by Claire Adams
We left the bar, and I felt the cool night breeze hit me as soon as we got out the door. It was refreshing after being inside the hot, stuffy club. I put my arm around the blonde, and held her tight as we headed down the street. I heard a scream as we got further down the street, and I thought I saw a few people further down as we got closer. Then I realized that it was Natalie and Julie. To my horror, I saw the guy who was clutching on Natalie, trying to rip the purse from her arm. He swung and hit Natalie across the face, loosening the purse from her grip.
“Hey!” I shouted.
The guy took off running, but I wasn't about to let him get away. I let the blonde go, and took off after him. I tore past Julie and Natalie, and kept a steady pace. He wasn't in very good shape, because it wasn't long before I caught up to him. I leapt at him, tackling him to the ground. I felt the air whoosh out of him.
“Get the fuck off of me, man.”
“Oh I'm gonna get off, alright.”
I turned him over and punched him square in the face. Blood spurted from his nose and sprayed on my shirt. I punched him a few more times before I stood up. Once I did, I kicked him in the ribs until I heard a crack. The guy howled in pain.
“I suggest you get the hell out of my face. If I were you, I would think twice before touching another female.”
The guy rose slowly from the ground, and I watched him carefully to make sure he wasn't going to make another move. He hobbled down the street, and I almost regretted not beating him to death. I picked the two purses off the ground, along with anything that had scattered from them. I carried them back to the girls, and realized awkwardly that my little blonde friend was talking to Natalie.
Natalie looked up at me. She looked so sad that it almost broke my heart. I noticed that blood was seeping from her lip. When he had hit her, he must have split her lip. I should have killed him after all. I looked back down the street to see if I could still see him but he was long gone.
“Are you okay, Natalie?”
She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, and then falling down her cheeks. “Thank you for getting my things.”
I looked over at Julie, who seemed a little calmer. “Are you okay, Julie?”
“Yes, he came out of nowhere. It all just happened so fast.”
“That's so terrible.” We all looked over at the blonde as she spoke, and I realized once again how terrible it was that she was there with me.
“Can I take you two home?”
“Ummm, I thought we were going back to your place,” the blonde said to me. I wished to God I had not decided to take her home with me. I noticed Natalie roll her eyes, with a stellar look of disgust written all over her face.
“Look, sweetheart. It's not gonna happen after all. I need to make sure I take care of my friends here. So why don't you either go back in the club or catch a cab home. But either way, you're not coming home with me.”
The girl's mouth hung open. She was pissed, and I couldn't really blame her. She spun around and marched herself back to the club. I watched her until I saw her go inside; I didn't need to deal with another mugging.
“Nice.” I spun around when I heard Natalie's voice. She was watching me carefully, not in the least bit impressed.
“How about you guys come back and stay at my place for the night? That way at least I know you made it somewhere safe.”
Natalie snorted despite her condition, but she held back whatever it was that she wanted to say to me.
“We have lots of room.”
“I think you should go, Natalie, you seem pretty freaked out. I'm going to go back to our place, though. I would feel more comfortable doing that,” Julie said.
I looked at Natalie, and she just nodded. She must have been freaked out, because I was shocked that she would agree to go with me alone back to my place. Every time I saw the blood on her face, though, anger surged through me all over again.
“Okay, let me get you a cab then, Julie. I'm not leaving you here alone.”
“Thanks.”
I turned toward the street to hail a cab. It wasn't long before one came down the street. The later it got, the more cabs arrived to bring all the drunks home. A cab pulled up to the sidewalk and I tugged the side door open for Julie. I handed the driver a bunch of bills and gave him Julie's address.
“Thanks, Jet, I appreciate your help.”
“No problem. Take care of yourself.”
“I'll see you tomorrow, Natalie!” she yelled from the cab. Natalie only waved. I watched the cab pull away and I looked to flag down another. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Natalie was still there, and I smiled at her, hoping it eased her stress.
Another cab drove up, and I opened the side door once again. I motioned for her to come to me, and I let her get in the cab first. I followed in after her, and we sat side by side on the middle seat of the van. I gave the driver my address, and the cab pulled away from the sidewalk. I wrapped my arm around her. I was surprised when her body shook with sobs that she must have been holding in until that moment.
I held her as tightly as I could, and watched the city pass by through the window of the cab. I kissed her on the top of the head before realizing what I was doing. She didn't pull away. Instead, she snuggled deeper into my chest.
Chapter Thirteen
Natalie
We walked into Jet's place; it was quiet for the time being, since his roommate was still at the club trying to find a girl. He had a really nice place, a lot nicer than my cramped apartment that I shared with Julie. The decorations were a little tacky, but what could you expect from an apartment full of guys? I walked into the living room and sat on the couch. When I looked up I was surprised to see my drawing hanging on the wall. It brought a smile to my face. I really had thought that he had thrown it out―that he only paid for it to get in my pants. I didn't expect that he had hung it up already, but it hung proudly on the wall, and the fact that it was there touched me deeply.
“I told you I kept it.” He came over and sat with me on the couch. He smiled at me, and I remembered what a nice smile he had.
“It looks nice up there.”
“Yeah, I thought it was time to get rid of all the hockey posters. Maybe I will get a few more pieces from you.”
I just nodded.
He got up and went into the kitchen. He poured us a drink, whiskey and Coke, just the way he knew I liked it. He brought over the glasses and gave me one. “It will help calm you down.”
“Thank you.” I drank half the glass before I set it down, causing him to chuckle.
He got up again and went into the bathroom. I heard the tap running, and it wasn't long before he came back out. He was holding a wet cloth. He sat back down and leaned into me. He grabbed my chin in his hand and turned my face to him. His gentleness surprised me, and tears sprang up in my eyes once again. He took the cloth and dabbed at my lip, cleaning the blood away from the cut.
“It's not deep, so you don't need stitches.”
I smiled. “That's good.”
He continued to clean me up, and then he allowed me to drink the rest of the whiskey out of my glass.
“I love whiskey, it's delicious.”
He laughed. “I noticed and I would have to agree.” I looked into his eyes and I couldn't help but start crying again. The mugger had terrified me. I had never experienced anything like that in my life. He was so rough that I wasn't sure if I was going to be raped or killed. I couldn't have been more grateful to see Jet show up and get a hold of the guy. Even if he did bring the blonde tramp with him.
“Thank you for being there. For catching the guy, for saving me.”
“God, Natalie, of course. I saw red as soon as I realized you had been hurt. Guys like that need to be wiped off the face of the planet. He'll think twice about hurting another girl. I broke a few of his ribs.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah, and he's lucky that's all I did to him.” He brushed the hair out of my eyes and touched my cheek softl
y.
“How about you go take a shower and freshen up? I’ll get you something to wear to bed. You should probably get some rest.”
“That sounds nice, thank you.”
I followed him to the bathroom. He showed me where the towels were, and turned on the shower for me.
“Adjust the temperature the way you like it. I’ll be right back.”
I went to the shower and felt the temperature. It was a little hot, so I turned the temperature down before I went into the closet and pulled out a towel. I put it close to the shower so it would be right there when I got out.
Jet came back into the bathroom and handed me some clothes. “Here's a pair of boxers and a T-shirt of mine. Hopefully they will do for the night.”
“They’re fine. Thanks.”
He left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I undressed quickly and hopped into the shower. I just wanted to rinse off a bit, and get the feeling of the guy’s hands off of me. I hated feeling his touch on my body; it gave me the creeps. I just stood under the showerhead, allowing the water to cascade down my body. The heat felt wonderful against my skin, and I began to feel normal once again.
I turned the water off and pulled open the curtains. I stepped out of the shower and grabbed the towel. Water droplets disappeared as I dried off with the towel and then I looked at myself in his bathroom mirror. I surveyed the damage to my lip and willed myself not to cry again.
I looked around for a brush and only found a comb in a drawer, but it would do. I quickly brushed my hair and dried off the remaining droplets. I dressed in the clothes Jet had brought me, and hung up the towel on the shower rod. I left the bathroom and went to look for Jet. I found him on the couch drinking another glass of whiskey.
“Do you want to have another drink?”
I shook my head and then said, “No, I think I'm ready for bed, if you don't mind.”
“Of course not.”
“Should I sleep on the couch?”
“No, you can sleep with me.”
“What? No, I don't think so.”
“Don't be silly. I will keep my distance. I just don't want you out of my sight right now.”
I nodded. I watched as he downed his drink, and then I followed him down the hall and into his bedroom. He pulled back the covers of the bed and put a few pillows down the middle.
“See, there is something in between us. You don't have to worry about me putting the moves on you.”
I laughed for the first time that evening.
“Sorry I ruined your hookup.” It was the first time I brought up the blonde he was leaving the club with. He looked a little embarrassed at my mentioning it.
“Naw, you probably did me a favor. Besides, I would much rather you be here.”
I crawled into bed and drew the covers up around me. I lay my head down on the pillow and Jet did the same. We faced each other, and I smiled to lighten the butterflies that were in my stomach causing a stir.
“Can we talk about the kiss?”
He nodded. “It was a pretty great kiss.”
I laughed. “Yes, it was. I'm sorry I sent you away, it kind of scared me. I just didn't handle it well.”
“You did fine. I'm just an idiot. I should know when to take things slow. You're not like other girls.”
“You know what you handled badly? The next day.”
By the look on his face, he knew that I knew about the lie.
“Yeah, like I said, I'm an idiot. If it makes you feel better, I didn't expect it to go beyond this apartment. Believe me, Kyle got a beating when I found it went public.”
“But why did you say it to begin with? Why would you tell him something like that when it wasn't true?”
“I don't know. I thought you blew me off. I was hurt and angry, and when I got back home, Kyle was already sure we had slept together, and I just didn't want to look like a fool for not having sealed the deal.”
“Why? What's the big deal that we didn't?”
“It's just the way guys are, Natalie. We consider that shit important for some reason. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I was pretty devastated when I found out most people knew. If I could take it all back, I would.”
I stared at him for a moment or two before saying, “I forgive you. As long as you promise me you will never do anything like that again.”
“You have my word.” I smiled, feeling the anxiety of the evening drifting out of my body. “You know, I don't always have it together, ya know. I may seem cool and collected, but I'm messed up myself, and that's probably why I say and do things that I shouldn't. I used to be real scared when I was a kid. It's no excuse for my behavior, but I just want you to know I really am sorry.”
“I know.” I paused before I asked, “Why were you scared as a kid?”
He smiled softly and had a sad look on his face. “You should get some rest, beautiful. Tomorrow is another day.”
Confused, I decided to let it go for the time being. As my eyelids fluttered closed, it wasn't long before I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Jet
I rolled over in bed to see the most beautiful creature beside me. Sunlight shone through the window and caressed her face. I didn’t want to wake her; I just wanted to watch her while she slept. She was peaceful and beautiful, and when she opened her eyes, the spell was broken. Her eyes fluttered open and closed repeatedly as she fully awakened.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby. You have a nice bed.”
I laughed. “The parental units spared no expense.”
“Must be nice.”
“It's alright. Doesn't matter to me what kind of bed I sleep in.”
“Yeah, you say that until you sleep in a bad bed and wake up sore.”
I smiled. “Maybe.”
She rubbed her eyes, and brushed her hand through her hair. She wasn't self-conscious at all; there was no rush to get to the bathroom to put on makeup. Her movements were from habit, not out of insecurities. She rolled over on her back and stared at the ceiling. I wondered what went through her head; l wished I knew.
“Would you like some breakfast?” I asked.
She turned her head to me and grinned. “I would love some.”
“Okay, I will meet you in the kitchen. Feel free to use the bathroom to freshen up.”
“Thanks.”
I rolled out of bed and waited until she got out and went into the bathroom. I changed out of my flannel pants and put on some clothes. I exited the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. Kyle was up, and already playing video games.
“Hey, man, what time did you get in?”
Kyle looked up and answered, “Like, 4:00 a.m. You left the bar pretty quickly. You found a girl real quick, right?”
“Something like that.”
“What time did she leave?”
“She didn't. She's still here, so behave yourself.”
“You let her sleep over? Seriously? When have you ever done that?”
I went into the kitchen and started to put some coffee on. I grabbed a filter and put it in the coffee machine. I added a scoop of coffee, and then filled the pot with water. Once I emptied it into the machine, I turned it on. I loved the smell of coffee in the morning because it always reminded me of possibilities, of a fresh start to take over the world.
I opened the fridge and pulled out some cream. I assessed the rest of the fridge to determine what there would be for breakfast. It looked like it was going to be bacon and eggs. I turned on the stove, and started to put slices of bacon in a pan. I waited to hear the sizzling of the bacon cooking. I pulled out the eggs as well, but they would have to wait.
When I turned around, Natalie was behind me, and Kyle's jaw was on the floor. Yes, I would have some explaining to do later. However, for the time being, it was sort of amusing that Kyle was so shocked that it was the artist I had brought home from the bar.
“Kyle, this i
s Natalie. Natalie ... Kyle. Kyle is my roommate and teammate.”
“Hi,” she said tentatively.
“Hey, what's up? Nice to meet you.”
I could tell by Natalie's expression that she realized that Kyle was the one who told everyone we had slept together. She held herself together pretty well, though, not giving anything away.
I turned back to the bacon, and started flipping the pieces while she moved up beside me and smiled.
“Bacon. How healthy.”
I laughed. “Please tell me you're not on a diet.”
“No, but aren't you supposed to eat properly?”
“I do, for the most part. But I also indulge. My body burns food up like fuel since I train a lot. I am careful when I'm preparing for a fight, because I may need to cut weight; but if I'm not training, then I have a little more leeway.”
She just nodded.
With the bacon well underway, I fried us up some eggs.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
I poured her a cup of coffee. “Would do you like in it?”
“I can make my own, thank you.”
I watched as she opened drawers until she found the silverware. She plucked out a spoon and proceeded to add cream and sugar to her coffee. I watched her stir it, mesmerized by the swirling in her cup. I smiled as she looked up at me.
“Have a seat,” I told her.
She carried her cup over to our small kitchen table. I prepared some plates with bacon and eggs and brought them over and sat them down.
“So I was thinking that maybe I could help you out today.”
“Help me again? I think you’re already doing that with my school assignment.”
“Yeah, well. Good thing I like you.”
She blushed, and I liked how the crimson went across her cheeks. “So how are you going to help me?”
“By teaching you some self-defense. That way, if you ever find yourself in a situation like yesterday, you will be able to defend yourself.”
She thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “I guess so.”
“Great. Let’s get going, then.”
