cloth robe, and hair up in a towel. She walked into her bedroom and began to look through her closet for something to wear.
Three outfits later she decided on dark denim blue jeans, a white halter with black embroidered flowers on it, her black leather 2 inch heeled boots and a jean jacket for good measure.
She was putting on some lip gloss in the bathroom when she heard a knock on her front door.
"It's open!" She shouted, already knowing who it was.
The door knob turned, and heavy footsteps could be heard on the hard wood.
"Well, that's not very safe," he said closing the door behind himself.
She poked her head out of the bathroom, "I knew it was you."
"Did you now?"
"Yep," she rubbed her lips together and walked out of the bathroom.
Justin looked up as she walked in and let out a low whistle.
Those flashing lights come from everywhere
The way they hit her I just stop and stare
She's got me love stoned
Man I swear she's bad and she knows
I think that she knows
"Look at you," he said, winking.
She rolled her eyes, "Please."
"I'm gonna have to keep an eye on you tonight, my friends are gonna be all over you," he said.
She walked up to him and he kissed her cheek.
"Would you stop? You're makin' me blush," she said, as she reached for her purse, slipping her lip gloss inside.
He smiled.
"How do I look?" he asked, spinning in a cirlce.
He was dressed in some black jeans, a plain white button up shirt, and a black blazer over that.
Lindsay nodded her approval with a smile, "Very nice."
He gave a little bow, "Thank you, I picked it myself."
She rolled her eyes.
"How far away is this place?" She called from the kitchen.
"About 45 minutes, give or take."
"Do you want a water?" She questioned.
"I'm okay," he said, and looked at his watch once more.
"We need to get going. You ready?"
"Yeah," she said, and walked back into the living room.
She slipped her purse over her arm, as Justin walked out of the door first. Lindsay followed behind him after she locked her house up. His Mercedes was parked in her drive way behind her car and Justin disarmed it and opened the door as she got in.
"No Camero today?" She teased.
"Naw, City Girl. When it comes to the guys, you gotta impress ‘em."
He started it up, and backed out of the drive way making his way towards the main road and onto the high way, heading to their destination.
They made chit chat on the way over, talking about their day's, etc. Lindsay was getting more and more nervous as they passed each exit. She tried to talk herself into calming down, it wasn't as big a deal as she had made it. Maybe? She remembered how big a step it was with Adam, when she met all his Frat Brothers. It was like welcoming her into the family. But Justin was not Adam, far from it.
Justin noticed that she had gotten quiet, and he smiled and reached for her hand, taking it into his and squeezed it lightly.
"You alright?" He questioned.
She looked at him, and semi-smiled.
"Fine."
He chuckled.
"You don't look fine. You look like your going to puke."
She thought for a moment and then looked at him.
"Why do they want to meet me?"
"They just want to meet the girl that's been takin' up all my time," he admitted. "That's all, nothing more."
Lindsay sighed once more. She noticed a sign on the high way, it had the bar's name on it. Justin had put on his turn signal and was exiting the highway when he felt Lindsay's grip on his hand tighten.
He chucked once more.
"Calm down, City Girl. You'll be alright."
"Easy for you to say," she mumbled, as he pulled into the bar parking lot.
Justin parked the car off to the side of the bar and led Lindsay to the heavy metal door. When they passed a group of bikers sitting outside she reached for his hand. Justin merely squeezed her fingers as he nodded to the men with a smile.
Inside, the bar it was dark hard wood. Television screens hung in the corners, playing music videos and sports games. The noise level was insane, with guys yelling to each other, beer bottles clanking against counters and table tops. The breaking of balls on the various pool tables in the back echoed through the air. Karen had been right, it was a man's bar.
"Well, look who it is."
Lindsay turned and noticed Justin smiling as another man approached them. He was shorter than Justin, but had the same curly blonde hair.
"Good ‘ole Hines, you son of a bitch."
"Nice to see you too, Trace. Happy birthday."
They exchanged a hug and a little laughter.
"For a minute there I questioned whether or not you'd make it."
"I said I'd be here man, so here I am. Oh, and this," he pulled Lindsay closer. "Is Lindsay."
"Lindsay?" Trace looked confused.
"City girl?"
"Oh!" His eyes lit up and he smiled at her. "That name I remember. Heard a lot about you."
"Yeah, same here," she shook his hand. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you."
"She's the only reason your ass got a present tonight," Justin teased.
Trace laughed.
"See how he tries his best friend? What are you doing with this loser? I hope he's nicer to you."
Lindsay nodded.
"Sometimes he is."
"Sometimes?" Justin scoffed. "I am great to you girl."
"Right," Trace rolled his eyes. "C'mon back and get a drink."
((Continued))
