By Rachel Torrent

Shortly after their audience retreated, the men began to loosen up when the alcohol lubricated them. It was now Evan’s turn to sit and watch Scottie and Slick shoot pool.

Roy Dean chatted with Alan. Ben and Jody were eating as they chatted. And Tyler and Loyal were getting some food from the buffet. Jack sat a table with Terry. They, too, were eating.

As Earl Ray approached the Men’s Room door down the hall behind the bar, Roger walked out. Cosmic coincidence. They both stopped and stared at each other.

“Well………We meet again, Earl Ray. Nice little party, huh?” Roger didn’t smile, nor did he seem overtly friendly.

“Why can’t you just stay outta my way, Roger?” Earl Ray tried not to let his dangerous temper get warmed up. He had promised Sahndra he wouldn’t.

“Now why should I, man? Why can’t you just get over things that happened a long time ago and move on?”

Earl Ray gritted his teeth, involuntarily. “Because I think you’re an asshole…………And that ain’t nevah gonna change.”

Roger sighed exhaustively. “You oughtta get whatever is bugging you outta your system, Earl Ray. It’s not healthy.”

“I don’t need your two-bit advice, Roger. So just stay the fuck away from me. Got it?”

“Fine……….I just think it’d be easier on you and on………..Julie……….if the hostility disappeared.”

“Go to hell, Roger……….and don’t talk to me about Julie ever again.”

Roger held up a hand in mock defense. “Whatever you say, man. I ain’t losing any sleep over it.”

He went on past Earl Ray and rejoined the party. But neither of them quickly forgot the brief, contentious encounter.

* * *

“He’d already come back here and set up the bed and everything………He knew he’d wear me down eventually.”

Sahndra was in the “sick” room with Christine telling her the whole story of the infamous pearl necklace Scottie had given her during that birthday party long ago. It was a sort of bonding experience for herself and for Christine -–Sahndra being able to let go of the past enough to share intimate memories of Scottie with his new girlfriend, and Christine being able to trustingly hear about them.

“And ya just DID it back here? While the party was going on?” Christine’s eyes were wide in disbelief.

“Sure! Why not? Scottie’s full of surprises…….You’ll find out.”

“Oh, I’m already finding out………..Are you sure you’re okay hearing about me and him? I mean I know that’s weird sometimes,” Christine said, sounding sincere.

Sahndra laughed, hiding her few lingering reservations. “Christine, I want Scottie to be happy. And I want to know all about it too.” She knew this was a half lie. But she really did like Christine.

“Ladies, what are ya doing back here in the dark, pray tell?”

Startled, they both turned around to find Ben, a hot conversation topic, standing behind them. He had a wry smile on his tanned face. “Come back out into the light with those faces of yours. I need a dance partner. Jack’s taking everyone else.” He sounded more suggestive than seductive. Far different than Jack’s style.

Sahndra and Christine wordlessly followed him back to the dining room, watching his broad shoulders and his nice ass as he walked. Back in there, they found Jack. He’d been dancing with all the other ladies, and it was Julie’s turn now. She was smiling, of course.

“Ben, what are you two doing over here?”

He turned to Sahndra, who’d asked him the question, and raised his eyebrows. “Is that a complaint? ‘Cause I don’t wanna be a bother……….or break any laws or anything……….I can leave.” He turned up one side of his mouth in a half smile.

She grabbed his hand. “Don’t be silly. I’ve been dying to dance with you forever. You never dance.”

Ben squeezed her hand in his. “I just felt like it tonight……..You look so lovely……….And the party over there’s a little restless………..The strippers canceled, and everyone’s getting drunk,” he said.

They were dancing slowly now between the tables. The “girls” had music piped in over here too. Their music. His arms around her waist, her arms around his neck. Chests barely touching. He felt and smelled heavenly to Sahndra. She could see every line in his face.

“Oh, so I get your undivided attention just ‘cause the whore brigade didn’t show,” Sahndra said cynically. She smiled at him.

He looked her face over. “I’d much rather have your undivided attention.” He’s more sincere and thoughtful than Jack, Sahndra thought, comparing her fantasy man to Julie’s.

Sahndra felt a flutter in her heart. She imagined that Julie was feeling the same flutter or maybe even a stronger one since Jack was holding her close in a slow-dancing embrace. He rubbed her back with his hands.

“Your boyfriend and your ex-husband have been giving each other eat-shit looks all night,” Jack was saying softly to Julie. “What’s going on?”

“They’re both such babies. I wish they’d cut that crap out and grow up,” Julie whispered. She just wanted to dance with Jack. She and Sahndra didn’t fear their “other halves” coming over. They’d told them to stay at their own party.

“You feel good, Julie………I’ve missed this.”

“You feel excellent too, Jack……..Just be careful.”

Ben and Jack rejoined their troops after their brief frolicking interlude. The ladies then drank more wine and gave Lonnie the sexy gifts they’d brought her.

The atmosphere was giggly and steamy an hour later when sounds of raised voices from the bar room jolted their attention. Jack appeared suddenly in the foyer between the two rooms. He didn’t look so cool and seductive for once. “Julie! Sahndra! You’d better get out here!” he shouted.

* * *

Roger and Earl Ray HAD been exchanging unpleasant (to say the least) glances and stares all evening. Neither had completely cooled down after their last collision. In fact, the alcohol and the company of other men had fueled the simmerings in them. And Jack wasn’t the only party guest to notice.

Most of the party’s activity had clustered around the pool tables and the dart boards by now, with the actual bar catching the overflow. Just before Jack came over to call for Julie and Sahndra, Roger had been sauntering by where Earl Ray was standing and talking to Ben. The two enemies had, of course, glared at each other for a moment.

“There’s just so much trash around town that oughtta be cleaned up,” Earl Ray was saying to Ben. Did he raise the volume just slightly for Roger’s benefit, especially considering the words he was conveniently speaking? Maybe. Maybe he was a little agitated due to Roger’s arrogant image being in his line of sight.

Roger stopped. He’d definitely interrupted the comment as a direct insult to him. He turned around slowly.

“Earl Ray, why don’t you just chill out, man, and enjoy the party?” Ben stepped back a step, unsure of things. Tyler, overhearing everything, looked at them from behind Roger.

Earl Ray calmly placed his empty beer mug on the table beside him. “Look, you back-stabbing thief – I told ya to stay outta my face.” His jaw was clenched for sure now, and he felt his blood begin to come to a slow-rolling boil.

Roger laughed his cocky, fading-away laugh. “Man, you’ve got some damn nerve slamming me for what you’re guilty of your own cheating self. And if you’d been able to hold onto what used to be yours, she wouldn’t be in MY bed every night.”

“You sonofabitch!”

Earl Ray cold-cocked Roger with his tight fist, hitting his left jaw hard. Roger stumbled backwards just a step or two, but was back up and at Earl Ray in a quick flash. Earl Ray was waiting for him, though. He’d been waiting for Roger for months. He grabbed the front of the solid black shirt and pushed him back, slamming him into the brick wall of the bar.

Julie, who had dug her fingers into Jack’s arm and cried out softly, “Omigod,” when Roger got hit, now gasped loudly as if she’d been the one slammed against the wall.

“Get off me, Earl Ray, you bastard!” Roger said with the little breath he had left in his body.

Peering into Roger’s eyes and with gritted teeth, Earl Ray said loud enough for everyone to hear, “I could kill you right now, you piece of shit.”

As soon as Ben pulled Earl Ray forcefully off Roger, Roger was free to charge him. And he did. But Tyler was there to restrain Roger too and pulled him off Earl Ray. Both of them struggled against their captors’ grips like snarling dogs.

Scottie came out of nowhere to stand between them. He held both his arms out, separating them from each other.

“Cut it out, you two fucking children! What is this? Sesame Street? You infants should be ashamed! Fighting over women, of all damn things! Jesus Christ!”

He looked from one to the other for a moment. Then, as if he had suddenly become the ring leader of the circus, he said, “Let ‘em go.” Tyler and Ben released their hostages.

“You two pull that bullshit again, and I’m gonna kick BOTH your dumb asses.”

Everyone in both rooms had gathered to stare at the fracas. Now nobody knew what to do. Julie, aching, wanted to run over to Roger, but knew she couldn’t dare do so even if Jack wasn’t holding her arm.

As the men all disbanded and quietly walked away. Roger sought Julie out across the room as if he sensed her anxiety. As if he knew she’d been watching. When his eyes found hers, he seemed to say, “Don’t worry. I’m okay.” But she did worry, and she tried silently to tell him so.

Earl Ray had wheeled around as soon as Scottie was done with his impromptu peacemaker speech and walked briskly away. He was coming to find Sahndra so that they could quickly leave, but she was in Julie’s office getting her purse. She had already known he would want to leave.

So it was Julie, still flanked by Jack, that Earl Ray ran into in the foyer. He stopped and looked at her without expression. She had tears in her eyes.

“Sorry, baby………He had it coming,” he said softly and gently to her.

Of all the things screeching through her mind at that moment, Julie could only say, “You’re an asshole, Earl Ray.”

He swallowed and walked on past her to the dining room. The party was breaking up quickly now, and it was late.

Julie forgot about Jack completely and went to where Lonnie was sitting to apologize for the commotion at her party. “Hey! No big deal!” Lonnie had answered cheerfully. “What’s a party without fireworks?”

But it WAS a big deal to Julie, especially when she couldn’t find Roger. She had gone to the kitchen, but he wasn’t back there. She started to panic.

“He walked out back with LaMont, Jules.” Alex had seen her searching the room frantically. “Here. Give him this.” Ice.

When she opened the back door, Scottie and Roger were standing near the street light. Scottie was smoking. They turned to her.

“Here’s some ice, honey. Is it bad?” Somehow, she resisted the urge to throw herself on him.

“The fucker didn’t break it……..I’ll live,” Roger said, holding his left jaw.

“Your ex thinks he’s Mike fucking Tyson, Jules. That’s some right hook he’s got,” Scottie said laughing.

Julie glared at him. “It’s not funny, Scottie………Roger, ya sure you’re okay?” She reached up and kissed his mouth briefly when he moved the ice pack to answer her.

“Yeah, baby……..I’m fine.”

She tasted blood from the kiss. “No, you’re not! You’re bleeding!”

He pulled her to him with his free hand. “Settle down, Julie. It’s not much………..Let’s just go home. I need a drink.”

“There’s a whole bar in there, man. Complete with a boxing ring and all.” Scottie chuckled to himself.

“Shut up, Scottie!” Julie turned on him again. She was still very tense.

“Go get you purse, sweetheart.” Roger patted her ass.

As she walked away, she heard Scottie say, “Guess I’m next on his list, huh, man?”

* * *

Earl Ray, Sahndra discovered, didn’t want to talk after the incident. He drove them home in silence and went straight to bed. He had no problem with sex when she snuggled up next to him. He even seemed a little more rough and feverish than usual. Then he held her close to his sweaty upper body and sighed heavily.

Finally, after a long, dark silence, he quietly told her about the conversations he’d had with Roger, the ones she hadn’t heard. “He deserved what I gave him and then some, Sahndra.”

“Earl Ray, I’m certainly not blaming you. I think you did the right thing, honey.”

“But I caused a scene at Roy Dean’s party, and Julie’s pissed at me.”

“As long as your conscience is okay with it, Earl Ray…………”

“My conscience is okay with it.”

It was killing Sahndra to know if he’d released his stored up rage over Roger, if he could let it go now. She looked at his red sweater on the end of the bed and realized how appropriately he’d been dressed that night.

* * *

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, if all this shit happened ‘cause of me.” Julie was in a T-shirt and panties and lying on her stomach on the bed looking at Roger.

He was beside her, propped up on two pillows, legs crossed, holding another ice pack on his sore jaw. He glanced over at her.

“To hell with it……….You’re worth a few more little punches and public embarrassments than that, sweets.”

Julie smiled and put her head down on his stomach, and he laid his hand on her hair comfortingly.