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  The Wannabes

  Copyright © 2013 by Tammy Coons

  Editing by Jenn Scranton

  Cover design by Michelle Warren

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Discover other titles by Tammy Coons at Amazon

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  The Wannabes is dedicated to all of those out there who have ever struggled to find their own way to happiness.

  “BOB TO THE front please,” Corbin called through the microphone. She placed the closed sign on her counter. It had been a busy Friday at Royce’s Market and she was happy her shift was over.

  “Hey girly, you can’t leave without checking me out,” a deep voice said, making her smile. Corbin instantly knew it was Keith. Before her dad passed away, he and Keith had been avid fishing buddies. He was an older gentleman in his sixties that always insisted she check out his groceries. He would wait in her line even though other cashiers were available.

  “There are other cashiers, you know.” Her words made a wide smile creep across his face. She removed her closed sign.

  “Yes, but I love bothering you,” he replied. Corbin shook her head. “How’s your mom doing?” She felt her stomach twinge at his question.

  “She’s still holding her own. She doesn’t know who I am anymore.” Corbin blinked back a tear. “She is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s.” Her Mom had been diagnosed with the disease just months after Corbin’s dad had passed away. Corbin had tried to be her primary care giver, but after three years she could no longer do it on her own.

  “Sorry to hear that. She is a great lady.”

  “Are you staying at your cabin yet?” Corbin changed the subject as quickly as she could. She scanned his items, not wanting to make making eye contact. She glanced past him to see Bob, the store manager, making his way to the front. Bob was a tall, balding man who always had a smile on his face.

  “Yep, starting tonight. I finally got all of the walls replaced. The flood last year left a huge mess. I’m ready to live by the river again.”

  “I see Keith caught you before you could escape,” Bob said with a grin.

  “Of course he did,” Corbin said rolling her eyes. She listened as Keith and Bob talked about the weather. She pushed away the thoughts of her Mom for the time being and finished ringing up his groceries. “$150.96.”

  “Holy shit, I’m going to have to quit drinking,” Keith chuckled. He took his time writing out a check.

  “You know, things go a lot faster when you use a debit card,” Corbin chided crossing her arms.

  “Plastic is so impersonal,” Keith smirked.

  “Pretty big word for you, Keith,” Corbin teased. He ripped out the check and handed it to her.

  “It’s always a pleasure to annoy you.”

  “Have a good weekend.” Corbin handed him his receipt.

  “You too,” Keith said with a wink.

  “Ready to count down?” Bob asked, fishing out his keys.

  “Yep.” Bob put the keys in the register and Corbin took out her money tray.

  “Big plans this weekend?” Bob asked.

  “I think we are going to Rebels.”

  “I’ve never been out there, I don’t really think it would be my scene.”

  “Probably not,” she chuckled. Bob unlocked the office door. Corbin sat at the desk and began sorting and counting her drawer. She typed all of her calculations into the computer and placed all of her days work into the safe. She made a bee line to the backroom and clocked out. The high school kids were there getting ready for the night shift. Corbin thought back to the days when she first started working at Royce’s. Many of her weekends were spent there. But they always had so much fun after the store closed. One of the guys in charge would sing at night and tell dirty jokes via the loudspeaker.

  She unlocked her locker and gathered up her purse and jacket. She made her way to the beer section and grabbed a 12 pack of her favorite beer, Blue Moon. She then proceeded to the checkout lane.

  “I need my check too, Lacey.” Corbin said as she fished out her debit card. She made minimum wage, but managed. Sharing an apartment with two other people helped out a lot. She paid for her beer then stepped out into the warm sunshine. She looked across the road to George’s gas station hoping to catch a glimpse of her longtime boyfriend, Rob. Not seeing him, she climbed into her rusty 1998 Chevy Lumina. She cranked the starter and after two tries it started. She put the car in gear and then pulled into the gas station. She purposely pulled up to the full service pump and the little bell sounded off. She looked to the door of the station and waited. After what seemed like hours, Rob walked out the door. He walked towards her and was shaking his head. Corbin felt her heart tug in her chest. She and Rob had been dating since high school. He had boyish good looks. His hair was brown, and his eyes almost a chocolate brown.

  “Corbin. What the hell?” he said.

  “What?” Corbin asked with a shrug.

  “Seriously, you know how to use a gas pump.”

  “I just felt that I wanted full service today.” Corbin winked. Rob rolled his eyes then proceeded to fill up her car.

  “$25.00,” he said. Corbin handed him her money and she grabbed his hand.

  “Are you coming over tonight?” She asked giving his hand a little squeeze.

  “It’s race night, you know that.” Corbin’s heart sank.

  “Maybe after?”

  “Maybe, I gotta go.”

  “Ok. Can I at least have a kiss before I leave?”

  “I am at work, Corbin. I will text you later.”

  “I love you,” Corbin said softly. And with that, Rob turned and headed back into the station. Corbin watched him go, the familiar feeling of rejection filling her. She started her car again, and then looked into her review mirror at her reflection. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back tightly and she wore no makeup. She looked down at her tan baggy pants and Royce’s market shirt. Maybe it was time for a makeover. Maybe then Rob would pay more attention to her. She put her car in gear and drove the short distance to her apartment. As she walked up the stairs the pungent aroma of Mexican food and barbeque filled her nostrils. The smell of the mixture made her stomach churn a little. She unlocked the door and shut it as quietly as she could. One of her
roommates, Alex, worked as at bartender at Rebel’s and usually didn’t get home until the early morning hours so she slept most of the day away. Stella, her other roommate, worked as a hairdresser at Vavoom.

  Corbin walked into the kitchen and put her beer in the fridge. She pulled out one of them and twisted the top off. She took a long chug, the cold liquid was welcoming.

  “You must be Corbin,” a male voice said from behind her. She turned slowly and found herself face to face with a tattooed man wearing only boxers. She instantly assumed he was one of either Alex’s or Stella’s conquests from the night before. Her roomies were known for that kind of stuff, more so Stella than Alex. “I’m Ryder,” he continued. “Alex’s brother.” He held out his hand.

  “Oh yeah, I forget you were coming today.” Corbin shook his hand. Ryder was tall, she guessed about 6ft. He had long light brown hair that was a bit disheveled and he had many tribal tattoos scattered about his body. She scanned down his body, her eyes resting on the V that shown at the top of his tight boxers. She bit her lip then looked back up into his eyes. She felt herself go red when she noticed the small smile on his face. She cleared her throat and moved away from him.

  “So how long are you staying here?” she blurted. She took another pull from her beer then started choking, beer sprung from her nose.

  “You ok?” Ryder asked, placing a hand on her back. Corbin brushed past him and hurried into the bathroom. She slumped against the bathroom door, feeling as if she wanted to crawl under a rock.

  “I am such a tard!” she said under her breath. She washed her face and then changed into some sweats and a sweatshirt. Feeling totally embarrassed, she cracked open the bathroom door and then crept into the kitchen. Not seeing Ryder, she hurried into her bedroom and shut the door and flopped down on her bed. Her bedroom was her sanctuary, her place to get away from realty. Corbin was an avid reader, her Kindle her best friend. She perused through her collection on her Kindle, finding nothing of interest so she chose to begin her recent paperback purchase, Joyland by Stephen King. Corbin had just started reading when she heard Stella announce her arrival home, in her usual extravagant tone.

  “I’m home! Let the weekend begin.”

  Corbin, feeling relieved that someone else was home, put her book down and exited her bedroom. She proceeded to the living room where Ryder was sitting on the couch. He was shirtless but had put some jeans on.

  “You must be Ryder. Alex forgot to tell me you were a hottie,” Stella purred. Corbin felt her cheeks flush. She watched as Stella continued to try to charm him.

  “And you must be Stella. Alex warned me about you,” Ryder chuckled, then stood and shook her hand.

  “Oh honey, you don’t need a warning.” Stella touched Ryder’s arm. “It’s going to be fun to have you around.” Stella gave him a quick wink.

  “Gah Stella, he just got here,” Corbin said rolling her eyes. Corbin continued to the kitchen and grabbed another beer from the fridge. She leaned against the counter and listened to Stella barrage Ryder with a ton of questions. She picked at the label on the bottle.

  “Be careful with that beer. The last one almost killed you,” Ryder said as he entered the kitchen. Corbin shrugged.

  “I bought a 30 pack,” Stella announced as she trailed behind. “And…tada!” She pulled a bag of marijuana out of her bra.

  “You shouldn’t have that stuff on you. What if your parole officer calls you in for a UA?” Corbin said in almost a whisper, as if the apartment was bugged. Stella had been in and out of trouble since she moved to town. The last time was for public intoxication. Her little stint landed her in jail for a few months and she had been on probation for six months.

  “Did my last one today! I am free and clear baby!” Stella pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and shoved it in Corbin’s face. Without reading it Corbin threw it on the counter.

  “I have been a good girl, I deserve this.” Stella packed the pipe then lit it. The aroma filled the room. Corbin cracked open the window and turned on the ceiling fan. Stella took a long drag then handed it to Corbin. “Come on, Corbin. Celebrate with me. Think of this as an early graduation celebration.”

  “Graduation?” Ryder asked taking the pipe from Stella.

  “Yep, little miss Smarty Pants just earned an Associates’ degree in French. She’s heading to the U of I in the fall to get her Bachelor’s degree.”

  “Ugh, Stella,” Corbin covered her face with her hand. She hated when people put her on the spot.

  “What? It’s awesome. I barely made it through high school, let alone Beauty College.”

  “That is cool,” Ryder exhaled. “Are you going to be a teacher?” He handed the pipe to her. Corbin took it from him and their hands brushed. She felt the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. Corbin shrugged.

  “She wants to move to Paris,” Stella continued.

  “Stella, please shut up.” Corbin wanted to cover Stella’s mouth with duct tape.

  “Ok…ok…”

  Corbin took her turn then fled to the living room. She sat down on the couch just as Alex yanked open her bedroom door.

  “Who needs an alarm clock when you live with Stella Jones?” Alex yawned. “Where’s Ryder?” Corbin chuckled.

  “He is in the kitchen, with Stella. I am surprised she hasn’t molested him by now.”

  “Poor Guy.”

  “He’s holding his own.”

  “Stella, keep your panties on for once,” Alex called as she entered the kitchen. Corbin heard Ryder laugh.

  “Shut up, Alex!” Stella had retorted. Corbin leaned her head back onto the couch, allowing the relaxing feeling from the marijuana overtake her. She had always been a pot lightweight. She felt her eyes closing.

  “That was pretty good stuff,” Ryder said as he sat down next to her. His body brushed against hers. Corbin snapped her eyes open and then jumped up and moved to the bean bag chair.

  “Do I stink or something?” Ryder said as looked Corbin in the eye. It was the first time she noticed the color. They were deep green, she was immediately sucked into them and they shared a moment of just looking at each other. Corbin opened her mouth to speak just as Stella entered the room.

  “No honey, it’s not you. She is just uptight.” She sat down next to Ryder.

  “No I’m not,” Corbin said. She ran her hands through her pony tail. “I just don’t think Rob would appreciate me sitting on the couch with another guy.” Stella shot her a look that said oh please.

  “From what I have been hearing at Vavoom, Rob has been spending a lot of his free time in Muscello.”

  “I have been hearing stuff, too,” Alex added from the kitchen.

  “So,” Corbin shrugged. “A lot of people go there.”

  “Yeah, to get laid. You know the girls over there,” Stella pushed.

  “Fuck you, Stella.” Corbin flipped her off

  “The truth hurts, baby.” Stella cocked her head to the side. Corbin wanted to reach out and slap the look off of her face. Stella’s mouth often got her into trouble. She stared Stella down. Anger filled her. The thought of Rob with another woman made her sick to her stomach. Tears stung her eyes.

  “Stella, you can be such a twat.” Alex kneeled next to Corbin. “I am sure it is just rumors. Just small town bullshit.” Corbin nodded.

  “Well, I have had enough of this chick drama. I am going down stairs for a few beers.” Ryder stood then walked into Alex’s room. He came out a few seconds later wearing a tight black t-shirt and jeans that had holes in just the right places and black boots. Corbin found herself taking him in once again. Only this time she felt a stir in her panties. She swallowed hard.

  “Better put your eyes back in your head. Rob wouldn’t appreciate you drooling all over another guy,” Stella spat then went into her room. She slammed the door. Corbin felt herself blush again as Ryder gave her a crooked smile. Corbin grabbed her cell phone and then stormed into her room slamming the door as well.

  RYDER TOO
K A seat at the bar.

  “What can I get you, hun?” the bartender asked. She was a petite blonde. Her tank top barely covered her boobs.

  “Busch light bottle,” Ryder replied. As she walked away he took in the view of her ass. She was wearing tight short shorts and they clung to every curve.

  “$2.00,” she said when she returned. Ryder gave her the money then looked around the barroom. It was a small place. Two pool tables and a dart board were towards the back. A few of who he assumed were locals set at the opposite end of the bar. At one of tables there was a group of women giggling and looking his way. He gave them a small nod which made them giggle more, then took a long pull off of his beer.

  “New here?” the bartender asked. She leaned onto the counter giving Ryder a full view of her cleavage.

  He cocked a sideways smile. “Just got here today.”

  “I knew it. Are you with a band or something?”

  “Not anymore.” Ryder shook his head.

  “What instrument did you play?” She twirled her hair around her finger.

  “I was the singer.” He watched as the bartender bit her lip.

  “I love singers,” she purred.

  “Sally, can I get a beer sometime today?” an older man called from the opposite side of the bar. As she walked away he checked out her ass again. He knew she was putty in his hands. Being in a band had always made the chicks lose their panties. He smiled to himself then downed the rest of his beer.

  “Sally, I need another.” Sally hurried to him.

  “This one is on me.” She gave him a wink. She handed him a beer then leaned in close,” I go on break in an hour. I would love to talk with you some more… alone.” She licked her lips.

  “Sally, looks like your keeping a close eye on my brother,” Ryder heard Alex say as she entered the bar. He watched Sally’s face change from wanting to jump him to a full on blush. She gave Ryder another glance then hurried to another customer. “Stay away from her. She’s a whore,” Alex whispered in Ryder’s ear.

  “Sounds good to me,” Ryder whispered back. He wiggled his eyebrows.