Lucky Number Eleven

Chapter Five

Chapter 5

Branch

"She's so gross." The girl on my lap points at a female with her tongue down Finn's throat a table away. Despite the dim lighting of Crave and the packed house, Finn's current entertainment is putting on a performance for the ages. "You can see her ass cheeks out the bottom of her skirt."

"You can't sell it if you don't advertise." I take another slug of the beer I've been nursing for the last hour. Setting the bottle down, I take in her lifted, colored-in brow. "She shows ass. You show tits. What's the difference?"

"The difference is I'm not a whore," she says with a hint of superiority that irks me.

"You might want to be careful with that."

She twists her lips together, considering if I am insinuating that her following me into the john, locking the door, dropping to her knees, and giving me head like a porn star—all without even giving me her name—constitutes a whore in my book. I let her ponder that.

"I only offered that because it was you, Branch Best."

"And maybe she's only tongue-fucking him because he's Finn Miller," I volley back, watching my best friend almost fall out of his chair. "A very, very drunk Finn Miller. Up you go."

We get to our feet, and I turn to the group of people that have congregated around Finn and I. They're all pretty much sloshed, thanks to Finn's open tab, friendly spirit, and recent signing bonus for a contract extension.

"See y'all next time I'm in town," I tell them. "Don't burn the place down."

"Can I get one more picture?" Peck, a guy I've taken a handful of photos with tonight stands, his cell phone in hand.

"No more pictures," the bartender says, coming around the end of the bar. He gives me a knowing look. "Peck, watch the bar for me for a minute, will ya?"

Peck nods and meanders to the backside of the counter, giving me a nod of his hat as he takes an order.

"You're trusting him back there?" I laugh.

"He's harmless. Known him since I was a baby." He extends a hand and we shake. "Name's Machlan Gibson. Nice to meet ya."

"Thanks for letting us crash your bar," I laugh, watching Finn straight hit the floor. The crowd around us bursts into laughter. "I gotta get him out of here before this shit ends up online."

"Hey!" Machlan booms. Instantly, the crowd quiets down. "Nobody's gonna be posting any of this online or you're banned for life and I'll tell your mama all the sordid things I know about you. Got it?" Once he's made eye contact with half his patrons, he turns back to me. "Now let's get him out of here before Peck gets heavy-handed with the whiskey and all hell breaks loose."

It takes the two of us to get Finn's six-seven ass to his feet and strapped into the passenger's side of my black Rover. The crowd surprises me by staying inside on Machlan's command and giving us some room.

"Hey, thanks again, Machlan," I say as the window rolls down and I get settled into the driver's seat. "Shit. I forgot to pay the tab."

"Don't worry about it. Finn will get even with me."

"You do realize he probably owes you a few hundred, right?"

"He'll be in and settle up. I've known the Millers most of my life." He shakes my hand again and turns back to the bar. "Thanks for coming in tonight."

Flicking on the ignition, the lights come to life. I pull down the small road with the town's only two streetlights to the stop sign at the "T" at the end of the road.