Free The Possibilities - Desire - A Collection of Short Stories by Stormy Adams Page B

back in the bar, and
everyone went on about their business.  The bartender popped the top on a
Corona beer and inserted a twist of lime in the neck, passing it to the quiet
man.  “Thanks buddy,” he said quietly, “that’s on the house” and then
moved off down the bar to serve another customer.  The quiet man, never
having said a word or even acknowledged anyone else’s existence, took his beer
and moved to an empty single table at the back of the bar.
    Gillian grabbed the closest
waitress.  “Who the hell is that?” 
    “I don’t know honey,” the pretty
waitress said, tugging at her blouse to make her cleavage stand out a little
more.  “The guys just call him Ranger, I’ve never heard anybody call him
anything else.  He spooked me at first, but he’s been coming in for nearly
a year now, always sits at the same table. Never says a word to anybody, never
bothers anybody.”
    Gillian was confused.  “If he
never bothers anybody, why was everyone so afraid of him?  This whole
place got quiet as a graveyard when he came in.”
    The waitress laughed, and Gillian
could tell there was a story coming by the way the waitress leaned against the
bar and put her tray down.  “The man that was messin’ with you?”  It
was a question so Gillian nodded her understanding.  “He’s Joel Truax and
he’s the meanest sonofabitch that ever come out of the swamps of Northwest
Florida.  He’ll fight at the drop of a hat and laugh while he’s doin’ it.
I guess it was the second or third time Ranger came in here, dressed just like
he is tonight.  We had an old drunk that used to hang around here, Mike
somethin’ I think his name was, and he was a Viet Nam veteran who only had one
leg. Joel was slapping old Mike around and making fun of his missing leg. 
Mike couldn’t take care of himself anymore, too old and too drunk to care I
guess, and everybody here is scared shitless of Joel Truax.  Anyway,” she
said, pausing for a breath before rattling on, “Ranger come in the door and
stepped between Mike and Joel.  Joel bellowed and rushed him, and I swear
to God, I saw it myself and I still don’t know what Ranger did, but Joel was on
the floor and there were some serious dents and scars scattered about his face
and shoulders to add to his collection.  Ranger never said a word, just
picked old Mike up and took him outside.  I talked to a bunch of people
that were here that night, and not one damned one of ‘em could tell me how
Ranger done it.  Ever since, Joel Truax keeps his distance from the man.”
Gillian thanked the girl and gave her a five dollar tip for her time, and then
ordered a Corona, with a twist of lime in the neck.
    Gillian watched him as she made her
way to the back of the bar.  He was a strikingly handsome man, and the
black eye patch gave him a rakish, dangerous look that sent shivers down her
back. He was actually kind of frightening.  Gillian was drawn to him like
a moth to a candle.  Right at this moment, she was convinced that Ranger
was the faceless man who haunted her dreams as she lay alone in her bed at
night, the flames of desire smoldering in her belly.
    “Thank you for saving me,” she said,
slipping into a chair and pushing the Corona towards him. His one good eye took
in her tight, low cut jeans, her hard flat belly, the cutoff tee shirt, the shoulder
length deep auburn hair cascading in a cloud around her elegantly sculptured
neck, and her deep, sea green eyes.  Only after he had looked her over
carefully did his eye dart back down to stare at her small firm unfettered
breasts beneath the thin tee shirt.  She flushed, but she didn’t try to
hide the hardening nipples beginning to poke through the thin fabric of her tee
shirt…with a rush of heat, she realized she wanted  him to
look.  There was a terrifying mix of emotions inside her at the moment,
and she didn’t know if she wanted to run or throw herself at this walking
paradox.  Finally, he nodded and