World on Edge: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (World on Edge Book 1) by Chris Pike (top ten ebook reader TXT) 📗

The roughneck who had been giving Joe a hard time purposely shoved him. Joe was so mesmerized with Lexi he hadn’t noticed the intentional shove. He plopped back on the stool and adjusted it for optimal viewing, positioning the back against the edge of the bar.

When the first song ended, Lexi let the guitar rest on her crossed legs. She took a sip of water. “How’d everybody like it?”

The patrons clapped their approval and stomped their feet, rattling the wood floor. A man yelled, “Don’t stop there, gorgeous! Keep going!”

A cackle of laughs followed.

Lexi sang three more songs, effortlessly segueing from one to the next. “Before I take a quick break, this is a special song I wrote for the lovers in the crowd.”

“Hell yeah!” a drunk yelled. He stood and thumped his empty beer mug on a table. “I’ll be your lover!”

The roughneck who had been harassing Joe rocketed out of his chair and forced the drunk to sit. “Any more of that, and I’ll toss you outside. Got it?”

“Yeah,” the drunk mumbled. “Now leave me alone.”

Lexi strummed a musical chord, then another, until she was satisfied the tuning was spot on. She lifted her eyes and met Joe’s. “This is for you,” she said.

For a man used to taking charge, to speaking his mind, his mouth dropped open, and before Joe had time to respond or to wipe the spittle from his bottom lip, Lexi closed her eyes, strumming the guitar with her elegant fingers. She began singing a mournful, heart wrenching verse describing the angst of unrequited love.

The crowed quieted.

Someone sniffled.

One of the roughnecks coughed down a showing of emotion.

Joe was touched by the soulful singing, a performance he swore was meant solely for him. He had to meet her, drawn to her by a strong force he had never experienced before.

Then, as soon as the song began, it was over. Lexi lowered the guitar and inhaled deeply as if she was recovering from the song. She had reached deep inside her soul for the performance, baring it for anyone to see. It was both liberating and frightening.

The drunk shoved aside a chair and barreled up the aisle leading to the stage. Lexi froze at the massive man coming her way.

“I’ll give you some lovin’, honey!” Through the fog of his alcohol-soaked brain, he clumsily tried to crawl on stage and—

Joe marshalled his way through the crowded floor, tossing aside chairs and tables. He stormed to the man crawling on all fours and looped his hand under the man’s belt. Using all his strength, Joe tugged the man off the stage and wrestled him to the floor.

The drunken man grabbed Joe by the collar and tossed him sideways.

Joe and the drunk wrestled on the floor, where Joe landed a few choice punches. While the man outweighed Joe, he wasn’t as agile, though his girth went a long way. The two men sidelining as security raced in, pinned Joe down, and as the drunk was about to place a kick, several other patrons manhandled the man away.

Joe regained his balance and flung the security men away. “Don’t touch me again,” Joe spat. “If you had been doing your job, that man would have not been able to rush the stage. He could have hurt her!”

“It’s only Bob,” one of the security guys said. “Everyone knows Bob don’t mean no harm and wouldn’t hurt a flea. Right, Bob?”

“I didn’t mean nothin’.” Bob made a show of dusting off his trousers. “I was tryin’ to be friendly.”

“If you two gentlemen make nice and shake hands, this fine establishment won’t press charges,” the owner of the bar said.

Joe scoffed at the drunk who was digging for treasure in one nostril. “I’ll pass,” he said. “I’m outta here. First, I want to thank the singer for her performance. She’s much too good for this place.” Joe scanned the room for her.

“She’s already long gone,” one of the security guys said.

Joe deflated like a balloon stuck with a pin. He regained his senses and raced to the door, throwing it open in hopes of finding the singer. All he saw were the taillights of a truck speeding away. He tracked it until it disappeared on the highway.

Joe went back into Hungry’s and sat at the bar. “Do you know how I can get in touch with her?”

“I was keeping your burger and fries in case you came back,” the bartender said, ignoring the question. He slid the plate in front of Joe.

He took a bite of the now cold burger and chased it down with a sip of beer. He’d lost his appetite. “Any idea how I can get in touch with the girl?” Joe repeated.

“Sorry. No can do. We have a strict policy about not giving out any personal information. Lawsuits and such.”

Joe nodded. He paid for the uneaten meal, got in his truck, and drove. To where, he had no clue. One thing was for certain, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

~ ~ ~

Thirty miles away, Lexi sat in the passenger seat of the truck her dad was driving. “Why’d we have to leave? Why’d you pull me off the stage?” she protested. “I hadn’t finished the gig.”

“That drunk would have been all over you if I hadn’t pulled you away when I did.”

“It wasn’t necessary,” Lexi said. “And I don’t want you hurting yourself. I know you haven’t been feeling well.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Next time something like this happens let the security guys do their jobs. Besides, one of the guys in the audience acted faster than anyone did, including you. Maybe we could get in touch with him and ask if he wants to work security for us.”

“No need.”

“Seriously, Dad. We all