Beast

by Debra Anastasia

  “The bat is fine. He was just stuck here. It’s too light out there now for him.” Dick pulled himself off the floor, carefully avoiding jostling his pocket.

  Mark deflated when Dick was clearly in control of the situation.

  Dick’s hood had fallen away in the hustle and his cheek abs rippled while he tightened his jaw.

  I crawled out from under the table, suddenly feeling pretty stupid for being under there. Also, the chewed up gum stuck to the underside was making me feel nauseous.

  Dick cradled the little lump in his pocket. His beautiful, intense blue eyes searched until he found me, then he approached. Having this huge man come at me so fast made me back up, I couldn’t even stop the instinct.

  “Can you take me to a closet or something?”

  “Why?” I pictured the shovel again.

  “I want to go somewhere dark and see if he’s hurt.” Dick looked around the room.

  “I think we can just ask Mark how he’s feeling. No reason to play spin the bottle with him in a closet.” I bit my lip. This guy had lost his marbles. He may have never even had them in the first place. And he was holding a flying rat in his pocket.

  “No. Not that guy.” Dick lifted his chin in Mark’s direction as the man collected the splintered piece of the boom handle from the floor. “This little guy.” Dick pointed to his pocket lump. “He needs dark. Their wings are fragile.”

  “You’re a bat doctor?” I felt like maybe I hit my head when I got under the table.

  Dick peeked out from under his replaced hood hem to roll his eyes at me. “Yes. Batman and this little guy are my only patients though.”

  “You’re giving me sarcasm.” I wrinkled my nose at him. I glanced around, and everyone was getting back to work. Dick was the first customer in the door, but more would soon follow. Saturdays were jammed. The supply closet was pretty dark. It had a small window, which might let enough light in to see the bat without hurting his little bat senses or whatever. “Follow me.”

  I turned and took Dick to the old door in the hallway past the bathrooms. “Will this do?”

  He glanced over my shoulder and looked around before nodding. “Let’s go.”

  I held out my hand and tried to duck under his arm to escape. “You’re doing this by yourself. I’m not going anywhere near that thing. They eat people.”

  Dick laughed at me. And unlike his super deep voice or all the weird shit he had said to me in the past 24 hours, it sounded super genuine.

  “This is a fruit bat. A baby one. And there’s no table in here. I need you to just hold your hands out while I check him over.” Dick held the door open for me.

  The word baby hooked me by my ovaries and I felt enough sympathy to go in the closet with him.

  “This isn’t a date, Hendrix. Just so you know. Right now we are first responders. And that will create a bond with even normal people. You’re going to be holed up in here with me and I just want you to be careful. I’m very sexy.” Dick fed me his speech while he found one of the clean rags from the pile where it was folded on the shelf.

  “I sure hope my panties don’t melt off and run down my legs,” I deadpanned.

  “As long as they’re organic fabric you should be okay. Hold out your hands like a baby bat table.” He waited until I did as he asked.

  The last of the sunlight from the day gave the small closet a very soft light. Dick put the rag on my hand like a tablecloth. He pulled out the little bat and placed it like a stolen gem on my palms. It flopped around and I screamed through my nose but kept my hands together.

  “He’s stressed. He’ll settle in a minute when he realizes he can’t get away.” Dick bent low and rubbed his index fingers across the tiny thing’s hairy breast.

  I wondered if he waited for his victims to settle when they realized they couldn’t get away too.

  Sure enough, the soothing touch of the giant man did seem to settle the bat. How he knew it was a baby, I had no idea. It was a flappy, alarmingly kittenish looking thing.

  “I think his wing is damaged. I can’t be sure until I get him home. Poor little guy. It’ll be okay.” He spoke to me and then to the bat.

  “Aww.” The thing was pretty cute now that it was fairly still.

  Dick rewarded me with a little smile. “Can I borrow this rag?”

  I nodded because no one even knew where the boss got these rags, and no one would miss one.

  Dick carefully wrapped the rag around the bat after I found him a little cardboard box to put the bat in.

  Watching this complete beast of a man be so delicate with a pest was kind of a game changer. I was feeling far less afraid.

  “So, I guess I need to name him. Any suggestions before I leave?” Dick opened the closet without having hit on her or done anything other than what he had said he was going to do—take care of the bat.

  “Lucky? He’s super lucky you walked in the door.” I shrugged.

  Dick nodded and his hood slipped back again. His eyes sparkled. “That’s a good name.”

  I decided walking him out was appropriate, at least to the door. “So, I owe you a drink for saving us all from ourselves.”

  His deep voice was low but I caught it. “I don’t drink. Alcohol.”

  “That’s right.” I opened the front door for him and Lucky. “Was it milk?”

  He winked at me. “Whole. I’ll take you up on that but again, not a date. So you know.”

  I bit my smile. “I’m aware. I think I can control myself.”

  Then Dick Dongy left Meme’s with a bat and a little more of my trust.

  Chapter 11

  Henry

  Caleb was not someone I wanted to see on the other side of my bar. He acted like I should be happy to see him.

  “My favorite.” He slid a ten in my direction. He was assuming I knew exactly what he wanted. Because our dead three-month relationship was so treasured. I did know, but not because I thought of him so fondly, but because it was an occupational hazard.

  Dirty Martini was his pick. So, I made him a Shirley Temple.

  “Here you go. We’re just like an old couple the way I know everything about you.” My voice had more sugar than the drink.

  “Yeah. We sure are.” He took the drink with a frown. “So, that freak been in here today?”

  Caleb put his elbows on the bar top.

  “He was. He helped us out with a pest problem.” I started cutting up limes to replenish my stock.

  “He’s the pest problem. I still care, Henry. I wanted to make sure you’re safe.” Caleb gave me his best smolder.

  It’s funny how something that was attractive initially could be so, so horrible after you knew a person. Caleb wasn’t bad looking. And he knew it. Thick black hair and a professional scruff, his green eyes were very pretty. But then he opened his mouth. Everything I had ever done, Caleb had done before but better. He was happy to explain things to me that I already knew, or give me a correction on something I was doing.

  It had gotten old quick otherwise he would have been ditched. The only reason I dated him for three months was because I was so busy with the bar and my time off and his didn’t correspond. Otherwise he would have been pitched sooner.

  I’ve dated before, he wasn’t my first boyfriend. Auditioning life was intense in New York. And a few of my would be castmates and I had gotten along a little too well. Here at home in Midville, it was far harder to find a guy that I had something in common with.

  “I’m safe,” was all I was willing to tell Caleb now.

  “Good to hear, good to hear. You know, next time you make me a dirty martini can you make it not so Shirley Temple-ish?” He winked at me and smoldered again. I did not smile in return.

  Becca disliked Caleb because of his clingy weirdness and how he had—miraculously—already done everything Becca had ever done in her life, too. And better. She was coming in to place a bar order and clearly had read my body language as save me/help me.

  “Hey, pretty face, I got a
response from my brother’s friend. You know, the millionaire? You’re blind date is on for tomorrow and you and I are going to make your tits look so good before he gets to your place.” Becca shook her shoulders and I shook mine in response. Friends didn’t let friends shake the maracas alone.

  “Can’t wait. I need a millionaire to take me away from all this.” I gestured in front of me with both hands and finally smiled at Caleb.

  “I can take a hint.” He huffed and slid off his stool. He immediately started hitting on the table of women directly behind him.

  I knew he’d strike out because they were regulars. Those ladies were romance authors that were all married and much more interested in having fun with each other than Caleb’s weak lines. I wasn’t worried though. They could chew him up and spit him out like cheap stale gum.

  I took Becca’s order for her table and she handed me a business card as well. “I wasn’t kidding, by the way. I’ve set you up with my brother’s friend for tomorrow. His name is Rex Texxerdad.”

  I squinted at her. “Texxerdad? Like in the gas stations?” Texxerdad stations were all across America. They were a very famous brand name. It was weird to hear a recognizable word as someone’s last name.

  “The very same. Brock says that Rex is a little quirky, but a nice guy. And he’s been hit with a late blooming hotness. And he doesn’t even know it.” Becca raised her eyebrow.

  Brock was Becca’s older brother by three years. I was a little surprised that she wasn’t going on a date with Rex herself. She read me quickly.

  “Brock says I’m not allowed. Apparently I would be too much for Rex to handle.” She shrugged.

  “And I’m not?” I felt a little offended.

  “No, you’re not. Guys can tell things about you. You’re loyal. You’re going to be attentive. And with those lips of yours, that you probably suck like a vacuum.”

  I grabbed my seltzer hose and threatened to squirt her with it.

  She held up her tray to block her face. “It’s true and you know it!”

  I hung the sprayer back on its hook. She was right. I was loyal. And I could really suck with a surprising amount of force.

  “I’m not done sewing my oats yet. I have so many to sew.” Becca shook her shoulders again and I responded but also gave her the middle finger.

  “Oh no. You have company.” Becca looked at the door pointedly.

  And in walked a hooded Dick Dongy.

  Chapter 12

  Dick

  I wasn’t going to miss a night to talk to Hendrix. She was still here. Which was good. I wanted to tell her about Lucky. The little bat should be just fine, but I’m concerned that he’s a little too young to be set loose. I’d have to research it. And now that Henrix was involved in the rescue, it was my duty to keep her appraised. She was shaking her boobs with another girl in the quick glance I took.

  Maybe she was a bisexual. Which was cool. It was fine, it might even take a little of the impact I had on her down a few notches. But no one was immune to the power of all the abs.

  I tensed them all out of habit. I found a stool a little ways down so I wouldn’t disrupt her and her girlfriend. I took out a $10 bill and smoothed it out on the bar.

  A glass of seltzer got placed on top of the currency like it was a coaster.

  “On the house.” Hendrix tapped her red fingernail next to the glass. “I owe you for saving Lucky. Sorry it’s not milk.”

  I had to smile at her then, so I risked tilting my head up to look her in the eye. She was just straight up lovely. Her full lips and high cheek bones were classic pretty, but her white skin looked smooth beyond belief and her hazel eyes had too many different colors to ever decide which way they favored. Her shiny, brown hair was in pigtails.

  And her boobs were perfect. The legs were long, and looked muscular even in her horrible Crocs.

  She bit her lip before smiling, “How’s the little guy?”

  I took a sip of the seltzer and the bubbles tickled my nose. “He’s good. I think he was just stunned. The real problem is that he’s not near his…”

  The hand that slapped down next to my spot at the bar sounded like thunder. I spilled my drink and jolted at the shock of it.

  “Maybe you should leave the lady alone, freak.”

  I exhaled and stood up, backing right into whoever was threatening me.

  I felt the guy stumble so I twisted to see who it was. Caleb from last night. I drew the connections quickly. The ex-boyfriend was here and he was possessive.

  I wiped at the front of my hoodie and it was wet from the seltzer. I felt my abs ripple under the fabric. The rush of testosterone made me clench all of them. I looked down my nose at Caleb. I was easily a head taller than he was. And I was betting I could pop his head off his neck with just one set of ab-laced biceps.

  Caleb had a lot to prove though and pushed my chest.

  “I heard about you being all creepy in the other bars in town. You’re not allowed to talk to Henry.” Caleb’s nostrils widened.

  Before I could respond Hendrix had jumped the bar. She put herself between the two of us. One hand on my chest, the other on Caleb’s.

  “Henry’s going on a date tomorrow with a millionaire, so you can both settle down,” Becca added.

  I felt like she had slapped me in the feelings a little bit, but I didn’t let it show.

  She took her hand off my chest and put her back to me.

  She addressed Caleb, “You’re more than welcome in Meme’s—if you behave. But Dick’s a customer, too. And he’s behaving. So you’re the one that needs to back up and cool down. Okay? I don’t want to have to toss you out.”

  Hendrix pushed her sleeves up and bounced on her toes. She was fit. She’d vaulted the bar like it was the only way she ever got out from behind it.

  More than my abs were hard. I looked down at the hopeful appendage. He was trying to make his presence known in my jeans.

  When I looked up, the group of women that had been sitting at the table I had to skirt around to get to my current seat, was surrounding Caleb. “Come on, I bet you can’t dance as good as we can.”

  Caleb turned to them, “Well, actually I took ballroom dance in college and got top grades and I was the teacher’s pet—he said I had natural moves…”

  Caleb was dragged away by the women that were clearly egging Caleb on, though he didn’t seem to figure it out.

  Hendrix turned and looked me up and down. “You okay? Did he hurt you?”

  I had to laugh and I did. “That guy could never hurt me. I’m like metal. I’m like the Terminator. Wait—pretend you didn’t hear that!”

  I’d doom her if she knew how capable I was at kicking some ass. The poor thing. She needed her life. She needed to be able to concentrate on her job. I could just picture her losing sleep over how manly I am.

  “I’ll live.” She snorted and walked around the bar this time. She wiped down the bar in front of me and gave me a few napkins to dry my $10 bill.

  Then she replaced my seltzer. I drank it even though I really hated it.

  She handled a bunch of customers and orders from the girl I thought was maybe her lover and a few other waitresses. Hendrix was good at her job. She was efficient and smiley. She dolled out winks and compliments and seemed to enjoy her work.

  She’d check on me from time to time to make sure my seltzer was full. She even brought over some peanuts. I didn’t get to confide in her like I liked to do with the previous bartenders—but that was to be expected on a Saturday. I kept an eye on Caleb, though he’d never know it. It seemed like the women from the table were taking turns listening to him talk about himself, even though they all clearly had wedding bands on.

  I saw Hendrix say, “Thank you,” to each lady in one way or another. Finally, I was able to catch her and asked if I could buy the ladies a round of drinks.

  “Of course! Are you jealous of all the attention they are paying to Caleb?” She was teasing, but I decided to answer her.

&
nbsp; “They aren’t serious about flirting with him, they’re just keeping him out of your hair—so they deserve to be rewarded. They’re kind.” I took out a $100 bill.

  Hendrix took the money. “They are friends of mine. They’ll appreciate this.”

  “Can you do me a favor?” I touched her arm before she could get away.

  She looked at my hand and then peered under my hood at my eyes. “Yeah?”

  “Tell them it’s from you though, okay? If they think I bought them drinks they would all leave their husbands. And I’m big on respecting marriages.”

  Hendrix rolled her eyes and then gave me an exaggerated nod. “Sure thing, Adonis. That’s awful nice of you.”

  I watched as she filled a tray with drinks and motioned Becca over. I overheard her following my directions and that made me happy. I wasn’t here to hurt anyone. Well, maybe Caleb. He could use a few light taps to the goddamn face.

  I stayed on my stool except for the two times I went to the bathroom for the rest of the night. Hendrix topped me off when the lights in the bar signaled last rounds.

  I watched her proceed with the closing procedures. Caleb was escorted out by the married ladies who were talking about ordering him an Uber.

  “So, you have a date tomorrow?”

  Hendrix nodded. Now with almost all of the customers gone she was less chipper.

  “I guess. It’s a blind date.” She polished up a wine glass.

  “He’s a millionaire?” I pressed.

  “That’s the rumor.” She wasn’t being very forthcoming.

  “Where are you going?” I took the last swallow of my seltzer.

  “I don’t know. And it’s none of your business. When do you have to check on Lucky again?” She picked up another wine glass.

  “Soon. I find when animals are through a traumatic incident they need to be safe, treated and then left to themselves. It causes them less panic and lets them adapt to the situation.” I pushed the glass in her direction with $20 in it.

  She took out the bill and tried to hand it back. “I told you, on the house.”