Secret Love

An Hour later.

Lindsey cracked a big grin everytime he made Sari laugh, she had Stevie's tendency to easily fall into a fit of giggles and found it hard to constrain her cackling. She even had Stevie's laugh, but it wasn't as low, it was sweet and sounded almost like a jingle. '' Man I love your laugh'' Lindsey commented, Sari wiped the water coming out from her eyes, due to the countless amounts of laughs she had '' oh I love you making me laugh. The only people who make me laugh that hard are my three younger brothers.'' He was surprised, '' you have brothers?'' she gave him a proud smile as she points her hand over to three boys eating in the far right side of the bar. They seem to be enjoying each other's company, laughing and joking '' yeah those three hooligans over there are my brothers. The tall blonde one wearing the black cap is David he just turned eighteen, Warren the shorter blonde one wearing the blue cap is seventeen, and Greyson the brunette with no cap turns fifteen in a couple of days.'' She finishes pointing at them, and looks back at Lindsey, he looks at them again and is still processing the thought that she has not been alone all these years. He finishes the last of sip of his second! Irish coffee and goes to ask her a question, but is interrupted by her '' oh sorry will you please excuse me.'' '' Sure'' he answers, Lindsey watches Sari rush over to her brothers and say loudly '' boys stop throwing your fries, one just landed in that guy's beer!''. He  turns around to the bar, where the owner Rodney is in front of him clearing his glasses, Lindsey takes out his wallet then he hears '' ahem, no. If my little lady says they're on the house, she means it''.  

Rodney is a sixty year old Irish man who has spent the last twenty years building this and making it the best here in the San fernando valley. He's a tall guy, broad and always has a stern look on his face but can crack a smile if you get on his good side. Lindsey wonders if Rodney has any relation to Sari '' are you here uncle? or...'' he lingers on until Rodney answers him '' no! but I'm the closest thing she has to a father. Her pop died in a helicopter crash, mom kicked her out of the home when she was seventeen...that's when she came to me begging for a job, and I don't regret hiring her one bit'' Rodney's tone was serious to start out with but brightened as he thought about Sari. Lindsey however was saddened to hear that Vincent passed away ten years ago, and Nancy kicked Sari out. He's curious as to why '' Why did her mom kick her out? she's a bright girl?'' Rodney looks around to make sure no one is listening he leans in and whispers '' no one knows this but, the mother turned to the bottle when Vincent passed away. Left Sari to step up and be the mammy, then Nancy remarried a dirty douchebag. Sari told me, she never liked him and always felt dirty with him around. Then one day he turns up into the bar, begging her to come home. I'm trying to serve customers and she's trying to wipe down tables. Then I saw him, wrap his arm around her waist, and she was trying to fight him off.'' Lindsey clenches his fist, a defense mechanism in honour of his daughter.  

'' Poor girl was hysterical, and her step dad started yelling at her saying that she wants him bad. So I went out back got me shotgun and fired it into the ceiling. Told him to never step foot near her or this bar again. And if he does I'll blow his head off and feed it to my rottweiler.'' Lindsey smirked and Rodney copied him. Rodney has no idea how grateful Lindsey is feeling about Rodney protecting his daughter in those awful situations. He looks back to her, she's now sitting in the middle of her brothers chatting, she sees Lindsey watching her and she gives him that beautiful big smile again. He turns back to Rodney '' so are things better now?'' Rodney shrugs '' I don't know, that girl is keeping the whole story to herself. Very strong for her young age,whatever she's been through, she's definitely coming out on top. You know? she was miss california strike four years in a row?'' Miss California strike? '' what's that?''Lindsey ask, Rodney looks confused '' you mean to tell me you don't know what Miss California strike is? it's a fitness model competition, first prize gets a photo shoot for that rogue, vogue? magazine and ten thousand dollars prize money. She used all her prize money to pay for her Dance major at UCLA.'' Lindsey was dumbfounded, his little girl posing in swimsuits in venice beach to win prize money to use for college tuition. '' Oh that reminds me'' he claps his hands and grabs every one's attention '' right you lot, this is a gift from me to all of you to remind ya who the muscle of this bar really is'' with that he points over to another female in the corner who turns on the TV in the bar. What comes on shocks Lindsey, it's a video of Sari in her second Miss califonia strike paegeant. He was shocked, almost nauseated and in some strange way proud of his little girl, what he was in aw of was how....much muscle she had in that video. She was a real life statuesque female amazonian, flexing her arms and doing a few slow twirls.  

Lindsey chuckled, '' oh Stevie's going to go ape, when I tell her this part.'' he watches Sari covering her face. He looks at her in the clip and at her in the corner, she seems to have really toned down, she looks skinnier than what she did in the clip. Of course it was four years ago, but still, she may have toned down but she still had quite abit of definiton going on with her muscles. He could see her biceps pop out when she'd least expect it. After the presentation, Lindsey goes over to her. He's ready to leave, she stands up and slides herself out of the booth. She gives him a kiss on the cheek, his heart melts, '' thank you Mr Buckingham, you don't know how much it meant to me today to laugh'' He smiles '' I forgot your tip'' she is quick to decline '' oh no, no, on the house no tip, you're fine''. He wiggles his eyebrows, takes out his wallet, he grabs her hand opens it up and places two hundred dollar notes in her hand and closes it. Sari is surprised, she tries to hold back tears but is unsuccessful as one creeps from her tear duct, she stares at the money. Lindsey feels that she's going through something (he doesn't know what) and know that this is going to go towards a good cause. He leans in closer to her and whispers in her ear '' It'll get better baby, I promise'' he leans back, still surprised and not knowing how to thank him she gives him another kiss on the cheek '' thank you''. He nods his head '' don't mention it, just promise me that you won't enter that paegeant again. You're way to special of a girl to be involved in that.'' With those last words, he winks at her and leaves the bar.  

Sari returns back to her brothers, puts the two hundred dollar tip in her pocket, but thinks about what he said to her. She doesn't know what it was about him, but she felt secure and comfortable in Lindsey's presence, almost like a fatherly warmth coming from him. Something that made her warm and tingly on the inside, that had her think about her amazing memories with her now deceased father whom she adored.  

As Lindsey goes to his car, aware of the experience with his long lost daughter. He wipes the tears from his eyes, he pauses and thinks for a moment. He knows it, he can feel it burning in his heart, he MUST tell Stevie. Stevie may be in Hawaii right now, but she must know straightaway. He whips out his Iphone. Kristen brought it for him last christmas, and surprisingly he loves it. Sees Karens number and calls her. After the first three rings she answers.

''Hello''  

'' Hey Karen it's Lindsey, Is Stevie with you'' 

'' No her and Lori stepped out to go have a look at the markets. Everything okay?'' 

Lindsey cheers up, he smiles and laughs '' Oh yeah, everything is incredible right now'' 

'' Look um, it's probably best I tell her when she comes back, when are you guys coming back?'' 

'' Probably not for another week'' 

He nods his head, that will give him plenty of time to think about his time with Sari and talk to Kristen about it. '' That's fine, well tell her I want to see her as soon as she comes back. Probably plan a little lunch date or something. Thanks Karen'' With that he hangs up.  

He steps into his car, puts his keys into the ignition, looks up and watches Sari leave the bar with her belongings and her arms around her brothers. The four are singing and laughing at their own stupidity. '' Til we meet again, little darlin'' he says and with that he leaves.