Part 5 (1/2)
”Okay, let's go!” Matt grabbed his wallet and keys and ushered Chris out the door.
Chris was a little scared. Had she actually suggested that they go to a gay bar? Was she crazy? Yesterday, she didn't even know that there was a gay bar in the area, and now tonight she was hanging out there? Act cool, she told herself, you don't know what you are going to see, just act cool.
Matt pulled his El Camino into the parking lot and parked right next to Lynn's truck. He prepared himself to leave the bar at the first sign of uneasiness from Chris. Matt swung the door of the bar open and held it for Chris. It took a while for their eyes to adjust to the dim light. There were only about a dozen people there, half of them sitting at the bar, the other half dispersed throughout the seating area.
”What do you want to drink?” Matt shouted over the music.
”A beer is fine,” Chris shouted back.
”Nancy! Two beers!” Matt called to the bartender and motioned for Chris to follow him. Matt pulled out a chair at one of the tables at the back of the seating area and took a seat.
Chris sat down and looked around. It looked like a regular bar, with regular people, except for the two women kissing at a table at the far end. She tried not to stare. She glanced toward the front of the bar and was taken aback to discover that the voice she was hearing was Lynn's. Again, she tried not to stare. The music stopped, Lynn said something to the drummer, and the music started again. What did they need practice for? They sounded great!
”This band is really good. Lynn has a great voice!” she said to Matt as the bartender set the beers on the table.
Matt took a swig from the bottle and shouted, ”Yeah, I know!” Just then the music stopped and there was silence. Matt stood up and yelled, ”Encore! encore!” and clapped loudly. Lynn swung around to find where the voice had come from and smiled.
”You d.a.m.n hecklers!” she yelled back. Grabbing her beer and a towel, she jumped down from the stage and strode across the room.
”Hey, what are you guys doing here?” Lynn asked. ”Are you two sick of each other already? How is your marriage ever going to last?” She laughed, wiped her face off with the towel, and took a gulp of beer.
”You're really good!” Chris said.
”I've been told that several times,” Lynn answered with a teasing smile. Then glancing at Matt, she straightened her face. ”Sorry.” Turning to Chris, she said, ”Thank you.”
”Hey, are we done or what!” someone yelled from the stage.
”No, we still need to rehea.r.s.e that special request!” Lynn yelled back- Turning around, she said, ”See you guys later,” and strode back to the stage.
Chris felt like she was blus.h.i.+ng. Her tongue felt tied when Lynn made those teasing comments. She definitely needed to practice her comebacks. Finis.h.i.+ng her beer, she watched Lynn on the stage. The band was laughing and Lynn was trying to convince them to do something. Finally, they all went to their instruments and slowly began picking at a tune. A few moments later they were playing the song as if they had known it all their lives.
Chris smiled as she recognized the song ”Close to You” by the Carpenters. Obviously not a regular song heard in this type of establishment. Obviously, by the smirks on the band members' faces, not a regular song of the band. She wondered what the occasion was.
She hadn't even noticed Matt was gone until he set a new bottle in front of her and sat back down.
”This place is really packed on the nights that they sing. Thursdays aren't as bad as Fridays and Sat.u.r.days.”
”They play on Thursdays? Bands don't usually play on Thursdays, do they?”
”No, not usually, but for some reason a lot of people here come out on Thursdays. I guess people figure they don't get much work done on Friday anyway, so why not be tired or hungover.”
Chris nodded. ”But doesn't Lynn work on Friday mornings? How does she work half the night, and then go to work again so early in the morning?”
”Sometimes she just doesn't go to sleep at all. Then she crashes when she gets off work Friday afternoon, and sleeps until she plays on Friday night.”
Matt and Chris sat and talked about an hour more, until Lynn was finished with her practice, then they all headed home. Once in the car, Matt asked, ”So, what did you think of the bar? Was it like you imagined?”
”No, I thought it would be like a big orgy!” she answered sarcastically. Rethinking her answer she began again, ”Actually, I don't know what I thought it would be like, but I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.”
”That's good,” Matt said as he yawned. ”I didn't realize how tired I was. I hope I didn't keep you out too late.”
”Well, it is a school night, but my cla.s.s doesn't start until nine, so I should be okay. If I fall asleep in cla.s.s, I'll just blame it on my fiance keeping me out too late.” Chris smiled.
Matt pulled in front of the house. Lynn pulled in behind him. Chris got out of his vehicle and walked toward hers.
”See you tomorrow night about five-thirty?” Matt called.
Chris nodded. She would make it an early night, because she had a test on Thursday.
”See you then!” Lynn called out as she climbed out of the truck and followed Matt to the door.
Lynn had barely locked the front door when there was a knock. Lynn looked through the peephole to find Chris standing there.
”Did you forget something?” Lynn asked as she opened the door.
”No* do you mind if I use the bathroom?” Chris asked shyly.
”No problem.” Lynn stepped back as Chris quickly pa.s.sed and disappeared behind a closed door.
Chris came back into the living room after using the facilities. ”Well, I'm going to get going.”
Lynn turned around from sitting on the couch and looked at Chris. ”Are you okay? Don't take this the wrong way, but you look like c.r.a.p!”
”Yeah, all of a sudden I'm not feeling so hot,” Chris answered while rubbing her stomach.
”Are you sure you're okay to drive home? You're welcome to stay here for the night,”
”No, I'll be fine. I'd kind of like to get home,” Chris said as she headed to the door, stopping once to balance herself.
Lynn stood and started toward the door. ”Chris, how much did you have to drink tonight?”
”Not enough to feel like this!” she replied.
”Let me take you home, Chris. You have a forty-five-minute drive ahead of you.”
”No, no. I'll need my car in the morning and so will you,” Chris replied.
”Okay then, I'll follow you home. Let me tell Matt and I'll just grab my keys.”
”Lynn, I don't think that's necessary*” Then feeling her stomach cramp again, she agreed.
Lynn walked to Matt's door, called out her plans, grabbed her keys, and followed Chris out the door. Chris slid in her car seat, rolled down the window, and gave Lynn directions, just in case they got separated. Lynn climbed into her truck and pulled out in back of her.
Chris tried to focus on the road ahead instead of on the pains shooting through her stomach. Leaning toward the open window, she tried to cool her flushed face. She hadn't felt this sick in a long time. Maybe it was something she ate. She reviewed everything she consumed that evening and came to the conclusion that she hadn't eaten anything even related to seafood. And if the food had been spoiled, wouldn't Lynn and Matt be feeling this way, too? Chris ran her hand over her face, trying hard to concentrate on getting home quickly. It had been really nice of Lynn to see her home. Kind of something an older sister might do, she thought. ”Thank goodness,” she said out loud as she reached her apartment complex and coasted into her a.s.signed s.p.a.ce.
Lynn pulled into a parking s.p.a.ce next to Chris. Walking around to Chris's vehicle, she opened the driver's-side door.