Southern Belles 4 Blissmas by Amanda Heartley

doors for the ladies, helping them
out of the car. "He'll be okay, Marti, now say a prayer and don't
be a party pooper."
    As they walked into the Lodge, they saw half
the town, the other half was still showing up. Christmas music was
strumming through the speakers attached to the four corners of the
ballroom. The colorful lights were blinking around the room and the
smell of filet mignon and roasted vegetables filled the air.
    Tommy chatted with the Mayor and his wife,
with Annie by his side. Most of the small precinct was there with
their wives. Marti slipped over to the bar and ordered a drink.
    "Gimme something to take my mind off things,
please," She knew her smile was fake, but she couldn't help it.
    The bartender laughed, "That bad? I got just
the thing for you right here." As he pulled out a tall glass and
various forms of booze, Marti checked her phone. Nothing. "Hey,
aren't you Marti Odell?"
    "Yeah, do I know you?"
    "Oh man, you don't remember me? Jason? Jason
Billings, I was one class ahead of you."
    "Billings, Billings…" she thought, "oh yeah,
you were on the football team, weren't you?"
    "Yeah, quarterback. That was so long ago. I
own ‘The Bistro’ now. You should stop by," he said, handing her a
large, orange colored drink. "This should take your mind off
things. You aren't driving are you?"
    Giggling, "Oh gosh no, I'm not driving." She
picked up the drink and took a long sip, "Mmm, this is good.
Frosty. Thanks a ton!"
    He winked. "See ya around."
    Marti walked back to the table Tommy and
Annie were at and sat down. "You remember that guy Jason Billings
from the football team? Well he's mixing drinks tonight, says he
owns ‘The Bistro’." She leaned in to Annie and whispered, "He's so
fuckin hot, I remember him from High School. He can sure as hell
put those boots up under my bed anytime. I can't believe he
remembered me."
    Annie leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Marti! You are a married woman." she really didn't think Marti
would go astray, now she wasn't so sure. "I'm gonna have to keep an
eye on you." She winked.
    "Hah!...married...like where is my so called
husband?" Swallowing the last frozen bits of her drink. "Probably
stuck up in bed with Ellie, I knew that bitch was up to no good."
She walked over to the bar and ordered another drink.
    "Hey, Jason, can I get another one of those
yummy, frosty things you just made me? What's it called?" Playing
with the bright red tendrils of hair that fell along her neck, she
leaned forward, just enough so he could see the cleavage above her
dress. She giggled out a, "this is so yummy" in a little girl,
coquettish voice, checking out the way his tux grabbed his
quarterback-like shoulders, how his blonde hair fell over one eye.
"So what have you been doing all these years? Are you married?"
    "After high school, I enlisted and did a tour
in Iraq, another one in Afghanistan. I just recently came back to
Mountain View, I stayed in Atlanta for a couple years, bought ‘The
Bistro’, never been married and here I am.
    You?" he asked, nodding at the huge ring on
her finger.
    She took a big sip of the frosty drink and
started. "This?" Looking down at the rock on her finger, all her
guilt was in the bottom of the glass. "Well, this was a…probably a
big mistake."
    Her tongue slid out to grab the straw and she
sucked down another huge drink. Thoughts of Nick and her marriage
were being swallowed, little by little with the frosty beverage.
She wasn't living with him anyway.
    "I get it, not happy?" He handed her another
drink.
    "Not really. We don't even live together. The
bastard was supposed to be here tonight and he stood me up. I guess
he had better things to do." She bit her bottom lip. "I don't
really want to talk about that. Tell me about the ‘The
Bistro’…"
    "Sure. I’ll be right back." He made his way
to the end of the bar, mixing drinks for a few customers that had
been waiting. Marti slid off the chair and grabbed the bar to
balance herself. Shit! Oh