Obvious

Chapter Seven

            “Smooth move Ex-Lax.”  Jordon smacked me on the shoulder.  “The girls have been upstairs clucking at each other since last night.  You’ve really got ‘em talking.”

            Truth was I didn’t care.  I didn’t want to talk to either one of them and they could say whatever they wanted about me.  I didn’t want to hear it.  In fact, I was barely tolerating Jordon’s presence right now.

            Noisily he pulled the bar stool next to me free and sat down, a cold beer in his hand.

            “Are you sure the Mrs. is gonna be ok with you drinking at…” I paused to look at the clock, “eleven o’clock in the morning?”

            “Fuck off man.  I can do what I want.  I just choose not to do a lot of what I use to do.”

            “Whatever makes you sleep better at night man.”

            “Don’t you wanna know what I overheard the girls saying?”

            “Not really.”  Not a complete lie.

            “Suit yourself.”  He raised the beer can to his lips slowly, watching me, waiting for the response he so badly wanted.

            “Fine…I’ll humor you.  What did the girls say?”

            “They think you like Sammy.  Do you?”

            “NO.”  I wasn’t ready to admit feelings for anyone.  I was still trying desperately to get over Ronnie.

            “Hey, you can lie all you want to me.  But girls are smart.  They’ll read through those lies quickly.  They’re like blood hounds when it comes to that shit.”

            “I don’t like her.”  I tried to remain emotionless, but the thought of Sammy’s tattoo kept surfacing at the back of my mind.  “That fucking creep was trying to put the moves on her.”

            “Ya, maybe you shouldn’t say it like that when they ask.  Makes it sound like you really do have feelings for her.”

            “I don’t.”

            He raised his hand in protest.  “She’s a nice girl.  You know how girls chatter amongst each other.  Reading into the deeper message, all that crazy hormonal shit.  Just remember, you can’t avoid them like you did to Ronnie before.  She’s much smarter than then.”

            “I’m not trying to avoid them.  I have nothing to hide.”

            “Keep telling yourself that, maybe one day you’ll believe it.”

            I opened my mouth, but quickly shut it; not sure what to say.  I took a drink of my own beer.  Beer had slowly started to lose its taste, leaving me still clouded with thoughts and an early onset of a buzzed state.

            I could hear the sound of the girls’ chatter growing closer to the kitchen.  “Fuck!”  I yelled.  I didn’t wanna deal with them.  I tried to stand up quickly, desperately trying to grab my belongings I had scattered throughout the kitchen.   I could feel Jordon’s intense gaze on my back.

            “What are you doing man?  Thought you had nothing to hide?”

            “Fuck off!”

            I knew he was smiling at me.  I wanted to punch him in the nose for being right.  I ran for the back door of the kitchen, just seconds before the girls entered the kitchen.  I was safe…for now.