Beyond Denver

Chapter 55

After vising my parents at the hotel room downtown, I meet Denver at the square. He wanted to see me again, and I decided I'm not going to be sitting around on a Saturday night, plus I don't have to open Sophie's at six am tomorrow like I used to. That chapter of my life, at least, is over for now, and it is up now to Scarlet and whoever said shit about me to Sylvia to deal with the situation and work on the weekends.

I'm wearing a casual dress with not too much makeup over my face. My mother seems to be doing better, although she was still throwing up just before I arrived to see her. My father mentioned something about extending another night, so they don't have to catch the plane early tomorrow. The hotel is fancy, and the room has a lot of space, so I sit far away from her, afraid this could be more than food poisoning. I heard stomach flu is around at this time of the year.

"Wow, you look so pretty," exclaims Denver when he sees me. I smile with his compliment as he takes hold of my hands, his lips kissing my cheek and very close to my lips. Denver is dressed in a regular shirt, simple jeans, and his old pair of sneakers. At least, they are laced at this time.

What am I doing with him again?

"Where we are going?" I ask.

"There is a restaurant-bar around the corner. They have the best fries. Let's go," Despite the amount of food it was served in the baby shower a few hours ago, I think I'll be fine sharing some fries with Denver.

"Believe me. They have the best fries."

The streets of Madison are crowded with people celebrating the Badgers' s victory this afternoon. Most college students are drunk wearing white and red Badger shirts, including the girls. We enter the bar across from the Capitol. The dome lights are so bright, making the entire square a unique place.

"Can I have a beer, please?" Denver asks the female bartender. She serves him right away despite the many people crumpled on the counter to get their drinks. She is a woman in her forties, and she is not very warm. "What about you, honey?" she asks coldly.

"Just water for now." She fills the cup with ice and tap water, placing it on the counter.

"Do you have some fries?"

"Sexy Fries are over for tonight. You guys came too late for that. The bar has been full the whole day." She serves Denver a beer and moves to the next customer.

"That's Terry. Moody is her normal state of mind." He says when she is out of sight. "But she is cool."

Now and then, Denver touches my hands softly and places his arms around my waist whenever we move. I don't wish any public display with him, considering how my life is so confusing now with school, him, and Maroney. I know I need to be honest with him tonight, but I have' had the opportunity. I don't know, and I am not sure how I feel about neither of the two guys. I haven't had any feelings for someone in a very long time and whatever is inside of me is so new I don't know how to handle it.

Next, he takes me downstairs to walk around at the bar. He asks me if I want to play pool with him, but that's something I don't care about much. Paying dart, pool, and even watching a game, is not really my thing. Denver then suggests we walk in State Street, and I nod. Just as we are leaving the bar, we bumped into Aaron at the door. We talk for a moment, remembering the camping trip and that crazy tubing down on Sugar River. Then they talk about that frat party, but most names I don't recognize anyway because I don't know them.

"Suzan asked about you."

"Say hello for me. I'll call her tomorrow."

"Not a problem, bro," he says, making his way in another direction.