The Making of a Centaur: Centaur Agency, #3

By A.S. McGowan

Severely beaten, "Lucky" wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Rescued by the Centaur Agency, she sets out to discover her identity. Plagued by violent flashbacks, she finds herself afraid of the men around her. There is one man though that makes her feel safe. However time is running out for all of them. Will "Lucky" get her memories back in time to stop a madman? Or will her past catch up with her, leaving the most important person in her life to pay the price?

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.S. McGowan
• Release date: Apr 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9798201535957

Book preview

Chapter 1

March 2002

Inside the bar it was wall to wall people. Nathaniel was grateful they got there early enough to grab a table. The live band had started playing about an hour ago. Since then the walls vibrated from the deafening noise. From his table, he had spotted several lovely ladies as they walked past. He thought about asking one of them to dance but was a little apprehensive with his parents right there with him. He knew it was foolish to feel this way. He couldn’t help it. Scanning the room, he spotted Calvin out on the dance floor surrounded by a few women.

Leaning over, he shouted to Analise above the roar of the music, What is he doing?

It appears he is trying to do the Funky Chicken, she yelled back.

I have never seen the Funky Chicken done like that before.

I know, but Calvin is one of a kind.

Sitting back in his seat, he nursed his beer and laughed at his friend’s antics. Calvin was the type of guy who could do the wildest and craziest things and women flocked to him. He feared if he tried to dance like that, women would run off the dance floor. Especially when the band was playing eighties and nineties country songs. He grinned at Calvin when the man came back to the table after the song had ended.

Man, those are some dance moves you got there, Nathaniel said as Calvin took his chair.

What can I say, the ladies love me. Calvin grabbed a beer and scanned the room while taking a drink. So many choices tonight, so little time.

You are a complete jerk, Calvin, Analise said pointing her finger at him. You treat going to a bar as your own personal human smorgasbord.

It is, Analise, it is, Calvin said.

Nathaniel sat back and enjoyed the banter between Analise and her brother-in-law. She was right. Calvin, he had noticed, was gluttonous when it came to women. How that man had managed to avoid having kids or contracting an STD, baffled him.

Nathaniel, it is your birthday, you cannot sit here all night. Go find a lovely lady to dance with, Analise told him.

I just might do that, later.

Oh no, no later to it. I dare you to go over and ask that woman at that table. Calvin pointed to a table not far from theirs. Ask her to dance.

You’re daring me to go ask her to dance?

Oh no, I got one better, Analise interrupted. Go over there and kneel on the floor by their table. Put your hands on your knees and bow your head. You have to remain that way until one of them acknowledges you.

No way!

Oh, I love that idea, his mother butted in.

No!

Oh, why not, Nathaniel? It would be funny, his mother continued.

No!

Oh wow, look everyone, Nathaniel here is a chicken, Calvin taunted.

I am not a chicken. You were the one out there dancing like one.

At least I have the balls to go out and dance with the ladies, Calvin countered.

Chicken! Chicken! Chicken! chanted everyone at the table.

Fine, I’ll do it. He stood, sat his beer down and glared at them.

He turned and made his way over to the table; he could still hear the laughter and taunts from his table. Reaching the table where four pretty ladies sat, he knelt on the floor and placed his hands on his knees with his head bowed. Instantly, he felt stupid for doing this. Leave it to Analise to come up something this embarrassing for him to do. It was his birthday, he should be allowed to do what he wanted. But no, none of them would be happy until he was utterly humiliated.

With the band taking a break, it was quiet enough in the bar that he could hear the women sitting at the table talking above his head. The fact that a couple of them thought he was a nut job hurt. At least the two sitting at the end near him seemed to sound as if they realized this was a dare. Now if just one of them would acknowledge him, he could get up off the floor and stop looking like a fool. He wished he could look up at least and see just how many people were staring at him. Since the bar had not gone completely silent he was confident that the whole bar had not noticed the weird guy on his knees bowing in submission at a table full of women.

Are you going to stay down there all night? a female voice to his left asked.

Looking up, he smiled. Thank goodness. I was wondering how much longer I was going to have to stay like that. Rising, he held his hand out to the woman whose voice finally freed him from his humiliation. Nathaniel. Thank you. They dared me to stay like that until someone directly acknowledged me.

Your friends must really enjoy torturing you. Placing her hand in his she smiled at him. Gina, by the way.

Nice to meet you, Gina. Turning, he shook hands with the woman opposite of Gina. And what might your name be?

Kimberly. Where are you from, Nathaniel? You don’t sound like a Texan. she purred, her eyes scanned him up and down.

Shaking hands with the two other women at the table, he turned back toward Kimberly. I’m from Boston originally. Spent a lot of time in Pennsylvania and moved here not too long ago.

Boston. That sounds exciting. You mentioned Pennsylvania, what was there? Work? Family? Gina asked.

Grabbing a chair from a nearby table, he swung it around and placed it at the head of the table, placing himself between Gina and Kimberly. Sitting backward, he rested his forearms on the top of the chair’s rounded metal back. My grandparents lived in Lancaster County. They were old order Amish, and I spent a lot of time on the farm with them.

Amish? That is interesting, the woman on the other side of Gina said.

Yes, it was interesting learning from them. They were great people. He tried to recall what she said her name was but couldn’t.

Hey, why don’t we all hit the dance floor? I feel like dancing again. Kimberly smiled at him.

Dancing sounds great. Ladies? Standing, he waited for the four ladies to stand. Turning to the other two women I didn't catch your names?

Maria and this is Karen. Brushing past him they moved to catch up with their friends. Karen stopped long enough to grab his hand and pull him with her.

On the dance floor, he danced with the four women and they formed a circle around him. The women arms waved side to side above their heads, their heads swaying with the music. Since he did not have any designs toward any of the women, he gave equal individual attention to each of them, grabbing each in turn and playfully twirling them around.  Their position on the wooden dance floor was next to the stage allowing him to feel the vibrations.

Occasionally, he would look over toward his table and give a wide grin back to his friends and family. He noted that even in the dim interior, he could see the shocked look on Calvin’s face. Well Calvin wasn’t the only ladies’ man in the room. He just preferred not to work fast like Calvin did. Hell, his parents raised him better than that.

The song ended, and the women made no move to leave the dance floor. As the band started up another fast country song, the five of them lined up with Nathaniel in the middle. The women moved gracefully through the steps of a line dance. While three of the women were small, Karen was a large woman. With each move her body wiggled and jiggled. He noted she had a beautiful smile and her confidence made her one attractive woman.

Smiling at Karen, he stumbled through the steps and missed several as he tried to keep up with the women. They laughed at him and he found himself laughing at his on ineptness.

Leaving the dance floor, the five of them headed back to the table. Nathaniel once again sat backwards in the chair. Spotting a waitress, he waved her over.  When she came up next to him, he tried to avert his eyes. She was spilling out the top of her Wild West saloon girl dress. She kept try to press them close to him. Quickly he rattled off the drink orders without looking at her.

I love this place but the way the waitress dress and act can be a bit much Kimberly spouted. I mean I have a large chest myself and I ain't no prude but geez that was a bit much.

Large chest my butt. You don't have anything that compares to these babies, Karen teased while waving her hands in front of her chest.

Everyone started laughing and teasing each other. Nathaniel was glad Analise made him come over here. After their drinks arrived, they toasted his birthday and new friendships. Once the toasts were done, they downed their drinks. Drinks finished they all hit the dance floor again.

As he walked off the dance floor with the four women, he leaned down toward Kimberly’s ear. Hey, why don’t the five of us get out of here? Nothing sexual, I promise. Just go club hopping and grab a bite to eat. My treat.

She looked up at and nodded. Let me tell the other girls the plan. She motioned them in close and told them what Nathaniel had proposed. The other three nodded their agreement. With Kimberly on one side and Gina on the other, he looped his arms across their shoulders. Maria took up space next to Kimberly and placed her arm around her waist, with Karen taking up space next to Gina. Likewise, Karen placed her arm around Gina’s waist. Linked together arm and arm, the five of them made their way to Nathaniel’s table. Stopping, Nathaniel leaned in and shouted introductions above the music.

Where is Dad?

Kirk is over there with Matt. Analise shouted back as she turned to point towards the game area.

Yeah Dad loves a good game of billiards

Boy here in Texas it's shooting pool Calvin corrected him, his voiced raised over the loud music.

No matter what it is called, the concept is the same. Hit a ball with a stick.

Sounds like you just described golf Analise shouted again.

Well we are leaving. Tell Dad I said goodnight. Leaning down he kissed his mother’s cheek.

As they made their way past the table, Nathaniel glanced over his shoulder. He was sure Calvin was angry. Why would Calvin be angry just because he was leaving with four lovely women? It is not like Calvin had danced or spoke to any of these women. The dim lights were playing tricks on his eyes.  Calvin was too good-natured to be angry at something this trivial.

Chapter 2

He moved around the room effortlessly. The man who employed him wanted the weak link dealt with. Apparently, she continued to fail to learn her lesson. It is not that she had ever actually talked to anyone about what was going on. More