the majority of the people on the street were probably in the under-thirty range.
A small group of guys approached us and one stopped in front of me. “Hey Blondie, what’s up?” he slurred.
If he hadn’t been drunk, I’d have been more flattered. “Just hanging out with my family,” I said.
He draped his arm around my shoulder and tried to carve me out of the herd. “Why don’t cha come with me?”
“ Time to go,” Christopher’s voice sounded over my shoulder. He firmly removed drunk guy’s arm and replaced it with his own.
“Hey, I saw her first,” the guy stated possessively, but without me for support, he almost fell over, considerably undermining his argument.
“ Technically, that’s not true,” Christopher pulled me along with him as he called back over his shoulder, “She’s with me.” He continued to propel me forward and my half-siblings closed ranks behind us.
I had been struck speechless as soon as I felt his arm around my back and his hand cup my shoulder. He held me close as we made a path through the crowd for the others to follow. At five-foot-ten, I was taller than a lot of guys, but I had to look up to try to read the expression on Christopher’s face. Had he meant anything by what he said or was he just protecting me? I honestly couldn’t tell, but I fit against his side perfectly and was in no hurry for him to let me go.
“I can’t let you out of my sight for a minute, can I, darlin’?” Christopher whispered to me.
“What do you mean?” I whispered back, trying not to be too excited about his casual term of endearment.
“You shouldn’t encourage random guys like that.”
“Excuse me?” I shook off his arm. “I’ve already got a father...two in fact...and I don’t need another one.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to keep you from making a big mistake.”
“Ha! Too late for that!” I exclaimed. “I mean, I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, you were doing a fine job with that dude hanging all over you, slobbering in your ear.”
“Sort of like that waitress did to you,” I snapped back.
A slow grin stretched his lips. “You noticed that, did you?”
I felt my cheeks redden. I obviously couldn’t deny it. And there was no way to defend it, so I remained silent.
“W here are we headed?” Reno asked, stepping between us. I had never been so glad to be interrupted. I let Reno take my place and slowed down so that Liberty, Tulsa and Dallas could catch up to me. We were far enough back that we couldn’t hear Reno and Christopher’s conversation, which was a good thing, since that meant they hadn’t heard mine either. We trailed behind for several blocks until Christopher led us around a corner and up a ramp. He stopped at the ticket window and purchased six tickets, then we were led to seats inside the small building.
“What is this place?” Tulsa said, looking around at the vintage decorations. In front of us was a stage that ran the width of the room. Outside, we could see people on Sixth Street passing by the large plate-glass windows.
“Esther’s Follies,” Christopher explained. “It’s got something for everyone...songs, humor, satire and . . .,” he smiled at Reno, “A magician. Want something to drink?”
“I ’ll go with you,” Dallas offered. They took our orders, then bumped over our legs getting out to the aisle.
The room continued to fill up until every seat was taken. There must have been a crowd at the bar because Christopher and Dallas took forever to come back. They passed the drinks down to us just as the lights started to dim and a lady came out and sat at the piano. Instead of crawling over us, Christopher leaned over and whispered, “Scoot down.” We all shifted over two seats and Christopher sat next to me with Dallas on the aisle.
I was both delighted and disappointed. The seating was so tight that Christopher’s arm pressed against mine,
A small group of guys approached us and one stopped in front of me. “Hey Blondie, what’s up?” he slurred.
If he hadn’t been drunk, I’d have been more flattered. “Just hanging out with my family,” I said.
He draped his arm around my shoulder and tried to carve me out of the herd. “Why don’t cha come with me?”
“ Time to go,” Christopher’s voice sounded over my shoulder. He firmly removed drunk guy’s arm and replaced it with his own.
“Hey, I saw her first,” the guy stated possessively, but without me for support, he almost fell over, considerably undermining his argument.
“ Technically, that’s not true,” Christopher pulled me along with him as he called back over his shoulder, “She’s with me.” He continued to propel me forward and my half-siblings closed ranks behind us.
I had been struck speechless as soon as I felt his arm around my back and his hand cup my shoulder. He held me close as we made a path through the crowd for the others to follow. At five-foot-ten, I was taller than a lot of guys, but I had to look up to try to read the expression on Christopher’s face. Had he meant anything by what he said or was he just protecting me? I honestly couldn’t tell, but I fit against his side perfectly and was in no hurry for him to let me go.
“I can’t let you out of my sight for a minute, can I, darlin’?” Christopher whispered to me.
“What do you mean?” I whispered back, trying not to be too excited about his casual term of endearment.
“You shouldn’t encourage random guys like that.”
“Excuse me?” I shook off his arm. “I’ve already got a father...two in fact...and I don’t need another one.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to keep you from making a big mistake.”
“Ha! Too late for that!” I exclaimed. “I mean, I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, you were doing a fine job with that dude hanging all over you, slobbering in your ear.”
“Sort of like that waitress did to you,” I snapped back.
A slow grin stretched his lips. “You noticed that, did you?”
I felt my cheeks redden. I obviously couldn’t deny it. And there was no way to defend it, so I remained silent.
“W here are we headed?” Reno asked, stepping between us. I had never been so glad to be interrupted. I let Reno take my place and slowed down so that Liberty, Tulsa and Dallas could catch up to me. We were far enough back that we couldn’t hear Reno and Christopher’s conversation, which was a good thing, since that meant they hadn’t heard mine either. We trailed behind for several blocks until Christopher led us around a corner and up a ramp. He stopped at the ticket window and purchased six tickets, then we were led to seats inside the small building.
“What is this place?” Tulsa said, looking around at the vintage decorations. In front of us was a stage that ran the width of the room. Outside, we could see people on Sixth Street passing by the large plate-glass windows.
“Esther’s Follies,” Christopher explained. “It’s got something for everyone...songs, humor, satire and . . .,” he smiled at Reno, “A magician. Want something to drink?”
“I ’ll go with you,” Dallas offered. They took our orders, then bumped over our legs getting out to the aisle.
The room continued to fill up until every seat was taken. There must have been a crowd at the bar because Christopher and Dallas took forever to come back. They passed the drinks down to us just as the lights started to dim and a lady came out and sat at the piano. Instead of crawling over us, Christopher leaned over and whispered, “Scoot down.” We all shifted over two seats and Christopher sat next to me with Dallas on the aisle.
I was both delighted and disappointed. The seating was so tight that Christopher’s arm pressed against mine,
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