Crashing Back Down by Kristen Mazzola Page B

ready."
     I pulled on my favorite boot-cut dark blue jeans, and a white tank top, checking myself out in the mirror. I lost a lot of weight from my lack of healthy nutrition. I almost looked sick. I had always been athletic, very strong, but skinny. Most of my muscle definition had disappeared, and my collarbone stuck out a little too far.
    I frowned while pulling my dark brown cowboy boots on. I left my hair down and straight, it was so long, the ends were almost touching my belt. I did my makeup into a dark smoky eye and dabbed a light layer of blush over my cheeks. Finally happy with what I saw in the mirror, I had to admit, I looked half way alive now, more in my element at the very least.
    "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" I jumped at Walker's murmur behind me in the doorway.
    "Walker! Don’t do that! You scared the shit out of me." I had been alone in my house for so long that it was going to take some adjusting to get used to having a roommate.
    He scowled, crossing his arms. "I didn’t mean to. I thought you could hear me pounding up those hollow ass stairs."
    I took a few steps closer to him, did a twirl and kissed him on the cheek. "You're sweet. Sorry for yelling. Let's go, I'm starving!"
    Walker dug his keys out of his pocket and we were out the door for our first "roomie adventure”, as Walker named it.
    At dinner, we drank over a bottle of cheap Italian wine, and gnashed on steaks and mashed potatoes. By the time we got to The Saloon, it was packed with people line dancing up a storm. I smiled and pointed over to the back bar where we spent most of our college years. Walker nodded, grabbing my hand to lead me through the crowd.
    A little blonde bartender came scooting over to us as we took the only two empty seats. "Why, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Walker!" She batted her eyelashes at him, and then smiled at me with a twinge of disgust, asking through gritted teeth what I’d be drinking.
    I smiled, not caring for her distasteful look or tone. “I’ll have whatever he’s having, darling.”
    She glared at me through menacing slits before turning to reach into the cooler. She spun around and slammed two Budweiser bottles onto the bar, winked at Walker with a playful grin, and then retreated to the other end of the bar.
    “What was that about? Is she another notch in the old belt?" I giggled; the wine already starting to loosen me up.
    Walker started to peel the label off his bottle, biting his lip. "Not all of us find true love freshman year, darling. I know I've been around a little too much in this town to take you anywhere. Sorry," He sighed, glanced over at the blonde hothead, and then slammed his beer back, drinking it all.
    The little blonde popped over and opened another beer, angrily snarling, "Should I just keep them coming for you and your girl?"
    "Yeah, it's for the best. Start a tab, will ya, Cindy?"
    She nodded, going over to her computer to type in our order. I felt bad for the computer screen; she was jabbing at it, probably pretending it was Walker’s, or my, eyeballs.
    "Why didn’t you tell her we aren’t together?" Walker had never turned down a repeat customer, even if they were a bad lay. If I’d learned anything about Walker while he was Randy's roommate it was that he was a complete horn-dog, and I was lucky to be taken by his best friend.
    "Maybe I don’t want her to think we're not. She was a terrible fuck and started asking to go out on dates. I don’t date. I sleep with ’em, but I don’t care about ’em." He grabbed my hand. "Want to play with her a little?"
    Looking down at our entwined fingers, I looked up into Walker’s gorgeously playful eyes. “I don’t know Walker. She’s harmless, isn’t she?”
    A devilish grin spread across his drunken face, “Awe, come on, it ain’t gonna hurt anyone.  It’s all in good fun.”
    With a deep breath, I figured it might be fun to play along and get a little closer to Walker, even if it was make