“I know, and I thank you for it. And yes, I’m sure there’s a watering hole we can visit. But don’t set your hopes too high. Most of these country boys are interested in country girls and making country babies.” I could beat his reference to death.
Alan hummed and finished his coffee. “I’m going to work. Let me know when breakfast is ready.”
I tossed a couple of granola bars at Alan and put some in my pocket. “You’re all set.” I filled a couple of coffee thermoses and handed one to Alan, who cradled it like a bottle and grumbled as he went outside.
“Your friend in there is a slave driver,” Alan growled at me by way of Dell on his way out.
“You ready?” Dell asked. “We have our plan and we just need to stick to it.”
I nodded, then passed him some granola bars and a thermos before taking my own. I followed Dell out, enjoying the amazing view. “Where’s Archie?”
“He’s staying with my folks. Though he wanted to come and keep Grampy company. I think that was an excuse to run around with Rex as much as it was to see your dad.”
Speaking of the dog, I bent down to pet him. I knew he would want to come along, but hours in the truck was not going to be good for him, so I sent him back up toward the house. Rex made a show of doggie dejection as he obeyed.
“What’s your friend doing?” Dell had a touch of the green, and I kind of liked it.
“He’s helping in the garden right now, and I’m staying away. Alan never gets up this early, so he’s a real grump-bucket. He’ll be going home tomorrow and will probably never come back.” I smiled. “Say, I need some help. Alan wants to go out to sample the country boys.” I rolled my eyes. “I know there are no gay bars out here, but are there places where I can take Alan so he’ll be able to see that whatever country boy fantasies he has about rolling around with some guy in a hayloft are just that?” God, I loved the way Dell tried to look shocked and then gave up, grinning like an idiot.
“You could take him to Monty’s.”
“Is that place still around?” I figured the town would have closed it down a long time ago. Either that or a stiff wind would have blown the place over.
“He rebuilt a few years ago, and it’s actually nice now. There’s a real dance floor and live music some of the time. It went from dive to in demand. Everyone goes there, and it’s one of the few places that’s open on Sunday.”
That was good. “Do you want to come with us? I could buy you dinner and a beer for what you’re doing for Dad. And maybe between the two of us we can keep Alan from getting his nose broken.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Dell turned away and climbed into the cab of the harvester. I watched him because I was just that pervy and he looked that good in those tight jeans. Then I got into the cab of the catch truck, with Rex giving me a look of complete dejection. I broke down like I knew I would, and he raced into the cab like he was a pup again, if only for a few minutes. Then we got started on one of the biggest jobs of the year.
I drove Alan’s Mustang, with him huddled in the back seat and Dell as passenger. I agreed to be the designated driver, and when Alan offered his car, I jumped at it. I loved driving that much power, and with the flat country roads, I was really able to open it up.
“Jesus, this is smooth,” Dell said as I flew over the road.
I slowed as we got closer to town and pulled into Monty’s parking lot. The place was packed, but I managed to get a decent spot, and we got out. Some of the local guys stopped on their way inside to look over the car, and I could almost see Alan preening because of it.
“Quit fluffing your tail and let’s go inside,” I told Alan. “And remember what we told you. This isn’t a gay bar, and you can look, but if you touch, you’re on your own, and we don’t make hospital stops for broken noses or dumbass shit.”
Alan waved it off. “Yeah, I know. I’m just going to soak up the local atmosphere and see if there’s a cute farmhand that I can cull from the herd.”
“It’s your face,” Dell said as Alan strutted toward the door and went inside. “Ten bucks says he gets punched within an hour.”
I shook my head. “No bet. I think it will take at least two.” We headed inside to find Alan standing just inside the door. “What is it?”
Alan gaped like a bigmouth bass. “You didn’t tell me this. It’s like tight jeans ass central.”
“These are hardworking guys,” Dell said.
“Yeah, and they’re all working their glutes, that’s for sure.”
“Be nice and act like a gentleman. These are good people and this is their turf. You aren’t in a club on Halsted.”
Alan whistled under his breath. “No shit. Dorothy just returned to Kansas, and me likey.” He strutted forward and sat ramrod straight at an empty table. One of the waitresses approached, and Alan looked her right in the eyes.
“I’m Grace. What can I get you, sweetheart?” she asked.
Alan didn’t miss a beat, turning on the charm. “Beautiful, I’d like a vodka martini, Grey Goose if you have it, two olives.” He flashed her a hundred-watt smile and, damn, she was putty in his hands just like that. Grace took their drink orders as well, but she barely looked at them. Obviously she was entranced with Alan and only reluctantly left the table.
“She likey,” Dell told Alan, and he shrugged.
“Women always like me. I treat them well and don’t want to get in their pants. What’s better than that? And Grace is a sweetheart.”
Dell leaned forward. “That sweetheart has four older brothers, and she can kick the shit out of half the men in this room without dropping her drink tray. So you watch it.”
Grace returned with the drinks, they placed food orders, and when the music started, Alan couldn’t resist. He headed off to the floor and almost immediately had a lady on his arm and was showing her off to the entire room like she was Ginger Rogers.
“Is he always like that?”
“The absolute center of attention? Yes. Alan always has the personality to pull off anything, and there’s no back-up in him. He goes for what he wants with all the bravado in the world.” Sometimes I really wished I could bottle some of that for myself.
“Well, he doesn’t have all the attention,” Dell said, and I realized he was staring at me. “And let him have his fun.” It seemed the lady Alan had been dancing with had been replaced by another, and she seemed to be having a ton of fun. Dell stood as a huge man approached the dancers. “I better go rescue him.” He placed a hand on Alan’s shoulder as Dell arrived.
“Larry, that’s enough. I was just dancing, and you don’t like to,” she said loudly enough for me to smile. Maybe my assessment of two hours until Alan got punched was way off.
Dell seemed to defuse the situation until Alan bowed and kissed the lady’s hand before walking toward the table. The cry from behind him sounded like a wounded moose, but Alan just turned around and held up a finger. “If you want to keep your girlfriend happy, then treat her as a lady… always.” That stopped Larry in his tracks, and Alan returned to the table without turning back. “What a buffoon,” he said flatly, as though he were simply stating an obvious fact. Dell sat as well, and I glared at Alan.