by Lilly Wilder
Maybe I should have been more liberated with myself and my body. Maybe then I’d understand myself more and be able to be more successful in the world of romance. Currently, my most successful relationship had been with Bobby Brown in high school. He’d been my first boyfriend and was a sweetheart, but we’d broken up after we’d gone our separate ways. I’d even tried to track him down when I realized that there were far fewer good men in the world than I’d believed, but he’d already gotten married and had a kid. Sometimes when I compared myself to my peers, I felt as though I was falling behind. Most of them already had successful careers and long term relationships, while I had nothing but a pocket full of dreams. I guess that’s one reason why I loved having Misty around. She never made me feel bad about where I was in life, she just appreciated me for being me, and that was rare. She was the only person in the world who ever asked me how I felt and truly wanted to know the answer. That’s why I was here, and that’s why I wasn’t going to stop until I found her.
I took a deep breath to compose myself and then walked over to the man who had been her date, and I only had one question for him.
“Where’s Misty?”
2
He took a long sip of his beer and looked at me blankly, his eyes bleary and his brow furrowed. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered, and even in the dim light, I could see that he was handsome, and why Misty had agreed to meet him. There was something about him that made me catch my breath in my throat. I’m sure everyone’s had that feeling at some point in their lives; when you meet someone and time seems to stand still. It’s like they’ve fallen from Heaven and their divine blood sparks something inside you, and there’s nothing you can do to resist. As I stared at him long, I almost forgot what I was doing there. Just being in his presence was intoxicating. He had a brooding look about him. Stubble lined his jaw and his thick dark hair was tousled. His lips were full and his body was broad. His plaid shirt was open at the collar, revealing a tuft of dark hair. He smelled masculine and earthy, and the hand that gripped the bottle was strong with long, thick fingers. It was his eyes that really got me though. They were green, like the richest, most sparkling emeralds I had ever seen.
The power of his stare made me wilt, but when he turned his gaze away from me I was filled with anger. How dare he just ignore me when I was looking for my friend!
“Where’s Misty?” I demanded, taking one more step closer, invading his personal space. I wore the most intimidating look I could muster and tilted my head back to look up at him directly. He was a good half a foot taller than me, but I wasn’t about to let that dissuade me. His eyes twitched and I wondered what was going through his mind.
“Who wants to know?” he asked.
“I’m her friend, and I am worried she’s in danger. So if you don’t tell me where she is right now, I’m going to find security and make them ask, or I might even call the cops. It’s your choice.”
“I don’t know where Misty is,” he spat, and tried to turn away from me again. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it that easily though.
“What do you mean you don’t know? You’re the guy she was coming here to meet.”
“Yes, I was, but apparently I wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted to hang around with. She left me about an hour into our date. Apparently, she preferred the company of someone else,” he glowered. I scrunched my face up in confusion. I was just about ready to hate this man, but it seemed as though he was a victim in all of this.
“Damn you, Misty!” I muttered under my breath. I don’t think anyone ever deserved to be in danger, but Misty was the type of person who sure made it easy for trouble to find her. “Okay, do you know what this guy was like?” I put my hand to my head and closed my eyes, trying to figure out how I was going to get Misty out of this.
“What makes you think I care? I’m the one who got jilted here. Whoever your friend is, she’s got serious problems and she needs to take a long hard look at herself and the way she treats people.”
“Believe me, I know. And I’ve been telling her the same thing for years, but I can’t just leave her. We have a code word that we use in case one of us is in danger. She used it. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I have to find her. And right now you’re the only link I have to her, so sure, you might hate her for what she did but do you really think she deserves to be in danger because of it?”
The man pursed his lips and looked confused. I thought for sure he was going to storm away, he was well within his rights. It wasn’t like he had any obligation to help Misty after the way she treated him, but if he didn’t help me, I didn’t have any idea how I was going to find her.
“Fine,” he said, placing his beer bottle on the shelf behind him with a loud thud. A wave of relief swept through me. “What’s your name?”
“Danni, and yours?”
“Cal.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“That remains to be seen,” he grimaced. I arched an eyebrow. I hadn’t expected to find a gentleman in this bar, and it was quite clear that I hadn’t.
“So what happened with you and Misty?”
He placed his elbow on the same shelf where he had placed his beer and leaned forward so that I could hear him better.
“I came here as we planned, and when I saw her I went up to her immediately. But I could tell that I wasn’t what she expected. I don’t know why. I brought her a drink and we sat down, we started chatting, but she was aloof, her attention was drifting to everyone across the bar.”
“Yeah, Misty is like that,” I said, remembering so many times when I had to remind her about what was happening around her or had to repeat what I was saying a few times before it stuck in her head.
“Well, it seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else but here and I had a sinking feeling from then on.”
“No offense Cal, but what did you expect by bringing her here? It’s not like this is a dating hotspot I mean, do you really think this is the kind of place where a romance can blossom?”
“I don’t know. It’s just local to where I work. I’ve been out of the dating game for a while.” He cast his gaze away from me, and I got the sense that there was something he wasn’t telling me, but I wasn’t going to pry. Not now anyway.
“We finished our first drinks and I almost expected her to call the night quits, but she insisted we have another drink. I guess she figured that she’d come this far she might as well make a night out of it.”
“Sounds like Misty.”
“Anyway, she went up to the bar to get us drinks and I waited for some time before I noticed that she was talking to some guy. Misty was flirting away, flicking her hair and touching him lightly on the shoulder. Now, I know she doesn’t hold any obligation to me, but I still think it’s rude to act that way with another man when you’re on a date.”
I had no argument for that. “That’s just Misty all over, I’m afraid. She’s always been very…open with her sexuality, and to be honest, she flirts with everyone, but I can see how that would come across as rude, especially if you’re not used to her.”
“I see, well, anyway, when she came back to the table with the drinks, I asked her what she thought she was doing, and she didn’t seem to think she was doing anything wrong. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, but I wanted to try to make the night a success, so I ignored it and carried on, and eventually, the band started playing and I asked her to dance. We went up and became part of the crowd up there,” he pointed to the grinding, undulating collection of people, “until this guy came up and tried to steal her away from me. I didn’t much take kindly to that until she made it pretty clear that she’d prefer to dance with him.”
“I’m surprised a fight didn’t break out. It wouldn’t be the first time.” I shook my head, annoyed by my friend. I loved Misty, but she sure did have her faults. It’s as though she never properly understood that there were consequences for her actions, and that not everyone saw th
e world the same way as she did.
“I thought about it, but figured it wasn’t worth it. My pride was more hurt by the fact that Misty’s attention was taken away from me so easily.”
“Like I said, I wouldn’t take that too personally. She’s the same with everyone. Her Tinder profile should come with a warning attached.”
Cal laughed at this. It was the first time I’d seen him smile, and he had a lovely one. It didn’t help my situation any though. “Look, I know this hasn’t been the best evening for you, and I know you probably don’t want anything to do with Misty again, and to be honest I can’t blame you. She’s not always the easiest person to deal with, but she’s my best friend and I can’t let anything bad happen to her. Is there anything else you can remember? Did she leave with him?”
“Yeah, she did.”
“Damn. I’m guessing you have no idea where he took her?”
Cal shook his head, “I stayed in here and decided to drink away my defeat.”
“What did he look like?”
Cal shrugged. “Blonde hair, wore smarter clothes than most people in here, and a smug grin.” His words were laced with disdain. I didn’t know if he was more pissed off that his date with Misty had ended badly because he liked her or just because his pride had been wounded.
“I guess I’ll have to ask someone else,” I said. Cal shrugged again. It seemed as though that was all I was going to get out of him, and yet there seemed to be so much more I wanted to say. I was intrigued by this man; brooding natures had always piqued my curiosity, but I couldn’t afford to waste any time. For all I knew, Misty was being threatened. I tried not to think about what could be happening to her, pushing away those dark thoughts took great effort. Frankly, I always thought it was only a matter of time before something like this happened to her. She always seemed to think she was invulnerable though.
I bid farewell to Cal and made my way outside. The bartender winked at me as I left. I rubbed my wrist, smearing away the phone number.
3
I’d only had one drink, so my senses were still focused and I didn’t have to worry about stumbling around. There was no evident sign where Misty had gotten to, so I had to ask the only people who might have seen her; the bikers outside. I sauntered up to them and put on my best, most coquettish smile.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a friend and I was wondering if you could help? She’s got flaming red hair and would probably have been laughing or singing. It’s rare that anyone misses her. I think she left with a blonde man, dressed a little differently to anyone else here.”
The bikers looked at me, their eyes roving up and down my body. I instinctively pulled the jacket more tightly around myself. I was used to men looking at me like this, as though they had a right to enjoy my body just because of the outfit I chose. I repeated my mantra that they were allowed to look as long as they didn’t touch, but I didn’t like the way they licked their lips, or how their hungry gazes were hidden from me behind their dark sunglasses.
I’d heard a lot about how some bikers actually had hearts of gold, but these ones didn’t seem the type.
“Well darling, I do recall seeing a girl like that waltzing by. She was just as pretty as you. Of course, she didn’t bother looking my way. Most girls like you don’t. You don’t have much time for us really, do you? And I remember the man she was with; well-dressed, smart, the opposite of us, and it just makes me sad really. Do you not think we’re as good as him?”
“I honestly couldn’t say, and all I want is information on my friend. Did you see where they went, or what kind of vehicle he drove?”
“Sure thing. I see a lot around here, more than most people would think.”
“So…are you going to tell me?”
“Now that entirely depends.”
My heart sank. I groaned inwardly, hating that I had to play games with this man when all I wanted was information to save my friend.
“On what?” I folded my arms across my chest and tilted my head to the side, making sure that my bag was in easy reach in case I needed to get my mace. There were three of them around, each of them big and hulking with huge bellies and smiling mouths. Only one of them spoke though.
“You never get anything for nothing in this world.”
“My friend is in danger. She’s been taken by that guy off to God knows where. Are you really going to stand here and play these games with me? Are you really that heartless?”
The biker glanced at his friends and shrugged.
“If she’s in that much danger darling, you’d better come to an agreement with us fast.”
I glared at them, barely able to contain my anger. I wasn’t even sure if they had the information I needed. This could all have been some ploy to get a pretty young girl to do their bidding. I asked myself how far I’d go to ensure Misty’s safety. The thought of doing anything for these men made my skin crawl, but I seemed to be at a dead end. If I didn’t do something Misty could die, and what was a little hit to my dignity compared to that?
I rolled my eyes and was about to strike a bargain with them, but then I figured that part of the thrill for them was feeling the power surge through their desperate bodies rather than the sexual gratification. But before I could make up my mind, Cal came out, his shadow stretching behind him.
“A young woman’s life is in danger. I think you want to do anything you can to help,” he said, glaring at them. He stood tall and proud, and when I looked at him I saw a hero. He didn’t look like the brooding man in the bar, he looked inspiring, as though he was used to sticking up for people. I had to admit I admired him, and my heart beat a little more quickly.
The bikers glared at him and turned to each other, no doubt wondering if they had enough in them to take care of Cal and still take advantage of me. One of the silent ones seemed to think they did and lunged for Cal with two meaty fists. I jumped back and reached into my bag, grabbing the mace, lifting it ready to spray, but I paused when I saw Cal. He dodged the biker’s thrust and swung around with his leg, sweeping the biker’s feet from underneath him. The biker crashed to the ground, his heavy bulk slamming down making the earth shake.
Stunned, the other two only took a few moments to defend their friend. The one that had been talking to me lashed out with his fists at Cal, who blocked the punches and moved more quickly than I had seen anyone move outside of the movies. He grabbed the man’s hands and twisted them back, making the fingers crack. The biker yelped with pain and fell to his knees, begging with Cal to let go. The last one ran forward, but as he did so, I regained my senses and sprayed my mace. The spray hit him in the face and he clawed at his stinging eyes, sinking to the ground to join the others.
“Now then, I believe you have some information,” Cal said smoothly, as though it wasn’t taking any effort at all to keep the biker at bay. The biker’s face was red and anguished. Sweat dripped from his temples and I had to look away from his hands, for Cal had twisted the biker’s fingers back at an unnatural angle. It would only take a little more pressure and they’d snap like fragile twigs.
“Tell us!” Cal demanded. The biker nodded, panting, and he gave us the information we needed. He told us that the two of them had driven off in a red car, and pointed to the direction. He said that he’d seen the man before. He usually came to pick up girls at the bar. Everyone knew, but nobody said anything because he was untouchable, and anyone who did say anything usually wound up dead. My heart sank, but it still wasn’t enough information for me. I needed to know where they were.
“He has a place,” the biker said between heavy breaths, “a few blocks from here, overlooking the water. That’s where he takes them.”
As soon as he said those words, Cal let him go. The biker cradled his hands and tears trickled down his cheeks.
“Come on,” Cal said and led me to a bike.
“What turned you into a knight in shining armor?” I asked, following him all the same. I was grateful
to him for helping me, but I hardly knew the man and I wasn’t about to trust him yet.
“I’m no knight, but this is the right thing to do,” he said as he straddled his bike and handed a helmet to me. I hesitated for a couple of moments, and then took it and placed it on my head. I swung my legs over the bike and wrapped my arms around his waist. His body was strong and I was surprised at how muscular he was. I leaned my head against his back and breathed in his masculine smell. Something about it was comforting. He revved the engine and we sped off into the night, leaving the bar behind us.
4
The neighborhood passed by us in a blur and I was filled with fretful thoughts. I sensed the danger and my heart went out to Misty. It had been a while since she sent me our code word and I worried that I had spent too long waiting for her. I didn’t know what I’d do if I was too late.
Soon enough the docks appeared, and the black water shimmered in the bay. These docks were industrial rather than a tourist attraction so I hadn’t spent much time here, but Cal seemed to know his way around. In fact, he seemed to be in control of the entire situation, and I remembered how swiftly he had taken care of those bikers.
“Where did you learn those moves?” I asked.
“Just picked a few things up in life,” he said casually. “With men like them around, you have to take them down quickly. They’re used to long brawls and taking a lot of punishment. It’s all about shock and awe, and finding their weak spots.”
“You seem pretty good at doing that.”
We got off the bike and looked up at a house that overlooked the docks. The lights shone out on the upstairs floor, and I had no doubt that Misty was up there.