My Ex Ex (except gay)

Chapter 9: Dancing in the Moonlight Pt. 1

Nicole sits on her usual barstool at Shorty's nursing her third beer of the hour. Music is playing faintly from the jukebox in the corner and the sound of pool balls knocking against each other mixes with the conversations of the other bar patrons, causing the bar to sound rowdier than it actually is. Wynonna is working the first hour of her double shift and is currently wiping down the countertop near the redhead. Another one of Purgatory's most popular redheads sits next to Nicole sipping on a vodka tonic and scrolling through the emails on her phone.

"So she agreed to go with you tonight?" Wynonna asks leaning her elbows against the bar top.

"Surprisingly," Nicole nods before taking another sip of her beer.

"Why?" The other redhead quips, looking up from her phone for the first time since sitting down. "Aren't you guys, like, still hopelessly in love with each other?"

"Mercedes please," Nicole scoffs. "She's still in love with Champ," she's interrupted by Wynonna's fake gagging noises.

"Don't go getting all college romance on me here, Red," Wynonna starts, locking eyes with Nicole. "You know damn well that I don't want you fooling around with my baby sister while you're engaged to Shae," Nicole opens her mouth to argue but Wynonna continues, "but that doesn't mean that I don't want you to give her a good time and keep her away from seven seconds over there," she nods with her head in the direction of the tattooed rodeo clown across the room.

"I thought it was eight seconds," Mercedes replies without looking up from her phone.

"That's not what Waverly says," Nicole and Wynonna say simultaneously.

"Look, Wynonna," Nicole starts as the raven haired woman fixes a drink for another customer, "I don't plan on doing anything I shouldn't do with Waverly. I asked you if I could invite her to come with me tonight because I want to start over with her. To be friends with her again."

"Alright," Wynonna nods upon hearing the sincerity behind Nicole's words. "If letting you hang with Waves will get you to shut up, and if it means that she'll be more willing to come and visit me at the apartment more often, then so be it."

"Thank you, Wynonna," Nicole smiles at her roommate and places a few bills on the counter to cover her tab as well as a decent tip for the eldest Earp. Wynonna nods and walks to the other side of the bar to attend to other customers.

"You're hiding something," Mercedes says after a few moments of awkward silence. "There's something you aren't telling Wynonna," she sets her phone down and turns to face Nicole. "Spill it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mercedes," Nicole absentmindedly plays with the bottle in her hands.

"Oh you're definitely keeping something from her," Mercedes smirks. "But if you don't want to say anything to me, I can respect that. Just know that Tucker will be at your little shindig tonight. Keep a closer eye on Waverly than you were originally planning to. If there is anyone in this world that Wynonna loathes more than Champ Hardy, the supposed best real estate agent that works for me," she pauses to roll her eyes before continuing, "it's my pathetic excuse of a brother."

"Tucker?" Nicole's breath catches in her throat at the mention of the name.

"Yeah, you know...the one who – "

"YES!" Nicole shouts. "Yes," she repeats lowering her voice. "Trust me. I remember. I was the one Waverly called to pick her up."

"Right," Mercedes trails off. "I'm still really sorry about that. And I will never forgive him for what he did to either of you. Just know that she trusts you, Nicole. Despite the past you two have with each other," and with that, the real estate agent gets up and walks out of the bar.