didn’t know if they could trust her with private family information.
KeeMac finally spoke up. “He’s OK. He just doesn’t treat her with much respect. He doesn’t take care of her like he should. Peri’s great. She does everything for everyone, and we love her for helping us out all the time. He shouldn’t leave her alone so much to fend for herself like he does.”
“Maybe that’s what she’s used to, though, and she likes it that way.” Chandler tried to defend Peri’s situation.
“Yeah, maybe, but I don’t think so.” He pulled the chair beside him out, gesturing for Chandler to sit down next to him. Chandler looked at it, and then at him, not knowing what to make of the action when he didn’t take his hands off the back of the chair. “You can sit down, Chandler. I’m not going to bite you or anything.”
“Give him time, Chandler,” Carter said with a wink. “His biting teeth only come out on a full moon.” Then he howled like a wolf. Everyone around the table, Chandler included, laughed.
While waiting on the appetizers to arrive, the group talked like any other bunch of friends on a Friday night. This was a foreign concept for Chandler but she liked the way they all seemed to enjoy each other’s company, and that they included her in the banter. After a short time, though, she started thinking of all the things she needed to do at home and stood looking for her purse.
KeeMac looked up from his beer. “You’re leaving already? Sounds like everyone else is just getting started. Why don’t you hang out here awhile longer? You really shouldn’t go by yourself.” He seemed like he was eager for her to stay but her exhaustion kept her from contributing to the conversation. She was looking forward to going home to her quiet house, and finally having some time alone to process everything that had happened today.
“It’s OK. Since I’m leaving on short notice I have a lot of things to deal with before I can leave.” She said it with such a heavy sigh that KeeMac was sure whatever she had to “deal with” wasn’t something she was looking forward to. The demands of this sort of lifestyle were hard on people, and not everyone could handle it. He suddenly realized he didn’t know anything about her except that she had mad skills on the keyboard. This girl intrigued him. He wasn’t sure that had ever happened before.
“Yeah, sorry. We didn’t mean to monopolize your time. Of course you have stuff to do. It’s easy to forget that you had your own life before we met you this morning. I’m sure you want to spend time with your boyfriend. How’s he going to handle your being gone for the next few months?”
“Yeah, boyfriend. Sure. Ha!” she half-snorted at his comment. KeeMac paused mid-drink, and looked at her over the top of his beer bottle her reassessing how much she’d had to drink.
“What, problems with the boyfriend? That’s no good right before you hit the road.”
Chandler just smirked at him, and shook her head at his question. He seemed so certain she had a boyfriend, and she couldn’t help wondering what made him so sure that she did. Or was that his way of asking if she was seeing anyone? She suddenly felt awkward just admitting that wasn’t the case, afraid they would all realize just how pathetic she was.
“Dude, quit grilling the girl and just drink your beer. She’s none of your business. Give her a break, dickhead,” Ryan chimed in from the other end of the table, drawing the attention and some smirks from the rest of the group. “Just tell him to fuck off, Chan.”
“It’s OK, Ryan. Thanks, though. I was just saying that it’s been a long day for me but I suppose I can stay a little longer.”
“That’s great because you can’t leave yet, baby girl! The party is just getting started! You’re our guest of honor! And I haven’t even had my dance yet,” Gunner said as he stood up unsteadily and wrapped his arms around her like they were going
KeeMac finally spoke up. “He’s OK. He just doesn’t treat her with much respect. He doesn’t take care of her like he should. Peri’s great. She does everything for everyone, and we love her for helping us out all the time. He shouldn’t leave her alone so much to fend for herself like he does.”
“Maybe that’s what she’s used to, though, and she likes it that way.” Chandler tried to defend Peri’s situation.
“Yeah, maybe, but I don’t think so.” He pulled the chair beside him out, gesturing for Chandler to sit down next to him. Chandler looked at it, and then at him, not knowing what to make of the action when he didn’t take his hands off the back of the chair. “You can sit down, Chandler. I’m not going to bite you or anything.”
“Give him time, Chandler,” Carter said with a wink. “His biting teeth only come out on a full moon.” Then he howled like a wolf. Everyone around the table, Chandler included, laughed.
While waiting on the appetizers to arrive, the group talked like any other bunch of friends on a Friday night. This was a foreign concept for Chandler but she liked the way they all seemed to enjoy each other’s company, and that they included her in the banter. After a short time, though, she started thinking of all the things she needed to do at home and stood looking for her purse.
KeeMac looked up from his beer. “You’re leaving already? Sounds like everyone else is just getting started. Why don’t you hang out here awhile longer? You really shouldn’t go by yourself.” He seemed like he was eager for her to stay but her exhaustion kept her from contributing to the conversation. She was looking forward to going home to her quiet house, and finally having some time alone to process everything that had happened today.
“It’s OK. Since I’m leaving on short notice I have a lot of things to deal with before I can leave.” She said it with such a heavy sigh that KeeMac was sure whatever she had to “deal with” wasn’t something she was looking forward to. The demands of this sort of lifestyle were hard on people, and not everyone could handle it. He suddenly realized he didn’t know anything about her except that she had mad skills on the keyboard. This girl intrigued him. He wasn’t sure that had ever happened before.
“Yeah, sorry. We didn’t mean to monopolize your time. Of course you have stuff to do. It’s easy to forget that you had your own life before we met you this morning. I’m sure you want to spend time with your boyfriend. How’s he going to handle your being gone for the next few months?”
“Yeah, boyfriend. Sure. Ha!” she half-snorted at his comment. KeeMac paused mid-drink, and looked at her over the top of his beer bottle her reassessing how much she’d had to drink.
“What, problems with the boyfriend? That’s no good right before you hit the road.”
Chandler just smirked at him, and shook her head at his question. He seemed so certain she had a boyfriend, and she couldn’t help wondering what made him so sure that she did. Or was that his way of asking if she was seeing anyone? She suddenly felt awkward just admitting that wasn’t the case, afraid they would all realize just how pathetic she was.
“Dude, quit grilling the girl and just drink your beer. She’s none of your business. Give her a break, dickhead,” Ryan chimed in from the other end of the table, drawing the attention and some smirks from the rest of the group. “Just tell him to fuck off, Chan.”
“It’s OK, Ryan. Thanks, though. I was just saying that it’s been a long day for me but I suppose I can stay a little longer.”
“That’s great because you can’t leave yet, baby girl! The party is just getting started! You’re our guest of honor! And I haven’t even had my dance yet,” Gunner said as he stood up unsteadily and wrapped his arms around her like they were going
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