by Kara Hart
Olivia’s phone rings before I can come up with a set plan, and before I even hear her speak, I know it’s going to be one of those bad calls.
“One second,” she says. “It’s Sandra.”
Just by standing next to her, I can hear the frantic voice of a woman on the verge of tears. “Fuck,” is all I’m thinking. This has to be about Eric. I just know it.
“No, we’ll be right there. Stay safe,” she says into the receiver.
She presses that red button and looks at me with fear in her eyes.
“What is it?” I ask her.
“It’s Eric,” she says.
My stomach sinks and I become enraged.
“What did he do now?” I ask her, gritting my teeth.
“Her ex-boyfriend, Jack came by as they were… intimate. Anyway, the situation is not good. I think we should go there. Apparently they’re on the brink of fighting. Maybe we should call the cops,” she says.
I want to say, “So, let them fight. Let them be idiots and punch it out.” It’s not exactly the worst thing that could happen, right? Of course, I don’t. I bite my tongue and nod.
“No cops. Firefighters can hold their own better than any cop on the force. Let’s head there now,” I say.
We get in the car and watch our chance at a good day go sour.
Chapter 19: Cole
The scene is just about what you’d expect, only turned up to 100. When we pull into Sandra’s driveway, the shouting can be heard, as well as her muffled tears.
“Fuck me,” Olivia whispers, while running to the door. I wish, I think to myself. Though, now is not the time for any jokes.
When I open the door, I don’t know who to fuck up first. They’re both behaving like lunatics.
First, I grab Sandra and pull her close to the door, away from the two angry men.
“It’s alright,” I say. “I’ll end this.”
“Don’t… hurt… them,” she cries.
I agree not to, but I’ve broken promises before. The men are shouting and looking enraged. They’re flexing their muscles. So far, it’s just a display of who is more manly.
Chest against chest, one of them is going to swing. It’s only a matter of time before the intimidation tactics turn to full on swinging.
“Alright, calm the fuck down!” I scream.
“Bro,” Eric is frantic. “He’s coming in here, trying to claim Sandra. They’re not even dating anymore!”
He turns to Jack and says, “She doesn’t even like you!”
“Take her outside,” I tell Olivia. “Now.”
The two women walk outside, most likely sitting near the backyard gate, trying to pick up the pieces and stay safe.
This is the first time I’ve seen Sandra’s ex-boyfriend, but he’s definitely not someone to mess with. He’s built like a fucking tank. Meanwhile, Eric is built like a bigger-sized mushroom. Eric is big, but he’s not as toned.
“Eric, just back off, man,” I say.
I ease into the situation. I put my hands out to show them both that I’m not going to do anything rash. They’re both drunk as hell. I’m not sure they’re even listening to me.
“Hell no!” Eric yells. “I… I love her!”
I put my hand to my face and sigh. God dammit. “Eric, you do not love this woman!” I scream.
“I do! I love her, man!”
He eyes me for a second. There’s not a glimmer of sanity in those eyes right now. It’s just pure alcohol floating in those pupils.
“You’re going to die loving her,” Jack says to him. “Because tonight, I’m going to kill your sorry ass.”
“Nobody is going to kill anyone,” I say.
This is hopeless. No one is listening and Eric is a wreck. There’s no way he’s going to come out of this doing well, but I don’t think there’s any real way of deescalating the situation.
I’m going to have to take a hit. It only takes a minute to come to terms with that.
So, I do what I have to do. I take a deep breath and clench my fists. “Jack. Fuck you. You want a fight? Come after me, pussy,” I say.
All I know is this is going to fucking suck.
“I have no beef with you,” he says.
I take another breath and smile. “Sure you do,” I say.
I swing back and clock him right in the jaw. At least, now he has beef with me.
He stumbles back, and immediately grabs at his face. When he realizes what just happened, he comes at me swinging.
First, his right hand connects against my gut. I fall back, sighing with pain. The air gets knocked out of me clean.
It takes everything I have to stay in this fight. Meanwhile, Eric is just standing there, dumbfounded.
“I’m sorry, man,” he whispers.
“You owe me one,” I grit my teeth and spit blood.
Another one of Jack’s punches connects against my temple. I fall to the floor, but quickly come back to life. I look up at him and scream with anger.
I run toward him and tackle him into a glass table. Shards fly everywhere. “I can’t wait to pay for that,” I think to myself.
Jack struggles, but he’s a damn good fighter. He knees me in the stomach, flips me onto my back, and grabs my neck.
Fuck.
He starts choking me. My body grows alarmed. I look around for anything to stop him from practically killing me.
Near the table is a large paperweight. I reach out and try to grab it, but it’s further than my reach.
Am I going to die like this? Really?
I’m going to get clobbered because of my dumbass, horny friend. Why couldn’t he just keep it in his pants? I told him not to mess with her.
I keep reaching for it. I don’t give up. Olivia. I’m doing this for Olivia, not for Eric.
My vision starts to blur. I gasp for air, but the actual intake never happens. I’m losing consciousness. The world starts to fade into a black and purple oblivion.
Fragments form in front of my eyes. I keep reaching. I keep trying. I won’t give up.
I can’t see any longer, but I’m still reaching for life. When I feel the smooth body of the paperweight on my fingers, I know I’m close. It gives me a few more seconds.
Adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I reach further and I grab the weight in my hand. I take one hard swing downward and feel it connect against what I think is his head. I can’t be sure.
The sound is dull and hard. His hand releases from my neck and I have to gasp for air to get any in. It’s fucking painful, but I pull through it.
I jump on top of him and swing a clean fist against his face. His eyes close shut and that’s when I know that he’s out clean.
I fall backward, gasping for air. The front door slams open and Olivia comes running to my aid.
I look at Sandra for a second and whisper, “I’m owe you a new coffee table.”
She, of course, doesn’t know what to say. I close my eyes and breathe in. The pain is starting to subside.
I feel Olivia’s touch on my face. It’s so soft and feminine. It’s healing.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “Things escalated. They’re both drunk as skunks. I did what I had to do. I didn’t want to fight.”
“My hero,” she whispers, while kissing each knuckle-imprint on my face.
I let out a faint smile and push my body back onto my feet. I stumble for a second, but I get my bearings back. No one is going to stop me. Not when I have her.
My Olive.
“I’m… I’m so sorry,” Eric mumbles.
I can’t tell whether or not he’s talking to Sandra. Either way, their relationship is most likely finished.
I look him right in the eye and shake my head. “Go home, man. It’s not a good look.”
Sandra simply runs to her room, in tears. Olivia looks at me and frowns.
“I’m sorry. I need to be there for her. Can we meet up tomorrow?” she asks me.
Here I am. I am cock blocked by the two friends.
“Well, I might have to go over things with Eric tomorrow. We might be out pretty late. We have this reporter falling him around,” I tell her honestly.
“Oh,” she sighs and looks down. “Okay, well call me?”
“Of course.”
I wrap my arms around her and hold her close to me. “I’ll miss you,” I whisper.
“Miss you too,” she says, frowning.
As she walks into the room, I can’t help but feel like something is broken. I’m not even talking about my face either. It’s just that, now something feels off.
Is this how dating works? You keep at it, going at full speed, until enough things fall off to make you lose stamina?
Eric gives me a half smile. “Come on, old friend,” I say. “I’ll get you home.”
“I’m an idiot,” he sighs.
I open the door and walk out into the cold.
“Yes, you are,” I laugh.
“You’re going to look great for the New York Times tomorrow,” he says.
“Fuck,” I sigh. “Is that really going down?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell Dan Rotker that you were mugged,” he says.
“In these parts? Doubtful. There’s no crime out here,” I laugh.
“Well, you’re a good friend for taking a few for me. Thanks, man,” he says.
“No problem,” I say.
I reach around my back and pull out a small shard of glass. Wow. The things I do for the people I enjoy.
Chapter 20: Olivia
My day off is spent wiping the tears away from Sandra’s eyes. Not exactly the kind of wet I was looking for, but I guess these things happen.
Last night was just… weird. I can’t wrap my head around what happened. Everything just feels off now. It’s almost like the world has shifted in its place.
“I shouldn’t be allowed to go on dates,” Sandra cries. “I fuck up everything.”
I cannot deal with this kind of drama right now. All I can do is think about Cole and how weird things feel right now. This fight really fucked things up.
I’m not mad at Sandra, but I’m not happy either. I’m more mad at myself for picking up the phone in the first place.
Still, I want to be a good friend to her. She has always been good to me. So I calm her down a bit.
“It’s not your fault, Sandra,” I say. “Jack is a psychopath and Eric is… well, Eric doesn’t know who he is yet. I think he’s had a tough go at things in the past.”
She sighs and wipes the tears from her face. “I’m sorry for crying so much. I think I’ve got it out of my system now. I just can’t believe the kind of men I go for. It’s like I’m blind.”
“They aren’t exactly the best choices,” I agree. “But you never know who is going to surprise you.”
“I know who you’re talking about.” She reveals a faint smile. “Cole. Am I ruining your plans with him right now? If I am, you should go.”
“No,” I sigh. “He has a thing with Eric tonight, I guess.”
“Strip club, no doubt,” she smiles.
“No,” I say. “They’re meeting with a reporter to talk about that fire that happened a while back. Remember?”
“Yeah, the warehouse fires,” she says. “I remember.”
“They can’t get work because of it,” I say.
“I told Eric that he should sign up for work somewhere else,” she says.
“You think you’ll stay with him?” I ask her, genuinely interested.
She shrugs. “He’s nice to me. Jack is evil. I’m going to keep him around for a while, I think. I want to see how everything pans out. Maybe it will be a good thing,” she says.
I don’t understand Cole’s hesitance to run the story. If anything, it’s a good thing to get it off their chests.
Still, there’s something telling me that there is more to this story than is led on. I don’t expect Cole to spill the details right away. I just hope he can trust me enough to let me in.
Chapter 21: Cole
“You ready or what?” I ask Eric.
Eric can be heard stumbling in his room, as he tries to find something to wear for the interview.
“Why does it even matter? You’re acting like this will be on TV,” I say.
“We’re late. Dan just texted me that he’s almost there,” he says, frantically.
Eric comes bursting out of his room, wearing some Nike sports gear. He looks like a completely different person.
“I’m ready. Let’s go,” he says.
I grab his shoulders. “Relax. This is serious,” I remind him. His eyes dart across the floor.
“I know,” he says.
“Then why are you acting so god damn weird?” I ask him.
“Because,” he chokes. “I want to make a good impression on Sandra.”
“I think you already fucked that up last night,” I say.
“I’m just trying to begin again, asshole,” he says, scowling. “I want a new life. Don’t you get it.”
I smile as a friend. “Actually, I do. I understand it all too well,” I say. He smiles back. “Anyway, you look good. It’s definitely a new look for you.”
We meet Dan outside of a local steakhouse. He’s standing in front of the big, red doors, and he’s smoking an already half-lit cigarette.
“Boys,” he smiles and throws the cigarette onto the curb. “How are you guys doing tonight?”
“Good,” I smile and shake the man’s hands. “I think I’m finally ready for this.”
Eric steps forward and shakes his hand too. There’s a certain gleam to his eye that always puts me a little on edge. It knocks me off balance.
He’s got that uppity New York look to him. I’m just a local firefighter. I’m so far away from his world, and yet I have to play into his little act. ‘Boys.’
“Boys, I know you’re probably hungry, but I’m not exactly feeling too up for a huge dinner. How’s about we go down to one of my favorite bars in the city. My little treat. I think we should celebrate, anyway. Right?” He smiles big, showing his large, yellowing teeth.
“Sounds perfect,” Eric says.
“Well, then. Pile into my car. We’re having ourselves a little night out!” He laughs and slaps me hard on the back.
Across the street is a Prius, parked and waiting for us. Eric looks at me and frowns. He hates those ‘green cars,’ though I’m not sure why.
Inside the car, however, is a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon. “No way,” Eric mutters aloud.
“I picked up a case at the Circle K,” Dan says. “We should shotgun one before heading inside.”
“Dan, this is amazing,” Eric says.
Eric is loving this but I could care less about drinking tonight. I don’t need to hang out with Dan to have a good time.
I grab my phone and check it. No texts or calls from Olivia. Fuck. Give me a reason to leave, Olivia. Please. Anything.
Dan parks the car near the bar. He turns the engine off and throws a couple of beer cans our way. Holding his own in the air, he prepares a speech.
“I just want to let you guys know that I’ve been following you for about a year now,” he says. “You guys are fucking heroes who never got deserved recognition.”
I hold up my hand and shake my head. I hate that word. Hero. Thats the kind of word someone uses when they want something from you.
“You’re wrong, man,” I say. “We were just doing our job. That doesn’t make us heroes.”
But Dan’s intensity is just becoming stronger. “That’s exactly what a hero would say. Now, I want to give a toast,” he says. He keeps his beer in the air. “This goes out to all of the people that gave their lives protecting their common man,” he says.
“To our fallen brothers,” we say in unison.
We smash our cans together and drink as much as we can. I have to admit, it does feel kind of nice to pay respects to the people who didn’t make it here.
“So, Dan,” Eric says, “Is this it?”
Th
is is when things start to take a turn for the worse. Dan leans forward in his chair and smiles. He points outside the window.
“Oh, you boys are going to love this place. Trust me,” he says. “We’ll do the interview later. Tonight, let’s just celebrate.”
I’m left confused. “Dan, I thought this was a simple thing. What the fuck are we doing here?” I ask him.
Dan ignores my questions. He steps out of the car, forcing us to follow him across the street.
Eric and I sneak glances at each other, but we continue to follow him. When I see the words “strip club” on the sign above, my heart sinks into my stomach.
This is not where I thought my night was going to end up. I could be in bed with Olivia, watching a movie and fucking her brains out. Instead, I’m forced to watch Dan get a lap dance? Fuck this. This is something out of a horror movie.
“A strip club?” I repeat back.
Eric looks pissed. “First you call us heroes. Then, you take us here? Who do you think we are?”
“Relax,” Dan urges.
I am anything but relaxed. I’m ready to leave.
“Come on.” Dan lights a cigarette and pats my back. I nearly punch his teeth in. “I thought you guys were men.”
I glance over at the neon woman glued to the front door. It’s the land of milk and honey to these guys. The patrons remind me of a pack of wild hyenas, laughing wildly into the abyss.
Sure, I can’t deny that I’ve had my fair share of strip club experiences. Hell, there’s one club that used to know me by name.
As soon as Dan lifts the front curtain, I feel completely wrong about where I am tonight.
“After you,” Dan says.
“Listen,” I swallow down hard. “This isn’t what I thought it was.”
Dan looks surprised. He can’t believe any guy would want to walk out of this situation. Well, he doesn’t know me and he’s never met Olivia before.
“Suit yourself,” Dan says. He grabs Eric’s shoulder next.
“How about you? You leaving too?” he asks.
Eric just shakes his head, looking defeated. “I was warned about doing this story, you know. I thought you wanted an honest perspective,” he says.
“Boys, I thought we were all friends,” Dan says. “I was just trying to show you guys a good time.”
