The next weekend a friend of the boys' was playing with his band at a local dive bar. The white farm house piled into two cars and drove over. Vera was excited, she loved going out at night. She put her head out the window of Daniel's car and let the wind stream through her hair, smelling the night smells of the road. Daniel laughed at her and tried to pull her back inside but Vera just grinned at him and howled out the window into the rushing darkness.
The bar was crowded and dim. They squeezed in around a sticky table by the stage and Daniel went to buy drinks. There were some young guys on the stage, moving wires around and testing their instruments. Chris and Lucien waved at the bass player until he noticed them and gave a too-cool nod of recognition.
Daniel came back and passed out plastic cups of beer. He squeezed in next to Vera and she smiled at him. On her other side Lucien put his big, warm hand on her bare knee under the table. Vera sipped her drink.
The band introduced themselves and started playing with a crash of guitars. Between the music and the crowd it was very loud in the bar, making conversation near impossible. Daniel tried to say something to Vera but she just shrugged and shook her head. Lucien's thumb made little excruciating circles on the inside of her thigh.
The band was pretty good. The funky bluegrass numbers soon had people up on the dance floor in front of the stage. Vera raised her arms and shimmied in her seat, grinning. Chris left the table to talk to a girl who'd been making eyes at him from the bar. "DON"T WAIT UP," he bellowed at them with a wink.
Daniel gave a surprised jump and pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket to read a text. He frowned and typed something back, bending low over the glowing screen. After reading the reply he leaned over and shouted in Vera's ear, "I HAVE TO GO IN TO WORK. KENNY CALLED IN SICK."
Vera pouted. She been having so much fun. Daniel leaned over to bellow something in Lucien's ear who nodded. Back to Vera's ear: "LUCIEN WILL DRIVE YOU HOME. SEE YOU LATER!" Daniel kissed her cheek and she smiled at him and squeezed his hand.
As Daniel made his way out of the crowded bar Lucien reached over for Daniel's half full beer and downed it followed by his own. "Bottoms up," he mouthed to Vera with a grin. She smiled and finished her beer and Lucien pulled her to her feet and onto the dance floor.
Vera loved to dance and she soon lost herself in the thumping drums and quick rhythms. Lucien moved with her, his rough hands skimming her body and keeping her close. Vera shook her hair out and placed her arms around Lucien's neck. She relished being close to him, moving in rhythm with him. It was like sex, but they were surrounded by people, fully clothed. They were pretending that this wasn't turning them on so much.
Feeling Lucien's body moving against her and his hands on her curves, clutching her, letting her go, soon had Vera aroused. Her heart was thumping and she only wanted to be closer to him. They moved together, bodies pressed close, almost obscenely. They danced for the whole set. By the time the band finished playing Lucien and Vera were sweating and breathing hard like they'd been running all night.
Towing Lucien by the hand, Vera pushed through the press of people and out of the bar. In the parking lot Vera gasped in great lung-fulls of air. The hot night seeming suddenly refreshing after the stagnant air of the bar. Insects buzzed around the yellow globes of the streetlights and the three quarter moon cast cool shadows under the nighttime trees.
They walked slowly to Lucien's truck, holding hands. Vera's blood was up from the dancing. She didn't want this night to end yet. She stopped by Lucien's truck and looked up at the hazy stars. He came up behind her and placed his big hands on her waist, squeezing gently and nuzzling her neck.
"Mmm," Vera purred. "Lucien?"
"Yes Babe?"
"Let's go somewhere." her voice was pitched low, lustful and husky.
He nodded, his nose brushing against her dewy neck. They got into Lucien's truck and he started driving. The windows were open and as they left town and headed down a country road the crickets and cicadas made a soothing background music.