Rock Chick Regret (Rock Chick #7)(30)

It was then I heard Buddy laughing from beside me and I decided to stay silent. Really, what else could I do? This guy was crazy.

Tex turned to Buddy. “Who’re you?” he demanded to know.

“I’m Buddy, Sadie’s friend.” Buddy put out his hand.

Tex took it, they shook then Tex’s blue eyes turned to me, he leaned in then down, grabbed my hand and started dragging me across the bar.

Yes, dragging me across the bar.

“Excuse me!” I said to his back, trying to pull my hand from his and not succeeding.

He looked back at me but kept walking as people jumped out of his way. “Tonight, you sit by me.”

“But –”

“No lip!” he boomed as he led us to the Rock Chick table.

Oh blooming heck.

* * * * *

There were some good things about the evening.

One, Tex positioned me in a chair at the end of the tables by him that was slightly away from the table (for better viewing of the stage) and thus not easily reached by the Rock Chicks.

Two, Ralphie was having a blast, it was clear he was becoming one with the Rock Chicks and I liked it that he was having a good time.

Three, although they all smiled at me when given the chance, none of the Rock Chicks engaged me in conversation. They couldn’t, I was too far away, not to mention, within five minutes of sitting and after Buddy and Eddie delivered the lemon drops, the show started.

Four, Daisy was at the opposite end of the table from me and even though I caught her watching me once, she looked away the minute I saw her (this wasn’t good, exactly, it made my heart hurt a little, but it was safe).

Five, drag shows were great. I loved them. All the glitz, glamour, makeup, fancy dresses with feathers and beads, accessories and big hair. It was fantastic. The minute the first Drag Queen came out (her name was Burgundy Rose and she was also the hilarious, sharp-tongued MC) and lip-synced Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” with more diva gravitas than even Queen Diva Dion could, I was transfixed.

* * * * *

But there were also some bad things about the evening too.

First, Tex leaned into me when the second song began and boomed into my ear, “If there’s a shootout or somethin’, you stick with me.”

After he said this, I blinked at him not certain sure whether I should laugh and then I realized he wasn’t kidding. I didn’t laugh but I did surreptitiously scoot my chair closer to his.

Second, Hector showed up during the third Drag Queen who was singing “I Will Survive’.

Like a sixth sense, I looked to the door and caught him walking in.

He looked good, wearing a close-fitting, burgundy, long-sleeved t-shirt, jeans and boots. He still needed a haircut but somewhere along the line he had shaved and, if possible, he looked better than ever.

I looked away before he saw me but with quick glances I watched him go to the bar, get a beer and then station himself next to Lee and Eddie at the wall.

“Work it, woman!” Tex boomed at the Drag Queen and I jumped, looked away from Hector, luckily before he caught me watching him and, I couldn’t help myself, I smiled at Tex. His big head was bouncing to Gloria Gaynor and, well, this big, crazy guy getting into a Drag Queen lip syncing to Gloria Gaynor was just plain old funny.

I suspected Eddie had called his brother but I could deal with that too. I’d watch the show, drink my lemon drops and when it was over get Buddy and Ralphie to get me the heck out of there.

Simple.

* * * * *

At lemon drop number five, I realized it was high time I bought a round.

The Sadie-I-Wanted-to-Be would buy a round. Wouldn’t she?

I leaned into Tex. “I’m going to go get a round,” I told him to gauge his reaction to my friendly gesture.

“Budweiser,” he boomed in response without taking his eyes off the stage and the Queen who was singing Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”.

My eyes scanned the table and there were different-sized glasses with different-colored liquid scattered around. How was I to know what everyone wanted unless I asked them?

Impossible!

Then I had an idea and I leaned back into Tex. “What about everyone else?”

He tore his eyes from the stage, spared a glance at the table, looked back at the stage and boomed, “Shots.”

I looked at the Rock Chicks. They were all singing out loud (and it was a very loud out loud) and dancing in their chairs with their arms over their heads (except Ally and Ava who were both standing by the stage, singing, dancing and waving dollar bills at the Queen).

Obviously, they didn’t mind anymore what they drank. Shots it was.

I got up and went to the bar and when the bartender asked for my order, I turned to the table and counted then back to the bartender and said, “Eleven shots and a bottle of Budweiser.”

“What kind of shots?” the bartender asked.

Oh no.

What kind of shots? I didn’t know what kind of shots. I’d never been out with girls who drank shots. What kinds were there?

“Shots of liquor,” I answered.

The bartender blinked at me then said impatiently, “I didn’t think you wanted shots of orange juice.”

Well, he didn’t have to be mean about it.

This New Sadie thing was hard. The Ice Princess would have had him in cryo-freeze by now.