glass and my hand executing this maneuver like judges were sitting at the end of the bar who would flip up numbers that would grade my performance.
Then I tipped my eyes to Janie’s and whispered, “Thank you, Janie.”
“Thank me with your name,” she returned.
“Ivey.” I was still whispering.
“Ivey,” she shoved her hand at me, “nice to meet ‘cha.”
I looked at her hand. Then I took it. Then I looked back at her.
“You too.”
Then I smiled.
Chapter Ten
I Prefer to Sink My Teeth into Something
Two hours and forty-five minutes later…
“Hey, Gray!”
“Hi, Gray!”
“Yo, Cody!”
We were walking through the VFW which was what Janie said it was, a lodge. A full lodge. Long tables and lots of them with bench seats full of people, oldies, young couples, entire families.
Gray had his hand at the small of my back guiding me through.
He knew everybody and they knew him. Thus the called out greetings. He also got a lot of smiles, head tips (women), chin jerks (men) and waves (kids).
I just got a lot of looks and every last one was curious. Friendly, but curious.
Except for a few of the younger women. Their looks were minus the friendly.
Gray led me to the last table where there were two seats available at the end of the benches, the rest of the table full.
I slid on the bench across from Gray thinking I couldn’t do this.
I could hustle big, bad, bearded bikers who could break me in two, take their money and clear out of town with Casey driving, gun in his hand, me riding, my baseball bat in mine but this…this I couldn’t do.
But I had no choice. I was there so I had to find a way to do it.
I took off my coat feeling self-conscious. Janie said I didn’t have to change. But I had a tank that had some nice lace at the top and my cardigan was kind of cute. So I’d put both on. I’d also refreshed my makeup and perfume. I’d lastly added a couple of pretty necklaces and some bigger than usual earrings. It wasn’t much but it said something and Gray deserved to have a girl open the door to him who made an effort.
So I made that effort.
And, looking around, no one was in ballroom gowns. In fact, even though it wasn’t much, I was dressed better than most.
This gave me relief.
Gray had on what I’d seen him in this morning and afternoon. Dark blue turtleneck, jeans, boots. He didn’t look any different at all.
He didn’t need to. Gray Cody didn’t need to make any effort. He was naturally spectacular.
He shrugged off his leather coat, unwrapped his scarf and, like me, tucked it on the bench between himself and the person next to him.
“Hey, Gray,” we heard and I watched his eyes go down the table where more greetings were being called.
He did a chin lift then introduced, “Folks, this is Ivey.”
I lifted a hand, looked down the table as a whole and gave a lame wave.
Then I realized it probably looked lame so I dropped it and tucked both between my thighs. As I did this, I took in a bunch of curious, friendly looks, smiles and a few greetings.
Then, to my surprise, that was it. They turned to each other or their meals.
Giving us privacy (kind of).
Wow. That was nice.
“Evenin’ Gray, hello beautiful creature that embodies the reason I put my ass on the line for this country,” I heard, my eyes grew wide, my head turned to the gravelly voice and I tipped it back to look at an old guy standing by our table to see him looking down at me. “Gray knows the drill. Gray gets a T-bone, rare, potato, loaded and loses the veggies. I gotta know about you. You want a T-bone, which, little thing like you, will kick your ass. A strip, which I recommend. A fillet, which melts in your mouth but there ain’t much to it. Or a sirloin, which is okay, still recommend the strip.”
“Uh…then, I’ll um, go for the strip,” I told him.
“Right, then how you want it cooked?”
“Medium rare,” I ordered.
“Pansy but you’re a girl, I’ll let that
Then I tipped my eyes to Janie’s and whispered, “Thank you, Janie.”
“Thank me with your name,” she returned.
“Ivey.” I was still whispering.
“Ivey,” she shoved her hand at me, “nice to meet ‘cha.”
I looked at her hand. Then I took it. Then I looked back at her.
“You too.”
Then I smiled.
Chapter Ten
I Prefer to Sink My Teeth into Something
Two hours and forty-five minutes later…
“Hey, Gray!”
“Hi, Gray!”
“Yo, Cody!”
We were walking through the VFW which was what Janie said it was, a lodge. A full lodge. Long tables and lots of them with bench seats full of people, oldies, young couples, entire families.
Gray had his hand at the small of my back guiding me through.
He knew everybody and they knew him. Thus the called out greetings. He also got a lot of smiles, head tips (women), chin jerks (men) and waves (kids).
I just got a lot of looks and every last one was curious. Friendly, but curious.
Except for a few of the younger women. Their looks were minus the friendly.
Gray led me to the last table where there were two seats available at the end of the benches, the rest of the table full.
I slid on the bench across from Gray thinking I couldn’t do this.
I could hustle big, bad, bearded bikers who could break me in two, take their money and clear out of town with Casey driving, gun in his hand, me riding, my baseball bat in mine but this…this I couldn’t do.
But I had no choice. I was there so I had to find a way to do it.
I took off my coat feeling self-conscious. Janie said I didn’t have to change. But I had a tank that had some nice lace at the top and my cardigan was kind of cute. So I’d put both on. I’d also refreshed my makeup and perfume. I’d lastly added a couple of pretty necklaces and some bigger than usual earrings. It wasn’t much but it said something and Gray deserved to have a girl open the door to him who made an effort.
So I made that effort.
And, looking around, no one was in ballroom gowns. In fact, even though it wasn’t much, I was dressed better than most.
This gave me relief.
Gray had on what I’d seen him in this morning and afternoon. Dark blue turtleneck, jeans, boots. He didn’t look any different at all.
He didn’t need to. Gray Cody didn’t need to make any effort. He was naturally spectacular.
He shrugged off his leather coat, unwrapped his scarf and, like me, tucked it on the bench between himself and the person next to him.
“Hey, Gray,” we heard and I watched his eyes go down the table where more greetings were being called.
He did a chin lift then introduced, “Folks, this is Ivey.”
I lifted a hand, looked down the table as a whole and gave a lame wave.
Then I realized it probably looked lame so I dropped it and tucked both between my thighs. As I did this, I took in a bunch of curious, friendly looks, smiles and a few greetings.
Then, to my surprise, that was it. They turned to each other or their meals.
Giving us privacy (kind of).
Wow. That was nice.
“Evenin’ Gray, hello beautiful creature that embodies the reason I put my ass on the line for this country,” I heard, my eyes grew wide, my head turned to the gravelly voice and I tipped it back to look at an old guy standing by our table to see him looking down at me. “Gray knows the drill. Gray gets a T-bone, rare, potato, loaded and loses the veggies. I gotta know about you. You want a T-bone, which, little thing like you, will kick your ass. A strip, which I recommend. A fillet, which melts in your mouth but there ain’t much to it. Or a sirloin, which is okay, still recommend the strip.”
“Uh…then, I’ll um, go for the strip,” I told him.
“Right, then how you want it cooked?”
“Medium rare,” I ordered.
“Pansy but you’re a girl, I’ll let that
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