Precious Consequences(32)

Hannah smiles, replying, “I would but I have a date.” She wriggles her eyebrows and Hayley slaps her lightly on the arm.

“You’re worse than a teenage boy,” Hayley remarks.

Hannah snorts. “What? We have needs, too, you know! You can’t tell me you won’t meet a hot-blooded man tonight, Hayls. Even moms need to get laid.”

Hannah bumps Hayley’s shoulder but Hayley smiles awkwardly and looks down. I clench my fist and mentally kick myself in the balls for being curious about their damn conversation. The idea of Hayley being with someone else, his hands on her body, his mouth on hers, shouldn’t upset me. But it does. It almost makes me violent. I turn around, ready to leave, when Hayley responds. “Han, how many times do I have to tell you, I want more than just one night of hot, suck-the-nails-out-of-the-wall sex. And you know my first experience with a guy after Ari wasn’t exactly the greatest.”

I wince, not only because of the resignation and disappointment in her voice, but because it’s me she’s talking about. Not wanting to hear another word, I walk away. My anger simmers just below the surface, a slow tormenting kind of self-loathing. I have no one else but myself to blame for how I handled the situation with Hayley. And now I’m paying for it, by settling for friendship when I know it’s not enough.

Since it’s Friday, I decide to skip the routine house party at Noah’s house and find myself walking into the bar just outside of town instead. I check my watch. It’s only six thirty, I doubt Hayley is here yet. I have no idea what the f*ck I’m doing here, but I’m here. I walk up to the bar, order a beer and take a seat in a badly lit corner. The bar is dirty, and smells like sweat and stale beer. The lights are dim, giving a feint glow that illuminates some old hunting and football memorabilia on the walls. I check my watch again and as I look up, I see Hayley walk in, a blonde girl at her side who I assume is her friend. She’s already so out of place in a dump like this, especially when she looks the way she does. My eyes travel down her body as I watch her walk over to the bar. Her dark blue skinny jeans wrap around her legs like a second skin and show off her wide hips. Her body looks remarkable for someone who has a kid, I’ll give her that. She takes off her jacket, making her long brown hair bounce, and reveals a skintight black long sleeved V-neck shirt. It’s a simple outfit, finished off with a pair of brown cowboy boots, but it’s the way it fits her body that gets the attention of the guys, and older men, around her. I sit up and grind my teeth when a tall, lanky guy approaches Hayley and her friend. She smiles sweetly and shakes her head while taking a seat. I relax and finish off my beer. I feel like a creeper, watching Hayley from my spot in the dark corner, but it’s better than the alternative. That being that she ends up going home with one of these white trash *s.

“Can I get you anything else?” A waitress stands next to me, leaning in a little too close when she grabs my empty beer bottle. Her tits graze my arm and she smiles at me with what I think is meant to be seduction. But it’s not working. Her perfume is overwhelming, she has too much make-up caked on her face and, well, she just isn’t doing it for me.

“No, thanks,” I reply. She pouts and leans her face closer to mine. Too close. So I shift back a little. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” she asks, trailing her finger up my arm.

“No, thanks,” I repeat firmly. “I’m waiting for my girlfriend.” The lie falls from my mouth easily, but it appears to have worked when the waitress pouts and stalks off, approaching another guy who seems a little more interested. I’ve never hung out in a shit hole like this before, but if I wasn’t here, doing only God knows what watching Hayley, I might have flirted back with that waitress. Maybe even let her drag me out back and show me a good time. But that sounds as appealing as shaving a monkey's balls.

Hayley’s blonde friend jumps up and joins some guy on the dance floor, leaving Hayley alone at the bar. Every muscle in my body reacts when another guy approaches her and takes the vacant seat next to her. She shifts, looking uncomfortable. He offers her a drink and even when she declines, he orders it anyway. I know guys like him. They get a girl drunk, take them to a motel and have their way with them. Then, when morning comes, they disappear. I’m not about to let that happen to Hayley.

When an uneventful hour has passed, I’m still in the same seat, only I’ve been drinking water. Hayley and her friend have been sitting at the bar, having a few shots offered by the scumbags around them and sipping on beers. By the way Hayley sways slightly, it’s obvious that she’s had enough to drink. The guy chatting her up stands and offers his hand. Hayley hesitates, looking back at her friend who nods her encouragement. I suddenly don’t like her friend so much. I watch Hayley walk to the dance floor, swaying her hips to the slow beat of a new song. The guy wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her close, making me grip my chair until I feel my fingers numb. Her arms go around his neck, and I see the look of apprehension on her face. If she’s so uncomfortable then why is she dancing with him?

It’s when he starts grinding into her and she tries to push away that I jump to my feet, walking over to them. I hear her tell him she’d like to go back to the bar but he tightens his grip, making her squirm.

“I think she wants you to let her go now,” I say. Their heads whip up and Hayley looks surprised, while the guy holding her looks annoyed.