Chapter Thirty: Love Fool:

Julia and Wallace walked along the campus streets. She smiled next to him. The country boy looked around for a bit.

“Where are we going?” he asked. Julia turned to him with a smile on his face.

“You’ll see,” she said. “You’re going to like it.” Her tone had a hint of mischief peppered inside.

“Okay…” Wallace said. Julia held out her hand to him. The country boy froze at first. He slowly took her hand. The lead actress giggled. His heart raced against his chest. Still, he didn’t understand it.

“Hey, Julia,” Wallace said.

“Hm?” she asked. The country boy started to ask, but his head.

“Never mind,” he said, waving her off.

“You sure?” she asked.

“Yes,” Wallace said. Julia shrugged.

“Fine,” she said. The country boy blushed as they kept walking.

They ended up at a small college bar. The music could be heard from outside. They could see the flashing colored lights through the frosted glass. Julia turned to Wallace with a smile on his face.

“Here we are,” she said. “Welcome to the Red Corner.” Wallace narrowed his eyes with a confused look on his face.

“The Red Corner?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” she said. Julia turned and pushed open the door. The music came flooding out through the crack. Julia stepped up onto the step and pulled Wallace along with her.

“You’re going to love it here,” she insisted. Then they went into the bar. To his surprise, the place looked more relaxed than what he pictured. The walls were painted blood red, showing him how this place got its name. The college-aged patrons worn causal wear as they sat around at the tables and the bar. A 90’s pop song played in the background. Wallace nodded as he looked around.

“How did you find this place?” he asked. Julia looked over her shoulder.

“Vanessa took me out here last night,” she said. The country boy looked confused.

“Who’s Vanessa?” he asked.

“A friend,” she said. The leading actress didn’t give him a chance to speak as they walked up to the bar. The bartender, a man about thirty, perked up when he saw them.

“Julia! You’re back! How are you?” he asked.

“Great, Norman,” she said. “And how are you?” Wallace looked back and forth like a lost puppy.

“Norman? What’s going on?” he asked. The bartender turned to the country boy.

“Oh, and who’s this?” he asked. Julia put her hand on Wallace’s shoulder.

“This is Wallace,” she said. “He’s an old friend from my hometown.”

“Uh… hi…” the country boy mumbled. The bartender held out his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Wallace,” he said. He grabbed the country boy’s hand and shook it. Wallace chuckled to himself as he tried to go along with this vibe. He had no idea what was going on. What is this? Wallace turned to Julia who had a dreamy smile on her face. The bartender let go of his hand.

“What can I get for you tonight?” he asked.

“Do you still have what I ordered last night?” Julia asked. The bartender had a twinkle in his eye.

“I can hook you up,” he said. He turned his attention to Wallace.

“And what can I get for you, man?” he asked.

“I don’t really drink,” the country boy said.

“That’s okay,” the bartender said. “We have alcohol-free drinks too. Now, what would you like?”

“Wow,” Wallace said. He looked at the chalkboard menu behind him.

“Um… the Hawaiian Rainbow Punch?” he asked. The bartender grinned.

“Coming up,” he said. The bartender turned and got to work. Julia and Wallace turned to each other. The leading actress gave him a little smile. He couldn’t figure her out.

“I like you,” Wallace said. “I really like you.” He didn’t know why the words were coming out. Julia had a twinkle in her eyes.

“Aw, I like you too,” she said. Wallace’s face turned bright red. Wow. Did she really mean that?

“You… You do?” he asked. She playfully grabbed him by the hands.

“Why yes,” she said. “You’re one of my favorite people.” The country boy had a confused look on his face.

“Huh? What does that mean?” he asked. Julia just giggled as “Lovefool” started to play over the speakers. The country boy tried to make sense of what she was saying. He started to realize that he really couldn’t understand her. The bartender turned back with their drinks.

“Here you go, enjoy,” he said. Wallace didn’t take his eyes off of Julia as he picked up a glass and took a drink.