Drakes Bar and Grill was packed. A new band was playing tonight and was supposed to be a big hit. Timothy was already at a table when Kate walked in. Waving her over, she made her way through the smoky crowd of people. “Have you been here long?” she yelled, the music blaring behind her. “I got here about five minutes ago. I am loving this band!” Timothy was waving his hands in the air as he bobbed his head back and forth to the beat. Broken Silence was the name printed on the flyers. For a country rock band they were pretty good and the lead singer wasn’t bad looking either. They made eye contact when she first sat down, but really Jody hadn’t left her mind since earlier that day.

Kate had no qualms about living the single life, she had grown acquaint to it, especially since there were no decent guys in town. They all seemed to have moved away after high school or continued to work their family cattle farms, except her. “I got the first round” Timothy winked as Kate was shuffling to get her keys and wallet untangled. Her keychain had managed to get caught in the zipper of her wallet between leaving her car and entering the bar. “This beer is definitely needed. Work was busy this week and today sucked.” she sighed. “What happened today?” “You remember Jody? That guy I ran around with back in the day?” His eyes widened as he leaned in fully engaged. Timothy knew Kate never really got over Jody. Probably because she never fully had him. “He works at Tisdales. I ran into him earlier and made a complete fool of myself.” Kate explained how she left in a panic after realizing it was him. “It has been a long day to say the least.” Raising his beer he gingerly toasts, “Well then cheers girl, let’s enjoy this night!”

The first few rounds of beer went down easy. Kate had a slight buzz so Timothy was able to get her to dance. She wasn’t a huge fan of country rock music but also didn’t hate it. She loved that the band played cover songs of other genres too. Dancing made her feel free, but only when she was drunk enough to let loose. After the song ended, reality flooded back to her. Kate pushed her way to the bar through the packed crowd. “Two bud lights please!” “Can I have a shot of Jack.” she overheard the guy next to her order. He had his back turned away from the bar area and was facing the band. His red flannel shirt hugged his broad shoulders and his backwards baseball hat left enough view for her to admire his perfectly stubble beard along his chiseled jawline. The dark wash jeans fit firmly against his butt. She was leaning heavily against the bar by now with her head tilting to the side. “Here you are sir!” As he turns around to grab his shot from the bartender, Kate’s eyes widen. The most seductive grin fills his face when his eyes meet hers, again. It was Jody.

Kate snatches her beer, shaking her head as she starts to stumble off. He grabs her arm before she can make it a step. “Hey!” Kate stood there staring blankly at him. Mortified for how she acted earlier that day. She didn’t know what to say. All she knew was he had this pull on her and it scared the fuck out of her.  “Hey Jody” Slurring her words as she began swaying from her drunkenness. “You left the shop so quickly today, I didn’t get a chance to even say hello.” “Maybe if you were not such an asshole I wouldn’t have.” rolling her eyes. It was all she could make up to explain her sudden leaving. “I’m sorry about that, I was having a bad morning,  and I didn’t realize it was you.” His lips were honey and eyes were fire. Breathing life into her with every word he spoke. “I truly am sorry, I don’t realize when I am being a dick. Can we please start over?” He had already let go of her arm and had another round of shots waiting on him. 

The strap on her black silk tank top had slid off her shoulder. Jody moved it back; his hands rough and warm, sending shivers down her body, feeling an excited pull deep in her groin. “Can I walk you back to your table, I would love to catch up with you.” Kate’s voice softens as she is getting more shy and nervous. Butterflies filling the pit of her stomach. Why is he so captivating? Before she can answer Kate’s beers are knocked from her hands, busting glass and bud light on her boots when a drunk guy not paying attention runs into her. Jody manages to save what whiskey doesn’t land on Kate’s shirt and catch her fall when she comes crashing into him.

Timothy sees everything and darts across the room. “Oh my gosh! Kate are you ok? That guy was a complete jerk!!” The gayness in Timothy’s voice comes out more when he has been drinking. “I am fine, do you mind ordering us another round so I can try and dry my shirt?” Jody offers to escort Kate back to her table after introducing himself to Timothy. She doesn’t let it slide during the introductions that she wanted someone to grab her another beer. 

Before sitting down Jody had already taken his red flannel off and was wrapping it around Kate. “What is that snake thing on your shirt, and what the hell is don’t tread on me?” Laughing Jody tells her that’s a story for another time. “Mmmm a military guy!” Timothy flirts as he rests the beers on the table. Maybe that explains why he is an asshole now.

Jody and Timothy carry on as if Kate wasn’t even there. Jody only giving her quick glances. Maybe he is just as nervous as I am. She thought. At one point she began to play on her phone until she dropped it on the table. They both stared at her. Kate chugs the rest of her beer and starts to slip Jody’s flannel shirt off to give back to him. “I have to be up early for work and y’all seem to be doing just fine without me, so I am going to head out.” While Kate was playing on her phone Jody had already grabbed her keys from the table. Searching everywhere she frustratedly accuses them of taking her keys and demands them back. Jody tries to reason with her, “Kate let me take you home. I will pick you up in the morning, take you to work and then take your car to the shop. It is the least I can do.” She argues for about thirty seconds before giving in. “Fine, lets go.” She felt every high school emotion as if it was yesterday. Kate was honestly glad he was pushing so hard to make conversation because she genuinely wanted to catch up, but the idea of letting her guard down scared her. Jody wrapped his shirt back around Kate and they left the bar.

The ride back to her place was filled with small talk. Kate was notably drunk but didn’t want to make a fool of herself yet again, so she tried to keep some sort of conversation flowing. She fiddled with her brown curls as her body leaned weightlessly against her door. “I am guessing your shirt has something to do with the military based on what Timothy said when he was gawking over you.” “It does. I am back from my second tour in Iraq. I am in the Air Force.” Laying her seat back she flops her head to the side facing him. “So that’s where you went all this time.” Jody grips the steering wheel with his left hand, placing his other hand on her leg “I just needed to get out of this place for a while ya know? I left to go live with mom before that though out in Utah. I came back here after my tour, since dad is sick. He needed help running the farm, and Austin got me the job at Tisdales to help me get by. 

Which way am I turning?”

 Kate was passed out. Jody managed to find her license and use GPS the rest of the way. Pulling into her driveway he gently opens Kate’s door and carries her inside. The last thing she remembers was waking up to him covering her with a blanket on the couch.