Midnight

17. Behind the Clouds

"I guess because he wants a drink. I mean we are at the bar." Well that made sense.

"Well let's go!" I looked to Randy not able to keep my face calm.

"If you don't!--" His lips folded in like a mom struggling to keep from hollering at her kids in public.

My nerves were about to come crashing down. I loathed Carlton with every molecular molecule of me. I gave him years of my life. Loyalty, Loyalty, Loyalty! I fought this man, hand and foot. The things I went through with him was for nothing! A waste! I made myself sick thinking about him beating and cheating on me. All because I thought I was being loved. Somehow I loved him the entire time and he didn't even like me! Now after all the texting he's been doing about how he loves me and those females he cheated with didn't mean anything. He dare show up in public with the mut he cheated on me with!!! I should break this glass on this bar, take the broken pieces and stab him in the neck, then her in the eyes. It's so hard to be humble.

"What's going on?" Carlton's voice made my skin crawl the same way removing bugs from ear canals did. I twitched. He approached me from behind then to my right. I looked up, facing him. He actually looked decent. That's it, decent, nothing more. I felt Randy jabbed me in the ribs. I knew he was thinking talk bitch. Randy's motto was Expect it and Be Unaffected. And right now I'm supposed to look unaffected.

"Nothing," I answered flat. Randy jabbed me again harder. "Living good, doing well, and un..bothered," I forced some enthusiasm into my voice. I assumed Randy wanted me to give Carlton hell, that's all I had in me at the moment.

"Really?" he raised his brows challenging my integrity. Mocking me in my face. I heard Randy clearing his throat from beside me.

"Yes really. That's why I haven't been able to get back to those begging texts you've been sending daily." I slid Randy my hand from behind and he slapped it. Mission Give Him Hell: Initiated. Carlton scratched his head unable to return a comeback. He laughed uncomfortably.

"You look... nice tonight." his eyes lingered over my plain dress.

"Thank you, what do you want? Why are you talking to me? How about leaving." My tone was cutting.

"Whoa, there she is! I was waiting on the bitch." he laughed, looking to the waitress.

"Ah hell naw! Go back to where you came from!" Randy piped up for me.

"Yeah well, this bitch is asking this bum to get the hell out her face." I snapped back.

"Tell your girlfriend to mind its business," Carlton insulted Randy.

"I'm more of a man than you are and that's with my dick tucked!"

"Look! Didn't you bring your pet? The Anubis face bitch. It's against the law for pets to roam freely in public places!" I sliced Carlton with my words.

"I didn't come with her! She's just here!" he argued. He was getting loud.

"Now what we not going to do, is ack like we didn't see you come through those doors looking like Ennis and Jack!" Randy added getting louder.

"Mind your fucking business!! This hasn't a damn thing to do with you!" Carlton roared at Randy's comeback. Stepping closer with the recognizable anger and need to overtalk while pointing his hand.

"And she doesn't have anything to do with you! But hey! You're here!" Randy's wasn't backing down and I was right in the middle of them. I hopped off my stool to decrease the distance of the two, but my efforts were overcome. I felt the chaos from both sides of the room. The music was only background noise by now. The red lights created special effects for a destructive screen.