Wildhorse Salon: A Narrative Fiction

Seven tick bites, one dog bite, and a garter snake bite. Summer was here apparently. That and every wild critter out there was hungry today. It was a busy night in the emergency department. When her shift ended at 11:30pm she was still wide awake. The prospect of going home to an empty house was a downer. “Hey Lynn, do you want to go do something? I don’t feel like going home yet.” “Sure, I’m betting Bob’s asleep anyway. What do you have in mind?” “I don’t know. What is there to do on a Friday night around here?” Not having been out on any “real” dates around here yet she had no idea. “Let’s go have a drink. I’ll meet you over at the Wildhorse Saloon. It’s on fourth avenue. Do you know where I mean?” She knew it. It had a large carousel …show more content…

thanks. I’ll get the next one.” Lynn laughed. “You may only need one.” She said over the loud music and drunken crowd. “Wow this is good,” Bennett said, taking another sip. “What is it?” “Go slow, doll. It’s stronger than it tastes. It’s a strawberry long island ice tea.” The two women, though very different in age and background, laughed and talked like seasoned friends. A man came up to Bennett and asked her to dance while she was on her third drink. (Now rum and diet coke.) “Sure. I’d love to dance. Lynn, you come too.” The man graciously danced with both women. One old enough to be his mother. But paid extra attention to Bennett… until another cut in. “Hey, let me cut in Owen.” Cole said to the guy as the song changed. The guy turned and started dancing with Lynn again. “I didn’t know you were here.” Bennett said in her happy go lucky drunk voice. Cole and she started dancing to a slow song that was playing. “Yeah I’ve been watching you dance for the last hour. Don’t leave your drink alone with that guy.” He was currently giving her old dance partner the stink eye. “Why? Did he kick your puppy?” She started laughing at her drunken attempt at humor. “You’re so drunk.” He said with a smile. “Maybe. You don’t seem to be though. …show more content…

“No, you buffoon. Swift the horse on the roof.” “Oh.” Cole shook his head at her laughter. Sure enough, there, on the roof was Officer Mike… riding Swift the horse in his Denny’s Designated Dicks tuxedo t-shirt. “Oh crap. I better get him down before someone takes a picture.” Cole pulled himself up the sign, the whole time the ripples of muscles on his back strained against his light blue shirt. From her spot on the ground she had the perfect view of his tight butt in the faded jeans he was wearing. He hoisted himself onto the roof just as Mike was yelling “Yee- haw!” “Come on Buddy, I’ll take you home.” He helped his brother-in-law down and instructed him to “wait right here.” “I’m going to go grab the truck. He just lives down the street a mile or two. Do you want to wait inside until I get back or are you ready to go now too?” Before she could answer Mike bent over and threw up on the sidewalk. “Yuck. I think I’ll wait here until you come back.” “Ok. Give me your phone.” He programed his number in it then handed it back. “My number is in there, If I don’t come back in ten minutes call me. Ten minutes.” He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. He just did it. Didn’t think about it. Then he locked eyes with her as she reached up and touched her lips. A second later he and Mike were