Page 60 of We The Depraved

I shake my head and release the stupor. “I don’t know when he’s due back. Should I tell him you came by?”

The man frowns, his green eyes narrowing. “Tell your father I’m going to collect on what he owes.”

“Collect what?”

He offers me a smile and the tingling down below seems to intensify even more.

“I like strawberries,” he says.

“Huh?”

“Your bathing suit,” he points.

My nipples have turned taut in the air, and water is still rolling down my body just a little bit.

“Let the judge know I stopped by,” he says quietly and then he leaves.

I watch him walk down the walkway…

Something pulls me from the dream, and I know the car has stopped. Stretching and giving a yawn, I find its Niki that has shaken me awake. The dream still lingering.

“You were snoring,” he says and gives a chuckle.

“Ew,” I remark and stretch again.

Sitting up, I look around and it’s dark. The rain is still beating down on the car. Confusion ripples over my face and my stomach gives a rumble. Wedding cake had not filled my stomach up.

“Where are we?”

“I stopped at some bar…there’s a motel across the street. It’s raining too hard to see right now. Hungry?”

I give a nod because my stomach is ready to answer for me. The two of us make a dash to the front door of the place and music hits our ears. I lean in close to him, my teeth chattering because its already a little cold.

Niki stares down into my eyes.

Those green eyes.

I could have been lost in a sea somewhere far away, and those eyes would be a beacon guiding me back to him. He lifts my chin up just a little and for a moment I believe he’ll kiss me.

“Let’s get you fed,” he smiles.

We go inside and it’s a complete honky tonk type of joint. Everybody inside wears cowboy boots and hats and there’s a jukebox in a corner playing Allen Jackson while people lean against pool tables. There are some people even dancing and swinging their hips like they’re about to line dance.

Nobody seems even remotely interested in us and I like it that way. We take a seat and waitress comes over. For the first time in a while I order alcohol.

“It’s my wedding night, cowboy,” I tell him.

Niki shakes his head, “I can handle you, Sage.”

Giving a laugh, I roll my eyes as a chill shoots up my spin. In no time, I start to feel a little drier. The waitress brings over questionable nachos and loaded cheese fries. This is bar food after all and I’m sure there’s some sweaty cook in the back named Billy Bob who’s just near enough to a heart attack and is sweating himself to an early grave.

Ketchup squirts from the bottle spraying the fries and I go to town eating.

“So where are we headed, husband?”

The word rolled around in my head before coming out of my lips. Feels a little weird but I’m okay with it. Life is weird now.

“It’s a little bit of a surprise,” Niki shrugs.