" 2 beers, please." bellowed a stocky man with curly red hair and a almost overwhelming smell. Kale didn't resent being a waitress, it really didn't make much of a difference to her whether or not she liked her job, as long as it paid good wages. the people she had to serve, however. sliding the beers across the grimy table, and collecting the even dirtier money, she continued to walk around the small tavern in which she had worked in almost 4 months now. she had grown accustomed to its regulars, usually disappointed, old men that talked too much about days they had jobs and money to pay for their many beers. shed even gotten used to the almost daily, flirtatious customers and even some who got into small quarrels with others over a misunderstanding, a spilt drink, or a waitress. sighing heavily, and glancing for the umpteenth time at the clock above her, Kale continued to doodle on the pad she was supposed to put orders on, occasionally pouring a shot or handing a cold drink to a shouting person.
"hey! wake up!" growling to herself, kale strode over to a short, dark haired woman with heels too big and glasses even bigger.
" a martini, please." she said in a most ignorant tone.
" sorry, we don't do that here." kale tried to sound polite, but she couldn't keep annoyance out of her voice, the woman looked up from filing her obviously bitten nails.
" excuse me?"
" we don't do that." kale repeated, while handing a plate of fries to a waiting man and collecting a bill.
" i think you should learn to, right now." the woman persisted, anger rising in her voice.
" look, its just a drink, anything else you want, we probably got."
turning up her nose and growling to herself, she slid from the rocking chair and on shaky feet, walked out of the tavern. nibbling on her lip, kale wondered whether or not to go apologize to the woman, but quickly decided not to as a tall, blonde stranger seated himself squarely at the stool closest to her. " 1 shot, please." smiling, and nodding, Kale handed the drink and collected the money.
" whats your name?" he asked after handing her the neatly folded bill.
" kale. "
" nice to meet you Kale, I'm Ryan, Ryan Jensen."
Kale kept the warm smile on her face a she shook his hand. " you dont look like your from around here."
" I'm not," he answered as he downed his shot, and slid it across the table to her.
" another please." kale handed it back to him full.
" where are you from then?"
" settle, came here to pick up some work."
"you came to all the way here, to Mississippi, for work?"
" i know people that can get me into the business i want here."
"i see."
Kale felt almost nosy, but she couldn't help it. it wasn't often someone that looked like Ryan walked into here.
" you live here?" for what seemed like minutes, but what was actually an hour, Kale continued to talk to the stranger. laughing, smiling learning more about him, while talking about herself too. it felt nice to actually talk to someone, most of her conversations here had something do with a customer or an order, or how to mix a certain type of drink. all too soon, a slur took over Ryan's voice, and a sway in his movement. " your shifts over." came the quiet whisper of her friend Kelly. Kale glanced at her, then back at Ryan. " ill get him a cab, just go home." Kelly instructed with a smile. returning her grin, Kale farewelled Ryan, then reached beneath the counter to grab her coat and purse. as she walked towards the door, she suddenly realized Ryan had followed her out.
" where are you....." he stumbled, for a moment, before he fell Kale gabbed his arm and hoisted his weight against her. " come on you weirdo." Kale said under her breath as she began dragging him back to the door of the tavern. suddenly straightening, but still swaying, Ryan pushed Kale's arm away from itself and instead grabbed both. " wait." Kale stared in horror, waiting for him to throw up on her, instead he lunged forward for her lips. crying out and dodging his disgusting breath, kale shrunk back from him, then started towards her dusty car again. " hey!" Ryan protested and grabbed her arm again. pulling with what seemed like all his strength, Ryan slammed her against the hard door of the tavern. kale dropped her purse, and groaned as the sharp pain ofthee doors handle stabbed into her back.Ryann smiled feverishly, " your not going anywhere, until...." he burped, an overwhelming stench in Kale's face. " get off me!" she cried. she struggled to free herself, but Ryan grabbed both her arms and locked them against her chest. crying out again Kale kicked as hard as she could, falling back for a second, Ryan appeared stunned. but instead of staying away he took one shaky step forward and swung his fist into the left side of her jaw. screaming again, and falling to the hard concrete ground in a painful slam, she struggled to breathe. she felt helpless, swallowing back the blood in her mouth she pushed herself up, and before Ryan could swing at her again gave him one good knee in the stomach. " jerk." she growled as he fell gasping to the ground.
it was almost eleven,when Kale walked up the steps of the white, 2 story house in which both she and her father resided in. she personally want looking forward to his lecture, she was supposed to be home by ten, the mere later half hour probably wouldn't bother him, it would probably be the rereason she was half an hour late. jamming her keys into the door, she cringed to remember the drunken customer who had punched her. then the fuss her friend Kelly had made as she pressed a bag of ice against her swollen cheek. some people are just unpredictable. kale huffed to herself as she stepped into the warm, bright house.
" kale? is that you?"
" yeah its me." stripping off her jacket and pulling off her shoes, kale tried to think of a reason in the next 2 seconds of why she had a huge bruise other face. or maybe the cover up she had reapplied at the tavern wouldn't show it.
her father walked down the creaking stairs and into the entrance.
" what was with the extra half-" stopping dead, Kale cringed as she struggled to pull her hair out of a knotty bun in an attempt to cover her face. too late.
" Kale what the-"
" I'm fine, dad." Kale interjected quickly. she let her head hang, not wanting to look up at his flaring eyes. her dad was a retired marine, he had been retired since she was born. he still had the old scars, and build of a marine, and attitude too.
" tell me what happened, right now."
she forced herself to look into his storm blue eyes.
" moody drunk wanted a goodnight kiss." she said quietly.
shaking his head he strode to her, grabbing the side of her face he turned her head to one side to look at her jaw.
" did you hit him back?" he asked as he brushed away some of her brown hair.
" gave him a knee in the stomach." Kale smiled, remembering.
her father laughed out loud. " next time aim a little lower." her father took a step back to look at her. she nodded, pulling her hair back over her face. " its late, and you have to get up early tomorrow."
Kale hung up her coat.
" for what?"
" its a sunrise."
"great." Kale mumbled under her breath, she climbed the stairs, put a cold cloth on her jaw, then sat on her bed. he took it well, she thought to herself. not near as bad as i thought it would be. she then fell asleep.
:)
