Page 55 of Healed
“Hey, baby! I’m so glad to see you in here during the party hours. Been a long time since you came in here for more than a quick few minutes.”
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be home during the party hours?”
“Got a bartender out with a stomach bug. Guess who’s here to cover the shift?”
“Who else would it be? Just doesn’t feel right when you're not here,” Daisy said.
“You need to come in more yourself! It’s been a long, long time!”
“Not that long. I was in here with everybody when Brandt and Tempest were still circling each other!”
“That was a long time ago. And even longer before that, like a year or something!” Vince said.
“At least,” Daisy said, beginning to get nervous. She really didn’t want to delve too deeply into the whys of her not being much of a public person since coming home from college.
Hellen sensed her shutting down and grabbed her by the hand. “I gotta pee. Come with me!” she said, pulling Daisy with her. “We’ll be back!” she said to anybody who was listening over her shoulder.
Lucien was leaning with his back against the bar, watching Charlie watching Hellen lead Daisy away. He could sense the worry Charlie was feeling as he watched Daisy get pulled away. “So, y’all know each other long?”
“Few months. We met when I took my son to sign up for her art classes,” Charlie said, still glancing back at the opposite side of the bar Hellen and Daisy had gone to.
“She’s been through a lot,” Lucien said.
“Hellen?” Charlie asked.
“No. Daisy. It’s a shame really. She’s very sensitive and some shit took advantage of that. She won’t admit it, but I can feel it.”
Charlie didn’t say anything, but nodded awkwardly. Part of him wanted to agree, part of him knew there was no way he’d betray Daisy’s confidence by voicing what he knew. So he just stood there and nodded like a fool.
Lucien noticed the change in mannerisms immediately and was about to call him on it when Hellen was waving to them from across the room as she pulled Daisy with her onto the dance floor.
Hellen had her arms raised in the air and was dancing to the rhythm of the song that was playing. She turned to Daisyand forced her arms up also, and Daisy laughed, falling into step with her. Both women had natural grace and their bodies moved effortlessly in time to the music.
“We better go get our women before somebody else tries and I have to remove them from the building. I don’t share well,” Lucien said with a grin.
Charlie followed him through the other couples dancing and before he knew it, thirty minutes and at least six songs had passed. They came off the dance floor, winded, but happy.
“I need a drink!” Hellen announced, still swaying to the music and singing the lyrics to the song playing at the top of her lungs.
“Whiskey?” Lucien asked.
“Oh, yeah!” Hellen agreed.
“Charlie? Daisy? What’ll you have?” Lucien asked.
“Just a strawberry shake. We gotta go. Carson will be ready to go by now,” Daisy said.
“You sure?” Lucien asked.
“Yeah. We’ll do this again some time soon, though,” Charlie said.
“I’m gonna hold you to it!” Lucien said.
“Alright,” Charlie said. He handed him a twenty. “Make it two strawberry and three chocolates, please.”
“That’s a lot of milkshakes,” Hellen said.
“One for everybody,” Charlie said.
