So Sue Me

With a huff, he squeezed her hands, allowing this tip of his nose to graze her cheekbone before leaving a chaste kiss on the apple. He wanted to see her again, although he found Sue to be a bit on the frustrating side. 

"I promise, I'll never give you a crossword answer... unless you ask for it." They were at her car before she was ready to be standing there. "You know... next time you can just ask me out." She playfully traced a pattern on his chest before leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek, lingering for far too long. 

When they left the woods, he felt a little colder than before somehow, as if he’d been given something, and all too soon it had been taken away. He knew for certain it was Sue’s hand and he also knew that he would have to find his way back to it and soon. He felt strange without it now, and wasn’t a fan of this new feeling of longing.

Once at the final hole, he urged her forward, watching intently as she lined her ball up. She was graceful even if driving wasn’t her forte. That was no longer Cecil’s concern either as he was much more focused on the slight curve of her hips in the moonlight, the dainty bow of her back as she bent over the ball. 

"So, who won?" She dropped her club on the green, strolling up to the burly man. "Because if we're playing for a date... I'd say that makes us both winners." Sue was now inches from him, her hands reaching out to take his. Their fingers slid together like missing puzzle pieces as she tugged him forward, making sure their bodies ghosted across each other as they settled into their natural sway. 

What he hadn’t expected was her hand in his. Although he wasn’t a fan of being out in the woods, especially with someone who was so reminiscent of the girl they found back here nearly two years ago; Cecil obliged, silently walking his fingers entwined with Sue’s  as they made their way through the brush. 

"Start over. I don’t want you in there." Cecil grumbled, glancing at the woods before looking back at Sue. "A little girl was kidnapped and left back there. Red hair like yours.. just doesn’t feel right."

She liked the way Cecil's voice sounded, all gruff and deep, almost full of sleep as if it had been slumbering for days. As soon as her feet hit the forest's edge she heard Cecil's right behind her. Sue instinctively reached behind her, taking his hand with hers, sliding slender fingers together with rough ones. 

He’d never been touched like that before, never looked at like that before either, and for Cecil, it was all a little overwhelming. 

Quietly, he pointed toward the next hole, gesturing for Sue to walk in front as he attempted to compose himself. 

"Hmmm... lets say the winner gets a date with the loser." She knew it was a win/win for her either way, but since he hadn't bothered to come up with anything else, it was up to her. 

The next hole had them using drivers. Not Sue's strongest suit, but she just needed to get it close enough to switch to her irons. She hit the ball harder... harder than she had intended. It went flying into the small patch of woods just beyond the sand trap she'd been aiming for. "Well shit." Sue glanced back at him. "I'll just be in the forest tryin' to find my ball..."

Dreamily, Cecil moved toward the trap, his mind not focused on the game, but rather on the beautiful redhead that stood with her head held high right next to the flag as if she were the prize and not the shot he needed to take. 

Blindly, he chipped, sending the white orb onto the green, but nowhere near it’s intended destination. He huffed, trading out his chipper for the putter he’d been using on the rounds before. It took him two more strokes before making it into the hole, his eyes still drifting toward Sue as he finally landed his shot.

Sue's fingers played with the collar of his shirt, before sliding down the buttons that led to the beginning of his pants. Instead of continuing south, her hand moved east, coming to rest gently on his hip. 

He nodded once more at her as she looked back, her silence as welcome as his own once he placed himself in the same position she once was. Following suit, Cecil guided a few practice swings, the permanent one landing his golf ball in the hole with one shot.

Sure he was elated to have one up on Sue, but he knew this was not what the night was about. His plans were a horse of another color, but she didn’t need to know that, not just yet.

Plucking his ball from the ground, Cecil and Sue began to move along the course, both of them tit for tat as they passed the third, fourth and fifth holes. The sixth was not so easy; by now the both of them could putt ‘til their hearts were content, but chip shots were not Cecil’s forte.

Chipping was her forte, much more than driving or putting. Her dad had always been jealous of her sand trap game, Sue knowing exactly where to hit the ball and at what strength to line up the perfect shot or even sink it straight in the hole. 

Sue lined up, testing the sand around her ball with her club before moving up and whacking the white sphere. It sailed through the air, landing inches from his destination. 

The note was simple. All it said was turn around. When she did, he was there, waving at her with only his fingers, his newsboy cap slightly askew as he put his own ball down about a foot farther away from the hole than Sue’s had been.

Glancing at her once, a snide smirk on his face, Cecil concentrated, his effort only miniscule as he knocked the ball into its proper slot.  With a curt nod, he picked up his ball, ushering the woman toward the second venue of their game.

He was up early. Hell, Cecil was always up early, but lately it was as if he wasn’t getting any sleep. She was always there, scolding him, kissing him, slapping him or touching him in his dreams; her red hair always more vibrant than the last time he conjured her up.

Sue.

Rubbing his face, the brawny man put on a pot of coffee, the thwack of the newspaper hitting the front door a welcome sound. Quickly he grabbed it from the front porch, flipping hastily to the page where the crossword puzzle was. This was a first, as Cecil usually needed to know what was going on in the world around him. It made him feel more aware of life even though before the girl, it was rather mundane. But now he had no time. He knew that she was also early to rise, especially if she planned to have pastries ready for the working class.

Not bothering with the actual answers, he scrawled down a message with his pen, a new addition to his writing collection as all he used to own were pencils before.

Without hesitation he scrambled to get dressed, bolting out of the door within less than twenty minutes of pulling himself out of bed.

She wasn’t there. 

With a sigh of relief, Cecil sneaked out of his car, leaving it running for the time being so that he could make a clean getaway if things got a little too hairy.

As soon as he was out of sight, the redhead moved over to the door, picking up the paper and flipping it open. "Golf Course eh?" She shook her head. Either Cecil really liked her or he really hated her, either way, Sue was hoping that night would end with a bang. 

“I’m all in! I’ll pack my bags and meet him here whenever you need me to.” Donna quipped, winking at Sue as she leaned back in her seat.

  Donna had been enamored once before, but she’d been scorned. For some reason, it hadn’t stopped her from wanting to find love though, that had always been a part of her plan, and never was she one to get it confused with lust. The mention of Sara and Edward, their son together made Donna’s heart ache. She didn’t know what it was like to be married, and happily in love, but it was something she wanted to know, even if it was against her flighty nature.

“Give fate a push? What do you mean?” The blonde asked, her brow quirked in question of what Sue was insinuating. “I’ve tried everything I can think of except just waiting it out. I talked him into having a cup of coffee with me the other night, but I would hardly consider that dates since it was while he was on the clock, and I practically had to pull teeth to get him to take a five minute break.”

"I think... yes... that might just work.... Donna you got plans for next weekend?" The blonde shook her head. "Well then, dear, looks like you just found out about a cousin in Canada that needs a visit. And you can't possibly make the trip by yourself, but wouldn't you know, Mr Wesley Bradshaw is making a trip up there that very weekend to run some business errands for me. It'd be the decent thing for a southern gentleman to do, to escort a lady across the border. You know... for safety purposes..." Sue winked at Donna. 

Sweets were all she seemed to crave lately, well that and Wes who hadn’t been around as often as Donna liked. Frowning, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, flustered that she still felt a little too ‘put together for her liking.’ Yes, Wesley Bradshaw may have mentioned that he wasn’t interested in dating, and yes, he may have said that he wanted to just remain friends, but those words were no deterrent in the Ragdoll’s quest to get the man she’d been pining over for weeks now, they just meant the chase would be much more exciting that she’d be accustomed.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Donna pushed her way through the front door of her small apartment, locking it with haste before dusting herself off in order to head toward Main. The heels she’d chosen weren’t the most functional, but they were pretty, and the lavender in them matched the sundress she was wearing nearly perfectly.

Thankfully, Southern Charm wasn’t too far, only a couple of blocks from her humble abode, which made it all the easier for her to just ‘swing by’ when she had a spare moment. Tugging at her dress one last time, Donna swept into the shop, her grin only faltering slightly at the sight of Sue behind the counter.

"What I wouldn't give for you to look at me the way you stare at Wes, but alas, your heart belongs to another!" Sue threw her hand over her chest dramatically. The baker giggled, leaning against the counter as the blonde approached. "Nice save by the way, ravishing redhead..." Sue winked. 

"You actually just missed him, he headed out about 20 minutes ago. If I had known you were coming I would've gone out on the errand myself." She poured Donna a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for herself. 

"Come on, lets sit and gab, lunch time is always my slowest since I don't sell sandwiches." 

He didn’t bother with a thank you, but instead grunted at the woman before pushing the puzzle book back in her direction. Silently, the mechanic counted the money and put it in the drawer.

She was still there when he was finished.

If he hadn’t been such a God fearin’ Christian, Cecil may have said a few choice words to the woman, but instead he stared back at her, hoping that his lack of eloquence would do the trick.

It didn’t.

Sue stared back at him, her arms crossed and her eyebrow raised as if she expected some sort of response out of him. If it was a staring contest she wanted, then it was a staring contest she’d get.

Tapping two of his fingers on the crossword puzzle book, he stared the woman down, pushing it further toward the edge of the counter where the redhead was standing. His own arms were crossed now as he put his feet up on the worn corner of the wood. Cecil refused the truce; his untamed brow quirked to mimic Sue’s thinner, daintier one.

She wasn't sure how much time passed, but Susie was sure she could paint that man's face from memory at this point... if she knew how to paint... which she didn't. 

"As pretty as you are, Cecil, and as much as I'm sure you enjoy lookin' at my face. Do you not have a car to fix, or a crossword puzzle to do?" Sue approached the desk, walking around to the side where Cecil was sitting. Sue was probably the bravest woman in town, or the dumbest, but she didn't care. The redhead kicked the wheels of the rolling wooden chair, causing Cecil's legs to drop to the floor with a loud bang, throwing the man completely off balance, all while her gaze never left his. 

Alas, God had not heard Cecil’s  prayers. As he rounded the corner, the mechanic noticed the shop door already open and the tall redhead grinning from the counter. He wasn’t sure why, but she seemed to look as if she’d eaten a canary… a rather large one at that. He frowned, sliding the keys across the counter to the woman without saying a word.

He hadn’t expected to get breakfast from the woman, nor a present, but the apology for ruining his crossword the other day nearly blew him away. He stood for a moment, looking down at the coffee before scooping the loot into his hands. He smiled then, winking at the woman before heading for the door.

The coffee was delicious, the muffin even better; setting the mood for a decent day in the eyes of the mechanic. If every morning turned out this way for the rest of his life he’d be happy, but the mere thought of having Sue to thank for that nearly had Cecil running for the hills. He was anxious, excited even to see what she had given him. He didn’t want to admit that to himself,  but he could wait no longer. The walk back to the shop was still another five blocks and he had nothing better to do with his time.

It took Cecil a moment to realize what had happened; but as he stared down at the crossword puzzle in his hands, the ink smudged in certain places, his face began to turn hot. For a moment he was stunned, then enraged as he realized the date of the paper was for the present day. He hadn’t even had the opportunity to open the paper, much less take a gander at the puzzle.

She was ruthless…

But it had been two days and no word. Maybe she had gone too far, pushed the wrong button. That was just silly and Sue even admitted that she was being ridiculous. 

So she drove over to the local bookshop, purchased a crossword book, completely blank and made a bee line for the garage. She still needed to pay for the services anyway, since Cecil had fled without accepting her payment. 

The garage was pretty quiet and Vance's car wasn't parked outside. Perfect, Sue thought, as she pulled open the front door, Cecil sitting at the counter just like he had been a few days ago. 

Cecil hardly talked, and when he did it had to have purpose. Social situations were awkward for him, and even more so when a woman like Sue was involved. Times like these were meant for listening and not speaking anyway, that much the man was sure of. 

Sue had arrived at her shop early the next day, making sure the mechanic didn't do a drop and run. She'd also picked up the daily paper and finished the crossword over a cup of coffee and one of her tasty scones. The baker then wrapped the paper, crossword section on top, in butchers paper, tying a bow around it like a present and placed it on the counter just as Cecil pulled up front in her car. 

Sue waited behind the counter, forcing the man to enter her establishment. He was a fine mess of a fella. And Sue chuckled when she realized the man walking towards her was actually her height if not an inch or two shorter. Cute, she thought, leaning against the counter. 

However, even if she was intrusive, Cecil was slightly intrigued by the fact that she knew what she was describing. Often these days, woman just whinnied and whined about how their cars weren’t working and had no idea what was making ‘that noise’ or where it was coming from. 

He stayed silent. Yes, Cecil was aware of how awkward it made him seem as well as the whole situation in general, but there was no way he could conjure up a cohesive sentence without sounding like a dumb ass. It was why he rarely spoke at all. 

"Vance my boy!" She took his hands in hers. "Be my savior and tell me you have a fuel line for my model T? I seem to have a crack that can't be patched." Vance chuckled at the woman's ridiculous knowledge of her mechanics, still a surprise even though he'd spoken with her and Wes many times. 

"Ah, you can replace a starter but can't fix a leaky hose... Not s-s-sure if I believe that Miss Bradshaw." He leaned against the desk, "Let's go take a peak at the line and I'll see if we have your size in stock. Cecil, will you open the garage door so I can push this vehicle in, since I doubt w-w-without a working line it moves very far without a bit of muscle put to it." 

He followed Sue outside to her car, the hood already lifted. Vance peered in, nodding. "Miss Bradshaw, if I didn't own a garage, I'd say you should open your own. You're always spot on when it comes to diagnosing  your problems." 

Sue smiled proudly. "My Pa taught me well, 'sides, we didn't have any cute mechanics like yourself in my hometown to fix this sorta thing. We had to be resourceful. Vance blushed at the kind words. 

"Well Cecil and I can get this changed for you in about 40 minutes if you have time to wait, if not, I can bring it by your place tomorrow morning first thing." 

Sue thought about this for a moment. "Bring it by tomorrow... in fact, have Cecil drive it over. He seems like a man that needs to get out of the shop from time to time." Sue winked at Vance.