Wine and Spirits

"Of course, it does, but...will we have to do it like this? With our backs to each other? At different tables?"

He didn't answer.

She imagined he must be really thinking it over. "I mean, I guess I don't mind pretending we're spies trading secrets in public. It could be fun, I suppose." She heard him chuckle.

"I don't want Sarah to see..."

Ugh! Sarah.

"But...it seems like...well...could we wait? Til like ten, just in case she decides to show up...would that be okay?"

"Sure, Nick...It's a date." She bit her lip to contain some more laughter.

"What?"

"I'm just kidding. See you at ten...you know the place...oh, and Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"The red fox trots quietly at midnight." She heard him chuckle again.

Lily was nearly walking on clouds. She gathered up the piles of envelopes—all just junk mail from the previous week—and carried it with her back to the bar. She made eye contact with Eddie who gave her a "Well?" kind of look. She returned it with a subtle nod of her head. "Meet me in Doc's office in a minute," she told him as she walked past him and opened the door to the office.

She had just finished tossing all the junk mail into the trash can when Eddie entered the room behind her.

"Well? How'd it go? I take it went okay?" he sounded excited, genuinely interested and hopeful.

"Aaah!" she nearly screamed. "It actually worked, Eddie! He started talking to me, but he thought I couldn't hear because of the headphones. But I didn't even have them plugged in! He said I was pretty and that he's been wanting to talk to me. He even said he thought I was sexy! And then I took off the headphones and he talked to me for real. He said we could sit together even, but only after ten, just in case, well, you know...Oh my gosh, I can't believe it worked!"

She jumped up and gave Eddie a hug, which he returned. "I'm glad, sis. I really am."

She was beaming. "Thanks, Eddie. Oh my...okay..." She took a breath. "I've got to pull it together. You go back out there. I'll come back out in a few."

Eddie head back to his post, hoping no one noticed them both disappear for a couple of minutes.

Doc was waiting when Eddie returned to the bar. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just Lily finally made a breakthrough with Nick. I hope he doesn't break her heart, though. He still seems all kind of messed up and she deserves..."

"What?"

"What what?"

"You said 'she deserves' but didn't finish your sentence."

"Oh...uh...love I suppose. She deserves it. Don't you think, Doc?"

"I do, son. I sure do. And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Don't you deserve love, too?"

"Oh, well, I don't know, Doc. I mean, come on, I feel like I'm just now starting to be a real person for the first time in my life. Maybe I should just be content with that for now."

"Yeah, maybe...or maybe you shouldn't short-change yourself."

"Yeah, okay, Doc. Sure. Whatever you say."

"Okay, fine. I'll change the subject. I can tell you're getting uncomfortable. Tell me what you see out here tonight." He nodded out toward the bar room.

"Well," he felt like he was being tested. "I see a larger crowd than normal."

"Good. That's good."

"Yeah, like Miss Lindsey over there. Looks like she actually has a date tonight. Good for her."

Doc smiled.

"And Mr. and Mrs. Whitley's daughter, Anna, is here, too. She's back in town to help with some family stuff I think."

"Well done, Eddie. You must be talking to folks, more...and I take it you've been laying off the booze?"

"Yeah, I still get the urge to sip...I'm in a bar, after all. But not too often, really, and I can always wait til we're closed. It's actually kinda nice to just sit in here after hours sometimes. You know, there's some good tunes on that jukebox of yours."

"Yep, I do know that. I'm proud of you, son. You still have a little ways to go, but you're on your way for sure. I hope you'll considering staying on here. I'd be honored if you did."

"Wow, Doc. Thanks. That means a lot coming from you."

"Well, I mean it. And I think even Lily's starting to warm up to you."

"Yeah, who'd a thunk that would ever happen, right?" he said with a chuckle.

"Well, speak of the devil," Doc boomed as Lily approached them.

"Uh-oh. I'm afraid to even ask..." Lily grumbled suspiciously.

"Eddie just told me you had a sort of break-through with our friend, Nick."

"Yeah, I think I have. But we'll see. I'm a little afraid he's gonna get scared and backtrack on me. I guess I'll find out later tonight."

"Well, I'm going to go visit the Whitley's and see how they're getting along. I've got something I want to run past them." Doc walked over and in short order was invited to pull up a chair to join them.

Eddie scanned the crowd, trying to recite the names of each person he saw from memory. When he got stuck, he asked Lily for help. His skills as a bartender had always been decent, but the improvement in his personal perception and social skills was nothing short of dramatic.

Lily couldn't help but be impressed and told him as much. "You're like a different person, Eddie, except I know it's still you, at the same time."

"Well, Doc's pretty amazing."

"Of course, he is. But you can take some of the credit, too, you know. You're allowed."

"Actually, I probably shouldn't. That's what kept getting me in trouble, it turns out. Doc kept saying I was getting in my own way and I've been thinking about that a lot. And, of course, he's right. So, I've been trying to stop thinking about me so much. Honestly, it's been really hard to do. I still think about myself a lot—what do people think, do they like me, do I fit in. But if I can stop it right away, I don't end up doing all those stupid things I normally do. Anyway, it's been pretty crazy, but my life feels so different now...thanks to Doc."

"Yeah, he's a special man, for sure."

They chatted some more, taking turns talking about Doc or some of the customers' stories, though as the time drew closer and closer to ten, Lily started acting more nervous.

"You're going to do fine, Lily," Eddie told her, completely out of the blue.

She looked over to him. "You really are changing, aren't you? You would've never done that six months ago...And thank you." She then looked over to Nick. Was he just looking at the clock, too? She couldn't stand the wait any longer and decided to go for it.

She'd made it about halfway before Nick noticed her approaching. He caught her eye and, once he realized she was coming to visit him, he smiled.

"Do you mind if I'm a little early? I'm kind of going crazy waiting...but I'll come back later if..."

"No, no," he interrupted while standing up from his seat to welcome her. "It's totally fine...I was getting a little restless, too, actually."

"You were?"

"Yeah." He came around to pull out a chair for her and scooted it in behind her as she sat.

He might not want to think it, but he's acting like this is a date. Okay by me! She looked back to the bar where both Eddie and Doc were now watching and giving her the thumbs up. She blushed again.

"So..." he started. "what do we do now?" His nervousness was apparent but so was his enthusiasm. He seemed to really want her to be there.

She laughed. "Well, I don't know. Is pulling out the chair your only move?"

He laughed in return. "Actually, you're lucky. I literally just thought of that one. Before then, I had nothing."

"Well, it was still a good start, so thank you." She reached out her hand. "I'm Lily. Lily O'Connor. Pleasure to meet you."

"Very nice to meet you, Miss O'Connor...Nick Jennings." He took her hand in his and immediately noticed its softness and warmth. He didn't want to let go, but it would be awkward if he didn't. Reluctantly, he released his grasp and sat back down in his seat.

"So what brings you to a place like this?"

"Ha! Nice try, Lily. But sorry, that's a story I'm not ready to tell...not yet, anyway."

"Okay, can't blame me for trying."

"No, I suppose not. It's a fair question, by the way. I'm just not ready. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, I get it. Things like that take time."

"What about you? How'd you end up here?"

"Oh, well that's a funny story most people don't know...I actually work here."

"You don't say. Really?"

"It's true." She grinned.

"And all this time, I just thought you were, I don't know, a volunteer or something." He liked her sense of humor. He liked her smile, too, which he'd never really seen much of—his own fault since he always looked away whenever he thought she was going to look towards him. And he liked her face, too—especially, up close.

She was pretty. Her hair matched her brown eyes, which themselves were vibrant and deep. Her lips—up close—looked luscious and succulent. He was about to study her cheeks next, when...

"Hey, did I lose you?" Her voice broke through his reverie.

"Huh?...Oh, sorry...um...I think I was asking how you ended up here. Everyone in a bar has a story, right?"

"Well, yeah, that's certainly true. Where do you want me to start exactly?"

"I don't know...tell me about your family."

"Family, hmm, that's a loaded word. Okay, my father left when I was young. Mom died when I was twelve. Lived with an aunt for a while then ran away. Spent some time just kind of wandering until I was unofficially adopted by a really nice couple. They wanted to adopt me for real, but I told them 'no.' I guess I figured if they didn't adopt me, I wouldn't run the risk of losing another set of parents. Sounds silly, I know."

"No. Not silly at all. So where are they now? Do they live around here?"

"Hmm, yeah. Here's some irony for ya—they died on me anyway. She went first, almost three years ago and he just passed away this past May. Cancer."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Nah...it's okay...I mean it's not, but...it is what it is, right?" She tried to put on a brave face. "I miss them a lot, actually. I feel like I was orphaned twice." She wasn't sure how strong her defenses were with the subject of her 'adopted' parents, since she'd always avoided talking about them. She now realized those defenses were weak, as she started tearing up. "Okay...can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, of course...Um, how about your last name...Irish?"

"Oh god, you're killing me." She half-laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, sorry. I thought that might be safe...um...let me think of something else..."

"No, it's okay. Really." She collected herself before proceeding. "So, I didn't want them to adopt me, right? But they were also the only real 'parents' I ever knew. After they died, I legally changed my last name...to honor them."

"That's really sweet, Lily."

"I wish I'd done it while they were still alive, though. It probably would've meant more—especially to her. But I know they still appreciated it...yeah..." She felt herself starting to shrink into her safe place where she hid her feelings to protect herself. She didn't want to go there, so she quickly changed the subject. "Okay, my turn. Do you have any pets?"

"Nope."

"Not even a fish?"

"Nope. Why? Does that surprise you? And do I look like a fish person or something? Do you have a fish?"

"Hell, no, I'd kill a fish."

"How about a cat?"

"Oh, Nick. I just got here. Are you really trying to run me off already?" she joked. "A dog, sure, that'd be nice—I always wanted a golden retriever when I was a kid—but as you can see, this isn't the kind of place for a dog."

"Well, no, I suppose not, but you don't live here. You could still have a dog at home."

"Actually, I do live here." She pointed to the ceiling. "Loft apartment upstairs."

"No kidding? Well, that's convenient, I guess. Short commute." he joked.

She laughed. "Yeah, the only time there's a problem is when someone blocks up my back entrance." She turned and pointed to the door that led to her place. "But that only happens when someone has a pretty big package for me. Usually, the UPS man. Eddie keeps the small stuff behind the bar for me. He says he has a bad back and can't lift anything heavy, but I think he's just..." She turned back around and the smirk on his face made her stop mid-sentence. "What?...What's so funny?"

"Nothing..." was all he could muster without bursting into laughter.

"Why are you..." she looked perplexed—and then it hit her. "Oh my god! You are such a man! That is so childish!"

He exploded with laughter. "You're the one who was saying it!" His laughter could be heard across the room.

Lily, just shook her head. "How old are you?"

"I'm sorry," he tried to calm himself as quickly as possible. He seemed to be pulling himself together until a new thought entered his mind making him burst into laughter again.

Lily rolled her eyes. "What now?"

"I'm sorry...but, does the UPS man bring you big packages often?" he grunted, then started laughing again.

"Har har."

He finally calmed down.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Lily. I promise, I'm not normally this juvenile."

"Fine...I guess it was a little funny, but I'm still not going to laugh with you." For the most part, her resistance held firm, though she couldn't help showing a little bit of a smirk.

Their conversation flowed—filled with laughter, occasionally thoughtful and serious but, even then, comfortable. Time seemed to speed up and, before they knew it, it was two in the morning—closing time for Doc's Place on Friday nights.

"Well..." she started, not wanting to say it. "I guess I should help Eddie shut things down."

Eddie yelled from across the bar, "I'm doing fine! You two just keep talking! I'll let you know when I'm ready to lock up!"

Lily bowed her head and blushed deeply.

"Hey, Lily?...Thanks...this was really nice."

"You're welcome, Nick. It was good for me, too. I hope we can do it again sometime."

"Yeah?" he seemed to be considering it, as if it were a much harder decision to make than it should have been. "Yeah," he finally said a little more firmly, as if trying to convince himself that it would be okay. "Ten o'clock next Friday?...Tentatively, I mean?"

She knew what he meant. She was disappointed, but understood. "Sure. It's a..." she caught herself. "I mean, I look forward to it."

He stood up, and leaned over, giving her a polite kiss on the top of her head. He immediately regretted it as he'd not only just felt the softness of her hair, he smelled her shampoo and perfume, too. It smelled...delicious—if hair could be delicious. And he felt a stirring. It was sudden...unexpected...electric.

He leaned back down the two inches he'd managed to rise to and kissed her hair again. Oh god! He hovered, savoring the moment, until he realized it might seem creepy if he lingered any longer.

He pulled himself away, then started acting unexpectedly skittish, as he collected his things. He bid her good night, holding his jacket in front of him as he walked away.

"Good night, Niiiick!" Eddie yelled in a slightly teasing tone from the back corner where he'd been sweeping. "Sweet dreams!" he added, provocatively. As soon as the door closed, he exploded with laughter.

"What's wrong with you, Eddie?! Why did you do that?! "

Eddie saw her looking daggers at him, but he couldn't help himself. He roared again with even more laughter. He maneuvered the broom in front of him, suggestively, then pretended to be Nick. "Oh, Lily, I had a very pleasant time tonight...You're a really good...friend..."

Daggers were no longer enough. Now she was throwing knives, arrows and even armor-piercing bullets at him with her eyes. "How dare you! He wasn't...He didn't have a...It wasn't like that!"

"AH HAAAAA HAAAAA!" Eddie was almost crying now. "He did SO!!! He grabbed his own jacket off a hook behind the bar, and threw it over the broom handle. "Does this look more familiar, Lily?!"

"Edward! He did NOT!" she yelled, as a sly grin tickled her mouth. Then the realization hit her. "OH MY GOD!!!....He DID!!!"

Eddie started hopping around the bar room, riding the broom like a horse, singing "Nicky had a woody...Nicky had a woody..."

Lily was now laughing along with him, though feeling guilty and embarrassed about it. She covered her smile with her hand, as if that made it any better. She could feel the heat radiating from her face like a preheated oven.

Eddie started changing his song..."Lily made a woody!...Lily made a woody!"

She suddenly sprinted across the bar, as if, without any warning, she had to go to the bathroom or something, giggling the whole way. "Lock up, Eddie!" she shouted, right before she slammed the door to her loft and ran up the stairs.

Eddie stopped singing long enough to listen to her uphill stampede, cringing when she apparently missed one of the steps and tumbled, but recovered quickly. Then he burst into laughter again. "Oh man...good for you, Lily...good for you..."

Lily collapsed on her bed, out of breath from her sprint up the stairs. Her whole body was tingling at the thought that she'd not only connected with him emotionally with over four hours of conversation, but that she'd also managed to arouse him...and she wasn't even trying.

She stretched for her nightstand, trying to reach the drawer. She couldn't quite reach it, but there was something in there she wanted right now. She lunged, but still couldn't get there. "Fine!" she griped. I guess I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way.

She slid her hands down and quickly unbuttoned her jeans. She detoured briefly to rub her mound firmly through her jeans, before fumbling with the zipper and sliding it down.

Any other time, she would have taken her time and completely undressed. But then, any other time, she probably would have worked a little harder to get her friend from the nightstand, too. Tonight, though, she simply wanted release...immediately.

She lifted her hips and inched her jeans down, just enough to shove one hand into her panties while the other slid under her shirt and bra to play with her breasts, frantically pinching her nipples to the height of pleasure and the brink of pain. She moaned.

Her other hand slipped lower, finding her button, then slipping even lower until it was drowning in her juices, already flowing hot like lava from her core. Her finger snaked back to play with her clit but only momentarily, before diving back into her essence.

She pulled her other hand away from her breasts, and frantically grabbed a pillow to cover her face. She held it tightly as her orgasm raced to meet her. Her entire body shook as she screamed into her pillow. Her climax overwhelmed her, leaving her still quivering on her bed even after it had subsided.

The following morning, Lily rose early with an energy she hadn't felt before. She'd already inventoried the stock and even sanitized the ice bin before Eddie showed up.

"Oh my god, Lily. Did you really clean the ice bin? On a Saturday?"

The early wake up had caught up to her though. She was now sitting flopped on a chair behind the bar, her hair frazzled and her skin clammy from a morning of hard work.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a good night last night, if you know what I mean."

"Shut up, Eddie."

"Ooh, touchy subject?" He grinned after saying it. "Get it? touchy?"

She smirked. "Yes, you pervert. I got it."

"Actually, now I'm thinkin' you didn't get it. You sound a little cranky."