Human Touch - Open

Shayla sat at the bar, sipping the coke the bartender had been kind enough to pour her. She had never been much of a drinker. Having a abusive drunk brother tended to quell any urge to get wasted. It had been a long time since she had been back in town. No one had yet to recognize her but that was no surprise, considering how much she had changed since then. Shayla had been a chubby shy girl who always had her nose stuck in a book. It wasn't until a year ago that she decided that it was time for a change. She took a job at a small law firm in New Orleans as a paralegal, dropped the weight and finally blossomed. Despite all these positive changes, Shayla's mind still lingered on her hometown and the fantasy that was Marcus Dupont.

They had grown up in the same neighborhood but he had never noticed her. Shayla had always been too shy to talk to him. Those beautiful blue eyes and that wicked smile had always made her weak in the knees. He was friendly and funny, as any good country boy was. She had always admired him from afar, the way he wore those tight jeans just right and that sexy hair that had always made her hands itch to touch. She gave herself a mental shake. This was not why she came home. It was her mother's birthday tomorrow and Shayla would be with her now if her mother hadn't insisted she go out and have some fun tonight.

Red's Levee Bar was owned and operated by her great-uncle Red. It seemed like a good place to go so Shayla put on her red dress and came down. Her uncle had welcomed her with open arms, that wicked sense of humor still as sharp as ever. He was waiting in the back for the band he had booked to call. Apparently they never showed which was why the old jukebox in the corner was playing. Shayla heard the door open and looked up to see her fantasy walking in with a group of his buddies. At first she reverted backto wallflower days, looking down at her drink but . help but peaking up at him, that old hunger in her eyes.

It was well known that Marcus had just dropped his current girlfriend after catching her in bed with a friend. He was on the prowl. Marcus had a charm that was hard to resist and a raw sexuality that showed in his every move. It had never been directed at her but she had a feeling he could make her melt in those strong arms. Remy, the bar tender, tapped her shoulder. "You okay, hun? Look like you were a million miles away." Shayla laughed, blushing just a bit. "Just taking a short trip down memory lane. Being back had made me a little sentimental." Remy's eyes looked to the side of her and Shayla could smell the cologne of the man next to her. "Can I get you something?" She looked up to see her fantasy standing next to her. 'Human Touch' by Bruse Springstein started to play and Shayla's mind went to wild fantasies of tbat mouth on her skin.

Marcus M. Dupont never understood failure. They were merely setbacks and even those were few and far between. Life had been an easy thing to conquer. Marcus was able to take advantage of his looks, leaning quickly at a young age how to use his charm. Never leaving the city had made him a focal point, something for the town to center their attention on at least until something more interesting came along.

A few weeks ago he had focused on one single girl. However, like a bad eighties video he saw red one night when he found his girl and a former friend in bed together. After he bloodied his knuckles he took to the bar, putting some effort into drinking and a young twenty-something sitting alone in the corner. Peeling the label on her long neck bottle just screamed that she wanted something better to do. And he knew how to do it.

Tonight was no different. It was a new moon and he was looking for a new girl to share it with. Few things mattered to him tonight. All he wanted was revenge although people would be hard-pressed to sense it from him. He'd been able to hide his personal feelings well. It was the only way to get through life unscathed.

As he opened the door to Red's Levee Bar he found it just as he had left it the night before; the music playing and plenty of girls. The group of friends dispersed as some went to a table, another to shoot pool while a few immediately began their tomcatting. Marcus wasn't about to stop them from doing anything. As much as he liked to hang out with his friends, when it came to finding women, friends always came second. But first he had to find a drink.

With every passing person he knew there was a brief “Hello” or “How ya doin'.” His mind was set on finding something to satisfy his thirst. At least until he found Remy behind the bar counter. And any thirst lingering on his tongue quickly dissipated when he caught her friend's face out the corner of his eye. His attention changed and Marcus set his hand on the small of Shayla's back as he looked toward Remy, “An introduction.”

Remy smirked at Shayla, who was so nervous that the bottle in her hand began to shake. Maybe it was time someone forced her into the limelight. "You don't remember Shayla? Dang, boy. Ain't been that long since high school." He popped the top off a cold one, placing it in front of Marcus. "She's Red's niece. Her aunt gave her the option to help her run things but she decided to scoot her cute bootie to the city." Shayla could feel her cheeks burning. He just smelled so good. "My mother's birthday party tomorrow."

The tone to her voice made it evident that she anticipated the event like she would her funeral. "It's been a long time since I saw you. Mr. Goldenboy. The one who charm the coat off an eskimo." Remy laughed. "Remy?" His eyebrows went up. "You got four customers trying to wave you down." Shayla laughed heartily as he walked away. Remy had always been a busybody but he was still a good man. "Sorry about that. Once you get Remy going its hard to find a way to make him stop."

Shayla took a gulp of her coke and tried her best not to let him see how nervous he made her. "Why don't you sit down? Unless you're here with someone?" When he didn't reply, Shayla thought he may be avoiding those questions. Guess thr rumors about his girlfriend and his best friend we fairly accurate. The woman had to be an idiot to let him go. "You know, you haven't changed a bit. It's not fair. I take one look at you and I'm fifteen again, crushing at you from the back of history class."

Marcus took the bottle as soon as its cap hit the floor. Hearing Remy provide his brief introduction permitted a few lost memories to stream back into his mind. It had been a long time and she wasn’t someone he had often thought about. It was just another person who managed to leave the town behind in favor of something they thought was better, something more exciting. In his mind it was just someone else who left. Although he was surprised to see her here, now. Usually people either returned because they had failed or they were some kind of success and wanted to show off. With the way Shayla looked it seemed as though she had done better for herself. At least she looked it.

As a few customers stole Remy away from the pair, Marcus fixed his attention on the new arrival. There wasn’t much history between them but he was never willing to turn away a conversation with a beautiful woman. A short smile drew across his face as Shayla spoke, apologizing for the man.

When she offered him a place to sit, he decided to take her up on it. At the same time he managed to ignore her follow up question. It wasn’t just that the memory held pain, rather it was because it was something that happened in his past. It was a part of an old event. Something, someone who no longer mattered.

“Oh, I think we’ve all changed,” Marcus began. “At least a little bit. And you were crushing on me from the back of the class? How does it feel now that you're a little closer?" He took a brief drink of the beer while it was still cold before setting it back on the counter, "But let’s forget the past and concentrate in the moment, what do you say? Let’s dance. Unless you already have a line of guys waiting in the wings.” Without waiting for a response he had already begun to stand, holding out his hand so he could lead her to an open space on the floor.