for the bar. He reminded Brendan of a hairless ape: long arms, short legs, and a bald head jammed onto shoulders too big for his body.
It was the same man who’d been coming in every night for a month and making a point to take a seat at the end of the bar where Juliette worked. He wouldn’t look at her, or anybody else, until he’d had at least one drink. After that, he stared at her for hours on end, watching her like a mongoose watches a cobra, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Brendan knew the man made Juliette uneasy, but he’d never said or done anything that would get him removed from the premises. And, until he did, he had free range to come and go and look all he wanted.
****
Julie saw the man approaching and shuddered inwardly. The moment he sat down at the bar, she looked for Brendan across the crowd. Once she caught his eye and realized he’d seen the man come in, too. She relaxed.
The man she privately referred to as “the troll” tapped the bar loudly to get her attention.
She turned, her voice cool and business-like. “What’ll it be?”
“The same,” he said softly without looking at her face.
Julie sensed he liked knowing she was familiar with his tastes, and detected a small glint of satisfaction when she put the first gin and tonic down in front of him. Even though she quickly moved on to the next customer, trading wit and quips with her regulars, the silence between her and the troll grew ominous by the absence of conversation.
Sometimes she would get busy and forget he was there, then hear that sharp tap, tap, as he rapped the bottom of his empty glass against the bar for a refill. But it was the second drink he ordered that got to her, because once the first was gone, he watched her non-stop.
He always stayed until fifteen minutes before closing, at which time he paid his tab plus a ten-dollar tip, and walked out without a stumble, even with five drinks and a bowl of pretzels in his belly.
What Julie didn’t know, and Brendan had yet to find out was that, when Chub Walton left the bar, he stood in the shadows of a nearby alley, waiting to see her come out. He also knew where she lived and followed her home every night. He knew she had a thing with the big, dark-haired bouncer, but that didn’t bother him. He didn’t want her forever. He just wanted her once. Women didn’t last beyond that. Growing up, his mama had always accused him of being hard on his shoes. She’s had no idea he would be hard on his women as well.
For now, Chub was satisfied to anticipate. It was part of the game, which made it better for the main event, and this night was no different. When closing time drew near, he paid up, left, then went to the alley to wait.
A short while later, the big bouncer and the little blonde walked out hand-in-hand to where their cars were parked. After a quick kiss, the guy got in his SUV and followed behind her all the way home.
Chub followed a distance behind them, cruising past only after they went inside, and then made his way home.
****
Two days later
Anson was doing a walk-through of Wisteria Hill with a pad and pen, making notes of things that needed to be fixed or replaced. He hadn’t looked at the place like this in years and it had long since lost the connotation of home. It was just the place where he ate, slept, and fucked. He’d left the child rearing and the house to Delle, and made sure the money he gave her was barely enough to clothe and feed them. But if he was going to get her back, this had to be done. She had to come home on her own to make the rest of his plan work.
When he finally sat down to a solitary supper, it was to the last of Delle’s gumbo. After this, he was going to have to cook his own food, or buy it in town. Once he finished eating, he began making phone calls, wasting no time in getting started.
Within two days, he had a crew repairing the roof, another repairing the exterior in preparation for a paint
It was the same man who’d been coming in every night for a month and making a point to take a seat at the end of the bar where Juliette worked. He wouldn’t look at her, or anybody else, until he’d had at least one drink. After that, he stared at her for hours on end, watching her like a mongoose watches a cobra, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Brendan knew the man made Juliette uneasy, but he’d never said or done anything that would get him removed from the premises. And, until he did, he had free range to come and go and look all he wanted.
****
Julie saw the man approaching and shuddered inwardly. The moment he sat down at the bar, she looked for Brendan across the crowd. Once she caught his eye and realized he’d seen the man come in, too. She relaxed.
The man she privately referred to as “the troll” tapped the bar loudly to get her attention.
She turned, her voice cool and business-like. “What’ll it be?”
“The same,” he said softly without looking at her face.
Julie sensed he liked knowing she was familiar with his tastes, and detected a small glint of satisfaction when she put the first gin and tonic down in front of him. Even though she quickly moved on to the next customer, trading wit and quips with her regulars, the silence between her and the troll grew ominous by the absence of conversation.
Sometimes she would get busy and forget he was there, then hear that sharp tap, tap, as he rapped the bottom of his empty glass against the bar for a refill. But it was the second drink he ordered that got to her, because once the first was gone, he watched her non-stop.
He always stayed until fifteen minutes before closing, at which time he paid his tab plus a ten-dollar tip, and walked out without a stumble, even with five drinks and a bowl of pretzels in his belly.
What Julie didn’t know, and Brendan had yet to find out was that, when Chub Walton left the bar, he stood in the shadows of a nearby alley, waiting to see her come out. He also knew where she lived and followed her home every night. He knew she had a thing with the big, dark-haired bouncer, but that didn’t bother him. He didn’t want her forever. He just wanted her once. Women didn’t last beyond that. Growing up, his mama had always accused him of being hard on his shoes. She’s had no idea he would be hard on his women as well.
For now, Chub was satisfied to anticipate. It was part of the game, which made it better for the main event, and this night was no different. When closing time drew near, he paid up, left, then went to the alley to wait.
A short while later, the big bouncer and the little blonde walked out hand-in-hand to where their cars were parked. After a quick kiss, the guy got in his SUV and followed behind her all the way home.
Chub followed a distance behind them, cruising past only after they went inside, and then made his way home.
****
Two days later
Anson was doing a walk-through of Wisteria Hill with a pad and pen, making notes of things that needed to be fixed or replaced. He hadn’t looked at the place like this in years and it had long since lost the connotation of home. It was just the place where he ate, slept, and fucked. He’d left the child rearing and the house to Delle, and made sure the money he gave her was barely enough to clothe and feed them. But if he was going to get her back, this had to be done. She had to come home on her own to make the rest of his plan work.
When he finally sat down to a solitary supper, it was to the last of Delle’s gumbo. After this, he was going to have to cook his own food, or buy it in town. Once he finished eating, he began making phone calls, wasting no time in getting started.
Within two days, he had a crew repairing the roof, another repairing the exterior in preparation for a paint
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