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Date Posted: 01:07:23 03/13/06 Mon
Author: kennedypratt
Subject: I bet ya'll thought I had jumped ship
In reply to: Feathers 's message, "A CHALLENGE to our writers....." on 16:18:40 03/10/06 Fri

I got up slowly from my bar stool, gripping the copper edge of the bar trying to steady myself enough to walk out. Last call, I hated last call. My friend and I had been there since eight that night but I still had not managed to consume enough alcohol to erase the image in my mind. I slipped off my wedge heels and walked barefoot out onto the cold concrete sidewalk.
My friend was still at the end of the bar, chatting up the bartender who had served us graciously all night. I overheard her giving him her cell number, making plans for when he got off work in about an hour. So much for continuing our pity party at her house, I had the feeling I was about to be dropped off at home to commiserate by myself.

I shivered a little in the spring air, it had been so warm earlier when we selected our party clothes but now the wind had picked up and I shivered in the damp Nashville air. I bummed a cigarette off a young man who had had been leaving the bar at the same time. I didn’t really smoke but I felt since I had done so much damage to my liver why not give my lungs a little beating as well. I wasn’t much for conversation so the young man soon drove away in his Volkswagen beetle; just as well, I couldn’t date a man whose car looked like an Easter egg.

I smoke a little more furiously while I grew more impatient with my friend. I heard a familiar voice behind me, “Is this a new habit?”

He gripped my wrist in a firm manner, much like how he gripes the microphone, but I didn’t let go of my cigarette. I jerked my arm away and took another deep drag, exhaling slowly, eyeing him from behind my veil of smoke. God he looked good! Blue tee shirt, ratty jeans and boots. Then again, there were few things he didn’t look good in. I tried to appear cool.

“Well if it isn’t Keith Urban. Back from the land of botox and implants are we?”

He gave me a coy smile. “Been drinking a little, have we baby?”

I glanced at his posse of rambunctious boys that stayed a few yards back.
“Probably no more than you.” I replied.

“Ah now darlin’, I’ve had a couple beers and your barely standing upright and slurring your words.” He quipped back. “And this is cute too” he said reaching for my ear, where I had tucked one of the little yellow drink umbrellas.

With his hand still on the side of my head I reached toward his neck with two fingers.
“Glad you lost the tie; you looked awfully uncomfortable with it around your neck.”

He gave me a quizzical look. “What tie would that be, are you really that drunk?”

I stepped back, out of his reach. “Oh go fly a kite Keith! You know what I’m talking about. I had to look at that tie all over TV and the magazines.”

“Go fly a kite? What does that mean? You lost me in the English to English translation baby.” He laughed.

“I means, go f…”

Before I could finish my friend walked up. She looked at me and then at Keith. “So, I see things are about the same between you two. Good to see you Keith.” She gave him a one armed hug and he returned with a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you keeping an eye on this one here?” He asked her, nodding towards me.

“Oh you know that is quite a job, she gets away from me sometimes.” She joked back.

I was beginning to get mad. I hated being talked about like I wasn’t there. Their voices swam in my head, becoming indistinct and very low; they were discussing something and glancing occasionally at me. The glow of the streetlights and neon bar signs were disorienting me. I needed to sit down. I started to pitch forward when Keith caught me around the waist.

“Whoa now sweetheart, no trips to the ER tonight, and you don’t want to get blood on your pretty clothes.”

My friend took me by the shoulders, “Listen sweetie, that bartender in there wants me to go grab something to eat with him, and Keith is going to drive you home, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow, late tomorrow.”

Before I could protest she turned on her heels and walked back into the bar. Keith stood beside me, one arm around my shoulders, leaning into me with his hip supporting my body. “Can you walk baby? Should I carry you?”

I pushed him off, “Of course I can walk, and I walked out of that bar didn’t I?”

He stepped towards me, his face just inches from mine. “Of course you did darlin’ but its an awful long walk home, maybe if your nice you will get to ride in the car.”

I gave him a sneering look but made no reply. I could smell him he was so close. It was his smell that got me every time. He tossed his keys to one of his friends who went to retrieve the car from the parking deck. We stood on the sidewalk together; my cigarette was still burning in my hand. The tension between us created a cement wall. I knew there would be little hope of breaking it down this time.
He lifted my wrist gently, “There is no smoking in the Denali, sorry.”

I took a final drag before putting it out and dropping it into a trash can.

“Always the responsible citizen, even when completely hammered.” He commented.

I tried not to smile and turned my face from him, starring up at the tops of the buildings. He stepped closer, behind me. I could feel his belt buckle against the small of my back and his hair tickling my bare shoulders. I tried not to shudder when he put his hands on my hips.

“Are you going to tell me what awful thoughts you were trying to drown out here tonight?”

I took in a deep breath. “I think you know the answer to that, but I know you’d love to here me say it. The image of you at the Oscars with her, looking like smitten kittens. I’m trying to get that image out of my head but I’m afraid it’s burned in. Seventy dollars of liquor couldn’t erase it.” I said as clearly as I could.

“I only caught some of that baby, you are slurring so much. I got Oscars, smitten, image and seventy dollars of liquor. Were those the important parts?” He giggled.

“Yeah, you got most of it.”

I tried not to cry. I tried not to change my breathing or sniffle. I hated drunk crying. I hated crying in general. But it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it before. I couldn’t turn around; I knew if I did I would just bury my face in that space under his collar bone and cry and cry and cry.

Luckily his friend pulled up just then with the car and he packaged me into the front seat. I avoided his eye contact as he reached around me to buckle my seatbelt. During the ride home I closed my eyes as he and his friends made small talk, by the time he dropped the last one off I was fast asleep.

I was awoken in what seemed like hours later by his hand on my shoulder.
“Princess, wake up, we’re home.” He whispered to me.

I opened my bleary eyes and looked around at the lights and realized we were in his driveway.

“No, WE are not home, YOU are home Keith. You told Lindsay you would drive me home.” I stammered. I didn’t want to go in the house. I knew what would happen in there. I knew what would happen in the next few days if that happened. I knew I would get my heart broken, AGAIN.

“No, actually, I told her I would take care of you. I did just that right before you tried to take a header into the sidewalk. I said nothing about home.” He replied.

I started to wail inside the car. “Oh my god! I am drunk out of my mind, I need to go to bed and you want to debate with me!” I gripped my forehead. I was so dizzy, the interior of the car was spinning and I was seeing two, then four of Keith. He made no further discussion.

Keith walked around to my side of the car and opened the door. He unclipped my seatbelt and lifted me up by my arms. Shutting the door he guided me towards the sidewalk with one arm around my waist the other holding my left hand. We walked slowly in a not so straight line up the winding side walk.

I laughed, “Remember when you smashed your cell phone out here.”

He didn’t find that amusing. “One foot in front of the other baby, that’s it.”

Once he got to the door he leaned me up against the side of the house. He put his key in the lock and looked at me. “Um, if you are going to wretch, I rather you do it out here.”

“Oh, that was so polite Keith. Do you tell that to all the drunken girls you bring home?”

“I really wish you would get over yourself. You think you know so much?” He replied.

My thought process was still spinning, “Oh no, she’s not in there is she?” I asked with a horrified look on my face.

“Do you really think I’d be downtown picking up drunk exes at last call if she was here?” He asked.

“That’s true,” I agreed.

I sort of rolled/pushed myself off the door frame and stumbled through the open door into the foyer. He shut the door behind us.

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Replies:

[> [> lol -- Chesneygirl73, 07:13:52 03/13/06 Mon [1]

Now is he going to be a gentleman?? Or a naughty boy?


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[> [> Oh, KP, you always have so much juicy story to tell it can never fit into one chapter! LOL -- Feathers, 13:54:35 03/13/06 Mon [1]

I have a feeling that Keith knows how to bide his time until you're completely sober and "over yourself". Then it'll be you "over himself" or him "over yourself"! LOLOL

I loved your line about the "english to english" translation! LOL


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[> [> Very good to see you writing again. I was afraid I was taking up too much of your time since you hadn't written much for awhile. Very good stuff - as always. Thanks for brightening my Monday the 13th (always worse than Fri 13th). -- Texas_Cheryl, 15:14:15 03/13/06 Mon [1]


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[> [> Fantastic!!! -- ShanBan, 20:21:18 03/13/06 Mon [1]

That was awsome! I hope you continue it....you cant leave us hangin like that!


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[> [> [> just found this , i love it !!! -- kumonkey, 13:10:00 03/14/06 Tue [1]

I found this site when it originally started , then could never find it again. Saw Feathers' post on MAKU & never realised this was her site !! Glad to "be here" , finally !!

KP, love your work !!!I was a music writer yrs. ago, though I've never tried my hand at fiction. Am loving y'all's work !!


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[> [> [> [> Heya, kumonkey! Glad you're back! Feel free to bookmark us! And we're not all about writing, so jump in with whatever KU-related stuff you want to share! -- Feathers, 14:44:15 03/14/06 Tue [1]


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[> [> [> [> Hey kumonkey, welcome to the corner. -- kennedypratt, 16:03:54 03/14/06 Tue [1]


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