Dangerous Silence

by Rhonda Brewer

  “I got this, guys.” Mike signed and rounded the table.

  “Just sign if you need us,” Ernie yelled.

  While he squeezed his way through the crowd, he never took his eyes off her. Her back was to him, but the other two women looked terrified as the guy pinned her against the bar. People seemed to close together, making it harder to get around them, and it pissed him off. He didn’t want to start a fight in the club, so he needed to quickly come up with something to get the guy to back off. If that didn’t work, Mike would move him.

  “Come on, baby.” The guy slurred. Great, the dick was drunk. “Just one little dance.”

  “I’m waiting for my boyfriend.” Mike could hear the tremor in her voice.

  “I don’t think you’re telling the truth.” The guy dipped his head, and the woman turned away.

  “He’ll be here any second, and he’s not going to like you pawing me.” She tried to push the guy away again.

  “Hey dude, you want to get your hands off my girl,” Mike shouted as he stepped next to them.

  “Your girl?” The guy sized Mike up and down but didn’t back away.

  “Yeah, my girlfriend. Now back the fuck off.” Mike stepped closer as she glanced back and forth between him and the asshole.

  “It took you long enough to get here.” One of her friends picked up on Mike’s plan right away.

  “Yeah, we’ve been waiting for you for over an hour.” The other friend tapped her finger on her watch.

  “Sorry, got stuck at the office.” Mike didn’t know what else to say, but he was glad they were quick to catch on.

  “Shouldn’t leave a beauty like this alone in a bar, buddy.” The guy slowly stepped back and held up his hand. “Sorry.” He staggered away.

  “Are you okay?” Mike asked.

  “Yes, just a little embarrassed. Thank you for doing that.” Now that he was closer to her, Mike could see her hair wasn’t black but a dark brown. She tucked a piece of it behind her ear and looked at him through her lowered lashes.

  So fucking cute.

  “My pleasure, but you know since I’m your boyfriend now, you’ve got to join my friends and me at our table.” Mike tapped her chin lightly with his finger.

  When she lifted her head to look at him, he forgot how to breathe. She had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t tell if they were brown or black. He just knew they were incredibly mesmerizing. She was petite but certainly not without curves. She looked to be about a foot shorter than his six feet one inch, and she had to tip her head back to look up at him.

  “You know I should be furious at my boyfriend for being late.” Her smile revealed a little dimple in her left cheek.

  “You really should, but I’m so cute you can’t stay mad at me.” Mike flashed a smile.

  “Oh, dear God, you’re not one of those are you?” One of her friends gagged.

  “I guess you girls should join us to find out.” Mike glanced at the other two girls but quickly brought his gaze back to those big beautiful eyes.

  “Don’t you think we should at least know each other’s names.” She pressed her finger against the middle of his chest.

  “I can get by with just calling you, beautiful,” Mike wrapped his hand around hers and pressed it against his chest.

  “Oh, and what do I call you?” She grinned.

  “Anything you want, but I usually answer to Mike.” He said.

  “As much as I would love to be called beautiful, I think it would be better if you called me Billie.” Mike lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

  “Since your drunk friend over there is staring; I don’t think he’d believe I was your boyfriend if we shook hands.” Mike linked his fingers with hers and led her toward the table. Ernie shook his head and gave Lyle a twenty-dollar bill.

  By the time they made it back to the table, Ernie had grabbed some extra chairs for the ladies and pulled two tables together to make more room. Lyle, as usual, held himself back. Even at thirty-two, he felt self-conscious around people he didn’t know.

  “Let me do the introductions, I’m Ernie, this is Bobby and that guy there is Lyle,” Ernie said aloud and signed at the same time.

  “I’ll introduce the girls, I’m Billie, this is Dana, and the one next to you is Abbie,” Billie said and to Mike’s surprise signed.

  “You know sign language?” Mike glanced around at his friend's shocked expressions.

  “Yes, my best friend and her daughter are both deaf.” She signed everything perfectly, and he was sure his heart did a flip-flop in his chest.

  “Guess, we can’t do any secret conversations there, Mikey.” Bobby laughed.

  For the next couple of hours, Mike kept her close to his side not only because of the creepy guy still watching from the other end of the bar but because it felt right. He especially enjoyed holding her close as they danced but her sweet honey scent drove him crazy.

  “You’re a pretty good dancer for a suit.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes.

  “A suit?” He chuckled and pushed a stray piece of hair back from her cheek.

  “You know lawyers, businessmen, bankers and such.” She ran her finger down around his neck to the hollow just below his Adam’s apple.

  “I don’t always wear suits.” Mike swallowed hard as she swirled her finger down his chest where his shirt was open slightly.

  “I’m sure you don’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you were a model.” She dropped her head and licked her lips. The sight made his dick twitch, and he wanted nothing more than to drag her out of the club and up the road to his apartment.

  “I’m no model.” Mike lowered his lips to her ear and whispered. “You’re making me jealous.”

  “Jealous?” She tipped her head back and looked up at him.

  “You get to lick those luscious lips, and I haven’t even gotten to taste them.” Mike gazed into her eyes, and it was as if someone struck him in the chest because he wanted nothing more than to kiss her right there in the middle of the bar.

  “Would you like a taste?” Her hot breath blew across his ear, and he shivered with need.

  “More than I want to breathe.” Mike brushed his lips against her ear. He held this woman that he’d known less than two hours in the middle of a crowded club and it was as if they were the only two people in the room.

  “Kiss me.” Her voice came out in a soft whisper.

  Mike locked his gaze with hers as he lowered his head. First, a gentle brush of his lips against hers. Soft and warm. Again, he brushed them against hers, and she sighed. She threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head and tugged him toward her.

  “That’s a peck, not a kiss.” She grinned.

  “I guess I need to try again.” He laughed.

  Mike pressed his lips softly against hers and inhaled deeply as his tongue glided along the crease of her mouth. She opened to him and met his tongue with hers. She tasted like the strawberry drink she’d been sipping on. He never liked the fruity drinks, but on her tongue, it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.

  He knew he needed to stop before things got out of control. A small part of his brain reminded him they were in a public place, but when Billie pressed her body against him and moaned into his mouth, he thought he’d come in his pants.

  “Hey, do we need to pour some cold water on you two?” Mike growled when he heard Ernie shout next to him.

  “If they keep that up you may need to pour cold water on me. Whoa, that was the hottest kiss I’ve ever seen.” Mike reluctantly pulled his lips away from Billie’s when he heard Abbie’s voice.

  When he turned his head, their friends were dancing to some fast pop song that he didn’t like, but he hadn’t heard it until that moment. He didn’t even know how long he and Billie had been making out, but he didn’t give a shit.

  “Umm… I think that got away from us for a minute.” Billie smiled.

  “Maybe a little
bit.” Mike took her hand and tugged her toward the patio deck exit.

  “You do realize it’s February?” She giggled as he pulled her outside.

  “Yes, but I need to cool down a bit.” Mike pulled her into his arms and grinned. “Although, having you this close is not helping.”

  “I know this sounds like bullshit, but I don’t come downtown to hook up.” She tucked her arms in front of her and snuggled into his chest.

  “It didn’t enter my thoughts that you did.” Mike knew from the moment he locked his gaze onto her that Billie wasn’t one of those women.

  “I just wanted to make sure you knew that.” She smiled and again it took his breath away.

  “I can’t say the same but I haven’t hooked up in a while and to be honest there’s something different with you.” He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Billie wasn’t like the girls he usually took home.

  “Are you saying I’m the type of girl a guy brings home to meet mom?” She chuckled.

  “Yes.” Mike didn’t laugh because for the first time in his life it’s the way he felt.

  “And how often have you used that line, Mr. Lawyer man.” She fisted her hands in the lapel of his shirt.

  “Never.” He stared into her eyes, and it felt as if his whole body started to vibrate.

  “Shit, that’s my phone.” She stepped back and pulled her cell from her front pocket. “It’s my friend.” She didn’t put it to her ear but began to type frantically, and her face turned white as a sheet.

  “Everything ok?” Mike didn’t like the expression on her pretty face.

  “I’m sorry, I need to go. Now. It’s my friend. She’s…., I’ll call you.” Billie disappeared through the door.

  It took a second for him to realize that she had no way of calling him. He hadn’t given her his number nor did he have hers.

  “Shit,” He grumbled as he hurried into the club seconds after she did. He scanned the room, but he couldn’t see her anywhere. He glanced towards the table where they’d all been sitting. His friends were still there, but the girls were gone.

  “Hey, where are Dana and Abbie?” Mike asked Bobby once he’d squeezed through the crowd.

  “Billie came in, and before I knew what happened, they were gone,” Bobby shrugged his shoulders.

  “Abbie said something about a friend being in trouble,” Ernie leaned over the table.

  “Billie got a text that freaked her out. She left before I got a chance to exchange numbers.” Mike plopped down in the chair.

  “Just look her up on Facebook.” Lyle signed.

  “I would if I’d been smart enough to get her last name.” Mike sighed.

  The three men stared at him for a minute before they burst into laughter. Mike didn’t see the humor in the situation.

  “You had your tongue down her throat, and you didn’t even get her last name?” Bobby laughed.

  “Fuck off; I didn’t think she was going to run off so fast.” He plowed his fingers through his hair.

  “You win some you lose some. It’s just funny to see Mr. Homerun strike out.” Ernie laughed, and Mike flipped him the bird.

  Ernie had dubbed Mike Mr. Homerun because, in their early days downtown, Mike never left alone.

  “I just hope their friend is okay.” Lyle signed.

  “They all looked pretty concerned,” Ernie’s expression turned serious.

  “You didn’t by any chance get either of the other girl’s last names?” Mike immediately regretted the question when they started to laugh again.

  “Sorry, buddy, guess she’s the one that got away.” Ernie slapped Mike on the shoulder.

  There was no way he’d be able to find her. Then again, the name Billie wasn’t a typical name for women. He might have to enlist his sister-in-law to track Billie down.

  Chapter 2

  “I’m telling you, Billie, she’s never going to get away from that idiot,” Dana put her tray on the table.

  They sat next to the window in the hospital cafeteria. Since Dana was a nurse, they’d meet her for lunch because it was easier for Abbie and Billie to leave the office then for Dana to get away from the hospital.

  “What do you want me to do?” Billie groaned as she picked at her fries. “I’ve tried telling her to stay away from him, but she keeps letting him come back. Then she ends up in the same position. She has to text me to call the police because he’s hitting her again.”

  Billie Carter loved all her friends, but she was particularly close to Peggy. When Billie was ten, Peggy moved in next door with her family. Peggy Butler was eight, an only child and born deaf but Billie clicked with her from day one.

  Even though there were alternatives for hearing impaired, Peggy wasn’t eligible for implants because she didn’t have an auditory nerve. It meant hearing aids or Cochlear Implants would not work because the device couldn’t pass the message to her brain.

  Peggy started to teach Billie sign language when they met. It was great because they could communicate and most people didn’t understand what they discussed.

  Peggy was the one who gave her the nickname Billie because it was easier to spell for the little girl, and the name stuck. Soon the only one to call her Belinda were her parents and grandfather. Although, there were times they would let the nickname slip as well.

  At school, Billie would keep a close eye on her friend to make sure nobody picked on her. Dana and Abbie took a quick liking to Peggy, and the four girls would hang out all the time. Peggy was two years behind them in school, but they always managed to spend lunch together.

  Peggy was eighteen when she got pregnant with Chloe and Billie, Dana, and Abbie stood by her through the whole thing. The little girl’s father was not in the picture and Peggy would never talk about him. It was the only secret she kept from Billie.

  “We’ve all tried to get her away from him. I honestly don’t see what she sees in him. He’s got a face like a boiled boot.” Abbie cringed.

  Billie shuddered because Abbie’s description of Eugene Wilks was accurate. He was Peggy’s current boyfriend, ten years older and seemed to think what he said was law. He gave Billie the creeps.

  “She needs to start coming downtown with us. Maybe she could find a hottie like Billie did last month.” Dana grinned.

  “Yeah, too bad she didn’t get his last name before she locked lips with him.” Billie felt the heat rise in her cheeks and Abbie laughed.

  “Or at least get his phone number for Christ sake.” Dana threw her hands up.

  “Well, I hadn’t planned on running out on him, but when Peggy texted, I didn’t think.” Billie rested her elbows on the table and put her chin in her hands. “He was hot, wasn’t he?”

  “They all were.” Dana sighed.

  “You know we should kick the shit out of Eugene ourselves just for fucking up our night.” Abbie slapped her hand on the table. “We could change that song by the Dixie Chicks to Eugene instead of Earl.”

  Billie almost choked on her water when Abbie began to sing the song and inserted Eugene where the name Earl should be. Abbie Martin was the type of girl that made you laugh and told you what she thought whether you wanted to hear it or not.

  “So, we have two things to do,” Dana said.

  “What’s that?” Billie asked.

  “Hunt down Mr. Hottie and his friends and find a tarp for Eugene.” At first, Dana looked dead serious, but the quirk of her lips had Billie and Abbie laughing hysterically. They really were the best friends in the world.

  Billie pulled her Blue Kia Rio into her parent's driveway. It was the one thing she’d missed when she lived in Labrador, and the other lesson, she was not cut out to be a Social Worker. Especially, when she had to walk into someone’s home and remove their children. Sure, it was for the good of the kids, but it broke her heart when they’d cry.

  Billie’s parents were surprised since it was all she’d ever wanted to do, but like the incredible parents they were, they supported her. They had even offered her old
room until she decided what she wanted to do. She loved them but living under their roof again would drive her crazy. Once a person got a taste of independence, there was no going back.

  When Billie returned to St. John’s, Abbie hired her right away. Abbie owned a small real estate company, and although Billie thought being an assistant would be boring, Abbie made it fun. Billie planned to apply for her real estate license, but there was a lot to learn before she took that step. At the moment, she was content and making decent money.

  She got out of her car and headed up the front walkway and gave a friendly wave to her mother’s neighbor. Rita’s family lived next door for as long as Billie could remember and they played together as kids. As they got older, they drifted to their own groups of friends.

  Rita moved away after university and returned home a couple of months earlier to care for her aging mother. She didn’t have any brothers or sisters, and Mrs. Fifield had lost her husband a few years before.

  Billie felt sorry for the young woman. She wasn’t much older than Billie and didn’t seem to get any time to herself since she’d returned. Although, every time Billie saw her she always greeted her with a smile and a wave.

  “Hey, Mom,” Billie called from the front foyer.

  “Belinda, I wasn’t expecting you today.” Her mother came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. Margaret Carter had two things in her life that she loved, teaching and preparing meals. Since she retired from teaching, cooking had become an obsession.

  “I was on my way home and decided to drop in.” Billie hugged her. “Where’s Pop?”

  “He had a doctor’s appointment, so your brother took him.” Her mother rolled her eyes, and Billie laughed.

  Frank Carter didn’t allow women to go to his doctor’s appointments in case he had to take off his clothes. Although, when he had a bad fall a few years before he didn’t mind the nurses giving him sponge baths and Billie was sure he had a little crush on his physiotherapist Stephanie.

  “Who took him, Philip or Matt?” Billie asked

  “Philip this time. Matt had to work.” Her mother motioned to the kitchen chair as they entered.