Let’s Create a Story

This year is a year of change for me in the writing world. It’s time to make some crucial changes and move forward. As I do this, I ask that you please bare with me. I have decided thru the request of many, that this year’s blogs will focus on the writing of a new story. If you were with me in November, you know the beginning of the story already. I am reposting that story in today’s post as chapter one. My plan is to post a new chapter every week. So, please read either for the first or second time. Feel free to email me your suggestions and comments as we walk this story’s journey together. Now, back to a place I love…

**There will always be typos, but I invite any proofreading you offer.

Alpine Story

K Wendt

Chapter One

            The gravel kicked up from under the black Harley’s tires as it came to a stop in front of the bar. As the dust settled back down, all the men outside watched as the black leathered figure turned off the bike. Cat calls and whistles escaped the lips of a few of the drunken idiots toward the bike’s rider.

Jen rolled her eyes underneath her helmet. She needed to get off her bike and go into the bar. Her friends were waiting for her, but the eight-legged creature between her and the door was taking it’s time to get out of her way.

“Jen!” Lynn called from the doorway.

Jen took off her helmet, letting her long red hair flow down her back as she did so. She pointed toward the eight-legged creature.

“Oh, good grief!” Lynn said as she turned and disappeared back into the bar.

A few of the cat calls continued as Jen stayed where she was. Most of it had died down when some of the men realized who was sitting on the bike.

Lynn came back out of the bar. This time, she had Aaron with her. He had a broom in his hand. Jen watched as Aaron walked over to the tarantula preventing Jen from getting off her bike. She saw the direction Aaron intended to send the tarantula.

“Aaron!” she screamed. “Don’t you dare!”

With one sweep of the broom, Aaron helped the tarantula jump closer to Jen’s bike.

“Aaron, I swear!” she screamed again.

Aaron was doubled over laughing. The tarantula decided to get a little closer to Jen.

 

 

“Aaron!” she screamed. “Seriously, I’ll start this bike back up and run you over!”

“Okay, okay, Red.” Aaron stood to his full six-foot height. “Calm down.”

He went over to the tarantula and helped to redirect its’ path. When it was far enough away, Jen finally got off the bike.

“I hate you, Aaron.” She said between clenched teeth.

Aaron walked over to her, put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Naw, Red, you love me, and you know it.”

She punched him in the chest.

“Ow!” He said laughing.

“I may love you, but I sure don’t like you right now.” She squeezed out of his grasp and walked up the steps to the bar. Lynn was on the ground in tears from laughing so hard.

“And you,” Jen said. “What sort of best friend does that to a person? There was nothing funny about that.”

“Oh, yes there was,” Lynn said as she tried to calm down. “You’re just mad because it was at your expense.”

Aaron joined them on the porch. “Shall we go in and drink the night away, ladies?”

Jen looked down and realized she hadn’t taken her protective gear off.

“Hold on,”

She walked back out to her bike and proceeded to strip off her leather pants and jacket. All male eyes watched her. She smiled to herself at the obvious ogling. Too bad they weren’t going to get everything they were hoping for. Under her leather pants she was wearing skinny jeans that were tucked into her riding boots and hugged her hips and curvy butt. The casual black tank top draped across perfectly shaped breasts. She combed her fingers through her long hair, shaking it out as she did so. Satisfied, she went back to the porch to join her so called friends.

“Jeez, Jen,” Aaron said, “For someone who swore off dating, you sure know how to mess with a guy.”

Jen smiled as she walked to the door, “I don’t mind showing them what they’re missing. Now, how about a Jack and Coke before your set?” she said as she walked into the bar.

Her two friends followed her.

 

 

 

 

“Hey, Sam,” Jen said as she sat down on a stool.

Sam turned from the customer he was serving.

“’Bout time you came in,” Sam told her. “I was losing customers because of you.

“Me?” Jen smiled. Sam liked to tease and she knew it.

“Yeah, you,” every guy in here had to see who was causing all the fuss outside.” Sam leaned across the bar and looked at Jen with a serious face, “tell me, did this one survive?”

“What?” Jen was confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about,” Sam told her, a smile forming on his lips, “the last encounter you had with a tarantula resulted in the poor little guy’s death.” Sam, Lynn, and Aaron all busted out laughing.

Jen tilted her chin up, “They are not poor little creatures,” she said trying to defend her fear of the eight-legged creations. “They are creepy.”

“You know, Jen,” Lynn said, “if someone who didn’t know you heard you talking they would never believe you love this place so much.”

“Ain’t that the truth!” Aaron agreed.

“I do love Alpine. I could just do without those things living here.”

“Enough about spiders,” Aaron said. “Are you going to sing with me tonight, Red?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, come on,” Lynn said. “you should. You cowrote some of the songs with him after all.”

“Nope, I’m just fine with writing the lyrics. I don’t need to sing and no one needs to hear me sing them.”

“I’ve heard you sing, Red, You’re not bad.” Aaron teased.

“When have you ever heard me sing?” Jen asked.

“Oh, I don’t think this the time to discuss that,” He said with a grin. “Besides, it’s time for me to onstage.”

Aaron walked off quickly.

“I wonder what he’s talking about.” Jen said.

“Oh, based on how red your cheeks are right now,” Lynn replied. “I think you know.” She gave her best friend a wink before turning to get a good view of the stage to watch their friend perform.

Jen did know what Aaron was referring to, but that was always supposed to remain between them. She wished he hadn’t teased her about it in front of everyone else.

 

 

It was two in the morning when Jen got back on her bike to go home. It had been a good night. Aaron was, as usual, great on the stage. She thought about him as she waved one last time to him before driving away.

She wished he’d leave this small town and chase his Nashville dream. She didn’t know anything about the industry, but she did know he had talent and it was being wasted here.

She decided to turn left and take the long way home. It was a cloudless sky tonight and the stars were beautiful. She loved riding on the open road under the stars. For the most part it was calming to her. Just think of now, not then, she would always tell herself as her mind drifted to a time so long ago now.

Jen shook her head and instead thought about the good time she had had with her friends. While, Aaron sang, Jen and Lynn drank drinks that other hopeful men bought for them. Jen knew her limit and she also knew neither one of them would be going home with someone. It was a rule they had made many years ago:  If you want to remember everything that happened, don’t get drunk and no man is worth the drink he’s buying. They both believed love was found outside the bar, not in it.

Jen’s mind wandered again. She knew that to be true. Love, did indeed exist outside the bar. Too bad she wasn’t able to hold on to it. Jen slowed down as she came to some deer grazing on the side of the road. As she crept passed them, she realized where she was. Memories came rushing back to her of another cloudless night, sitting on his hood, snuggled into his arms and wishing they could stay like that forever.

Get over it Jen! She chided herself. It was so long ago. He’s gone. Not coming back. Let go! Jen shifted gears and sped up her bike. This time going a little faster than she should around the curves. She was running from the memories again, just like she did every time she took that drive. Her vision blurred under her helmet as she attempted to will the tears to stop. She hated that he still affected her so much. It had been long enough. Why did she care anymore? As Jen blinked the tears away, she knew the answer.

 

 

 

“Hey, Jen,” Lynn said as she shook her best friend. “We’re going to be late.”

Jen opened one eye and looked up at Lynn

“For?”

“It’s almost time for the game.” Lynn said getting up and pulling the covers off  Jen.

“Ugh,” Jen moaned and turned over. “Tell me why we go to watch a losing team again.”

“Because,” Lynn said, “we should support them whether they win or lose.”

Jen sat up. “Right! That’s why we go. It has absolutely nothing to do with the new coach.”

“Oh!” Lynn swatted Jen with a pillow. “Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t, but you need to get up.” Lynn swatted at her again.

“Alright, alright,” Jen said getting out of bed. “I’m up, just let me take a quick shower.”

 

 

After the game, Jen and Lynn met up with Aaron and a few other friends at the only pizza joint in town. The Lobos had lost another game but, no one was surprised by that. The school was known for its’ rodeo and ag program, not for football or really any other sport. But, you support your town’s local teams no matter what and most of their friends liked to go for pizza after a game.

“Hey, girls,” Will said as they came into the restaurant.

“Hey, Will,” Lynn said as she scooted into the corner booth next to him.

Jen scooted in next to Aaron. He put his arm around her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Are you still mad about last night?” he asked her.

 

 

“You know I hate tarantulas,” she frowned at him.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, Red.”

Jen knew what he was referring to. She just didn’t want to talk about it. Not then, in front of all their other friends. Never again, actually. She didn’t want to discuss one of the worst nights she had ever experienced with anyone.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Aaron. Please don’t bring it up again.” She told him.

“Whatever you say, Red,” Aaron kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Just remember I do love you and I am always here for you.”

Jen blushed slightly as she caught Lynn watching them. Lynn had always teased that it should have been Aaron Jen ended up with instead of wasting her time on Thomas. Thomas…

Jen wondered how Thomas was doing. Where was he now? What was he doing? Was he happy? Did he think about her? Jen shook her head slightly. She chided herself inwardly for falling back into the pit of memories she swore she’d never visit again. She knew better. Every now and then, with the voicing of certain phrases, certain times of the year, and every damn time she took that ride, memories of the only man she had truly loved came flooding back and her heart would break all over again.

 

 

Lynn watched her two best friends across the table. They really were perfect for each other. Aaron didn’t let anything happen to Jen he could prevent and there was a night long ago, he nearly killed a man over her. Lynn wished the two of them would get over the “we’re just friends” wall they built up for each other and just be the couple they were meant to be.

Lynn knew when her best friend was happy and when she wasn’t. Her happiest times always seemed to involve Aaron. Even when she dated that pain in the ass, Thomas, Jen was still happiest when Aaron was around. Thank God that jerk left, Lynn thought.

She didn’t like Thomas. Never had. Something about him made her cringe every time he came around. Maybe it was the fact that his nose actually appeared to be stuck in the air when he was around Jen’s friends. The man had high expectations and ambitions. He couldn’t be faulted for that, but it was obvious he had a very clear idea of the type of people that were going to be worth his trip to the top.

 

 

Jen was an ideal person for him. At least in the beginning, when he was still finding his way. He was her first college sweetheart. She was his…. Lynn wasn’t sure what Jen ever was to Thomas, but oh how Jen had loved him. Bastard!

“Lynn, what do you want to drink?” Will asked, shaking Lynn back to reality.

How long had the waiter been standing there?

“Sorry, I’ll have Pepsi please.” She told the waiter.

“Where did you drift off to?” Will asked.

Lynn looked across the table at her best friend.

“Nowhere, really,” she lied. “Just remembered something I have to do before my first client on Monday.”

 

 

It had been another stressful day at the office. Thomas threw his mail on the counter as he walked into his downtown apartment. Dallas was booming with the Cowboys winning last night’s game.

He took off his jacket and tie. He hated having to wear a tie a work. It always made him feel like the life was being sucked out of him. What he wouldn’t give to be in an old pair of Wranglers and straddling a horse right now, he thought as he took out a glass to pour his evening relaxer in.

Jack and Coke. That had been their thing. He had taught Jen how to drink it one night. Damn.

If Thomas were honest with himself, he would admit that he missed her. Needed her. But, he didn’t think she would ever want to see or speak to him again. Not after the way things ended.

 

It happened on graduation night many years ago. Everyone was celebrating being done with college and moving on officially into adulthood. He had a career waiting for him Dallas. Moving up the scales in the financial world was his goal and he had decided the girl he loved was too small town to go on the ride with him.

Thomas had decided it was best to wait until the end of the night when it was just the two of them to tell Jen. He had to settle on doing it in front of Aaron because it seemed that guy wasn’t going to leave. Maybe he sensed what I was going to do?

 

 

Thomas had taken her outside into the backyard of the house Jen rented. He had thought maybe putting some distance between them and Aaron would help him say what he needed to.

As he took a drink from his glass, Thomas remembered Jen’s reaction. He had never seen her so angry, or so hurt the whole time he had known her. He knew she had every reason to be upset. He chose his career over her. That was a decision he didn’t think he would ever regret. That was also twenty years and one divorce ago. Now, as he downed his glass, he’d give anything to have her back, laughing in his arms.