The last time he offered to take her to lunch, JC stood in the doorway shaking her head in humiliation. Her picture fronted the cover of a rag magazine, again, in a somewhat scandalous photo. “Is he taking me to Mom’s?” she asked her mom with an exhausted eye roll.
Tess covered her smile with the red apple she was munching on and nodded.
“I already know I’m in trouble. You don’t have to take me all the way out to BFE to tell me I screwed up,” JC growled at Tom. “I was not kissing Tanya. And if you have the audacity to ask me if I’m a lesbian Tom Clemmins, you’d better move out of the, kick-you-in-the-chin range. I am not a lesbian! If I were gay, I would totally admit it. Loud and proud! But I’m not! I swear I think Tanya set me up.”
JC sat in her car beneath the red glow of the blinking neon. Dropping her head back against the gray leather headrest, she forced out a heavy sigh musing over several of the life lessons Tom tried to warn her of, Hollywood life lessons. The kind of lessons if she wasn’t careful, could chew her up and spit her out in a hurry. She respected any and all advice he gave her. The only problem was she usually couldn’t see the trouble coming until it snuck up behind and hit her in the head like a two-by-four.
Stepping out of the car, she was confident there wouldn’t be any surprise two-by-fours sneaking up behind her inside the bar. Just like Tom, Mom’s had turned into her comfort zone, a safe place for her to relax and tune out the rest of the world.
Not even her worst nightmare could pursue her here. Her hiding place. Her safe zone.
Tugging on the door handle wrapped in a chord of black leather, JC walked into the dimly lit bar. Allowing time for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she stood off to the side, glancing around at the familiar rustic setting, inhaling the scent of burning wood. Red brick encompassed the entire wall behind the long bar, lined with an endless amount of beer taps. Black leather covered the stainless steel barstools and photos of antique motorcycles hung on the paneled walls.
Much to her surprise, JC didn’t see her favorite bartender, so she moseyed toward the crackling fire in the corner of the bar near the pool tables. Raising her palms toward the flickering flames, she rubbed her palms together, warming her hands from the cool evening air.
“Well I’ll be damned! Look what the cat drug in.”
JC flushed crimson, grinning as she strolled up to the bar. “Hello, Codge.”
“Get your bony ass over here young lady.” The burly older man motioned her to the end of the bar. “What the hell are you doing in town? You finally decide to come back home? I told you, those Italian folks are no fun.” He brushed his hands down the front of his Harley Davidson shirt as if he was brushing away crumbs and wrapped JC in his brawny arms, swiftly patted her back.
Codge, short for Old Codger, stood 6’4” with broad-shoulders as wide as football players.
JC wriggled free from his grip and tugged on his long gray goatee. “They don’t grow these there either.”
Placing his massive hands on her shoulders, Codge held her out at arm’s length, giving her a grandfatherly once over. “You’re looking good, Frog.”
JC chuckled. “Oh, my God, not you too.” She reached up and rubbed his baldhead. “I like your new doo. Did Mom do that to you?”
He belted out a thunderous laugh. “Yeah, that woman’s been after me for years to change my look. I finally gave in.”
“I don’t think you changed too much. That Harley Davidson shirt is the only thing I’ve seen you wear. I should’ve brought you back a fancy shirt from Europe, you know, one with sleeves and collars.” JC chortled.
Codge bent over, grumbling in her ear. “Don’t be saying that shit out loud, young lady. If Mom hears you, I’ll be done for.”
A tattoo of a pin-up girl dressed in leathers with a halo above her head reading Mom covered Codge’s arm.
JC patted his massive bicep. “Where’s your wife? I was hoping to say hi.”
“She’s at home fightin’ a cold. Speaking of moms, where’s that beautiful mother of yours? I heard Tess and Tommy are in town. You tell them they’d better come see me.”
JC shook her head. “They aren’t in town. Only me.”
Codge scowled. “Did they just leave town? Cause I heard your mother was here.”
Her eyes narrowed hesitantly. “No, they’re in Greece and going to Bora Bora soon. I’ve been home for a couple weeks, but this is the first time I’ve been out. I’ve been kind-of laying low for a while.”
A table full of bikers in the center of the bar captured his attention. Codge glanced back at JC and gave her an acknowledging nod with a smirk plastered to his face.