5. Chapter Five #2
“I’m starting soon at the diner,” I offer, glad we’re getting to some common ground. “I like to bake so Aunt Beth is going to have me do the baking there.”
“I’d like to try something some time,” he says as he reaches across the table for my hand and I get a glance of the guy I saw in the diner. His thumb brushes over my knuckles and I feel the knots in my stomach morph into butterflies.
“Maybe I could bake for you some time.”
“I’d like that.”
“What’s your favorite dessert?” I ask as Emily returns with another beer for him. She sets it down wordlessly and leaves us be.
“Favorite dessert,” he muses, leaning back in his chair again. He strokes his chin as he ponders his response. “Probably Baked Alaska.”
“I’ve never made that before, but I’m always up for a challenge!” I have to admit, I’m excited at the prospect.
Jake smiles again and then goes on to tell me he’s in a band, he plays the guitar, and is also a backup singer. He mentions that they’ve had a gig at this bar before and becomes animated as he talks about the band with his cousin. For a moment, I consider coming to watch them play.
Our food arrives shortly after that. It’s quiet between us as we eat, except for the sound of the slot machines across the room and the radio blaring old country music.
The food is surprisingly good for a dive bar.
Jake devours his burger and fries and is getting a third beer before I’ve even made a dent in my nachos.
I resign myself to the fact that I’ll be walking home based on how many beers he’s downing.
Emily appears again, her notepad in hand.
“Is this together or separate?” she asks, clutching her pen in her right hand.
I open my mouth at the same time Jake opens his.
“Separate,” he declares and I feel my mouth turn sour.
I offer a small smile at Emily before she turns around to go split our check. I glance back at Jake, feeling slightly off-put after the night’s turn of events. He’s picking at his teeth now with a toothpick from the table and staring across the room at Emily’s ass as she walks.
I’m ready for this night to end. Jake is not my knight in shining armour, though I’d thought for a moment that he might be.
Emily returns with our checks and we pay our respective bills. I see something written in red on his and make out a phone number. Emily’s.
Jake stretches as he stands and I jump up, ready to start heading home.
“Well,” I say, “this was…fun.” I smile at him, even though my blood is starting to boil. I clutch my phone and wallet in one hand before shoving them into my pocket. Just as I’m starting to step around him, he reaches for my wrist and spins me back to face him.
“Party’s not over yet, is it?” he asks, cocking his head to the side. His grip tightens on my wrist and I struggle to free it. I let out a nervous chuckle, thinking he’ll let go, but he doesn’t.
“Let go of my wrist,” I say, shaking it.
His fingers dig into my skin as he steps closer to me. I can smell the onion on his breath, mixed with beer and cigarette smoke. It makes my stomach roll.
“Where do you think you’re going? The night’s still young.”
“Home.”
My eyes meet his and I see a flash of something unknown in them that sends a shiver down my spine. My heartbeat thumps in my ears as I realize my initial gut feeling was right. I shouldn’t have come on this date.
Jake spins us around so that he has the advantage on me.
He shoves my shoulder, slamming me against the wall.
My head hits the laminate paneling with a soft thud.
He leans down to kiss me and I quickly turn my face so that his lips hit my cheek.
He grabs my chin and yanks my face towards him, his lips slamming against mine in a horrible attempt to kiss me.
I struggle to get away from him. No one notices, or chooses to look at us, in the dark corner of the bar.
“Jake, stop,” I say as I try to wrestle him off of me. It’s to no avail, he’s stronger than I am.
The hand that used to hold my wrist now sits on my hip, at the edge of my jeans. I feel him work his fingers under the fabric of my shirt and goosebumps spread across my skin as his fingertips skim over the skin there. His touch makes me want to vomit. I feel dirty and violated.
His grimy hand slides up my ribs and then he is palming my breast, fighting with the cup of my bra. Anger ignites within me and the next thing I know, my palm is meeting his face.
His hand falls out of my shirt at the impact and he staggers backwards, looking as if he is the one who should be appalled.
“What the hell was that?” I demand.
“Time for a show,” he says, rubbing his cheek. It’s turning rosy from my palm.
I start to shove past him as his fingertips ghost my wrist again. I yank it toward my body so he can’t grasp it and spin around, fire in my eyes, angry that he would dare try to touch me again.
“I told you,” he says, “my father can ruin anyone in this town.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
Jake shrugs. “Make of it what you will.”
“Unlike you,” I say, snarling, “I don’t need my daddy to fight my battles for me. Go to hell, Jake.” I stomp my foot down, and it just so happens to be on top of his foot.
I turn on my heel and head toward the door, angrily shoving it open. Fuming, I barrel past the few men entering the bar and out into the parking lot.
My head is spinning and adrenaline is pulsing through my veins.
I’m so angry that I can’t see straight. I start heading in the general direction of Beth’s house, tears welling in my eyes.
I can’t believe that Jake thought I would be so easy.
My mind is stuck in an endless cycle of degrading thoughts as I walk, so much so that I don’t notice the sound of a golf cart creeping up behind me.
I turn around and my anger and anxiety dissipate when I see Graham behind the wheel.
“Thea!” he says, and I stop walking. He slows the golf cart down to a stop next to me as he adds, “What are you doing in this part of town?”
I wipe at my tear-streaked face and hiccup before I answer him. His face searches mine.
“Thea,” he repeats, his voice softer. “Who did this to you?”
“I had a date,” I say, in almost a whisper. I sniffle, snot running out of my nose. I quickly wipe it away with the back of my hand. “And it did not go well.”
Understatement of the year, I think to myself.
“I’m sorry.” He stays quiet for a few moments.
“Wait, what are you doing here?” I ask as my head clears a bit.
“My mom needed some things from the general store.” He pats the plastic bag sitting next to him on the seat. “Do you need a ride home?”
“I can walk, it’s fine.” I glance back in the direction of the bar, relieved that Jake didn’t come after me.
“I’m not letting you walk,” Graham says, “Hop in.” He scoots the plastic bag closer to his body and pats the seat before I step aboard.
Once I’m settled, he takes off in the direction of Beth’s house.
My hair blows in the wind as we ride along in silence.
He keeps glancing at me as he drives to make sure I’m okay.
“You look pretty,” he says quietly.
“I don’t feel pretty,” I mutter as I play with the hem of my shirt, a loose thread suddenly becoming the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
A beat passes before I blurt out, “It was Jake Osborne. He groped me.
I see Graham’s grip on the steering wheel tighten and swear I see his jaw twitch at the mention of Jake’s name.
“Are you okay?” he asks. “I’ll beat his ass.”
I shake my head. “It’s fine.”
“No, Thea, it’s really not. He shouldn’t get away with this.”
“He said, ‘my father can ruin anyone in this town,’” I say, using air quotes.
Graham rolls his eyes. “His dad is a good lawyer, I’ll give him that.”
“I just don’t want them to come after me or the diner because I turned him down.”
He shakes his head. “They have no reason to.”
I nod.
“Seriously, though, are you okay?”
“Yeah, just shaken up a bit. I just wanted him to like me.” Really, all I want to do is crawl into bed in the fetal position.
“You know I’d kick his ass for you, right?”
I look at him as he comes to a stop at a stop sign.