by Jane West
“It’s life, right?” I shrugged.
“Not necessarily. Your mother is inexcusable.” His eyes filled with pity.
“Did you bring me here to feel sorry for me?” Ire was starting to creep.
“I’m sorry.” His dark brows slanted in a frown. “I don’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay. My mother is bi-polar, and when she’s off her meds which is pretty much most of the time, she can be difficult.” I pressed my lips together in frustration.
“Oh, is that what they’re calling it these days.” His lips twisted into a cynical smile.
“What do you mean?”
Suddenly his irritation lifted. “I’m sorry. Of course, you’re right.” Why did I get the impression he was keeping a secret.
“Can we talk about something else?” I didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening discussing Sara and her troubles, especially with Bane.
“Sure! Are you hungry?” He grinned back briefly with no trace of his former animosity.
“Not really.” I shrugged.
“Aw come on, eat something with me. I hate eating alone.” He winked. “I’ll order for you.”
“So what is so special about this place?” My eyes washed over the rustic diner.
“Apart from the company,” he half smiled. “The food is fantastic. Have you ever eaten mudbugs?”
“No, I haven’t.” I grimaced to myself. Ironic though that Sara worked at a diner named after the critters.
“Unlike other diners, this place actually has the real deal.” He smiled.
I was pretty sure the pun was intended. I didn’t mind.
The waitress returned with our drinks and Bane ordered a huge helping of mudbugs with the works.
When the waitress left, Bane turned back to me. “Apart from its rough nature, it’s a cool place. Food’s good, folks are friendly, and they have lots of beer.”
“Beer!” My brow perked. “Are you twenty-one?” I had to admit, he didn’t act nor did he look like a teenager. His whole demeanor appeared more adult. Maybe money matured a person.
His blues sparkled as one dark brow shot up. “I’m special.”
I laughed. “I have a feeling you rarely hear the word no.”
“Hardly ever!” An impish grin stretched his lips.
“Where are you from? I hear you’re new too.” I was mildly curious why he came to this dump.
“Hmm, I was born in Marseille France. My family and I moved to the States when I was an infant. Though, I don’t really claim any particular place. I’ve traveled the world, Europe, the Middle East.” He folded his hands, elbows on the table.
Beautiful hands, I noted, strong and well-manicured. I glimpsed down at my hands and all of a sudden, I ducked them under the table. Self-conscious of myself was not my intentions, but let’s be real, why was he spending time with me? I was the girl on the wrong side of the tracks. Suddenly I had to ask. “What are you doing?” The words escaped my mouth before I knew it.
“Pardon me?” His dark brow darted upward.
“What are we doing here, you and me?”
His mouth curved into an unconscious smile. “What do you mean?”
“Why the nice guy now?” I shrugged. “I just… I just don’t get why you wanna hang out with me is all.”
“Do I have to have a reason?” His silky voice held a challenge.
“I guess not.” I fiddled with my straw. “What did I do to you to make you storm off from me last night.”
Bane paused, dropping his gaze to his hands. As he drew in a deep sigh, he asked. “Will you give me a second chance?” His voice appeared earnest. “I apologize for my unforgivable behavior. I don’t often let people in my world and you seem so young and inexperienced.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you. You’re a hard nut to crack.” I blurted out, leaning back in my seat. “One minute you’re smiling and then the next you’re ready to bite my head off.” I shook my head. “I don’t like moodiness.” I got enough of that from Sara. “One wacko in my life is enough.”
“I’m a tough nut to crack, moody and a wacko?” His shoulders shook mildly as he laughed to himself.
“It’s not funny!” I snapped. “The way you acted was a dick move, dude.” I crossed my arms, feeling the sting of last night and the tears he caused.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh, but your choice of words are amusing to me.”
“My catchy phrases are common,” I fired back. “Where do you get your vocabulary? Abominable!” My brows puckered. “Who says that these days?”
“Perhaps, you can get me up to speed?”
I nearly choked on my breath. “I don’t know. You’re pretty far behind. You gotta stop hanging out with Jesus!”
We both joined in laughter.
Soon our waitress returned with our food. She laid out newspaper over the table and dumped a huge pile of red looking bugs with whiskers on the table. She set down a basket full of our side orders, cornbread, corn on the cob and boiled potatoes.
I must’ve had the look of doom plastered across my face. When my eyes lifted, Bane had the look of confusion.
“Hmm, what’s wrong?” His luminous eyes widened.
“They’re bugs!”
A sudden rush of humor eddied in his blues. “They’re not bugs, silly! They’re fish.”
“I thought the name mudbug was a metaphor. I didn’t know they were real.” I looked up at him with dreaded shock.
Bane threw back his head and let out a great wail of laughter. “Come on, where’s your adventure?”
“I don’t know.” I tried to pick one up without squirming but quickly drew my hand back.
“Don’t worry.” He chuckled. “It won’t bite. The fish is dead. There’s nothing to it. Here watch.” First, he rolled up his sleeves and then picked a bug from the pile and held it up. “Do it like this.” He demonstrated. “Pinch the head between two fingers with one hand, like this.” He held his fingers up gripping the bug. “Now hold the tail with your other hand.” He gathered the tail as he instructed. “Give the head a twist until it comes off.” He held the severed parts in his hand. Juice dripping down his elbows.
“Uh, that’s messy.” I laughed, handing him a napkin.
“It can be.” He took my napkin. “Thank you!”
I inhaled, trying not to freak out. I forced my hand to move and my fingers to grasp one of the nasty bugs. I fought down my gag reflex. Geez!
I did exactly as he showed me, twisting the bugs head off. “Okay, now what?” I held up the decapitated bug, each part in each hand.
“Now place the open part of the head between your lips and suck out the juices. This part of the crawfish is a delicacy.” He demonstrated how.
I sat there, gawking. “You’re kidding!” I crinkled my nose. “That’s gross!”
“Oh come on! Give it a shot.” He nudged.
I swallowed as if I was washing down a ton of pills.
“Okay, but no promises that I’m gonna like this.”
He shook his head grinning.
I wrapped my lips around the head, totally grossed out, and drained the juice from the beheaded bug. To my surprise, it was good, a little on the spicy side. My eyes lifted to Bane’s face. “Not bad!”
He smiled. Pride gleamed in his blues. “I never doubted you, Princess.”
I smiled back. I caught that last word ---- princess. I recalled asking him not to use that word. Yet I found myself kind of liking it. His voice has a sweet tone.
“What are you waiting for? Dig in.”
We stayed until closing. I’d never talked so much in my life. We discussed nothing of great importance, unless football was considered a vital topic. He claimed his allegiance as a devout fan of the Dallas Cowboys while I preferred a nest of wasp swarming me. Bane nearly turned blue from laughter over my lack of fandom.
When we arrived at my house, he killed the engine. An uncomfortable silence grew tight between us. It felt like Bane wa
s struggling to tell me something. I sat there wringing my hands, wondering if I should thank him for the night and say my good-byes. I always had a problem with proper etiquette. Strangely enough, I wasn’t ready to leave. I sat there waiting for him to give me the cue.
We were so tight in the tiny cab that his breath fanned my cheeks. He slightly shifted in his seat looking at me. The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of his mouth.
My breath stilled. I hated to admit it, but I'd had fun tonight.
Our eyes locked. I drew in a sharp breath, fretting if I might blow it like last time.
“I enjoyed tonight.” Tenderness lingered in his blues. “It’s quite pleasant talking to you.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Thank you for tonight.” I smiled.
“It was my pleasure, truly.”
He quieted a moment, holding my gaze. Then in the next breath, he leaned over. Slowly, he was coming in. Our lips were almost touching. My heart hammered against my chest. The anticipation was too much. I wanted his kiss more than anything I’d ever wanted! Damn, just do it! I screamed in my head at him, and then…
“What the hell do you think you’re doing in that goddamn car, young lady?” I closed my eyes, mortified. Bane suddenly sat erect in his seat, shoulders stiff and his face darkened.
Sara stood beside the car on the driver's side pounding the window with the look of Frankenstein on her face. Perfect timing!
Appalled, I darted out of the car, rushing toward the house. I couldn’t believe she was doing this to me. I didn’t make it very far before Sara snatched me up by the nape of my hair, jerking me backward and forcing me to face her. Her teeth gnashed while she held a clump of my hair wound tightly in her fist. I flinched from the pain, flailing my hands at Sara’s grip, trying to loosen her hold. “I thought I warned you!”
“Don’t do this here!” I hissed, tears streaming. I spied a dark silhouette in the moonlight approaching fast. It was Francis coming from the rear of the house. Was this some kind of intervention? Stop Stevie from having a life!
“I told you, no boys!” Sara hissed through clenched teeth.
It all went down so fast. Bane stepped in between Sara and me. With gentle authority, his hand forced Sara back. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem?” Though his body was taut, his voice appeared calm.
A dark flash sped past the corner of my eye. It was Francis. He’d shoved Sara to the ground and was now standing in Bane’s face, hostile, ready to wrangle.
Francis was at least a head shorter and a good thirty pounds thinner. The odds were against him.
Bane had me pressed against the car and his massive body was blocking Francis’s reach to me. I watched in fear of the worst scenario that could possibly happen.
“I think you should leave.” Francis bared his teeth. “This is a family matter.”
I watched the two men, holding my breath, fretting over the outcome of this horrible misunderstanding.
“Family!” Bane scoffed. “Perhaps you should be the one leaving.” Bane’s eyes spewed with cold, dead steel.
“Listen, punk!” Something silver flickered in the moonlight. Francis had a switchblade clenched against Bane’s jugular. “I won’t think twice slicing you wide open and feedin’ you to the gators.” His face twisted with vileness.
Holy shit! My heart lurched. The last thing I wanted was a bloodbath. I started to speak up, but in a blink, I was standing on the other side of the car, and Bane had Francis kissing the asphalt, arms spread and face flat. Bane’s knee buried in Francis’s back. The knife had vanished.
Bane bent low over Francis. I could hear murmurs, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying to Francis. I gathered by the scowl on his face, it wasn’t friendly. Francis’s face twisted, drool dripping from his mouth and spitting curse words in French ---- my favorite way to learn the language.
Strangely, Sara’s face distorted in pain, as she struggled to move her feet. But it was as if she’d been cemented to the asphalt.
In the next instant, Bane released his hold on Francis and Sara rushed to Francis' side.
Bane’s back was to me. I couldn't see his face but by Sara's expression, it was apparent Bane must've got the point across. Her eyes bulged with what I assumed was fear.
Next, Bane pulled away, making his way back to me. Sara and Francis quickly staggered to their feet, scrambling for the beat up old Cadillac parked behind the brush.
I reckoned they were planning to ambush me. I wondered how bad this would've gone if Bane hadn't been present.
I watched as Sara and Francis sped away.
Unaware that I’d been holding my breath, I fell back against the car, hand pressed flat to my chest, raking in oxygen.
Bane’s lips tight, in a fit of anger, stalked to my side. He muttered under his breath. “Fuck it! I’ve waited long enough.” He forcefully swept me into the folds of his arms, taking my mouth with a savage intensity. Possessively, his hands splayed over my face, drawing me closer.
Our tongues collided, toiling with one another. My hands reached up, gripping his dark curls as I rose up to meet his forceful kisses. As smooth as liquid, his hands moved to the center of my back and reeled me in tighter. I delighted in every inch of his lean body pressed against mine as a swirl of fire licked through me, stealing my breath.
Raising his mouth from mine, he captured my gaze. I stared back, my chest heaving. I touched my swollen mouth. My lips burned in the aftermath of his fiery kisses.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I laid eyes on you.” I loved listening to his voice, low and husky.
I tried to make sense of what just happened in my front yard, the fight, the kiss. Wow! “Umm, I don’t know what to say.” My brain felt short-circuited. I might’ve bitten off more than I could chew and it frightened me.
“Are you hurt?” His eyes searched as his hands gently rested on my hips.
“Hmm, I don’t know.” I pulled away, needing air. “What did you say to my mom?”
“It doesn't matter.” His voice had softened. “Come on.” He gently placed his hand on the small of my back as his eyes carefully combed over the neighborhood. I got the impression he might be expecting more unfriendly company. “Let me get you inside the house.”
I nodded, fighting back the tears.
Once we entered the house, I switched on a lamp and then turned to Bane. “Would you care for some coffee?” I felt shaken.
“I’m good. Thank you. How are you?”
I felt his soulful eyes digging a hole through me.
“I’m as well as expected, considering.” I rubbed the back of my neck. My head was throbbing where Sara had yanked my hair.
“I should have a look at your head. I can make it feel better.” He half smiled, taking a step toward me.
I stepped back. “I’m okay.”
He stopped, dropping his hands to his sides. “All right.” He paused. “I’m sorry you had to see that tonight. Your mom’s boyfriend overstepped his bounds.”
“Yeah, he’s a creep.” I picked up my shawl and threw it over my shoulders. A chill rushed over me.
“Does he bother you often?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” I forced a smile.
Bane blew out a frustrated sigh, raking his fingers through his black curls. “Why do I get the feeling he’s threatened you?” He stepped closer, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“It’s no worry. Really!” I attempted to make light of it.
“You’re shaking!” He smoothed his finger over my arms. Chills! Goddamn, chills!
“I’m fine.” I pushed his hand away, turning my back to him. “I’ll be better in the morning.”
“Why do I find that hard to believe?” He gathered my chin in the cuff of his hand, forcing me to look at him. “I give you my word; neither Sara nor Francis will hurt you again.”
I believed him. Tonight, I witnessed his dark side. No argument, Bane could’ve ended Francis’ life in a snap. I drew in a sharp breat
h. I felt enthralled and terrified at the same time. “Don’t hurt them!”
He flashed a dark smile. “Life isn’t that simple.” His lips tightened. “I’m a hard man. I deal accordingly.”
Mistrust washed over me. “No, leave them alone. They’re my problem.” I swallowed hard. “Maybe you should go.” My voice sounded harsh to my ears. If Bane turned on Sara and Francis at the drop of a hat, who’d say he wouldn’t do the same to me.
Bane stood there, his eyes drilling me. My shoulders stiffened as I held my gaze on the floor. I drew my arms around my waist waiting for him to leave.
“Very well,” His jaw hardened. “I’ll see myself out. Lock up.” He threw the door open and was gone by the time I reached the window. He flew out of here faster than a bat outta hell. How did Bane consistently defeat the laws of gravity? He was a man of many mysteries.
I fell into a chair by the window, trying to process what just happened. I swore, he must have a damsel-in-distress obsession. Now that I thought about it, it started when Bane pulled me out of a fight with Gina, then that weirdo at the carnival stalking me, Sara’s outburst at the diner and last but not least, the brawl with Francis in my front lawn. The common denominator of these events was Bane. How did he manage to be at the right place at the right time, every freaking time?
I tapped my finger to my lip, tracing over that whole fiasco tonight. Sara appeared frozen, unable to move. I mysteriously ended up on the other side of Bane’s car, and in a blink, Bane had disarmed Francis, pinning him on the ground. It happened so fast that it left me speechless.
First thing after school tomorrow, I needed to talk to Ms. Noel.
Lies
The sun rose to a bright morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t help my mood any. I compared the Monday blues to an ass kickin’ and a wicked hangover.
I wanted to hide under my covers and stay in bed all day. I glanced at the alarm clock as I blew out a dark sigh 5:00 a.m.
The residuals from last night still lingered, clinging to my skin like a bad rash. I dreaded another altercation with Sara when she decided to show her face again. I reckoned I’d worry about that when I crossed that bridge.
After I finished my paper route, I headed to school just in time to duck into the restroom. I stopped to wash my hands when the door squeaked opened and footfalls crept in. At first, I didn’t think much about it until I glanced through the mirror. Gina and Sally strolled in and stopped, standing a few feet behind me. The blonde either had a sour tummy, or she had a bone to pick with me. My guess, it was the latter. Oh, shit! I’d forgotten about Sam.