Chapter 8: Lucy again.

.....Jerrid got up to get another round.

Chris looked around the room, taking in everyone in the bar. He was able to recognize some of the people already from the cafe and could tell who the people coming back from Colorado were: They were the ones being passed around and hugged while being examined for the change from three years ago. Chris’ gaze fell on a table filled with four girls, one of them Mary-Anne Dawes and one was Lucy from Doctor Stevensen’s office. She was wearing the same outfit without the sweater covering her shoulders and she had on more make-up, making her look older and sexually enticing. She saw Chris looking at her, she mouthed ‘hi’ and waved. All the girls except Mary-Anne turned to look as Chris waved back.

Katrina watched to see who Chris was waving at. When she saw it was Lucy they exchanged waves, but the other girls rolled their eyes and turned back into their seats. The girl sitting next to Lucy said something that made the rest of the girls laugh. Lucy shrugged. Katrina knew it was something about her but she didn’t care; she wasn’t popular in school and if these girls didn’t like her, then she did want to be their friend anyways.

Gregory and Jerrid were pre-occupied with a couple of women dancing next to the bar, obviously trying to get the attention of the men: rubbing each other’s bodies and pressing their hips into one another rhythmically swaying with the beat of the music.

The haggard waitress plopped her butt down in Jerrid’s lap and asked if they wanted to do any more shots. Jerrid said they did and she stood up as quickly as she had sat down.

Chris glanced over at the girls’ table to see if Mary-Anne was bothered by this interaction. Lucy smiled at him again while Mary-Anne shot daggers at the waitress. Lucy stood up to walk over to Chris’ table, keeping her eyes on him the entire time. Katrina realized her intentions and got up to go to the lady’s room. She felt uncomfortable knowing Lucy was interested in Chris and needed to avoid that interaction.

Jerrid smiled and nodded at her, which she returned with a polite smile and nod.

“Hi Chris. I was hoping you’d come tonight,” She giggled awkwardly. Jerrid and Gregory looked at Chris with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

There’s a lot of hoping to see people tonight Chris thought. “Oh, yeah, well Katrina and I thought it would be a good idea to come and meet some more people-- to interview.”

“Doctor Stevensen thinks that you have very good potential to get the story out.” She twirled a lock of blonde hair around her finger.

“He said that?”

“Uh huh.”

Chris got a little red in the face and looked over at the giggling table of girls from which Lucy just came. He looked back at her and she was caressing her bottom lip with her teeth. “Oh, well that’s nice.” He was cursing his inability to entertain females.

Lucy gave him a confused look and ended the conversation. “Okay, um, well I’m just over there if you want to chat later. It was good seeing you.” She turned to walk away.

“You too.” He dropped his head in shame.

Jerrid and Gregory had turned their back to the conversation in the beginning but had obviously been listening because they both spun around in their chairs, laughing and shaking their heads. Katrina walked up at that moment and asked what happened--even though she already had a pretty good idea from the lack of high fiving.

“Well, your boy Chris here wouldn’t know how to pick up a chick if she were attached to his finger.” Jerrid said

Katrina was relieved nothing romantic was exchanged between the two and she regretted the feeling that came with it; it meant she was starting to have feelings for Chris. She recognized it and pushed it to the back of her mind

Chris didn’t say anything but shook his head. He was confident his face was at least three shades pinker. He couldn’t look over at the table of girls again. But Katrina could and they were all laughing while Lucy sat there with a wondering look on her face. Katrina felt a pang of happiness and contentment.

They spent the majority of their time at the bar drinking and taking more shots. Gregory and Katrina got caught up on the past three years while Jerrid and Chris played more pool. During one of their games, a man, who seemed intoxicated burst through the front door and frantically searched the room with his eyes. Jerrid noticed and recognized the guy. He put his pool cue down, excused himself from the game and calmly sprinted towards him. Chris couldn’t hear the exchange between the two men, but judging by Jerrid’s animated hands, it wasn’t a pleasant situation.

Chris walked up to Katrina and Gregory. “Who’s that guy Jerrid’s talking to?”

They both looked over towards the door. Katrina stood up and rushed over as quickly as Jerrid had.

“That’s Clint—Katrina’s uncle,” Gregory answered. He wasn’t as concerned as the other two, and he didn’t get off his chair.

Chris mentally reprimanded himself for not remembering Clint from the photo albums. His dark hair was just as thick, but streaked with gray; his face was worn like old leather but his strong jaw was still very prominent. He was wearing a jacket thicker than what Chris thought he would need for this weather.

Chris sat down and watched the interaction with Gregory. Katrina was distraught; she pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead. Jerrid threw his hands up in the air again and Katrina was trying to diffuse the situation; pushing her hands towards the floor in a ‘calm down’ motion, followed by touching her hand to Clint’s arm. When she patted him on the shoulder he seemed to calm and nodded in some kind of agreement before he walked out the door.

Katrina said something to Jerrid, which only received a nod in return and they started back towards the table. No one in the bar was bothered by the situation—they didn’t even notice.