Free Rebecca's Rose by Jennifer Beckstrand

have a meaningful relationship with a good girl.”
    Jason grabbed Levi’s arm. “What’s gotten into you, man?”
    “Nothing. Just thinking.”
    “Well, quit thinking and start drinking.”
    Jason and Dax roared with laughter until Jason started into a coughing fit and Dax stood up and pounded him on the back.
    Meaningful communication was at an end. Levi surrendered his place at the bar and wandered to the pool table, where a guy was teaching a girl how to hold the cue.
    I’ll bet Rebecca would like to learn how to play.
    Levi shook his head. That girl popped into his mind at the most random moments.
    Even amid the noise Levi heard the door squeak open, and he looked over to see Tara saunter in, holding hands with that Eddie guy. Eddie wore a very impressive chocolate-brown cowboy hat complete with a pair of hand-stitched boots and a belt buckle the diameter of a small grapefruit.
    Tara was what Beth would call “high-maintenance.” Her bright-red fingernails were expertly manicured, and not a strand of her bleached-blond hair was out of place. Her bright-red shoes had impossibly high heels. Levi had no idea how she walked in them. Not easily, because with them on her feet, she bent forward slightly and sort of waddled like a duck. Levi hadn’t really thought before about how ridiculous that looked.
    Tara quickly surveyed the bar stools and then, not seeing what she came for, scanned the faces around the room.
    Levi wasn’t a coward, but he didn’t want to talk to her. Two dates with Rebecca were enough to compel him to rethink his choices. He didn’t want to get back together with Tara again.
    But if he informed Tara of that, she’d make a scene and embarrass herself and then he’d feel guilty and angry and trapped all at the same time. No doubt Eddie’s presence was meant to provoke jealousy and pressure Levi to beg Tara to take him back. He felt almost sorry for her. How could she know her strategy wasn’t going to work?
    Levi recognized the moment when Tara spotted him. Her eyes locked briefly on his and then she immediately looked away as if he wasn’t anybody she knew. Dragging Eddie along with her, she strode not toward Levi but to the bar, where she greeted Jason and Dax and visited with exaggerated enthusiasm.
    Might as well get it over with. Levi hadn’t talked to Tara for three weeks. He hadn’t called her as he’d intended, hadn’t wanted to. At the time, he had left her with every expectation that they would get back together. Man, how things had changed.
    Levi marched to the bar and put a hand on Dax’s shoulder. “Hey, Tara,” he said.
    Tara fixed a look of surprise on her face and threw her arms around Levi. “Levi, hi! How are you?”
    Eddie looked confused and uncertain at the same time. Levi could see the wheels turning in his head as he wondered whether he should act jealous or angry or neither that Tara hugged another guy. Eddie opted to appear indifferent to Levi’s presence. Levi thought that was a good idea. Tara’s power increased when she knew she could manipulate someone’s feelings.
    Nudging her away, Levi told a small lie. “It’s good to see you.”
    “How was the Sports Expo?” Tara asked. “Jason said you had to work it for like twelve hours a day.”
    “It was fine. Good overtime pay.”
    “My brother went, but he didn’t see you,” Tara said.
    Eddie, who stood behind Tara, pulled her a little closer to him and put his hands around her waist. Levi looked at Eddie and nodded. “Hey, Eddie.”
    “Hey.”
    “I saw the new hubcaps on your truck. Sweet.” Levi said.
    Eddie kind of smiled. “Birthday present from my dad.” He nuzzled his face into Tara’s hair.
    She pulled away from him and giggled. “Eddie, stop!”
    Levi thumped Dax on the shoulder. “I’m leaving. I’ve got to get up early tomorrow.”
    “But we just got here,” Jason said.
    “You’re getting along fine without me,” Levi said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Wait,” Tara