Chapter Text
It felt like years ago when Phee first stepped inside the Duck Tape Bar and Grill, really it was a few months. He remembered how frail she seemed. As a bartender, Clyde figured he was used to seeing pathetic folks stumbling in the bar but this one was different. He didn’t think this could be ameliorated by a cold beer and a listening ear. Fortunately, Jimmy and Sylvie were at the bar too that fateful night. Sylvie moved to sit next to Phee and bought her a hot meal. That night they learned that Phee had just left a bad situation; she walked and hitch-hiked all the way to West Virginia, hoping to get far enough that she wouldn’t be found. Jimmy and Sylvie offered up their spare room for as long as she needed.
It wasn’t long before Phee was basically adopted as a Logan. She decided to stay in Boone County and got a job at the public library working in the children’s section.
Clyde loved it when Phee would come into the bar and keep him company on slow days, talking about the gossip and shenanigans that she heard or saw at the library. Her melodic voice, uncommonly deep for a woman, was pleasant to listen to. And as the weeks passed, she began to look brighter, healthier, and happier. Clyde found himself slowly falling in love with her. He found himself admiring her elegant features. He memorized her features: the soft curve of her jaws, the narrow slant of her nose, and the graceful arch of her brow.
One day, Mellie and Sadie came marching into the Duck Tape. Clyde raised an eyebrow at them. It was the middle of the day – hardly any patrons – so it wasn’t improper to bring Sadie, just unusual.
“When are you gonna ask Miss Phee on a date?” Sadie said, her hands on her hips, acting real sassy like her mother.
Clyde placed two napkins on the bar in front of them with a low laugh.
“What makes you think I’m gonna ask Miss Phee on a date?” he asked.
“C’mon Clyde,” Mellie replied, “we see how you look at her.”
“And I think you two would be perfect together,” Sadie declared.
Clyde rolled his eyes as he began making Sadie’s Sweet Sunrise. When he placed the mocktail on the napkin in front of her, Sadie immediately picked out the orange slice with her fingers and stuffed it in her mouth.
“I don’t think a gal like her would be interested in a guy like me,” Clyde said as he poured out Mellie’s usual draft.
“Well,” Mellie said, “I’ve heard the way she talks about you. She’s definitely interested.”
“She talks about me? What’s she say?”
Mellie and Sadie smirked at him, all devious-like.
“Can’t say,” Mellie said before taking a swig of her beer.
“Girl Code,” Sadie immediately followed up before taking a sip of her drink.
Clyde shook his head in exasperation. The conversation moved on, but Clyde’s thoughts were on Phee for the rest of his shift. Mellie wasn’t really a meddler like Jimmy and his daughter were, so there must have been something that had Mellie so convinced. Clyde kept thinking about it for several days. He was still thinking about it the next time she visited the bar. During a lull in the conversation, as Phee quietly sipped on a Cherry coke, Clyde lingered by her. He had a few false starts, but he was finally able to do what he had been wanting to do for weeks.
“Phee,” he started.
“Hm?”
“I wanted to know… I wanted to ask you to dinner. As a date.”
He looked up for her response and her eyes were sparkling. Fuck, she was so pretty. And her smile. It took a moment for him to register her nodding and saying yes. He grinned back at her. Clyde was glad that there weren’t many folks in the bar when he asked her because he sure was awkward as he talked to her about the details of their date.
“So… do you like Chinese food?” Clyde asked. When Phee nodded, he continued. “Well, there’s this great little family-owned restaurant we can go to down in Danville…”
“Sounds a little far...”
“Yeah – I reckon you wouldn’t want half the town to be gossiping about our first date.”
“Yeah,” Phee giggled and tilted her head. “I think I’d like to keep you to myself for a little while first.”
Hearing that made Clyde’s face feel a little warm. He turned away to wipe at a spot on the counter. It was already clean, but he needed something to distract himself from being a blubbering fool. Clyde managed not to make too much of a fool of himself before he drove Phee back to Jimmy and Sylvie’s place. But the whole drive he was grinning like an idiot, peeking over at her cute, smiling face. He parked at the end of their driveway and turned to face her in the passenger seat. In the dark truck, with the dim green lights from the console, her eyes sparkled. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.
“See you tomorrow, Clyde,” she whispered.
He whispered goodbye and then she was gone. Well, it probably wasn’t as quick as Clyde remembered it, but he couldn’t help but keep replaying in his mind the warm press of her lips on him. He sat in the truck for quite a few minutes before driving himself home.
The date couldn’t come quickly enough.
Phee said he could pick her up after work, and when she walked out of the library his heart just about stopped. She looked like sunshine and spring as she wore a sundress wrapped in a fuzzy sweater on that grey winter afternoon. Absolutely adorable. He helped her into his truck before getting in the driver’s seat.
Honestly, Clyde barely noticed the taste of the food. He ate some noodles, but his focus was entirely on the beautiful woman in front of him. It wasn’t all that different than when she hung out at the bar and talked to him about the book she was reading or the plans she had for the children’s section in the library. Somehow though, sitting there in his nicest button-down across from Phee in her pretty dress made it a thousand times better. They probably overstayed their welcome, but from what he could tell the young waiter didn’t seem too rushed to kick them out. It was dark and chilly when they finally left the restaurant. Phee shivered so Clyde wrapped her in his coat. Her pleased smile warmed him up plenty.
They opened their fortune cookies in the truck. There weren’t any slips of paper inside his cookie, no fortune for Clyde.
“Whelp,” Clyde sighed good-naturedly. “That’s the Logan Curse right there.”
Phee pouted, then opened her cookie. She grinned, scrunching up her nose all cute-like.
“What’s it say?”
“The love of your life is right in front of your eyes," she said.
“No, it don’t–”
She turned the slip towards me and sure enough, that’s what it said. Clyde’s face felt hot. If his siblings were there, they’d probably tease him for how red it was right then. As it was, Phee only tilted her head and scootched closer to him.
“Aren’t I lucky?”
Clyde nodded and then Phee was pressing her soft lips on his. It was the sweetest kiss he’d ever had. He melted into her, wrapped his right arm around her shoulder to bring her closer, and placed his left hand on her cheek. She made a soft sound, a sweet little sigh, against his lips before gripping his shirt and pulling him closer. They kissed for a while in the dark parking lot. The whole ride back, Phee rested her hand on his thigh. It was a miracle that he didn’t crash. When he got back to Jimmy and Sylvie’s place, Phee gave him another kiss before telling him goodnight.