Ryan.
Amber held out a dainty hand to Ryan. “I’m Amber.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Ryan said in soft voice as he shook her hand. He felt the slightest sensation of electricity running through his skin from her touch. He couldn’t stop smiling at her.
“I better get back to work before Charlie yells at me,” Amber told Buddy.
“If he yells at you, then you come and let me know,” Buddy said to Amber.
She laughed. “Yeah, okay.” She turned and went back to the kitchen with the empty rack for the glasses in her hands.
“I aint afraid of him,” Buddy called after Amber as she left. “You can tell him that, too,” he laughed.
Ryan drank half of his beer down. He couldn’t help it, it tasted so good. He didn’t know how long it had been since he’d drank a beer, but it seemed like a long time.
Buddy watched him. “You sure do seem to enjoy life,” he said.
Ryan turned and smiled at him. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know; it’s like you’re tasting things for the first time in a long time, seeing things for the first time in a long time.”
Ryan shrugged. “You have to enjoy things while you’re here – you never know how long you have.”
“Amen.” Buddy raised his beer mug in a mock toast, and then he downed the beer.
Ryan drank the rest of his beer down.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” Buddy asked.
“No, sir.”
“You’re from California.”
Amber came back out of the kitchen with some bottles of liquor. Ryan watched her as she stocked the upper shelves. “Uh, yeah,” he answered in a distracted voice.
“I read your work history,” Buddy said.
Ryan turned and stared at Buddy.
Buddy smiled and shook his head a little. “I’ve been doing this for a long time – I can tell when something’s faked.”
Ryan didn’t know what to say. He was caught.
“Look, Ryan,” Buddy said and his voice was a little lower, a little softer. “If you’re running from something, you don’t need to tell me about it. We’ve all got our secrets.”
Ryan stared at Buddy, and he only nodded at him.
Buddy glanced around the bar, at John and Scooter playing pool, and then he turned back around and stared straight ahead at the shelves of liquor with the mirrored wall right behind it. “Hell, this whole town has its secrets.”
This got Ryan’s attention. “What do you mean?” Ryan asked in a low voice.
Buddy seemed like he was about to expound on his statement, but then he shook his head and smiled. “Forget it.”
Ryan didn’t press Buddy. Instead, he asked: “Does this mean you don’t want me to show up tomorrow?”
Buddy didn’t answer right away
“I understand if you don’t want me to,” Ryan added quickly.
Buddy smiled and shook his head no. “Come on in tomorrow and we’ll take it from there.” He raised his beer mug up to Amber. “Could we get two more, sweetheart?”
3.
After the second mug of beer, Ryan told Buddy good-night and thanked him again for not firing him. He tried to pay for the beers, but Buddy insisted on buying.
On his way out he went to the restroom. He washed his hands and face at the stained sink and looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, staring at his blue eyes, his dark hair, his chiseled face. It was like he recognized himself, but at the same time, he didn’t.
Ryan stepped outside to the parking lot. He looked up at the night sky, at the stars twinkling against the blackness.
He started to walk towards his car, but he stopped cold when he heard a noise – it was a dog growling. And it sounded like a big one.
Then he heard the slight squeal of a scream.
Ryan raced across the parking lot, rounded the brick building and hurried over to the dumpster. He saw Amber frozen with fear, a small garbage bag in her hand. Only a few feet away from her was a large black dog – so black it almost blended in with the darkness.
“Don’t move,” Ryan said to Amber in a low voice.
“He’s going to … attack …
Amber held out a dainty hand to Ryan. “I’m Amber.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Ryan said in soft voice as he shook her hand. He felt the slightest sensation of electricity running through his skin from her touch. He couldn’t stop smiling at her.
“I better get back to work before Charlie yells at me,” Amber told Buddy.
“If he yells at you, then you come and let me know,” Buddy said to Amber.
She laughed. “Yeah, okay.” She turned and went back to the kitchen with the empty rack for the glasses in her hands.
“I aint afraid of him,” Buddy called after Amber as she left. “You can tell him that, too,” he laughed.
Ryan drank half of his beer down. He couldn’t help it, it tasted so good. He didn’t know how long it had been since he’d drank a beer, but it seemed like a long time.
Buddy watched him. “You sure do seem to enjoy life,” he said.
Ryan turned and smiled at him. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know; it’s like you’re tasting things for the first time in a long time, seeing things for the first time in a long time.”
Ryan shrugged. “You have to enjoy things while you’re here – you never know how long you have.”
“Amen.” Buddy raised his beer mug in a mock toast, and then he downed the beer.
Ryan drank the rest of his beer down.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” Buddy asked.
“No, sir.”
“You’re from California.”
Amber came back out of the kitchen with some bottles of liquor. Ryan watched her as she stocked the upper shelves. “Uh, yeah,” he answered in a distracted voice.
“I read your work history,” Buddy said.
Ryan turned and stared at Buddy.
Buddy smiled and shook his head a little. “I’ve been doing this for a long time – I can tell when something’s faked.”
Ryan didn’t know what to say. He was caught.
“Look, Ryan,” Buddy said and his voice was a little lower, a little softer. “If you’re running from something, you don’t need to tell me about it. We’ve all got our secrets.”
Ryan stared at Buddy, and he only nodded at him.
Buddy glanced around the bar, at John and Scooter playing pool, and then he turned back around and stared straight ahead at the shelves of liquor with the mirrored wall right behind it. “Hell, this whole town has its secrets.”
This got Ryan’s attention. “What do you mean?” Ryan asked in a low voice.
Buddy seemed like he was about to expound on his statement, but then he shook his head and smiled. “Forget it.”
Ryan didn’t press Buddy. Instead, he asked: “Does this mean you don’t want me to show up tomorrow?”
Buddy didn’t answer right away
“I understand if you don’t want me to,” Ryan added quickly.
Buddy smiled and shook his head no. “Come on in tomorrow and we’ll take it from there.” He raised his beer mug up to Amber. “Could we get two more, sweetheart?”
3.
After the second mug of beer, Ryan told Buddy good-night and thanked him again for not firing him. He tried to pay for the beers, but Buddy insisted on buying.
On his way out he went to the restroom. He washed his hands and face at the stained sink and looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, staring at his blue eyes, his dark hair, his chiseled face. It was like he recognized himself, but at the same time, he didn’t.
Ryan stepped outside to the parking lot. He looked up at the night sky, at the stars twinkling against the blackness.
He started to walk towards his car, but he stopped cold when he heard a noise – it was a dog growling. And it sounded like a big one.
Then he heard the slight squeal of a scream.
Ryan raced across the parking lot, rounded the brick building and hurried over to the dumpster. He saw Amber frozen with fear, a small garbage bag in her hand. Only a few feet away from her was a large black dog – so black it almost blended in with the darkness.
“Don’t move,” Ryan said to Amber in a low voice.
“He’s going to … attack …
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