The opening band strutted across the mini stage. The thirty or so people in the bar clapped and whistled. There was a dance floor where two women, wearing tight black clothes and looked about the same age as River’s parents, started dancing to the upbeat blues song. River smiled at them. She loved how they were dancing like nobody was watching. She wished she could do that. But she was too shy to dance in front of everyone.
By the time the headliner took the stage, River was feeling relaxed and happy. The man with a great smile and ponytail started his first set playing the blues on his electric cigar-box guitar. By the time his girlfriend joined him on stage, even more people had arrived at the bar, and the place lit up. Her raspy voice made the audience scream.
River looked over at her dad, who was bopping his head to the music. He was clearly enjoying himself. She saw him sneak in a little air guitar once or twice, in addition to the toe tapping. He had three empty glasses in front of him. She smiled and chugged the rest of her double rum and coke.
Three more men pulled battered chairs up to their table. River shuffled over a little and instantly made eye contact with the youngest. He was a little older than she was, with short, black hair. His T-shirt was tight in all the right places, so she could tell he worked out. His friend, a little heavier, a little older, had a huge curly mane. He called himself Motley Cree, which made people laugh hysterically. River didn’t really get it, but she smiled and laughed anyway. The third guy was fairly stocky, with a buzz cut. They didn’t talk much, but they seemed to enjoy the music.
“River, these are my friends from way back,” Eric said. He gestured at the two older guys. “This is Tony and Allan, and this is . . .” Eric clearly didn’t know the younger guy’s name.
The gorgeous man put his hand out to shake River’s. “Russell,” he said.
“Hi, I’m Russell,” River blurted. “Oh my god, I mean, I’m River.” She could feel her face turn fifty shades of red. She turned her head and looked at the wall. She tried to compose herself, biting her bottom lip, before she turned back to face him.
“Nice to meet you, River.” Russell’s eyes sparkled.
“Nice to meet you too,” River squeaked. She stuck out her hand awkwardly to shake his.
He grabbed her hand as if he was about to drop to one knee and ask for it in marriage. “Uh . . . so you wanna dance?”
River’s eyes went wide. She thought of Josh. They danced together all the time. In his basement, or in the barn, or in the meadow. But this would be dancing in a bar with a guy she had met just that second.
River didn’t know how long she stared at Russell before she blurted out, “Yep!” She grabbed his other hand and led him to the dance floor. She didn’t have a clue where the spark of confidence came from, but she went with it. It might be the drink, she thought.
She didn’t really know how to dance to blues music. But she bopped around, trying to appear carefree. Any guy would love to be next to a carefree kind of girl, right? she thought.
They didn’t talk at all, but by the fourth song, they were dripping in sweat. Russell gestured to the bar and asked her if she wanted another. She remembered what her dad said and asked for a rum and coke. From his chair, her dad gave her a little wave. She could see he was delighted to see her let loose.
Russell was back quickly with a drink. “I made it a double,” he said as he handed it to her, along with a slip of paper with something written on it. He smiled. “That’s my number. I want to see you again.”
For a moment she was taken aback. This guy is way too smooth, she thought. But the rational moment didn’t last long. “Um, okay.” She grinned ear to ear. She put the piece of paper in her pocket and held up her drink to clink the glass against his bottle of beer.
Her eyes never left his as she chugged her drink.
Geez, that’s strong, she thought as she felt her lips go too numb to speak. She wondered what her mother would think. She wondered what Josh would think.
“What are you doing tonight?” Russell whispered in her ear as they danced.
“Umm . . . depends,” she whispered back.
“Well, there’s a party at my best friend’s house. I’m staying with him for a few weeks. You should come.” He stepped back so his face was about a foot from hers. He didn’t take his eyes from hers as he mouthed the words of the song to her.
“I’ll have to ask my dad,” River said. “Only because he’s driving me, though. I don’t have to ask his permission or anything. I just don’t have a car. Here. I mean, I don’t have a car here. And I’m not sure when I’m going to stop acting like a spaz. Are you sure you want me to go with you?”
“It’s okay if you act like a spaz,” said Russell with a smile. “I know where it’s coming from. I feel it too.”
“You do?” Her tummy fluttered.
“Yep.” He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body close to his. He danced from side to side to the rhythm of the blues, singing in her ear.
River laughed, throwing her head back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, following his lead.
A few songs later, she needed a rest. She went back to the table and sat down beside her dad. She tried not to appear too drunk.
“Having fun, babe?” Eric asked.
“Heck yeah!” River said far too loudly. “Dad, is it okay if I go to an after party with these guys?”
She saw that there were a couple more empty glasses in front of him. But it didn’t occur to her that he was not in the clearest frame of mind when he said, “Yeah, these are decent guys. Sure!”
As her father spoke, River’s thoughts drifted. She could see his lips moving, but his words seemed to linger in the air. She thought about how her friends would be freaking out right now. She thought about Josh only for a moment. Then she cleared her throat and shoved the image of Josh’s face deep inside. She wanted to feel free. Free from the feelings she wasn’t used to. Free from the confusion she had felt since the summer started. Free from the pain that was masked by the rum. She kissed her dad on the cheek and left the bar with Russell.