“Yep. I told you they were classy. So I’ll see you tomorrow night at seven?”
“Okay, babe. See you there.”
***
I didn’t have much to do at the university, and Lauren came in just as I was finishing up a sinkful of lab dishes. “She lives,” she said dryly. “Don’t you answer your phone anymore? I’ve tried calling you a hundred times.”
“Sorry.” Her name had appeared on my missed call list, but for one reason or another I never found the time to call her back.
She slouched over the counter and picked at her fingernails. “I’ve been worried about you. It’s pretty bad that I had to hear about your accident from Dr. Turner.” Dr. Turner was our Department Chair. “You should have called.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to be a bother. If I had, you would have dropped everything to be at my side. You have too much on your plate to be worrying about me.” She started to protest, but I interrupted and changed the subject. “I’ve got a big date tonight.”
She brightened. “Yeah? You and Chris?”
“I wish.” It slipped out before I even had a chance to stop it.
“You what?”
“Nothing.”
Her hazel eyes watched me closely. “Is he feeling any better? He looked awful the other night.” She continued without waiting for an answer, “Compared to his usual self, anyway. I don’t know that any amount of sickness could totally deplete him of his hotness.” She leaned around the sink to peer into my face. “Allie?”
I turned off the water. “He’s still coughing a lot. But he’s getting around okay. Hopefully he’ll be better by Monday.”
She saw right through me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Ugh!” I dropped my hands in the suds, splashing water onto both of us. “How do you do that? How do you always know?”
A smug smile pulled at her lips. “Privilege of being your BFF, hon. I can read you better than most of my textbooks.”
“That’s not saying a lot, considering the classes you take.” I laid out the whole story for her, about how I saw him on the show Monday night and took him the soup. “It was terrible. I screwed up the recipe, and we had to order room service instead.”
“Room service, huh? Wow. That’s so risqué.”
I gave her a cock-eyed look. “We ate soup, Lauren.”
She laughed. “So, what happened? You’re usually such a good cook.”
“I know, right? That’s what I told him, but he acted like he didn’t believe me. He said I’d have to prove it.”
“Ha!” Lauren clapped her hands together. “You see? He wants to spend time with you. Aren’t you excited about that?”
“I don’t know how to feel. It’s just all so stupid.”
Lauren studied me. “Nothing about it is stupid.”
“Yes it is. Think about how ridiculous the whole thing is. Me and Chris Knots. In what world is that even a possibility?”
Lauren wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pressed her cheek against mine. “Sounds like this one, hon. Give yourself a break. Believe it or not, you are a likeable person. Why else would I be here?” She laughed at her own joke. “So if you’re not going out with Chris tonight, who are you going with?”
I told her about my plans with Emily. “I have this gut feeling that these guys are trouble, so I invited Jake to come along.” I paused and looked at her. “Was that wrong? Emily doesn’t know, and Jake wouldn’t be sitting with us or anything; he’d just be there in case something happened.”
“Do you realize how paranoid you sound?”
I thought about it for a minute. “Yeah, I guess I do.” I shrugged and finished rinsing off a tray of beakers. “Oh well. It’s not like I can uninvite him now. He’s excited. He’s been acting so weird.”
“Jake’s always been a mystery to me. But then again, I’ve never actually met him. But try and have fun tonight; suck it up for Emily’s sake. She deserves to have a good time too. But hey,” she added after I groaned. “I hear Chubby’s cheeseburgers are out of this world. There’s at least something to look forward to.”
I laughed and rinsed out the sink. “Thanks for the tip.”
It was a nice afternoon so I walked around campus awhile before heading home. By the time I got to my building my leg was throbbing. I went to lay down for awhile.
Emily got home a little later. She stood in my doorway and thumbed through the mail. “What are you doing? Are you sick?”
I gave her an irritated look. “No, but I’m going to be. Really, Em? Chubby’s? Please tell me you’ve decided not to go.”
“It’ll be fine. John is a real sweetheart. He came into the restaurant the other day to see me, wasn’t that nice?”
“To see you, huh? I’ll bet he wants more than that.” I turned over to face the wall.
An envelope flew across my bed, nearly smacking me in the back of the head.
“You have a really crappy attitude.”
I couldn’t help being crude. I was not in a good mood. And my leg still hurt. I was entitled to a little immaturity every once in awhile, wasn’t I?
She stomped down the hall and muttered something I couldn’t hear.
I tinkered around my room for awhile before deciding to get ready. Since I was not out to impress anyone, I pulled on a pair of old jeans, folded my pant leg, and tucked it down into my walking boot. Emily did a double take when she saw me. I was buttoning up a wrinkled flannel shirt.
“Please tell me you’re kidding. You are not wearing that,” she said, not hiding her irritation. “You look like a lumberjack.” She went to my closet and sifted through my clothes. “The jeans will work if you’ll pull your pant leg down over your boot, but you are not wearing that shirt.” She handed me a light pink cowl neck sweater. I knew better than to argue.
We got to the restaurant a little before seven. Busty female servers, all wearing short miniskirts and tight, low-cut tanks, bustled around the room. The guys weren’t there yet, so we took a seat at the bar and ordered a round of drinks. The stench of cigarette smoke was choking, burning both my eyes and my nostrils.
The place was a sore excuse for a restaurant. A trashy looking woman on the stage performed karaoke. She wore leopard print pants and a tight shirt that looked like it was two sizes too small. Her singing wasn’t any better than her outfit. Turning back to the bar, I grabbed my beer and took a long swig. I would need the alcohol if I planned on surviving through this night.
When the guys finally showed, they were fifteen minutes late. I was about to suggest leaving when Emily spotted them and waved them over.
“Allie, remember John?” I faked a smile and shook his hand. Then I saw his brother. Matthew was over six feet tall and built like a linebacker. He had dark brown eyes and jet black hair that was gelled back in a messy yet stylish way, and I felt my resolve to have a bad time start to diminish. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Matthew was kind of cute.
As the server escorted us to a table, I spied Jake. He was sitting on the far end of the room with a few guys I recognized from work. We made eye-contact, and he gave me a thumbs up. Thankfully, Emily didn’t notice.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that any intelligent conversation with Matthew was out of the question. In spite of being good looking, he was a world-class idiot. At some point in the conversation he told me he went to college in Iowa and studied Marine Biology.
“Iowa, huh? Don’t you need to be near the coast for that?”
Emily glared at me. I glared back, and she kicked me from under the table.
“Well, I’m just saying, if you’re studying marine life, you would need to live near the ocean, right? Does Iowa even offer a program for that?”
Our meals came. My cheeseburger was sensational, but the best part was that all conversation ceased while we ate.
Once our plates were cleared, Emily convinced John to help her pick out a karaoke song. I grabbed her hand under the table and silently pleaded for he
r to stay. I did not want to be left alone with Matthew. Having a conversation with a wall would have been more stimulating. She laughed and went with John anyway.
I didn’t stick around to watch their performance. The smoky air was really bothering me, so I told Matthew I needed some fresh air and went outside.
It was the second week of March, and the dark skies were clear. I stood in the parking lot awhile and gazed up, admiring the stars. I found Cancer, the crab. It looked more like an upside down Y to me, but I’ve never had much of an imagination.
Heavy footsteps approached from behind. Matthew was heading my way, holding a lit cigarette. He put his thick arm around my shoulders and blew smoke in my face. I coughed and waved my hand in front of my nose. He didn’t take the hint. “The stars are out tonight, huh?” he said, glancing up at the sky.
I didn’t bother to respond to such an obvious observation.
“You know, I had a great time tonight. It was really nice to meet you, Amy.”
“Allie,” I corrected.
“Right.” He took another drag and blew more smoke at me. I tried to take a step back, but he had a tight grip on my shoulders. He spun me around to face him and reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, but I pulled away.
A tight-lipped sneer spread across his face. “Hey baby, don’t be that way. Come on, you had a nice time too, right?” I quivered as he ran his fingers through my hair.
“Matthew, look,” I paused, trying to find the right words. “You’re a real nice guy and all, but I don’t think…”
A devilish light flashed in his eyes. “What’s wrong? I’m not good enough for you? You think you’re better than me, college girl?” He pinned my wrists behind my back and shoved me towards the cars, hissing in my ear, “John told me all about your little sister, how she likes to give it up. Even got her a kid, huh? How ‘bout the big sister, you like to play too?” His free hand pulled at the collar of my shirt.
I struggled to free myself, but his grip only tightened. “You got some fight in you. I like that.” He dragged me behind a black minivan, and I tripped over something and lost my footing. He yanked me back up to my feet.
“Ouch! You’re hurting me!” I shrieked.
He backhanded me across the face.
The sting brought tears to my eyes. “Are you crazy? Let go of me!”
He continued to push me across the parking lot towards an abandoned garage. I had a pretty good idea of what his intentions were, and it scared the hell out of me. My mind raced as my eyes scanned the pavement, searching for a way out.
I tried to kick him. He shoved me, hard, into the side of an Explorer, and then grabbed my hair.
I screamed.
He pinned me against his chest, one hand over my mouth, the other wrapped around my waist, and lifted me up off my feet. “Let’s see what we have in here.” He grabbed the collar of my sweater and pulled, ripping it in half and exposing my bra. I could feel his smile against my cheek. “Impressive. What else you hiding?” His hand snaked down my bare belly towards my waistband. Nausea, combined with sheer panic, consumed me. I didn’t know if I was going to throw up or pass out. Maybe both, if I was lucky.
“Matthew, please!” I squeaked. My heart was pounding so hard I could hardly breathe.
“That’s right, bitch. Beg for it.”
“Hey!” someone shouted. “What’s going on?”
It was Jake. He laid a hand on Matthew’s shoulder. “What are you doing? Let go of her!”
Matthew released his grip and shoved me hard. I stumbled and fell sideways, twisting the knee of my already injured leg.
“Why don’t you mind your own business, punk?” Matthew bellowed. “Can’t you see when you’re not wanted?” Matthew easily had fifty pounds on Jake, but Jake didn’t back down.
He flashed Matthew a provoking grin. “What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll steal your girl?”
Matthew threw a punch. His fist collided with Jake’s nose. I heard a loud crack and watched in horror as Jake stumbled a few steps backwards. He quickly regained his footing and lunged at Matthew, throwing him into the ground.
The two scuffled, and after a minute Emily was by my side. “Allie! I heard screaming, what’s going on?” She looked at me in horror.
My lungs were screaming for air. I gasped and then rolled over and puked. So much for the cheeseburger.
“Oh my God!” Emily shrieked. She was holding back my hair and trying to pull the sides of my sweater together.
John threw Jake off his brother and helped Matthew get up. “Let’s get out of here,” he grumbled. “These cunts aren’t worth the trouble.” The two climbed into a rusty blue pickup and squealed the tires as they raced out of the parking lot.
Jake rushed over to Emily and me, pinching his bleeding nose but smiling from ear to ear. A sparkle of excitement glimmered in his eyes. That sparkle faded to fury when he looked at me and my torn sweater. “What the fuck?” He turned towards where the pickup had been, but it was long gone.
“Jake! That bastard! Allie!” Emily was in hysterics.
“Allie? Baby, are you okay?” He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. “I’m sorry; I should have come out sooner. I saw him follow you out, but I thought it was just for a smoke.”
I tried to get up off the ground but struggled. My leg really hurt, and I was shaking so hard that I couldn’t seem to get my feet under me. Jake picked me up and carried me. Sobs heaved in my chest. He held me close and ran his fingers through my hair. “It’s all over. I’ve got you now.”
***
Friday morning I hobbled down the hall towards my classroom. My books were piled into my leather bag, which was slung over one shoulder, and I was having a terrible time balancing the weight with the crutches. It took quite a bit of effort to keep from falling sideways. I counted my blessings, though. At least I could walk. I hadn’t suffered any permanent injuries, but the swelling in my leg was enough that I couldn’t get the boot to slip on.
By the time I made it to my desk, I was exhausted. The crutches fell from my arms and hit the floor with a loud thud. Sam and Melody watched as I collapsed into my chair.
“What the heck happened to you?” asked Melody.
“Long story.” I didn’t feel comfortable explaining that I had been assaulted, even though I was sure Sam had already heard the whole story from Jake. “Grab your stuff and get to work,” I ordered. “Let me know if you need any help, alright?”
Sam looked like he was going to say something, but changed his mind.
For lunch I limped down to the snack bar. Jake was there with his friends from the night before. “Hey!” I said breathlessly, falling into a chair. I gasped when I saw the dark ring around his eye.
“Hey, yourself.” He glanced at my foot and then looked at my face and scowled. My bottom lip was fat, and I had some scrapes and bruises along my cheek. “That looks like it hurts.”
“Forget about that, these crutches are killing my armpits.” I rolled my shoulders. “You don’t look too good yourself, Jake.”
“Pretty hot, huh?” He closed his eyes and gave me a profile view. “Chicks dig tough guys.”
“Tough guys don’t usually end up black and blue,” I teased.
Jake shrugged. “The asshole took a cheap shot. But I had him pinned in no time.” He flexed his left bicep. “Two time all-state wrestling champ, baby. That’s right, I got the moves.”
I had to laugh at that mental picture- Jake wearing a skintight singlet.
Jakes friends got up and left, and he looked at me, all humor gone. “Seriously though, are you okay? It’s a good thing those guys hurried out of there like they did. I could have killed that son-of-a-bitch after I saw what he did to you.”
I rested my hand on top of his. “You know what? I’m fine. Really, Jake, thank you. If you hadn’t shown up when you did,” I shook my head, “I don’t know what would have happened.” Actually, I think we both had a pretty good idea, but the
last thing I wanted to do was dwell on it. The sooner I could forget the better.
Chris walked by, stopping only to stare at Jake’s black eye. “Geez, man. What happened to your face?”
Jake grinned and winked at me. “She played a little rough last night.”
Chris’s eyes got wide when he looked at me.
“A bar fight,” I explained, shaking my head at Jake. “Don’t ask. How are you feeling?” He had more color than the last time I’d seen him.
“I’ll live. I take it you two had an interesting night?” He glanced down at my black and blue toes, curiosity written all over his face.
“It was one for the books.”
A skinny blonde not too far from our table bent over to pick something up. Jake’s eyes followed her every move. Chris snorted and shook his head.
I struggled to prop myself up on the crutches. “Well, boys, it’s been fun and all, but I have to get over to the university.”
I threw away my trash and headed down the hall. Chris caught up with me. “Allie, wait.”
I stopped and turned around.
“What’s going on with you two?” He glanced towards Jake, who was chugging a Mountain Dew.
“What do you mean?”
He looked at me seriously, his eyes soft. “Is he good to you?”
I nodded even though I really didn’t understand what he was asking. “I’m not sure what you mean. Jake is a nice guy. Why?”
“Sometimes I wonder if,” he shook his head. “Never mind. Do you need help getting back?”
“No, I can make it. Thanks. You sure you’re feeling okay?” I balanced the crutches and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m on the mend.” He covered my hand with his. “My God, what happened to you last night?” He reached up to caress my bruised cheek. His touch was light, but the sensation that jolted my insides could have registered on the Richter Scale.
“Just a misunderstanding. No big deal.”
“It looks like more than a misunderstanding. If you need something, you know you can come to me, right?”
I shrugged, determined to not make a big deal out of it. “Sure.”
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