All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood Page B

me.
    â€œHold on tight,” she said, so I put both my arms around her and squeezed.
    I turned my head to sniff her hair the way she did mine. Honeysuckle and what I figured the ocean must smell like—sharp and salty. She giggled, and I had the weirdest feeling she was about to say something else, but someone in the shop called, “Is Kellen around?”
    Liam.
    I let go of Wavy, and as soon as I pushed my chair back, she got on her knees and scrambled under the desk. Barely made it before Liam opened the office door and started in about this party he was throwing out at the ranch. Before the party, he wanted me to go out drinking with him. He never was happy having just one thing going.
    â€œThere’s this girl I want you to meet out at the Rusted Bucket,” he said.
    It was pretty much the last thing I wanted to do, but all I cared about was getting Liam out of there without seeing Wavy. Sometimes when I’d look at that scar on her lip, I thought about killing him. Right then, I thought about the big old Colt revolver Cutcheon kept in the desk drawer. Instead, I came around the desk toward the door, so Liam had to step back into the garage.
    â€œWell, I need a shower first. I’m filthy,” I said, as I pulled the office door shut behind me.
    â€œSo go take a shower and meet me out there.”
    â€œAt the Bucket?”
    â€œYeah. We’ll have a few drinks and then take the girls out to the ranch.”
    Girls. By the time I showed up at the bar, Liam had these two girls in a booth with him. A pretty blonde with stripper tits and this brunette with a snake tattoo running up her arm from her hand to her shoulder. That’s the one Liam wanted me to meet. I wasn’t stupid. I could figure the situation easy enough. Both girls were interested in Liam and he wanted to keep them both on the hook.
    Two drinks later and Snake Girl was at least pretending to be interested in me. Her name was too confusing to remember: something like Marie-Elena or Maria-Lena.
    â€œSo, you’re a mechanic? Liam said you rebuilt his Harley,” she said.
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œThat’s cool. What kind of bike do you ride?”
    â€œA ’56 Panhead.”
    â€œYou gonna take me out on it or what?” She smiled, but she was looking over my shoulder at Liam, watching him kiss the blond girl.
    â€œWhenever you’re ready to go.”
    I was long past ready to leave. I couldn’t hardly make small talk with a girl to save my life, but having Liam there was ten times worse. He made me nervous.
    While we were on the bike, Snake Girl acted like she was happy enough to be with me. Kept her arms around me, put her head on my shoulder. Once we got to the ranch, though, she was back to staring at Liam. The trailer was packed and the stereo was up so loud it made the floor shake. I couldn’t hardly hear anything Snake Girl said.
    I leaned down to her and said, “Let’s go outside where it’s not as crowded.”
    She didn’t stop looking at Liam, but she nodded and followed me out through the living room to the porch.
    For a couple minutes we sat on the glider, not talking. Not even rocking.
    â€œSo what do you do?” I said. “Where do you work?”
    â€œNot anywhere right now. Sandy said Liam might be looking for some people.”
    â€œWho’s Sandy?”
    â€œThat blond bitch,” she said. Man, she was mad about that girl.
    â€œYou wanna walk up in the meadow? It’s pretty out there at night with the stars and all.”
    â€œNo thanks.”
    I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about, but when I put my arm around her, she let me. She even let me kiss her for a minute, before she turned her head. She tasted like cigarettes so I didn’t really care. I gave up, and then she reached down and unbuckled my belt. I was thinking we should go somewhere more private, but she started unzipping me right there. Didn’t want