Page 30 of His Last Shot
Johnny pivots effortlessly, unfazed by my uncle’s aggressive stance and booming voice. “Oh, hey there, Dex. Didn’t see you sitting there.”
I snort out a laugh at Johnny’s obnoxiously cheerful tone. Oh, he saw him, alright. No one has ever made such an effort to make my uncle appear unimportant. I like it and fear it, all in equal measure.
“It’s Dexter,” my uncle retorts, his grip tightening around the stool handle.
Ignoring the correction, Johnny continues. “Yep, I’ve been staying and helping Rachel with the tables at the end of the night when I’m here.” Johnny turns, scanning the worn green felt of the pool tables, and lets out a long, low whistle that echoes slightly in the dimly lit room. “I mean, that’s a lot of tables to clean,” he states, addressing my uncle again, “especially on tourny nights. As a man, it would be unkind and rude of me to leave her here to fend for herself.” He regards my uncle again and cocks his head to the side. “Wouldn’t you agree, Dex?”
The accusation hangs heavy in the air. Johnny has seen Dexter leave night after night. Leaving me here to close on my own, not once offering to help, knowing I did it all by myself before Johnny waltzed into my life.
Uncle Dexter, never one to look like the bad guy, changes his mood. He smiles. But it’s his fake one. The one he wears when he’s about to destroy someone. “Your mom must have raised you right.”
Johnny smirks. “She sure did.”
Now they are having a full-on shoot-out-at-the-OK-Corral kinda stare down. Johnny’s shoulders are tense. Uncle Dexter clenches his fists, his knuckles bone-white with anger.
Dear Lord, this is ridiculous.My head pings back and forth between the two of them as if I’m at a tennis match, not knowing what to do.
Uncle Dexter breaks eye contact first. He stands and yanks the keys out of his suit pocket. “You feel okay and safe here with him?”
Oh, please. Now he’s concerned? It only shows how little he pays attention. I have been alone here in this bar with him for the past two months. His head would explode if he knew how alone we are in the back of Johnny’s truck.
“Of course. Johnny has helped a lot recently and has been nothing but kind. I’ll be fine.”
His downcast eyes, the way he lingers, and the slight tremble in his hands tells me he is reluctant to leave; my uncle, who knows me better than anyone, can see I like this guy. And that he likes me.
My breakup with Drew utterly devastated my uncle. They are close, and he has tried and failed to get me to reconcile with him. And in the meantime, he blocks any guy that has tried to ask me out. Uncle Dexter is all about control. Everything and everyone around him. And that includes me. But I can tell Johnny is different. He is bringing in a lot of money for Uncle Dexter. Therefore, he will put up with him pursuing me.
But for how long is the question?
Johnny addresses my uncle. “I’ll make sure she’s safe”—he turns to me and grins —“like I always do.”
My heart explodes.God, this man.
Uncle Dexter wiggles out of the barstool and faces me, done with Johnny. And, per usual, he has to have the last word. “Remember Drew is picking you up for the wedding Saturday at noon? Be ready. He’ll be excited to see you.”
Shoot me now. He knows what he’s doing. Tossing Drew’s name out there as if we are a couple to throw Johnny off. My eyes dart to the object of my desire. His shoulders sag in defeat. I only agreed to go with Drew to, again, keep the peace with my uncle.
Uncle Dexter lets out a huff and waddles out of the bar, humming, satisfied with himself.
There's a churning deep in my gut, wondering what’s going through Johnny’s head. His retreating form, fading footsteps, and head hanging low cause mychest to pinch. He probably thinks Drew and I are back together. Panic creeps up my neck.
I need to do some damage control, pronto.
9
See Any Shots Worth Taking?
Johnny
Igrab the brush off the top shelf and sweep the first table. I needed to get away from Dexter as quickly as possible. Every flashing alarm bell goes off in my head when he’s around. I don’t trust him.
And to make matters worse, Drew and Rachel are going to her brother’s wedding as a couple, obviously. My heart dropped.
Rachel has mentioned her uncle wants her to get back together with her ex. And that she has a hard time saying no to him, so maybe he wore her down. Or, it could be that Rachel has forgiven Drew, and she wants to give the relationship a go.
Which, if that’s the case, why spend evenings with me stargazing, talking, getting to know each other? Did none of that time we spent together mean anything to her?
I take a lot of pride in my self-confidence, but right now, I am feeling anything but.
