UNDERCOVER {Competed} 😌

chapter 23

Mercy.
I should have told him, should have told him. Should have!  "But I didn't!" I whispered vehemently as I watched Joshua walking away.

"Another beer?" The bartender asked appearing.
"No,I said," thanks,was talking to myself. A bad habit."
"Ow..." He said and walked away to another customer.

By then Joshua had disappeared. I was considering following him,possibly making a scene,dragging from the poker table and giving him the same hell he was giving me in my mind. But I didn't have the heart for it.

I should have told him. I was going to,really I was,right after –"

After I filed the story in the star.

I never quite got around into figuring out what I'd do if Joshua accidentally learnt who I was. Almost from the start,I knew we were rivals,I shouldn't have hidden that from him.

I sighed heavily. Years. All those years spent waiting for a second opportunity were on the line. I couldn't sacrifice them. Joshua wasn't asking for that.

He hadn't.

The realization hot me like a bucket of cold water,and brought up a wad of rage. Joshua hadn't said anything, not even I told him I loved him. Not a single,solitary word. He'd simply stared at me and said he was off to poker.

Poker? At a time like this?

What a jerk! Well,I too could play that game. If he could walk off like nothing happened,I could too.
I'd find Manuel,maybe even the wild Janet,and go into one of the clubs,dance my legs off and have a time of a life time.
I'll show Joshua Donaldson, I don't need him. Pretty soon he can know that I wasn't bragging when I said I could take care of myself.

*         *           *          *             *

"Have another glass!" Janet urged me,and I had just sat down after dancing with one of the wranglers. The small cocktail table was crammed with my rowdy coworkers and I wedged in closer,giggling.

"I probably shouldn't. I sort of got dizzy after taking the last one." I was feeling pleasantly light headed and the pain about Joshua's discovery was becoming more distant.

Fanning my face with a napkin,u noticed Janet flirting with one of the cowboys,"by the way where is your husband?" Even as the question left my lips,I knew it sounded critical. Worse,it reminded me of Joshua. My good spirits evaporated.

"Playing chess." Janet grimaced,"yours?"
"At a poker table." Suddenly the drinks refill looked attractive. "Hey,where's the waitress,I've changed my mind. I want another glass"

Several dances later,Manuel approached the table with his wife. "One more round before the van leaves," he announced. "I'm buying."

I joined everyone in the cheered and sang lustily when we broke to a toddler, ain't it great to be crazy.

"Where is Joshua?" Manuel asked.
I wished people would stop asking me about that jerk!
'I donno. Try the poker room."

I wondered why Manuel frowned. Couldn't Joshua play poker if he wanted to?" The mans face broke into a friendly grin. He ordered and paid for the drinks,before going off staggering.

When my class arrived,I attacked it. Why hadn't I noticed before how well the liquor soothed my nerves?

Joshua.
When I entered the club,Mercy was wedged between two wranglers,hanging on their shoulders and singing with the band. Her head wobbled as if her neck was made of rubber and a silly grin covered her face.

I hadn't arrived any too soon. When Manuel had approached me at the poker table,I thought his hushed warning was somewhat of an overreaction. In my experience, Pepper never gas more than one drink.

Well,she was plasterers now. Rather cute with it, too. Her head bobbed unsteadily in time with the music,and she tossed it back now and then,giggling when the wrangler stopped her from falling off.

But her state of mind was risky. Liquor loosened the tongue. If her moods changed,she might blab about our jobs without considering who was listening. Hurrying to the table,I came to stop behind her.

"Mercy." I touched her shoulder. The wranglers faded away,leaving her to sway upon her chair. She tilted her head back at me.

"Joshua," her smile vanished, the light left her eyes and I suddenly felt sad.

"Come on,we are going home." I lifted her from the chair.

"I can Stan' by myself." She waved her arms to shoo me away,teetering right and left in the process. I steadied her,then moved to support her weight.

"You are going to have one hell of a head ache in the morning," I warned,guiding her out to the waiting van.

She smiled up to me," does that mean you like me? She raised her voice and called out to the co workers, "get,everyone,Joshua likes me."

"Shh," I hissed in her ear,glad that nobody paid attention. "You will blow our covers."

She slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Keep it there," I growled

She tittered, but to my eternal gratitude,kept silent as I shoved her uncoordinated body into the van.  I settled next to her abs she collapsed against me.

"You are so...o....o cute," she said,depositing a kiss on my earlobe. "I just love this hair."  She tugged the silver tipped thong down my ponytail,then looked over to our amused companions. " do you love his hair too?"

"Oh yes, we lo...o..ve it," one of the men crooned. The others laughed.

By then,she'd slipped off the thing and looped it on my neck. Practically in the lap of the adjacent passenger,she dragged me with her and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Cut it out Mercy," I grumbled,my neck growing redder by the moment.

"Hey, Joshua are you nuts?" Someone asked. "Your wife is tipsy and in the mood."
"Yeah Joshua," said Pepper. "Tipsy." She kissed my nose again. "In the mood."

Just then,the van turned a sharp corner and nearly propelled her over my body.
"Oops," she squeaked. I caught her before she went flying and tucked her under my arms. "Will you behave?" I admonished in a low voice.

"Oo-kay," she dropped her head on my shoulder. The van continued swaying as Manuel made several more turns and i held her, glad that she'd finally stopped.

When the ride the smoother,I asked,"you aren't feeling dizzy,are you?" But Mercy didn't respond and I dipped my chin to check on her. Looked like I'd be waiting a while for my answer,

Sweet Mercy Roberts, independent woman,horse wrangler,undercover reporter, my make believe bride,was passed out and gently snoring on my shoulder.

I didn't know what I wanted most. To kill her,or to love her till death do us part.
Maybe both.

Probably both.

Please vote
Unedited.
AlycBee