Escaping Trouble

by Dee Bridle

“Bitch,” he muttered as he left the bar to join the rest of the band sitting on the small stage.

  I had been called worse and didn’t expect any different from the likes of him. I watched him motion over at me and heard the guys laugh together, sharing the joke, which was on me. I only wished the bar was larger, so they could stroke their own egos in a backstage room somewhere instead.

  “You sure know how to attract them,” said Glory as she walked past me.

  “Lucky me.”

  “You could surprise me one day and flirt back with at least one of the gorgeous men who always flock to you during your shifts,” she said with a grin.

  “Don’t hold your breath.”

  Noah

  “He lives!” I said, as Zac walked into my unit with Ava.

  Will was already sitting on his couch as he took a drag of his joint and said with a grin, “I thought beautiful Ava had killed you and hid your body.”

  “Not tonight,” smiled Ava walking over to Zac’s bedroom, which was next to mine.

  Zac still stayed here from time to time with Ava, even though he had another place with his sister, Janey. Will stayed here most nights and the couch had his name on it, along with a host of unknown body fluids. I had stopped sitting on it a long time ago.

  “Maybe next time then. I might even help you,” winked Will.

  “I feel so warm and fuzzy that you fuckers missed me,” said Zac, as he sat down next to Will and lit up a cigarette. “So, where are we going tonight?”

  “I’ve got a friend in a band who’s playing tonight at Bedford’s Bar in Collingwood. Interested?” asked Will.

  Zac shrugged, and replied, “I’m keen.”

  “I’ve heard of that place,” I said, lighting up my own cigarette. “Some of my college friends go there.”

  “Hear that?” asked Will, raising an eyebrow. “College friends. We’re being replaced.”

  “He’s too highbrow for us now,” laughed Zac, exhaling his cigarette smoke.

  “Fuck off,” I said with a laugh. “Coming from Einstein Engineer here.”

  “I don’t have any papers to prove it, though,” said Zac.

  “No, but you could hack into somewhere and get them made up,” I returned, knowing that Zac was one of the best hackers in the country.

  There was nothing he couldn’t solve or access.

  “So, Ava, is he the big man on campus or what?” asked Will.

  Ava came out of the room with different clothes on and said, “He is! Girls follow him everywhere.”

  I shook my head and laughed.

  “Yeah, right. I tried talking to one that I kind of liked today, and she totally blew me off.”

  “Awesome. Did she swallow?” asked Will with a dirty laugh. Zac went to slap him over the head but he moved just in time and only laughed more.

  Ava sat down on Zac’s lap and his arms instinctively went around her. He had come a long way over the last year and was now in a fully committed relationship with Ava. They had come back from a trip to Paris a couple of months ago, and had returned even happier than before, which I hadn’t thought possible. They fit so well together, and I enjoyed seeing my best friend happy.

  “Well, if she’s not interested in you, she must be an idiot; her loss,” stated Ava.

  “It was…different…to say the least,” I said.

  I really wasn’t used to girls walking away from me and showing me the disinterest card before I even got their name.

  “What’s her deal then?” asked Zac.

  “Who the hell knows,” I said butting out my cigarette. “She’s the hottest fucking thing I’ve seen and for some reason doesn’t talk to anyone, just very…focused I guess.”

  “What’s her name?” asked Ava.

  “I don’t actually know, and I don’t think she’d tell me even if I asked.”

  Zac snorted and said, “The stud is losing his touch.”

  “You know, I eluded to that fact earlier on tonight,” added Will sarcastically.

  I responded to both of them with my middle finger.

  “She was just probably having a bad day or something,” said Ava with a shrug, ever the optimist.

  “Maybe,” I said, knowing that wasn’t it, because every day would have been a bad day if that was the case.

  “Let’s go,” said Will.

  “Point her out to me tomorrow,” said Ava with a smile as she got up from Zac’s lap. “See if I know her.”

  “That’s the thing, from what I have seen, she doesn’t speak to anyone. No friends, not even eye contact…with anyone.”

  “Get her name, and I’ll do a search,” said Zac taking Ava’s hand. “Won’t hurt.”

  “Why waste time on her? You have another fifty girls wanting to actually tell you their name, while your cock is in their mouth,” said Will heading to the front door.

  Ava groaned as Zac shoved him out of the door.

  “I don’t know, she’s just…different,” I answered, closing the front door behind me.

  “As in freaky?” asked Will going down the steps.

  I glared at him and said, “As in fucking die hard beautiful.”

  “Maybe she’s not interested in guys,” said Will wiggling his eyebrows as he went over to my Jeep.

  “I’m not getting that vibe,” I said annoyed, as I unlocked the car and got in.

  Zac got in the front seat and started to test the stereo out.

  He turned to me with narrowed eyes and said, “So, what’s different?”

  Will and Ava laughed together in the back seat about something and I looked at him.

  “She just…looks interesting.”

  Zac looked at me with knowing eyes. I never got caught up like this, and he could see straight through me.

  “Interesting?” he drawled out.

  “Yep,” I said, as I started to reverse out of the driveway. “And the hottest girl I’ve seen in a while.”

  “And she’s not interested in you, which makes her even more appealing,” he added.

  “Ah, so that’s where I was going wrong last year,” piped up Ava with a laugh, from the back seat.

  “You were mine the second I saw you, no question,” said Zac reaching back to touch her.

  He looked over at me again.

  “Nice wheels, by the way. You’ve obviously been making daddy happy,” he said, knowing very well how my father worked.

  “For this week, anyway,” I returned with a sigh.

  “We need to take this off road,” said Will from the back seat.

  “We need to see how fast she goes,” said Zac.

  I pressed the accelerator down, and Will cheered from the backseat.

  Chapter Two

  Ivy

  I dropped the money in the cash register and closed it with my hip, already eyeing the next customer to take his drink order. The place was extra busy tonight, because of the band, and I saw a few faces from college. I hadn’t even been able to take my break yet as they just kept lining up at the bar, drinking themselves crazy. Glory was just as run off her feet as well and looking exhausted.

  I took a quick sip of my water bottle and then pulled another beer from the tap. I needed to put a wash on now, otherwise, we would be out of pot glasses soon. Glory must have read my mind, as I saw her put a tray of glasses in and kick the door shut. I passed change back to a guy and looked to the next one for his order.

  I switched off from them all, ignoring the looks, the smirks, and the lewd comments. When I was this busy, I was like a robot, doing the same thing over and over again until closing time.

  The band was heavy tonight, and it had brought in a lot more guys than usual. I loved metal, and I had to admit that the band sounded okay. I looked to the next guy to see he had a short Mohawk and cheeky eyes as he winked at me while he ordered. I poured six shots of tequila in front of him.

  “Make it seven!” he shouted at me. “Have one for yourself, gorgeous.”

  I shook my head and took his money, qu
ickly handing him his change. He called out to his friend to help him carry them all and that was when my eyes connected with Noah’s.

  I gasped a little, shocked to see him here, even though I had no reason to be. He was on a night out with friends, and I was just someone in one of his classes.

  He stood stock-still for a moment, as if surprised to see me. I broke the eye contact and passed over some lemon quarters for their shots. He stuck his hand out for them and I tried not to touch his skin.

  “Hey,” he greeted me with a quick smile.

  I nodded once in greeting and then moved along to the next customer, trying to ignore him.

  He looked even sexier tonight with a fitted, black T-shirt and jeans. I was still intrigued with his tattoos up both muscled arms, some entirely black in places. His friend was covered in them as well.

  I over-filled a pot of beer and swore, shaking the beer off my hand and wiping it on the back of my jeans. I had to stop thinking about him.

  I glanced over to his spot to see someone else there now, waiting to be served. He had gone, and I suddenly wondered if he was with anyone tonight. Stop. Why the hell was I even thinking of that? I didn’t care.

  An hour later, the band finished, and they joined their friends in the main room. Others were out in the small beer garden, smoking cigarettes and I wondered if Noah was out there.

  I didn’t want to think about him, but I couldn’t stop, and it annoyed me. I had no right, because I would never be right for someone like him. My life was shit. Crazy shit. He might look like a bad boy, but he looked different from the bad boys in my world. Mine had no hope and were assholes. Noah looked like he came from somewhere nice and definitely had hope with a future. But he was probably still an asshole, because all men were.

  Metal music played from the speakers as everyone got rowdier and drunker. I sang along to one song, under my breath, as I worked within the mayhem.

  “Can you do a glass pick-up?” asked Glory.

  I gritted my teeth, because it was the last thing I wanted to do. I hated glass pick-up at this time of the night. Guys were drunk and thought I was something they could fondle and flirt with, as I went around collecting empty glasses and bottles.

  “Sure,” I said, grabbing the bucket and heading out from behind the bar.

  I weaved my way through, not looking at anyone except at the tables as I collected the glasses. Every flat surface had a glass or bottle to collect and as I made my way through, I ignored the call-outs. I hated guys when they were drunk. They seemed to think that the world was theirs, and they could do anything to you; fuck the consequences. Their angry side would always end up coming out, and it would always end terribly. I had too many run-in’s with my mother’s drunk boyfriends to know any different.

  I forced my way out to the beer garden and into the thick fog of cigarette smoke in the windless night. I craved a cigarette right now.

  “Hey, sexy, I’ve got a glass for you.”

  I kept my head down and went about my business, ignoring the laughter.

  “She’s a fucking hard one to crack,” said another voice. “Her head is so far up her own ass, don’t even bother, mate.”

  More laughter.

  I glanced up and noticed that the voice had come from the singer of the band. I swallowed my temper. I had visions of going over to him and smashing him in the face with an empty glass.

  “I’d go up her ass.”

  More laughter.

  “How about you all shut the fuck up and leave her to do her job?”

  I turned back to the voice to see that it had come from Noah. He had come to my defense, and I deflected the sudden warmth in my chest. I blocked it out, turned around, and went back inside the main room. Fuck them all.

  Before I got to the end of the bar, a hand grabbed my arm, and I swung around in anger, the glasses rattling in the bucket.

  “You forgot mine,” said a drunk guy, holding his glass in one hand and still holding onto me with the other.

  “Don’t touch me,” I demanded, shoving him off me.

  He stumbled back slightly and put his hands up with drunken innocence and said, “Sorry.”

  I turned away from him and went behind the bar. I started to angrily shove the glasses in the wire rack, ready for washing, taking a glance over at the beer garden again.

  Noah was standing at the entrance of the garden, watching me with a slight frown on his face. I didn’t know if he was trying to work me out or take a protective stance. So I glared at him and then turned away. He had no business getting into mine. He needed to stay away.

  I took some time to wipe down the sticky bar now that the majority of the crowd had drunk their fill and tried everything not to look over at the beer garden again.

  He had now done two nice things for me, all in one day. Part of me wanted to enjoy the entirely new concept of a guy doing nice things for me, but I couldn’t. I had no idea why he was even bothering. Did he enjoy doing nice things for fucked-up chicks? If that was the case, he needed a new hobby.

  A familiar looking girl came up to the bar and asked for three tequila shots. As I set the glasses up and poured the tequila, a guy came up behind her and put his arms around her. She smiled and passed me the money as he kissed her neck.

  “You go to Shelborne, right?” she asked next.

  I got her change out of the register, and said, “Yep.”

  “Me, too. I’m Ava,” she said taking her change.

  I nodded and continued to scrub the bench down, hoping she would leave. She didn’t.

  “What’s your name?” she asked, taking a shot.

  Her boyfriend took his shot, and they both looked at me, waiting for an answer.

  I swallowed unsurely, and said, “Ivy.”

  I hated anyone knowing anything about me.

  Ava smiled, and said, “Nice to meet you, Ivy.”

  I nodded and then quickly moved over to another customer and started pouring a beer for him. I could see out of the corner of my eye that the guy was leading Ava away, back out to the beer garden. I only hoped that she didn’t expect any type of friendship when she saw me at college tomorrow. There was no point to any of it.

  Over the next hour, I couldn’t stop taking little glances out to the beer garden. I didn’t want him to talk to me, but I was a little intrigued to say the least. I noticed he was in the group with Ava and her boyfriend, and I watched him smoke and laugh with them. I suddenly wondered why such a gorgeous looking guy didn’t have a girl beside him. He was probably more of a one-night stand guy than anything more serious, and I was sure he had no problem in that department.

  He didn’t look over at me again for the rest of the night, and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. A part of me wished I could be in a beer garden with friends, having a beer and a cigarette, laughing about things and having a good time.

  As Glory started to call last drinks and the band had packed up and disappeared, I caught sight of them at the entrance, getting ready to leave. He didn’t turn back to look at me as he went through the door. It had worked. He wouldn’t talk to me again and that’s how it had to be.

  As everyone eventually left, I washed down the bar while Lou stacked chairs and Glory counted the cash from the register.

  “Need a ride home tonight?” asked Lou.

  The thought of home sent darts of dread through me. I only hoped my mother wasn’t home.

  “That’s okay. I can walk.”

  “No way,” said Glory. “We’re driving her, Lou.”

  I hated to depend on them, and I despised the concept of pity.

  “I’m totally fine to walk. It’s a fifteen-minute walk.”

  “It’s 3:00 a.m.,” said Glory. “Not happening.”

  She passed me tonight’s money, and I folded it without counting it. I trusted Glory not to rip me off, and I appreciated that she had talked the owner into paying me with cash when I first started.

  I didn’t need my mother trying to cont
rol a bank account and steal my money. I went to the back and grabbed my bags, pulling out the literature book and stashing my money inside.

  It wasn’t long before I was waving thanks to Glory and Lou and making my way up the stairs to the dreaded apartment. I stopped at the front door and listened for any shouts or noise. I then unlocked it quietly and slipped in, pulling my bags in and clicking it shut.

  I silently made my way in further, to the space where I slept and went to turn the light on as a hand grabbed my neck.

  I panicked and tried to shove the person off.

  “Got the money?” rasped Rick’s voice.

  “I don’t get paid every night,” I gasped, struggling to get out of his hold.

  “You better come with money tomorrow night, or you’ll regret it,” he said in the dark.

  Anger broiled up within me. I hated that he could threaten me. I hated his hands on me.

  “Fuck you,” I gasped, as his fingers tightened on my neck.

  He then pushed me back and smacked the back of his hand across my face. I fell to the floor in a whimper.

  “Watch your mouth, bitch,” he said, stepping over me and leaving the room.

  I sat up and put my hand to my mouth, silently screaming as the sobs shook out of me. I felt something warm on my mouth and realized my lip must be bleeding. I swore under my breath, knowing I couldn’t leave the room and go to the bathroom to tend to it. He would be out there, waiting for me.

  I sat up and hugged my knees as hard as I could, holding in the screams that wanted to surge out of me.

  Noah

  I held my phone to my ear as I walked to class that afternoon, listening to Zac.

  “She’s not on their books,” said Zac. “Must be getting paid in cash, which makes it a little harder.”

  “Great,” I said in frustration. “Look, I think I’m kidding myself anyway. She’s not interested.”

  “Dude, she was watching you leave, and I definitely saw interest, even if she is pretending not to, she’s keen,” said Zac. “I can start going in further, searching college records and find out more, but it will take a bit of time.”

  “Don’t worry about it for now, I guess. I don’t even know if she’s worth pursuing,” I said catching sight of Ivy in the distance.