Chapter 15

Richie's pulse raced at Annie's quiet request.  He nodded slowly.  "Um... okay."

"Just... just gimme a minute, 'kay?"  Annie gently patted Richie's chest before stepping back from the circle of his arms.  "Meet me up in front."

"Okay."  Richie's heart skipped at the sweet smile Annie gave him before she turned and hurried toward the door to the back room.

Richie stood staring after Annie for a minute, then realized he should probably move away from the dance floor.  He was just standing there, being lightly jostled by the couples moving around him.  He glanced back at the table he and Annie had shared earlier and saw it had been taken over by another couple.  There was no sign of the whiskey bottle.

With a little shrug Richie began to weave through the crowd toward the front door.  It was slow going; it seemed as if there were now twice as many people crowded into the joint as there had been just a half-hour ago.  Richie remembered Annie's comment about the paper mill shift ending.  He wondered if the new arrivals were those shift workers she had mentioned.

"Hey!"  Richie was startled by a deep growl to his right.  Thinking he had inadvertently pushed someone a little too hard as he attempted to navigate through the crowd, Richie stopped.

"Sorry, Man..."  Richie blinked at the huge black man staring back at him.  He swallowed hard and wondered what he had done wrong to draw attention to himself.

The big man's sweaty ebony face split into a wide grin.  Richie's gaze was immediately drawn to the gold front tooth revealed by the parting of his dark lips.  Somehow that tooth made the guy look ominous despite his smile.

"That some hot gee-tar playin' you done up there, Boy."  The compliment was delivered in a baritone growl, and a beefy hand clapped down on Richie's shoulder.

Richie let out a silent breath of relief.  He smiled and nodded humbly.  "Thanks, Man."

"Welcome."  The big man nodded back, then turned his attention back to the woman at his side.

Realizing his mouth was dry, Richie swung his gaze toward the bar.  He saw an open space at its end, vacated by the older man he had spoken with earlier.  Craving a cold drink, Richie pushed forward through the crowd again.

This time the bodies parted a little more easily to allow him to pass.  Richie smiled as he felt a couple more slaps on the back and heard a few more compliments on his performance.  He nodded back and mumbled a humble "thanks" to each.

Finally Richie reached his destination, relieved to have a little breathing room in the small empty space.  He stepped up to the bar and puffed out a breath, ruffling his sweaty bangs.  Reaching into his jeans pocket, Richie fished out a handful of crumpled bills as the bartender caught his nod and turned to pull a beer from one of the battered old iceboxes in the corner.

"On the house."  The bartender muttered gruffly as he set the longneck on the bar in front of Richie.  "Good set, Son."

Richie smiled gratefully.  "Thanks, Man,"  He shoved the bills back into his pocket before picking up the bottle.  He tipped the neck toward the bartender in salute before taking a long drink.  Richie groaned softly as the cold liquid soothed his parched throat.

"Where's Annie?"

Richie started slightly at the husky growl.  He felt the space around him close as Rex stepped up to the bar next to him.  Immediately the bartender pulled another beer from the icebox and set it in front of the stocky man.

"Dunno."  Richie stiffened as he gave Rex a wary once-over.  "Bathroom, I guess."

Rex took a swig from his bottle before answering, a little smirk in his tone.  "Sure she didn't run on outta here, out the back door?"  He turned his cold blue eyes to stare at Richie.

Richie could see Rex was baiting him.  He forced himself to remain cool though he felt his temper rising.  He shrugged again.  "She wouldn't do that."

Rex chuckled ominously.  "Yeah, sure she wouldn't."  He turned around to look toward the stage, obviously dismissing Richie's comment.  He raised the beer bottle to his mouth again.

Richie mirrored Rex's action, himself looking back toward the musicians across the room.  He took a big gulp of his beer and silently fumed as he watched Sammy play the gold Gibson.  What the fuck was Rex up to?  His calm, inhospitable countenance was starting to get a little unnerving.

"You boys playin' nice?"  Richie breathed a silent sigh of relief at Annie's lilting drawl.  A smile turned his lips as he watched her emerge from the crowd.  Annie gave Richie a meaningful look before stepping up to the bar, her hip bumping against his as she slid into the small space between him and Rex.

Rex chuckled darkly and gave Annie a little smirk.  "I'm always nice."

Annie snorted softly at his sarcastic comment but she didn't reply.  Instead she addressed the bartender.  "Hey Grover, can I get a package to go?"

Richie's brow lifted at Annie's request.  He wondered if "a package" meant the same thing here as it did in Jersey.  His question was almost immediately answered when Rex turned to give Annie a long look.

"What you need a package for?"

Annie raised a hand to brush a thick lock of honey-gold hair back from her face, tucking the errant strand behind her ear.  "None o' your beeswax, Rexy."  She stared back at him, a defiant smirk curving her lips.

"It's my business as a Lawman of this county," he replied with a touch of sarcasm.  "This not bein' a State store, and all.  You're purchasin' alcoholic beverages from an unlicensed retailer, in violation of the ordinances of McIntosh county and the laws of the State of Georgia."

Richie bit back the urge to make a smart-ass comment about Rex using lots of big words in one sentence.  Annie was doing fine on her own, dealing with this smug Jackass.  He figured he was better off to keep his mouth shut.  But if Rex tried to pull any crap, Richie sure as hell was going to stand up for her.

Annie snorted out a little laugh at Rex's parroted legalese.  "Yeah right, Deputy Farrell.  Go on and arrest me for buyin' beer from an unlicensed joint.  As you sit there and drink at the unlicensed bar."

"I didn't pay for mine.  No law against drinkin' a free beer."

"Well, when I drink my beer, it won't be here.  So you don't have to worry your pretty little head about it, Darlin'."  Annie smiled sweetly.  "You aren't duty-bound to act upon somethin' you don't witness."

Richie smirked as he watched the exchange between Rex and Annie.  It was obvious Rex wanted to know where Annie was headed; the second she had ordered her "package" he knew she was ready to leave Ruby Mae's.  But she was standing her ground.

Annie grinned and handed Grover a five-dollar bill as he set a brown paper bag in front of her on the bar.  "Thank you, Sir.  You have a good night now, hear?"

"You too, Girlie."  Grover smiled back at Annie, his gaze flicking momentarily to Richie, then back to her.  "You leavin' early tonight, huh?"

Annie's eyes sparkled as she smiled slyly at the bartender.  "Yeah, I got a houseguest to entertain."  She picked up the bag and stepped back from the bar.  " 'Night, Grover.  Come on, Richie."

With a nod Richie raised his beer bottle to his mouth.  He drained its contents, then set the bottle on the bar.  "Night," he said to Grover, then turned and nodded at Rex.  He couldn't resist.  "Nice to meetcha."

Rex fixed Richie with an icy stare but didn't reply.

Smirking inwardly, Richie turned away.  Placing his hand gently at the small of Annabelle's back, he followed her away from the bar and toward the door.  He could feel Rex's glare on him as he retreated.  Richie chuckled smugly.

Annie heard Richie's little snicker near her ear.  She grinned, recalling Rex's expression at Richie's parting comment.  She hadn't missed the hint of sarcasm in his tone, the little "Yeah, I'm leaving with her" jab.  Men, she thought with a little shake of her head.  Just like dogs, pissin' to mark their territory.

The idea of Richie considering her to be "his" made Annie's smile soften.  She had certainly felt safe and comfortable in the circle of his arms as they danced.  The recall of how strong and warm his chest felt against her cheek made her heart flutter.

Annie wondered if she could convince Richie to dance with her at home, maybe out on the porch, under the silvery light of the full moon.  They could put on a record and hold each other and sway to the music on the breeze....

The feel of the night air on her face brought Annie back from her momentary daydream.  She felt Richie's hand slip from her back as she took the step down off the Juke Joint's porch.  Annie hesitated, waiting for Richie to step down beside her.   Their eyes met and Richie and Annie gazed silently at each other for a moment.  Annie could see the question in Richie's deep chocolate pools:  "What now?"

Annie felt her cheeks flush and she dropped her gaze.  She pushed her hand into her jeans pocket for her truck key.  What now?  Well, she had an idea...

"Here, let me..."  Richie quickly reached for the brown paper bag tucked into the crook of Annie's arm as she fished in her pocket.  He grinned as he felt the six-pack of cans inside.  Judging from the look he and Annie had just shared, he was pretty sure they would be empty before sun-up.

"Thanks."

Richie waited until Annie retrieved her key, then he followed her silently through the parking lot to her truck. He chivalrously stepped ahead of her to pull open the driver's side door.  Annie giggled softly at his manners and climbed inside, then waited for Richie to round the truck and find his seat before starting the engine.  She turned her head to give him an inquiring look.

"So.... where you wanna go?"

Richie's brow arched as her question caught him off-guard.  "Huh?"

"It's still early.  Where you wanna go?"  Annie's eyes sparkled in the silvery moonlight as she smiled at Richie.

"Umm..." Richie shifted in his seat, reaching to set the brown-wrapped six-pack on the floorboard.  "I dunno. What's around here?"

Annie giggled softly.  "Not much.  There's that other bar I told you about, Bud's.  That's where most of the other Darien folks will be.  The ones who don't want to hear good Southern Music."

Richie nodded, understanding the unspoken subtext of Annie's comment.  Bud's Tavern would be where Darien's white folks drank on Saturday night.

During his short time in the South Richie had quickly learned the reality of Southern race relations.  The Civil Rights movement may have created laws to treat everyone equal, but racial segregation was still very much the way of life.  It was informal and social, but still blacks and whites had their own communities, led their separate lives.  Even in small towns like Darien, where everybody knew everybody else.

"They don't have music there?"  Richie smiled as Annie shook her head, her honey-blonde waves shimmering in the moonlight.

"Just the jukebox."  Annie grinned.  "No stage for you to get up on and show off for me."

Richie chuckled at her tease, feeling a little surge of pride.  Unconsciously his fingers curved as if moving over guitar strings, the muscle memory a ghost of his earlier activity.  "Hey, you wanted me to show off for you.  Hell, you begged me to play."  His eyes glowed with modest pride as he gazed back at her.

Annie nodded slowly.  "Yeah, I did.  And I'm damned glad."  She paused, smiling back at him.  When she spoke again her voice was softer, full of admiration.  "Richie, you were amazing.  The way you played... the way you sang... You were like a rock star up there on that stage."

Richie blushed.  Unable to look at Annabelle, he dropped his eyes to the seat between them.  "Yeah, well... it was fun.  But I'm anything but a rock star, Annie.  I'm just a guy who can play a few cover songs, that's all."

Annie's heart melted as she smiled at Richie.  It was apparent from his performance tonight that he had talent. And showmanship.  And stage presence.  The way he had taken charge of the band for those two songs... Wow.  And now he seemed almost embarrassed by her praise.

"Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree 'bout that."  Annie chuckled softly.  "So, I'm not really in the mood for Bud's, and I don't think you are either..."  She paused while Richie raised his eyes to meet hers again.  He smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm not.  Think I've had enough of meeting people today."  Richie chortled quietly.  "But then again, I think I met 'em ALL today."

Annie giggled.  "Naw, you didn't meet 'em all.  You'd have to go to Church to do that.  But you made a pretty good dent in the list."

Richie nodded, laughing softly with her.  With a little sigh he turned his face toward the window, looking out at the bright, full moon.  Suddenly he knew where he wanted to go.

"Can we go to the beach?"  Richie looked back to Annie with the suggestion.

Annie grinned.  That sounded perfect.  The waves, the moon, a six-pack and the radio... and maybe a little something else to share.  Just her and Richie.  She felt a little tingle of anticipation shoot through her body.

"Yes, Richie, we surely can."  Annie reached forward to slide the transmission out of Park.  "The beach it is."

A little smile relaxed on Richie's lips as he gazed out the window at the moon while the truck bumped along the rough gravel road leading away from Ruby Mae's.  He stole a sideways glance at Annie and saw she was smiling too, her eyes on the road.

Richie rolled down his window, sighing softly as the breeze swept through the pickup's cab, streaming through his damp hair and brushing away the perspiration that still lingered on his neck and chest.

He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, inhaling deeply.  He could smell the ocean, the light salty tang mingling with the scent of the pines and the marsh grasses in the heavy summer air.  Richie felt a surge in his groin as a vision flashed in his mind, of him and Annie locked in a passionate embrace as the gentle surf flowed in around them.

Annie looked sideways at Richie as she turned the truck onto another dirt road.  His head was tipped back against the seat, his beautiful face painted with dappled moonlight as his dark hair fluttered gently in the breeze.  The relaxed smile on his soft lips made her melt.  There was no trace of the sadness that had haunted him earlier.

They made the rest of the short drive in silence, lost in their own thoughts.  Richie opened his eyes and turned to give Annie a little smile, content with the quiet rumble of the truck's motor and the rush of the breeze.

When he saw the glimmer of the ocean ahead of them Richie pulled his head forward to look out the windshield.  He was surprised to see not a wide, sandy beach, but a narrow strip of rocky breakers backed by a swath of dark, coarse, weedy sand.  Richie frowned.  This wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he had pictured a romantic moonlit evening on the beach with Annabelle.

Annie pulled the truck off the dirt road and skirted along the edge of the sand, between the shore and a deep stand of moss-draped pines.  The rough terrain made for a bumpy ride, and Richie reached forward to brace a hand on the dashboard to help steady himself in his seat.  "Where are we?" he asked, trying not to sound apprehensive.

Annie grinned.  She could tell from Richie's expression that this coastline wasn't what he had expected.  But she had purposely taken this route to ensure they would be able to enjoy their privacy.  She wanted to continue her evening with Richie completely alone.  As in away from the main and secondary roads that she knew Rex and his fellow Deputies often prowled in the wee hours of a Sunday morning, looking for illicit activity.

She knew a place where they wouldn't be bothered.  It just took a little bit to get there.

"We're in Georgia," she teased.  "McIntosh County."

"Ha ha.  I mean..."  Richie stopped.  He didn't really know what he meant.

Annie giggled as a large dip in the ground bounced Richie on his seat, almost making him hit his head on the roof.  "Hang on, we're almost there."

"Jesus, I hope so!"  Richie reached up with his left hand to clutch at the back of the seat while his right remained braced against the dash.  His hand slid behind Annie's shoulder, his thumb rubbing against her soft  bare skin.

The contact sent another shiver through Annie as she guided the truck up and over a couple small sandy dunes and around a large log.  She swerved quickly to avoid a stump and silently cursed, tapping the brake to slow the truck's progress.  She was eager to get to their destination so she and Richie could continue their evening together.  But they sure as hell wouldn't have any fun tonight if she got her truck hung up on some tree trunk or dune out here.  It would be a long walk home.

Finally the truck turned west, skirting the edge of the forest.  The terrain leveled out and the pickup's wheels rolled more evenly.  Moonlight flooded into the cab as the shadows of the trees receded from their path.

Richie blinked at the scene before them, then he smiled.  Their off-road track had taken him and Annie to a small clearing, a break in the forest where the ocean flowed further inland.

The rocky breakers were gone and an expanse of flat, shimmering sand stretched from the water to a series of small dunes that separated a grassy field from the water.  Small tidal pools dotted the little beach, their shallow puddles glimmering in the moonlight.  The surf rushed gently against the flat sand, small waves foaming lightly as they rolled in.

Annie pointed the truck's nose away from the water, then threw the transmission into Reverse.  As she turned to look over her shoulder so she could back the truck toward the beach her arm automatically lifted to rest along the back of the seat.  She let out a little gasp of surprise when she felt Richie's arm already occupying the space.

With little grin Annie rested her arm on top of his, her fingers closing gently around his firm bicep instead of the seat back.  A wave of heat flushed over her.  She glanced at Richie and saw him smiling at her, clearly welcoming the contact.

Carefully Annie backed the pickup into a dip between two small dunes, as close to them as she dared without getting stuck in deep dry sand.  Turning again to face forward, she slipped her arm from atop Richie's and put the truck into Park before killing the engine.  She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"Here we are."  Annie turned her head toward Richie.  "This what you had in mind?  It ain't the public beach."

Richie nodded.  "This is perfect."  He grinned shyly.  "I didn't really wanna go someplace public.  Just somewhere we could see the water."

"Well then, that would be here."  Annie chortled softly and tugged at the latch on her door.  "Grab the beer.  I got a blanket in the back."

Richie's pulse raced at Annie's comment.  Again he flashed on a vision of himself and Annie locked together in a passionate embrace, this time reclining on a blanket spread over the sand.  His dick surged against his zipper at the idea.

"Okay...." Richie mumbled hoarsely, then took a deep breath.  He realized his reply was uneccessary; Annie was already out of the truck, leaving the key in the ignition and the driver's-side door standing open.  He heard the creak of hinges and a metallic clang as Annie lowered the old truck's tailgate.

Reaching down to pull the crinkled brown paper bag from the floorboard, Richie climbed out of the truck.  He turned around and saw Annie kneeling in the pickup's bed, flipping open the latch on an old army surplus footlocker that sat against the back of the cab.

Not sure what to do, Richie stood silent and watched as she pushed up the lid and pulled out a rolled sleeping bag.  She dropped the bag onto the bed beside her knees, then reached again into the box.  This time she extracted a small portable radio, followed by a ragged patchwork quilt.  Both items joined the sleeping bag on the truck bed's floor.

"Uh... can I help with anything?"  Richie fidgeted, feeling a little guilty for just standing and staring.

Annie pushed herself up from her kneel, grinning down at Richie as she stood in the truck bed.  "Naw, I got it."  Nudging the sleeping bag aside with her foot, she leaned down to pick up the radio before stepping down to the tailgate.  "But if you want you can pop me open one-a those beers."

"Sure."  Richie walked to the back of the truck, setting the paper bag on the tailgate and unrolling its crumpled top.  He pulled out the six-pack of Budweiser cans and tugged one from its plastic ring.  As he worked at the task Annie settled down to sit on the tailgate, her tan legs swinging enticingly as they dangled over its edge.

"What kinda music you wanna hear?"  Annie switched on the radio and twisted the dial.  The little plastic box complained with a loud staticky crackle until Annie extended its antenna.  "There's only a couple stations we can get out here-- country, oldies, and one rock station, outta Jacksonville."

"Rock and roll sounds good to me."  Richie grinned and nudged his fingertip under the metal ring atop of the beer can in his hand.  He worked his finger inside it, then pulled the tab.  He yelped out a curse as a loud POP was immediately followed by a hissing gush of foamy malt beverage, showering his head and chest.

Annie burst out laughing at Richie's surprise beer-shower.  He had obviously forgotten that their bumpy ride may have placed the contents of the six-pack under pressure.  In truth she hadn't really thought about it either, but she wasn't the one to pull the tab.

"Mother Fu...."  Richie bit his tongue mid-curse, not sure if Annie would be offended by such coarse language.  He raised a hand to swipe the beer away from his face, blinking it from his eyes.  He looked at the can still in his hand, foam seeping out of its opening.  "Well, here's your beer... what's left of it anyway."

Annie giggled again.  "That's okay.  I like a nice head, but that's a bit much."  Her eyes twinkled merrily as she gave Richie a sly grin, emphasizing the dirty double-meaning of her comment.

Richie's cock twitched again at her tease.  Had he really heard her right?  Annie had hinted that she liked to get a little wild, but she hadn't made such an overtly sexual comment to him yet.  Richie blushed slightly as he smirked.  Maybe his buzz and his dick were making him hear things, turning innocent comments into something more.

"Uh, well... I'd open you another one but it's just gonna explode too.  Probably need to let the rest of those brews settle down a little."

Annie nodded, giggling again as she turned her attention back to the radio.  She twisted the dial a little more, guiding the tuner past varying pitches of squeals and static until she found a clear transmission.  She grinned.  "That work?"

Richie nodded at the familiar tune, Journey's Wheel in the Sky.  He smiled back at her.   "Yeah, that's good."

"Okay then.  This is a pretty good station.  Think you'll like it."  Annie reached behind her to set the radio on the curved metal wheel well.  As she stretched and twisted her pink tank top raised to expose her flat, tanned belly.

Richie's eyes went immediately to Annie's navel then slid downward, along the frayed edge of the denim hiding her zipper.  Annie's cutoffs were low-rise and almost impossibly short, revealing the full length of her firm thighs.

Richie's dick jumped against his fly at the thought of just what that soft denim covered.  He would really like to get her out of those cutoffs.

As quickly as the naughty thought flashed through his mind, Richie's cheeks colored.  He felt guilty for thinking of Annabelle like that, like some piece of tail.  She was way better than the other Southern girls he had sweet-talked out of their panties.

Besides, he could barely form a coherent thought around Annie, let alone sweet-talk her into anything.

No, he was gonna have to somehow keep his dick under control tonight, while they sat out here together under the big moon, sharing beer and music and the sounds of the night.  He would have to be content just to be with her.  Annie was way too nice a girl for him to try to corrupt.

But that didn't mean he couldn't drink a beer with her, hold her hand, maybe dance to the music on the radio, if she was willing.  Richie sighed softly with frustration as his cock protested that thought.  That was what he'd have to be satisfied with tonight.  Just holding her and smelling her hair and feeling her cheek against his chest.

Dammit.

"Hey Richie?"

He turned his head toward the sweet sound of his name in her gentle Southern drawl.  "Yeah?"

Annie gave Richie an impish grin.  "You know that mischief I mentioned earlier?"

Richie's brow arched at the coy lilt in her voice.  "Uh... yeah?"

Annie held his gaze for a moment, then gave him a wicked little smirk.  Richie's eyes widened as her hands moved to her chest, the fingers of her right hand slipping into the deep scoop-neck of her tank top and disappearing into her cleavage.

His lips parted in a little gasp of surprise when he saw the object she extracted from her bra.  Richie stared slack-jawed at the slim, lumpy little twist of paper Annie held delicately between her pink-tipped finger and thumb.

Annie giggled at Richie's expression.  She could see he was shocked by her revelation, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't be adverse to joining in her fun.

"Wanna get high?"