Page 17 of Wasted Oil

"First off Bucky, you should really stop calling me that especially when I have a surprise for you.”

"I’ll stop calling you Bangs when you stop calling me Bucky”

"Not my fault you decided to pick on me when we were in pre-k and I later saw you had buck teeth. I was tiny. I needed ammo…” I chuckle, shaking my head.

"Ok, Truce. Now what’s this about a surprise, you know my birthday isn’t till next week?” My mind starts going to every possibility of what Alex has up her sleeves and in all honesty it's always a guess because she lives for surprising everyone.

"How could I forget Bucky, we share the same birthday. Anyway if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it. But I can promise you that it's a good one and if you’re nice and act right, you may get to take her home too.”

"What are you, my wing-woman now?” I scoff with a laugh.

"I am when it counts and trust me this one counts, alright see you later tonight byeeeee.” She hangs up before I can say anything else. I’m left with the thought of who Alex could be bringing, I mean we don’t get a lot of new people around these parts. But I do know she goes to her dad’s lake house every so often, maybe a friend of hers from there is visiting.

Jansens Bar was decently packed tonight, a live local band playing is and actually not half bad. They have a pretty decent playlist from George Strait to Morgan Wallen. The couples on the dance floor spinning their partners around made it look like a Footloose movie in here.

I make my way behind the bar throwing a towel on my shoulder ready to take drink orders.

"Excuse me? Can I order a drink?” The blonde girl to my left waves her hand in front of her. I recognized she's the owner's daughter.

"Hey there Cass, what can I get for ya?”

"Oh hey Rhett! How are ya?” She flips her long hair to the side and bats her eyes at me in an attempt to flirt with me. I mean don’t get me wrong she is sweet and great in bed but I’m not looking for a hook up tonight, not when I’m meeting up with friends.

"Just working, what can I get ya?” She gives a laugh as she orders from what she told me is her third Whiskey Sour. I get her drink for her but before she grabs it I pull back giving her a look.

"Ya know Cass I have to cut you off soon, or else your dad will have my ass.” She gives me an eye roll.

"That man can’t control my life Rhett, I’m 26 years old! I can make my own decisions.” She rips the drink from my hand turning in the process and flipping her hair as if she was too good for me anyways.

"Yikes, that was rough to watch.” The other bartender Claire says to my left.

"Yeah tell me about it, yeah was not like this when I knew her. Guess when she turned eighteen she let her daddy owning Jansens Bar go to her head that's for sure.”

I give a shrug and continue taking orders from random people that came up.

“Alright everyone thank y’all for having us here tonight, I hope you enjoyed the music.” The band wrapped up playing around eight o’clock. It's still pretty early in the night and the place is getting packed more and more by the minute.

Jansens isn’t a huge place, Although it is bigger than the rest of the bars in West Hills. On the outside it looks like a barn, bright red with white trimming. The parking lot is that of dirt and gravel, nothing too fancy. Once you step on the inside though it is completely different. The floor is a dark brown wood to mask all the spills of drinks. The reasonably sized stage is pushed back to the wall that you see when you first walk in with a big dance floor directly in front of it. A horseshoe bar off to the side with mason jar light fixtures scattered all around, and the best part is the pool tables facing the opposite side of the bar. The walls are covered with old western country movie posters. The owner Mason, sure does love his John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. He even went as far as naming our signature drinks after them.

I have three more hours to work and another two before the ol’ gang gets here, well part of it at least. I clench my jaw at the tiny thought of a piece missing from our group, mainly of anger. Dude you gotta move on. Knocking a shot back of liquid gold, I shake the negative thoughts off. Tonight is deeply needed and I know I promised to be nice but I really wasn’t in the mood to meet new people. Quite frankly ever since pops died I’ve been emotionally checked out, “Mr. Moody & Broody,” as Alex says.

"Alright everyone how y’all doing tonight?” Cheers, whistles and claps ring around the room.

"Okay folks as you all know it’s Friday night, and y’all know every Friday night we do karaoke.” More cheers and howlers come from the room.

"So with that said, I would like to introduce to you the first singer of the night. Remember there is no judgment here in Jansens, we just want you to sing your little hearts out and have a great time!”

Just then Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks comes out the speakers and a young couple gets up on the stage. “Blame it all on the roots, I showed up in boots, and ruined your black tie affair…” I crack a smile as the man starts dancing in a way where he tries to embarrass his girlfriend. Damn what I would give to be able to have something like that.

What I'd give to dance with her again, have her in my arms, smiling and hearing her laugh.

I don’t hate her.

I hate what she did to me.

Chapter five

Why mess with perfection?”

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