Chapter 4 #2
He did two more really stupid things nearly simultaneously. He reached his arm around to drag her body against his and said to me, “Don’t cock block me and sexy boots here. We’re just getting acquainted, and she looks like she can use a long slow ride in those b?—”
Aldrich didn’t finish his sentence however, because he received an immediate and skilled defense move of an elbow to the front of the nose.
Her elbow. His nose. Too bad I tried to get in there first and push him off her.
The back of his bulbous head caught me on the chin to the effect he went down hard, taking me with him, along with tiny glasses of cocktail sauce and airborne pink shrimp that sprayed out in an arc, catching anyone within a ten-foot radius.
Silence ensued as all conversations ceased and focused their attentions on us.
“You fucking cunt! You broke my nose,” Aldrich bellowed from behind the hand trying to stem the gushing blood pouring from his mean little face.
“You put your hands on me. Nobody does that and gets away with it anymore ,” she told him in a steely voice before bolting off in the direction of the kitchen.
“Get the fuck off me, Aldrich!” I shoved him away and got to my feet. “Stupid goddamn shit you just pulled, man. Very goddamn stupid,” I said as I removed a lone shrimp stuck to my jacket by its tail.
“But she assaulted me. You saw it happen, Blackstone,” he yelled. “I will sue that bitch for damages, the fucking whore!”
I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him right up to my face. “You will do nothing of the kind or you’ll live to regret it. Go home to your wife and family if they’ll even have you at this point.”
“Fuck you, Blackstone.” But it came out sounding more like, “fung gew, Blaxsdone,” on account of his broken nose. Lost a lot of its impact that way, too. Arrogant asshole.
“And make sure you take a cab to protect the populous of the city from yourself,” I added.
“You’re too fucking drunk to stand right now, let alone drive anywhere.
” Then I let go of him and watched as he fell back down to sprawl on the floor, soaked in his own blood and a shitload of shrimp cocktail.
I found her having it out with her boss in the kitchen.
“Why in the hell did you hit him?”
“Sexual assault is against the law, you idiot. Why in the hell did you put me in this situation tonight, Martin, and then abandon me to that pack of dogs out there? Hmm? Do you have any idea what I’ve had to put up with tonight?”
Ouch. I dearly hoped she didn’t lump me in the same category as the rest of the dogs in the room tonight.
She reached into the front pocket of the red apron wrapped around her hips and pulled out a handful of business cards and tossed them at her boss.
“That’s how many of the dogs want to get to know me better and show me a banging good time, emphasis on the bang !
I shouldn’t have to deal with that sort of thing when I am trying to do a job. ” Jesus Christ, she’s right.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Brooke, it wasn’t that bad out there. You totally overreacted.”
She really didn’t. “He put his hands all over my arse and flicked his tongue at me, and you think I overreacted?”
Her boss had the brains to keep quiet about her last comment at least, I’d give him that.
“Go back out there and get names and numbers, apologize, and clean up the mess. We’ll have to cover the dry cleaning at least. Do that and you can keep your job.
” I don’t think you know your employee very well. She’s done with you, asshole.
She gaped at him in shock for a moment, then put her hands down and began untying her apron.
It took a few seconds for her to get the crisscrossed ties free, but the passage of time only seemed to increase the anger coming off her in waves.
Her idiot boss just stood there watching her, waiting for her to drop the apron.
Which she did. Right at his feet to lay with the scattered business cards the dogs had given to her. Good girl.
“No, thank you, Martin. I quit this hideous job, and don’t you ever try to contact me again.” Smart girl.
“Brooke,” he yelled after her, “who is going to pay for all of this?” I think that would be you, Martin.
But Brooke had already grabbed her things and was at the door when she turned back one last time, her long blonde ponytail whipping around her neck from the force.
She was so very angry, but her composure was a thing of magnificence—and her words spoken in that accent of hers—awe-inspiring.
I couldn’t take my eyes away for anything.
“Take it out of my final pay. And then you can fuck off.” My dick is so hard for this girl right now.
Then Brooke was really gone.
“I’ll cover any damages, but I sincerely doubt there will be any.
The guy who grabbed her was way out of line and I witnessed the whole thing.
I’ll cover the dry-cleaning bills, too.” I handed the fool my card and left him standing there in the kitchen with his mouth hanging open like a goldfish gasping its last breaths.
I caught up to her out on the street where she was in line for a cab. She looked me over as I walked up but she didn’t say a word.
“Hey, those were some impressive self-defense moves you’ve got,” I said.
“Sorry you were in the line of fire in there.” She indicated her head toward my suit, which was pretty much trashed with shrimp cocktail sauce.
I shrugged. “It’ll clean. How about you? Are you all right after that disaster in there ?”
“I’ll be fine as soon as I can get home.” Her voice didn’t sound as strong as before, and I sensed the adrenaline was wearing off. She was upset and rightly so.
“Can I give you a lift? My car can be here in five minutes and I’d be happy to take you wherever you need to go.”
She shook her head. “That’s not possible unless your car can float on water.” She checked her watch. “Besides, I don’t know you and I would never get into a car with a man I don’t know.”
“Fair enough,” I said. Although I was disappointed she wouldn’t take me up on my offer, I had to agree with her superior logic.
A girl who looked like her definitely shouldn’t go with any man she didn’t know.
It would be dangerous. For some reason I hated the idea of her in any kind of danger.
“I’m really sorry you had to endure that crowd tonight.
I hope I didn’t do anything to offend you?—”
“I saw you stand up to him, and I thank you for that. And no, you didn’t offend me with your ignorance of meatballs.
I’m happy to have helped sort out that little problem for you.
Now you are an informed connoisseur of the rare delicacy called a meatball, and you owe it all to me,” she replied with a hint of a smile.
She was so awesome, trying to joke around with me when it was apparent she was still upset about the clusterfuck that had happened to her inside that reception tonight.
She looked beautiful, but very…sad. If I had to choose a word to describe how she appeared to me, it would have to be sad . And that bothered me greatly.
“Thank you for the meatball tutorial. I enjoyed it very much. I’m Caleb by the way. Caleb Black?—”
I was interrupted by her phone chiming out the unusual but unmistakable ring tone of Ricky Martin’s “Shake Your Bon-Bon.” Interesting choice I thought, as she turned away to take the call.
“Fucking hell, I’m so glad you called me back.” The word fuck in that accent—damn…
“I can still catch the eight-thirty ferry if I hurry so I’m going home after all. I won’t be staying over.” Ah. That’s not possible unless your car can float on water. Got it.
“Long, dreadful story. Suffice to say I’m looking for a new second job.” She needed a second job?
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” The offices on Hereford Street.
“I love you, too.” Boyfriend or just friend?
My stalking skills were improving by the second if I was now capable of listening in on entire conversations and deciphering them. I’d caught every word she’d spoken. A cab pulled forward for her, and she said clearly, “Blackstone Island Ferry Company,” to the driver as she got in.
I watched her cab pull into traffic and drive away until it was out of sight.
She never looked back to say good-bye.
She hadn’t told me her name, either, but I knew it was Brooke.
Brooke who lived on Blackstone Island and worked in the design studio on Hereford Street next door to Starbucks.
She was beautiful and witty and feisty. I was more than impressed by her no-nonsense attitude throughout the night with her boss and the patrons.
Brooke was no shrinking violet, plus she had the most amazing voice I’d ever heard.
That was all the information I had been able to gather about her, but it was enough to find her again if I wanted to. There was no “if.” When .
And it was more than plenty.