Stories at Happy Hour. A.M. Hoot
was amazing, out of this world amazing, but their make-up sex was almost an out-of-body experience. To have that much passion for someone, felt dangerous. Alex freaked out when she thought Darius was taking too many risks. Him needing to feel all the feels and all while he was riding his bike. She did not want him to get hurt. She was so worried he might get in an accident. He took too many risks, he challenged himself to go faster, try different tricks and jumps, and Alex was scared. She kept reminding him that it wasn’t just him anymore it was the two of them now and she could not live without him. He was pissed at her that she didn’t have enough faith in him that he could do it. It wasn’t that she didn’t have faith that he could do it, she knew he could do it. It was all the other idiots on the race track she didn’t have faith in. She knew he could do whatever he put his mind to, she just didn’t know if he would always survive and come back home to her after it was all done. Most of the guys on the track were reckless and huge thrill-seekers. They didn’t care if what they were doing could hurt themselves or someone else. Darius understood she was scared but she had nothing to be afraid of, he would always come back home to her, he promised. Unfortunately, that was the one promise Darius did not keep.
Shortly after Darius and Alex’s two-year anniversary, Darius was driving on his way home from work on a blizzard-like winter night. His truck slid on black ice. The truck flipped, and rolled over multiple times, crossing lanes, and landing in a farm field. Darius being the risk-taker he was, was not wearing his seat belt, he went straight through the windshield and died instantly upon the crash.
Alex was devastated. She felt as if she died that night, except her body was still wandering the earth. She was angry he was gone and the agony and the heartbreak she felt was indescribable. No matter how hard she tried to blame God or try to convince herself that there must not be a God, she was reminded that there had to be a God. He created Darius. Only a god could create someone so perfect, and so perfect for her. Even though she only had three years with him, at least she had three years with him. When he purposed to her, he said there was no other love like theirs’. She was pretty certain there were millions of people who will never know that kind of love, so for that, she was thankful that she knew that love, she felt that love, and as Darius would say, she felt all the feels.
Chapter 7
Keira couldn’t wait to rat out Jess and Sadie to Alex. Those bitches went to watch Lady and The Tramps and didn’t think about taking her. What the hell? Before Keira could say a word, Alex walked up to the table and gave Keira, aka…Sex Kitten,(Alex’s nickname for Keira), a huge, long hug. Keira needed the hug and so did Alex. Their connection was undeniable. Alex and Keira were the first to start the monthly happy hours. They shared so many heart-to-heart stories with each other over many drinks, they talked about love, heartbreak, family, and God, all in that order, and after a drunken night, they decided their life-long mission was to start a brothel. Keira would be the Madame, and Alex would be in charge of getting the clientele and hire appropriate help to service the customers. After that drunken night, Keira’s new name was Sex Kitten, it was so fitting. Keira appreciated the sexy name. It made her feel special, and she was so elated that someone like Alex would befriend someone like her. Keira was one of Alex’s best friends, she confided in her with everything, and never felt judge, or afraid of a horrible reaction from Keira. She felt safe with her and would never give up the relationship she had with Keira for anything.
Somehow word got out that Alex and Keira met for happy hours on the regular, so people inquired about the happy hours and started showing up. Keira and Alex designated monthly happy hours for any riffraff that wanted to come, but then there would be secret happy hours for just Keira and Alex where Keira could get all the juicy details of Alex’s rendezvous and adventures. She loved living vicariously through Alex, and Alex loved being able to share her stories with Keira, knowing it was in confidence and she would never judge, Alex, spared no details.
Alex ordered a bloody, no salt around the rim, not spicy, and a beer chaser. That was always her first drink at Oscar’s. She looked at the table and saw Keira’s beer chasers sitting there, she must be on drink five now, according to the full beer chasers. Keira did not care for beer chasers, she ordered them for Alex, and she only ate half of her pickles and olives, those were for Alex too.
Keira forgot all about the Tramps and was hoping that Alex had something juicy to share with the girls. Keira was dying for some excitement. Keira was known to be Alex’s little black book. She kept track of all the guys Alex met, dated, and screwed. She knew all their nicknames and their “unit’s” nicknames too. Keira was always amazed by how Alex would pick up some of these guys, some of them bartenders, she did have a thing for bartenders, but a lot of them were not. Alex dated her fair share of doctors, lawyers, regular businessmen, guys with blue-collar jobs, one guy was even going to school to be a priest. Keira still had no idea how Alex swung that. Keira looked at her friend in awe. She thought the world of Alex and just wanted her to be happy.
Chapter 8
Keira was happy Alex was getting out, but she had no idea how she had the energy to work full time, go to school full time, be out all hours of the night, and survive off of little to no sleep. Keira knew Alex didn’t like being at home. Home was not home when there was no Darius there. Alex shared some things with Keira a few times which made Keira worry for Alex. She didn’t think she should go home alone some nights. Keira even offered to have Alex stay with her for a while, but Alex laughed it off and sarcastically said, “No, I need to feel the feels Keira, only way I can get through it.” She made it a point to say get through it, not over it. She would never get over Darius, ever! And if any of her so-called concerned friends tried to hint that she should get over him, move on, or whatever their “friendly” line was, Alex was quick to tell them to fuck off. She was feeling her feels.
Keira remembered vividly the time when she and Alex met for drinks one Monday night. It was well over a year ago. Alex messaged Keira out of the blue on a Monday morning and asked if she could meet her at Oscar’s after work around 4:00ish. Keira said absolutely, she couldn’t wait and since this was unplanned, it must have been really juicy. 3:45 rolled around and Keira was sitting at Oscar’s waiting for Alex to arrive. She had her bloody sitting in front of her with the beer chaser and all the fixins’ that came with it, her bowl of popcorn, just one since it was just her and Alex, and she waited. Alex showed up at 3:50. She walked in the door wearing her navy- blue work scrubs and looked a bit wiped out. Keira thought oh no, either it was a really good night, or it was a really bad night. Did she sleep at all? Alex looked up and said hi to the bartender, Josh. Josh smiled, winked, and said, “Hello darlin’.” She looked over to find Keira at her usual table and instantly she felt a sense of calmness and peace fall over her. She felt safe just looking at her sweet, dear, trusting friend, who loved her unconditionally. She quickly walked, almost in a skipping fashion, up to Keira and hugged her tight and long, Keira didn’t even get a chance to get out of her chair. Keira laughed and said, “Hi Sweetie. You smell so good like always, is it that Armani stuff?” Alex nodded yes, she had two “go to” perfumes, Aqua Di Gioia by Armani or Cool Water by Davidoff.
Josh brought over Alex’s bloody just the way she liked it, no salt on the rim, not spicy, extra garnishes, and a beer chaser. What a good boy, Alex thought. That’s what she liked about that place. They knew her well and they always gave her what she wanted, without her having to ask for it. A great quality she looks for in every man, she giggled to herself.
Alex took a sip of her bloody, ate an olive, and slammed her beer chaser. She looked at Keira and said, “I hope I don’t disappoint you today. I don’t have anything juicy to tell you. I just needed to see you. We can talk about whatever you want I just can’t go home yet.” Keira was concerned and cocked her head to one side and asked Alex if something happened last night? Alex looked at her and shook her head, she didn’t know exactly how to tell her friend what happened. Alex took another drink and said, “How are you?” Keira gave her a wiseass smirk and said she was doing fine. She was doing so fine she could have stayed at home with Bump, Whisper, and Tobey, her three cats, if she knew Alex was going to invite her to come out for drinks and just stare at her.
All jokes aside, Keira was concerned about Alex and wanted her to spill, spill whatever it was she needed to