Harley's Choice (4 page)

"Why would you hold such an obvious failing
contest?" I asked in earnest, "I mean I had no problem eating it,
surely there are plenty of others who have completed it?"

"Actually roughly one a month."

"Oh, well thank you." He smiled at me for
real this time and presented me a shirt that said 'I ate the triple
trouble!' then walked away; I think he popped an antacid. I stuffed
the shirt in my bag and took a sip of my beer and decided it was
now or never. I stood and walked over to their table. "Hello, I
have a confession-"

"You are his biggest fan and would like an
autograph?” Kit Carson sighed, apparently he'd heard this several
times tonight.

"Well yes, that is true, but it's not quite
what I came to say," I looked at both of them and was rewarded with
a pair of blue eyes and pair of green eyes. They were both
extremely handsome and yet looked lonely. My eyes fell onto Kit; he
looked the same in the movies as he does in real life. His face was
rugged and ravage by at least a three day beard but instead of
making him looked unkempt it did nothing but intensify his piercing
blue eyes and the tanned skin told me he spent plenty of time out
side.

His hair was longish, long enough that it
kept flowing into his face. Finally he pulled his long fingered,
strong looking hand away from his beer and ran it through his hair
pushing it back. As he turned to talk to Kyle Mallory I noticed a
small white scar on his left temple. I ran down scenarios in my
mind of how he could have gotten it, but really I just sort of put
him in my place…nothing fit. I could see he still looked as fit as
he did in the last movie I saw him in, or at least his chest and
shoulders and arms did. Anything that was accentuated by the tight
shirt he was wearing. Now I’m not real good on judging weight and
height but by the way the table came to his lower chest area and I
had to damn near use a booster seat told me he was close to six
foot.

Kyle Mallory looked like he did on his book
jackets and so much more. The black and white photos do not due him
justice. His green eyes and dirty blonde hair added a beautiful
aura of colors to his softly tanned skin.

A cough brought me out of my thoughts, "you
wanted to say something miss?"

"Oh right, so yeah, well the thing is that
to get the crowd away from me I said that I had seen you at the
beach." I looked directly at Kit.

"When you say you saw me who did you think I
am?"

"Kit Carson," I whispered in his ear so that
no one would hear me. His eyes widened and the look asked how I
knew who he was, "please, I just got done finishing watching one of
your movies last night." I leaned back to my side of the table and
looked at the two of them, "I can't promise they will stay away
long but they're bound to find out that it was a lie and then come
back to where they know there's someone famous." I smiled at the
two of them and went back to my table.

As I sat there drinking my beer enjoying the
music I could now hear and watching the people. I had finished my
beer and my waitress (Missy I found out) stopped at my table, "you
want another one?

"No, but I will take a soda in a high ball
glass,” she just looked at me, "please." She nodded and turned but
I reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Hey can I get one of those
burgers to go in about an hour?”

“Oh sure, not a problem.” She smiled and
walked back to the bar. I looked down the bar and noticed a man
watching me - I filed that under 'future information', she came
back with my drink and I sipped it trying to figure out what I was
going to do now. I figured I'd go back to the hotel and eat my
burger and watch TV.

I finished the drink and pushed it out and
like a good waitress she was there asking if I wanted more, "no but
I’d take my burger."

“It’s already ready; I’ll go get it for
you.”

“Thanks,” she smiled again and went to get
my food. When she returned she carried the bag and another soda for
me.

"This is from the man across the bar."

I frowned slightly, "thanks." I make it a
habit not to drink things that are bought for me, I glanced up at
Missy.

"It’s just soda; I made sure that he didn't
see what went in it."

"Thanks," I smiled at her and took a sip and
took my to-go bag and placed it next to me. I sat drinking my soda
as the crowd got denser. The Kyle Mallory word had spread again and
the bar was filling up elsewhere too. I was doing good ignoring it
until a big scruffy man bumped my table and spilt my soda and I
snapped. I grabbed the giant man buy the scruff of his neck and
pulled him into the seat next to mine. “Hello.” His eyes just
glared at me. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but you just
bumped my table and spilt my drink.” I waved down my shirt. My
voice was hard and no where near sweet. “Now why don’t you walk up
to the bar and get another one before I remove the reason you have
to wear underwear.”

He looked disbelieving and so for a little
flash I pulled my knife out of my purse and poked him between the
legs. “Get me now?” he swallowed hard and visibly and nodded.
“Good, and while you’re at it you might want to tell your friends
there that there’s a psychotic bitch at the next table that is
close to snapping, yes?”

He nodded again and stumbled away from my
table toward the bar and on his way back I saw him whisper in a few
ears, he placed the drink at my table and backed away.

Some followed him, most didn’t, but I sucked
down the drink and grabbed my food, purse, slid off the stool,
nodded through the crowd toward the famous men and made my way to
the door. I watched the creepy guy who ordered me a drink watch me
and so I became the drunken chick and swayed out the door.

I had made it about five steps down the
sidewalk before the noise of the bar hit my ears then was silenced
again. I heard the shuffle of foot steps behind me and so I
stumbled a bit on my heel and was rewarded with a view of the
creepy man from the bar.

I paused and played lost and turned down an
alley way and kept walking till, “Hey beautiful, where ya going.”
His voice was heavy with drink and his step was still a
shuffle.

I giggled. “I think I’m lotht - lost, I
don’t know which way my hotel is.” I poured innocence into my voice
and a giggle to top it off. Then I stumbled into a dumpster.
“Oops,” then “Oh, pooh I think I hurt my ankle.”

“Well here, now, what kind of gentleman
would I be if I didn’t help a woman in need?” I watched as he
stepped toward me and I stuck my hand in my purse and palmed one of
my knives. Just as he got close to me I fell toward him as I
corrected my stance and he caught me, just like I knew he would.
“My you are nothing but a little thang ain’tcha darlin.” He picked
me up by my arms. Dammit I was going to have a bruise.

“Aw, such a nice man, could you put me down
please?” my voice slightly losing its drunkenness.

“Maybe I happen to know there is a place,
just right back there where you could sit down,” and he started
walking to the back of the alley. Rule one: don’t let them move
you.

“No, you know I’ll be fine, I think I
remember where my hotel is.” I giggled slightly hysterically.

“Now, now, I insist.” Rule two: make sure
you leave evidence.

I wiggled out of my shoe and it clattered to
the ground. “Oops.”

“Stupid slut!” He snapped as he bent
allowing my feet to touch the ground and that was all I needed. I
got the momentum and threw my knee into his nose. The resounding
crunch was satisfying “Bitch!” he hollered, “I think you broke my
nose.” He touched his nose gingerly and I knew he was acting just
like me, all the evidence of alcohol gone from his voice. “They
said you wouldn’t break things!”

“Just be lucky I didn’t add air conditioning
to your torso.” I flashed the knife under his tearful eyes. I
watched as they flashed wide “You must be new?” he nodded slightly,
“word of advice, if you are going to try to take a woman off the
street always take the bag first. It’s our go to weapon.” He just
nodded, still hutched over holding his nose, I felt bad. “Here,” I
helped erect his position and gave him a bit of tissue, “call my
father, I’m done with his tests and the next one will be sent home
in a body bag. Don’t worry he’ll compensate you for the nose,
there’s a hospital I think right that way a mile or two.”

I walked off flipping my knife and as I
reached the entrance of the alley I noticed two men running up my
direction. I slipped my knife back in my purse, then I realized who
was coming, “um, hello?” I smoothed my hair down and glanced into
the alleyway, the man with the broken nose was not in sight.

“Hello, we got here as soon as we could.
When we saw him leave…” Mr. Carson stood before me barely out of
breath and Mr. Mallory a step behind him.

“Oh, well that’s nice, but there’s nothing
going on here, I was just walking back from where I came.” And that
excuse would have been fine if it weren’t for the horrible timing
of the man with the nose issue to come stumbling out of the alley
“and – what’s your name?”

“Steven.” He mumbled around his hands.

“Steven here was nice enough to help me when
I twisted my ankle.” I think Steven mumbled ‘bitch’ here but wasn’t
sure.

“And this is the thanks I get, a broken
nose.” He walked off grumbling something about working for my
father and the ice bitch from hell. Or at least I think that was
what he said.

“So, yeah thanks.” I headed off and they
followed me. I spun, and was confronted with the two famous men and
I also realized I had the height way wrong, these two stood a good
foot over me and I was getting a crick in my neck, so I stepped
back a step, but too late realizing that I did actually twist my
ankle and my world sort of tilted sideways as the pinch of pain
raced up my leg and down I fell.

A hand, a giant massive hand cradled my
back. “My hero.” I deadpanned. “Now would you be so kind as to let
me up and back up. You two are tall.” I stood and removed my heels
and slid them into my purse and now in my bare feet I took off
walking/limping back to the hotel and heard them behind me. I spun
one more time. “Where are you two heading?”

“To that hotel.” Mr. Mallory pointed to the
one I was also staying in.

“Of course, come on.” We walked along the
street but I paused when we came to a book store. Oh books. “Well
thanks for the escort I’m sure I’ll see ya around.” I slipped my
shoes back on and wiggled my ankle till I heard another pop, and it
immediately felt better. I waved to the guys and walked into the
book store.

“Hi, welcome.” The lady behind the counter
cheered as I walked in, “we close in just a bit.’

“Thanks, and it’s alright I just came to get
one book.” I walked to the mystery section and plucked the new hard
back for the Harrison Scarlet series. I walked back up to the
counter and placed the book on the counter.

“Oh I love this series, I read them the
minute they come out.”

“Me too, this is the only one I didn’t get
the day it came out.” I looked guiltily out the window but didn’t
see either man.

“Oh you’ll like it, so much drama and just
enough sex to make it all so delicious.” I laughed, and agreed the
man that was outside had such a way with words that he made you
feel that you were there with the characters solving mysteries and
loving them.

She rang me out and I was smiling and
holding the book to my chest as I stepped out of the store right
into the chest of the said author “Ohmiricin!” I was instantly
angry with myself for not noticing so I projected my anger toward
them, “you could have left, I have my big girl panties on I would
have been fine!”

“Yes, I have a feeling you would have, but
you see we felt guilty that you were put into that position to
begin with, that we’ve decided to make sure you get to the hotel
unmolested.” Kyle’s voice held a touch of laughter, but was also
deep. His voice brought to mind that of a bubbling brook, one you
just had to play in.

I smiled at his sentiment and tried hard not
to laugh hysterically at the thought of that even happening.

“We figured it was the least we could do.”
Mr. Carson spoke, his voice was rough, gravely and deep, it was
like wading into a deep river. One would want it to drag one down
into its depths. “With you dispersing the crowd at the bar like you
did.”

“Well the guy was no biggie, and the crowd
was an annoyance for me as well. We’ll call it selfish intentions.”
Then I realized I was minus one to go bag “Oh! My food!” I looked
to the alley and was saddened all over again and like always, the
mention of food made my stomach growl.

“Well then we owe you dinner.” Mr. Carson
turned to Mr. Mallory and spoke in his ear and suddenly, like a
kick to the gut, I realized who they really were. I must have made
a sound because two set of eyes looked to me. “Are you alright
ma’am?” Well that answered that; they didn’t remember me.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about the food.”
I turned, and walked to the hotel leaving them with a stunned
looked on their faces. I couldn’t really blame them for not know
who I was. I did change, a lot. I stopped and turned back. “You
know what you can do for me.” I looked to Kyle whose eyes were
still suspended in surprise. “Do you think you could sign my book?
I have them all and I’d love to have one that was signed.”

“I’d love to.” He turned to Carson, my
knights, I was saddened that they didn’t remember me but I was
going to correct that right now. “You have a pen?” Carson patted
himself and I flushed remembering him in the movies and knew I’d no
longer watch them in the same way. When Carson shook his head I
stepped in.

“Here I have one.” I pulled out the pen in
my purse, “here” and handed it over to Kyle.