Losing Control

Chapter Two

Buds N Suds Bar and Grill was located on Route 4 and it had been in business for 30 years. When you walked into Buds you were greeted by the sight of license plates and bumper stickers on the walls. Neck ties hung from the ceiling. The booths and tables were mismatched but sturdy. The bar ran along the back wall and the kitchen was to the right. Buds was open Sunday through Saturday 11am-3am and no matter what night it was busy. The cook Andre had been with Buds for 10 years and the food was fantastic. They served everything from their signature wicked wings to tiramisu. Andre liked to change it up a bit. He never messed with the classics but he liked to create new specials each week. 

"Nancy order up,” Andre hollered from behind the the pickup window. Nancy made her way to the window and loaded her tray up with wings, burgers, and a fried chicken platter. She dropped off the goodies to a table of regulars. Brian, Emma, and Stan came every Wednesday at 10pm to eat. They served food up until 1am. Nancy passed the chicken platter to Emma, the burger to Stan, and the wings to Brian. She then handed honey to Emma, ketchup to Stan, and ranch dressing to Brian.

"Anything else right now?" Nancy asked with a smile.

"No doll this is great," Emma said digging into her meal. Nancy made her way back to the bar. She ordered up three beers and dropped those off to a table of men and started to bus off empty tables. Kelly walked over with a clean rag and wiped the table down for Nancy.

"Thanks," Nancy said looking up at Kelly. Kelly was 5'9 and she liked to wear heels making her a good six feet. Kelly had gorgeous blonde hair that she wore short and choppy, blue eyes, and a killer body.

"The frat boys are asking for you," Kelly informed her.

Nancy turned her head to the left to see dumb, dumber, and dumbest sitting at their usual table.

"Why don't you take them..." Nancy suggested, "I have more tables than you."

"They want you Nancy," Kelly grinned evilly.

"Yeah, that’s the problem.” Squaring her shoulders she walked over to their table. Eric, Steve, and Kyle were mostly harmless they were just really annoying and came up with the cheesiest pick up lines. As if on cue Kyle said, 

"Baby are you tired because you've been running through my mind all day." Of course that sent the three D's as she called them into fit of snickers and cat calling.

"Yeah I'm exhausted," Nancy said playing along. She got better tips from them when she was nice. "What can I get you guys or do you want the usual."

"Do you know what I like baby," Steve said seductively.

Nancy sidled up to him and batted her eyelashes. "I know that you like your meat rare, your potatoes creamy, and your beer icy so yeah I know what you want baby," Nancy purred winking at him. Eric grabbed her and set her on his lap. Nancy tried not to squirm, she knew she was safe enough and Javier the bouncer was just a whistle away. All the waitresses wore whistles around their necks in case of trouble and the whistles were so shrill you could hear them over the music. 

"Do me too," Eric said breathing on her neck. 

Nancy inwardly sighed. "You like your wings fiery, fries crispy, and your beer room temp. Now let me up so I can place your order," Nancy commanded.

"Not before I get a kiss," Eric demanded taking her chin in his hand. Nancy's lips were mere inches away from Eric and she could smell stale beer on his breath. Apparently he started his party early.

Before Nancy could grab his hand she was yanked off of Eric’s lap and pulled up against a hard chest. Nancy didn't have to look to see who it was. She could feel the barely controlled heat coming off of Chase's body.

"No touching," Chase growled. The force of Chases pull had left Eric tumbling off of his chair and onto the floor. He jumped up looking for a fight.

"I'll touch if I want to touch," Eric sneered.

"Not if you want to keep your hands," Chase promised. Steve and Kyle had jumped up when Eric did and Nancy could tell they would fight if Eric choose to. This wasn't good. Eric was close enough for Nancy to touch so she reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Everything’s fine. Lets just sit down and our food will be out shortly." Eric looked blankly at her for a moment then abruptly turned around. 

"Everything’s fine. Let's just sit down and our food will be out shortly," Eric repeated taking his seat. Steve and Kyle looked at Eric and then each other in confusion.

"I would do as he says boys," Chase suggested. After a moment of sizing each other up they decided to sit down.

"I’ll put your order in. Kyle you want a Southwest burger, onion rings, and a coke correct?" Nancy asked. Kyle nodded.

Turning around she took Chase's hand and bit back a moan as his hand scorched hers. The fire was just below the surface. Chase looked at Nancy sharply and saw the grimace before turning his gaze to their intertwined hands and seeing the flames simmering.

"s**t," Chase cursed, "I'm sorry!” 

Immediately the fire receded. Nancy pulled Chase towards the small office.

"Hey Chase," Kelly said as they walked past her. Nancy shoved her food ticket into Kelly's hand and kept walking. Nancy could barely comprehend what was going on. Chase had been gone for a month. She hadn't seen him since her mother's funeral on January 4th. Nancy didn't like thinking about that day but she couldn't stop herself from sliding into the memory.

Nancy pulled her winter coat more tightly around her body as she watched the men shovel dirt onto the coffin. Though the winter was cold, snow had yet to fall and the ground wasn't frozen. Her neighbor Mrs. L loaded up the younger children into her car for the ride home fifteen minutes ago. Nancy wanted to stay a little while longer. She felt someone step up beside her and the temperature rose a few degrees. Nancy looked up to see Chase. Chase wrapped an arm around Nancy's shoulders and she took the opportunity to break down and cry. She hadn't wanted to do that in front of the children. She had to be strong for them. Nancy clung to Chase as the sobs rose higher and higher. No one paid her any attention. She was sure the men seen scenes like this all the time.

"She can't be gone Chase. What am I supposed to do without her.” Chase held her tighter and ran his hand up and down her back in soothing strokes.

"You’re going to be okay. I'm here. We’ll figure it out together," Chase promised. But the next day Chase was gone. Leaving only a note that he would be back and not to worry about him. Nancy crumbled the note up and threw it away. She didn't have time to worry about Chase because she was more worried about the children. She couldn't believe he had left without a proper goodbye. 

Nancy shook herself from the memory. She led Chase into the office slamming the door shut before launching herself into his arms. Chase easily picked Nancy up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck burying her face in his shoulder. Taking a deep breath she inhaled his scent and the floodgates opened. Over the past month her sadness over Chase leaving had turned to anger but seeing him the sadness had come back in full force. She had missed him so much. Her tears came harder and Nancy knew that her skin was going to be blotchy and her eyes swollen but the tears came anyway. Chase hurt to have Nancy this upset especially since he caused the pain but he had to go away and she couldn't know why. 

"Where the hell have you been?" Nancy demanded on the end of a sob.

"Here and there," Chase muttered against her shoulder.

That so was not an answer. Nancy stopped crying and pulled herself away from his neck to look at him. "Here and there," Nancy said sarcastically letting her legs drop from his waist.

Chase shrugged. 

"How can you be such a bastard about this? You left us," Nancy yelled storming out of the office. Nancy always said that Chase had the hot temper but she had one too. He deserved that since he did leave his family for a month but it had been for the best.

As Nancy got back to work she remembered clearly her anger. She loved Chase but he could be such an ass sometimes. She needed to know where he went. What was so important that took him away from her and the kids? As her shift progressed through the night she felt a pair of eyes on her at all times. Without looking she knew Chase had stayed and was keeping an eye on her. The frat boys left about an hour after coming in. She figured they didn't stay longer because they saw Chase sitting at the bar keeping an eye on them as well. 

Chase's gift could be very dangerous if not controlled. He had the gift of controlling fire. It was almost like fire ran through his veins. His temperature ran hotter than normal and would fluctuate with his emotions. Mindy met Chase when he was eleven. One night while Chase was sleeping he set his bed on fire. The fire spread to the rest of the house. When the fire department made it to the house it was engulfed in flames. The firefighters were able to get the parents out of the house but were not told that there was a child. When the fire was finally put out to the utter surprise of the firefighters Chase was found sitting in his bed. Everything around him was charred beyond recognition but as the fire fighters picked him up they noticed where he was sitting was untouched. People thought it to be a miracle that he lived. That God had protected him. 

His parents didn't feel that way. When asked why they didn't tell the firefighters of their child they said that he had started the fire and deserved to die. That he was the spawn of the devil. Needless to say Chase was taken from his parents and put in a home for boys. Mindy dreamed of that before it happened and began preparing to get custody of Chase. Mindy had made it her life mission to rescue one gifted child at a time. She loved children and wanted many. Since her husband died before Nancy was born she decided to expand her family by adopting. Six months later Chase was living with Mindy and six months after that he was adopted. Nancy could remember like it was yesterday when Chase came to live with them.

"Chase this is Nancy, my daughter," Mindy introduced.

"You didn't tell me I would have a sister," Chase complained.

"Well I’m not all that thrilled with having a brother myself," Nancy said with attitude.

"Girls are gross," Chase shot back.

"Well girls rule and boys drool," Nancy sang.

"Enough," Mindy interrupted, "I think you two will get along just fine." Both Nancy and Chase looked at her with disbelief but Nancy forgot her mother could see the future and was usually right about such things.

"Nancy order up," Andre hollered. Nancy pushed Chase out of her mind as she got back to work.

The rest of Nancy's shift was uneventful. It passed quickly and she was mopping the floor when she saw Chase walk in. Chase turned the lock on the door and leaned against it.

"I told Kelly I would stay and lock up with you," Chase explained.

"Oh…”

So they were alone. Bud left early on Wednesday's and Andre drove Kelly home at night. Nancy continued to mop while Chase placed the chairs upside down on the tables. She stared at him while she worked. He was over six feet tall and had unruly dark hair that he always wore long brushing his shoulders. The faded blue jeans had seen better days and his t-shirt hugged his body showing the outlines of his n****e rings. The boots he wore were over 5 years old and she knew that because she helped him pick them out. Nancy finished mopping and Chase took the bucket from her to throw out the water. When he came back she put the mop away and everything was done.

"I'm sorry for leaving, but I had to. And before you ask I can't talk about it," Chase took a chair off of a table and sat in it.

"I've rehearsed what I was going to say to you when I saw you again but I can't remember any of it now. I don't understand what was so important that you had to leave the day after mom was put in the ground. I don't understand what was so important that kept you away from me and the kids for a whole month. I don't understand,” Nancy vented letting her tears fall freely. Chase reached out and pulled Nancy onto his lap. He held her while she cried.

“I am a bastard because I can't explain. Please believe me when I say that it was horrible being away from you and the kids.”

“You want to know what horrible is?” Nancy asked not waiting for an answer, “Horrible is trying to explain to five grieving children where there brother went. Casey wanted to know if you died too. I had to explain to them that you had business that couldn't wait and that you would be back.”

“I'm sorry,” Chase said kissing Nancy's cheeks.

“Don't.” But Chase continued to kiss her forehead, eyes, and then her lips.

“You don't get to do that,” Nancy said pushing away from him. Chase held on to her not letting her up. “You made it clear that last time was the only time,” Nancy said referring to the night they spent together here in the bar two months ago. Nancy fell in love with Chase soon after he came to live with them. Over the years her love for him had grown. Chase had always kept Nancy at arms length until that night. Nancy didn't have any regrets but Chase did. He told her that what happened between them would not happen again. 

“I don't regret that night Nancy,” Chase said softly, “I have thought about that night over and over again this past month. I'm your brother.”

Nancy shook her head and kissed him. If he wasn't going to let her up she was going to do what she had wanted to do since he walked in the bar. Before her lips settled on his Chase thought he heard Nancy murmur, “Not by Blood.” The kiss wasn't tentative. Nancy gently bit down on his lower lip and pushed her tongue inside his open mouth. Nancy moaned at the taste of him. She remembered every single detail of that night and it had carried her through the past month. Chase wanted her kiss and sank into it. He was going to enjoy the moment and put his foot down later about why they shouldn't be kissing. Nancy smiled against his lips as she felt his hands start to wander. As his hands brushed against her breasts loud music started playing startling them apart. Chase recovered first and found Nancy's phone in her skirt pocket.

"What?" Chase growled into the phone.

Silence was followed by a whispered, “Chase?”

"Hey Rita what's up?" Chase asked his voice full of tenderness.

"Uh are you with Nancy because I'm pretty sure I called Nancy's number. You haven't answered your phone in weeks." Nancy grabbed the phone from Chase and got up from his lap.

"Rita what's wrong?" as she asked she could here Ian wailing in the background.

"Ian has a stomach ache or something. I've tried everything and he keeps crying," Rita said sounding frazzled.

"I'm coming home right now," Nancy said hanging up the phone. "Something is wrong with Ian," Nancy explained. Chase nodded and reached for her hand. As they left the bar and Nancy locked up she turned to see Chase on his motorcycle holding out a helmet.

"Oh no. I'll drive my car home." Nancy hated motorcycles. They scared her.

"Come on Nancy this will be faster. We'll come for your car tomorrow. Besides you have the van at home too." She knew Chase was right and Ian needed her so she sucked it up, took the helmet, and hopped on the bike. Once the helmet was secured she wrapped her arms around Chase's waist and the motorcycle came alive with a roar. She held on to him tightly as he raced out of the parking lot. They made it home in 10 minutes tops and Nancy was grateful that no cops had been around because Chase was definitely speeding.