Depths of Lake (12 page)

My insides feel warm.
 
My body loosens up.
 
I don’t feel so wound hard and tight.
 
I’ve been feeling that way for too damn long.
 
The room feels fun and full of energy.
 

Why didn’t I want to come in the beginning?

The clock hits ten o’clock and a bell suddenly rings.
 
A disco ball lights up from the ceiling as everyone cheers and a spotlight turns on to Bessie.

Bessie, the ancient mechanical bull.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the hour has arrived.
 
Everyone who wishes to challenge Bessie is invited to climb aboard,” Stacia’s voice echoes throughout the building.
 
“Just remember, we’re not liable for any injuries.
 
So show us what you’ve got and have a good time!”

The crowd cheers again and the music cranks up.
 
It’s generally a rock or country song, rambunctious and energetic.
 
And usually overly sexual.

“Who’s first?” Kyle says loudly.
 
“I’ve got ten bucks that says nobody can stay on longer than my ten seconds.”

“You can’t make a statement like that!” Tom goads him.
 
“You haven’t even ridden tonight.”

“Is that a challenge?” Kyle says, looking up at him, dark and dangerous and drunk.

“Just get on the damn bull,” Tom says with a laugh.

We all cheer as Kyle gets up and
crosses
over to Bessie.
 
He straddles her and signals to Bennett, the owner of Smitty’s and the guy who always works the machine.

Bessie jerks back and forth, up and down.
 
Kyle holds onto the strap with one hand, his other waving and jerking through the air.
 
He whoops and hollers as he fights to stay on.
 
The clock on the control machine reaches ten seconds, and the next second, he gets thrown off onto the mat.

“Yeah, baby!” he cheers as he climbs to his feet.
 
He pumps his fists, spit flying through the air, illuminated by the spotlight.
 
“Eleven seconds!”

Tom can’t back down now.
 
He climbs onto the bull, just as Stacia brings me my fifth beer.
 

I should stop soon.
 
But for once, I feel relaxed.
 

Tom lasts nine seconds.
 
And has to cough up the ten dollars.

Dale refuses to ride, saying something about saving his balls to make children.
 
None of the other guys want to ride.
 

“Julianna?
 
Riley?” Kyle calls.
 
He stands, walking in our direction, beer in hand.
 
“I know both of you are bad ass enough to take on Bessie.”

“I, kind of, can’t,” Julianna says, biting her lip.

“Why not?”
I call, loud and obnoxious.
 
The alcohol has well taken its hold.
 
“You chicken?”

Julianna shakes her head, a smile curling on her face.
 
“Guess this is where we make the announcement.
 
Dale and I are expecting!”

“What?” someone calls
out.
 
“Congrats!” another shouts.
 
I hug her, tight, laughing and congratulating her, right in her face, despite my bad beer breath.
 

“I was wondering why you’ve been drinking just water all night,” Anita says with a wink.

“Thanks everyone,” Julianna says with a laugh.
 
“But, I do think we all want to see Riley ride.”

“Yeah!” the men cheer, raising their beers at me.

Cold air gusts into the bar as the door opens.
 
I turn and see a group of four guys walk in.
 
They’re the midlife crises kind, dressed in black leather motorcycle gear, long ponytails,
scruffy
beards.
 
They take a look around the bar before sitting at the counter.

One in particular—the one who looks youngest and least scruffy, locks eyes with me.
 
A smile curls behind that beard.
 

Ignoring his leer, I take one last sip of my beer before setting it on the table.
 
As soon as I stand from my seat, my group cheers.
 
As I walk to Bessie, I catch Lake’s eyes.
 
And maybe it’s just the alcohol making me see things that aren’t real, but I swear there’s a hint of concern there.

The song switches and starts singing about having one shot and feeling better, two shots and being on a roll, and doing unspeakable things by the third.

I swing my leg across the bull and my denim skirt bunches up around my panties.
 
Hadn’t thought about that.
 

But what the hell?

The crowd cheers as I wrap the strap around my hand, holding my other up in the air.
 
I smile and laugh as my friends clap and point with smiles.
 
And the countdown begins.

Bessie jerks hard forward, and then backwards.
 
I don’t feel as balanced as I should, considering what I do for a living.
 
But then again, I have had five beers tonight.
 
With a hard jerk to the side, I nearly loose it.

And then Bessie makes a weird sound.
 
A grinding and a hissing.
 
And then she’s moving in slow motion.

I can only imagine how it must look.
 
Bessie slowly going through the bucking motions, me sitting atop her.
 
My thighs pretty much all exposed.
 
My breasts bouncing up and down under my revealing top.
 
Hair whipping around.

It’s easy to see it’s a turn on from the reaction of pretty much every guy in the building.

They whoop and holler and whistle.

“Sorry, ladies and gentlemen,” Bennett says from the controls.
 
Bessie stops.
 
“Guess that’s all the bull can take tonight.”

The men inside boo, loud and rambunctious.
 
I laugh as I climb off, pulling my skirt to its rightful place.
 
Tom blows me a kiss and Kyle winks at me.
 
My eyes meet Lake’s for just a moment, and there is no mistaking the emotion there right now.

He’s angry.

“Can I buy you another drink?”

Suddenly the biker guy who looked at me long and hard before is standing in front of me, looking every surface of my body up and down.

“I’d like to get to know any woman who can break a bull,” he says.
 
His tight pants are bulging and he’s standing way closer than I want him to be.

“I don’t think so,” I say with a shake of my head, taking a step back toward my table.

“Come on, Honey.”
 
He grabs my arm.

I react on instinct.
 
My fist
balls,
and I swing.

If I weren’t drunk, my aim would have been true.
 
I wouldn’t have only clipped him on the cheek.
 
All the same, he stumbles back, his hand rising to his face.
 
Feet scuffle and everyone’s attention goes to us.

“You bitch,” he says with a chuckle.
 
“That how you like to play it?
 
I can go for rough and dirty.
 
Should have known that’s how you like it.
 
Just look at you.”

My expression hardens and my fingers roll into fists again.
 

“She said she wasn’t interested.”

I look to the left and see Lake on his feet, taking a step toward us.

Damn, he’s huge.
 
This asshole in front of me has to be at least six feet, and Lake still makes him look like a kid.

“You her boyfriend?” biker guy challenges, facing Lake.

“This isn’t your business, Lake,” I say, taking a step toward him, placing myself between the two.

“Drop it, or take this outside!” Bennett yells at us from across the bar.
 

I look around to see every single eye on us.
 
Kyle is on his feet too, halfway between our table and the scene that we’re making.
 
His eyes are livid.

“How about we all get some fresh air?” Lake suggests.

“I wasn’t done with my drink,” biker guy says, taking another step closer.
 
He’s so close behind
me,
I can smell the musky scent of him.
 
“And I was just getting to know this pretty young thing.”

He takes another step forward, and rubs his pelvis against my backside.

Lake is around me in a fraction of a second.
 
I nearly knock myself over as I hazily try to get out of the way and whip around to see Lake, his hand full of biker guy’s T-shirt, pinning him against the wall.

“There are some lowlifes in this country who need to learn what a little respect means,” Lake says, even and low, his face just inches from biker guys.
 
“She might be drunk, but that doesn’t mean you can try to take advantage of her.
 
When she says no, that means no.”

“Let go of me,” biker guy hisses.

“Alright!”
Bennett
shouts,
his voice loud and booming.
 
“I’m going to give y’all one last warning.
 
Get your tabs paid and your rear ends out of my bar, or I’m calling Sheriff Akins.”

That’s all it takes for everyone to start dropping money and moving out the door.

Lake stares at biker guy, long and hard, and finally, lets him go.
 
He pulls some cash out of his pocket and drops it on the bar.
 
Without waiting for me to form a coherent thought, Lake grabs my wrist and starts for the door.

My group calls a goodbye and then I’m outside, the fresh air hitting me cold and damp.
 
Instantly, I feel slightly more alert.
 

“I’m sorry,” I say without thinking.
 
Lake lets go of my wrist and opens the passenger door to my truck for me.
 
I climb inside without a word.
 
When he closes my door, I hear him softly swear as he walks around to the driver’s side.

I hand him the keys as he closes the door behind him.

The glass feels good as I lean my forehead against it.
 
My stomach is a bit sick.
 
I hold a lot of beer and it’s hard to get me truly and deeply drunk, but I’m not far from it tonight.

Lake doesn’t say a word as he starts back for the ranch.
 
But I can feel his anger building in the cab.
 
It’s thick and heavy and tangible.
 
I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep, but somehow, I’m pretty sure I’m not fooling him.

Lake pulls into the garage and slams his door hard when he gets out.
 
He walks out behind the truck and I hear him pacing.
 
Knowing I haven’t succeeded in making him think I was passed out, I sit up and look out the back window.

He walks back and forth, his motions jerky and quick.
 
His hands are on his hips, his lips moving ever so slightly.

Lake isn’t one much for words, but he’s got plenty to say right now.

My movements slow, I open the door and climb out.
 
I close the door behind me, avoiding Lake’s eyes.
 
My boots crunch over the gravel as I walk out toward Lake.

I don’t look up as I stand in front of him.
 
Lake stills, facing me.
 
I can feel his eyes on me.

“Just say whatever you’ve got to say,” I tell him quietly.

I hear him take two long breaths through his nose.
 
He kicks his toe into the gravel twice.
 
“I don’t really know how to.”

Finally, I look up at him.
 
My blood boils hot and fast.
 
“You just open your mouth and words come out,” I say, harsh and insolently.
 
“It’s pretty simple.”

“Fine,” he says, his nostrils flaring, his eyes dark.
 
“I know you’re mad about shit lately and things seem pretty bad, whatever they are.
 
But what were you thinking, going to that bar tonight?”

I take a step closer to him, getting up in his face.
 
“I was thinking that for once, I’d like to have a good time.”

“That’s your idea of having a good time?” he asks as his eyes narrow.
 
And it’s like I’m seeing all the layers being peeled back in Lake.
 
His eyes come alive.
 
His whole body does.