It's been three days since my apartment was broken into. Three days since I officially landed the job as a mentor and bartender, and when I spoke to Samuel about us taking it slow. It's been fine so far, I stayed over until the end of the week, like I promised. However, tonight is going to be the first time in a long time since I slept by myself in this tiny space. It felt weird being back, as if I were an intruder in my own home, especially when I was putting in new furniture that replaced the one that were damaged and when I hung my clothes back up in the closet.
The walls were repainted white to cover up the incoherent markings of teenagers, bed no longer held that metal bar bed frame that I carried from home- now it's just black wooden plaques at the foot and head of the bed. Every piece of furniture I brought was modern to replace the white pieces I lugged from my parents house- it was all gone, dumped in the trash to only be eaten by termites.
"You can't keep holding onto the past," Ronny said after pushing the wooden red oak desk into place. The theme of my room was red and black, it fitted the new pots and pans I brought from the thrift store, along with the curtains and blankets. It was really bold and made the room darker with a little personality, but I have to get use to it. "Besides," he sighed heavily while wiping his hands clean from sweat. "You are the one who wanted to change their future."
I slowly rolled my eyes at his correct statement, "I didn't mean material wise. I guess this makes me seem older, I didn't want Samuel walking into a college dorm."
"I'm sure the guy wouldn't care if you had a Mickey Mouse poster hanging on your wall."
"Well, Mickey Mouse those go with the coloring." I teased while actually thinking if I should put some posters up.
"You're not actually considering-"
"A little."
"Joy, if I walk in here and see kiddy posters up on these walls, I'm going to burn them on the sidewalk and burn you for even tapping them. Got it?"
I put my hands up in surrender, "Got it. You still coming to the bar tonight? I think Samuel is going to be there, so you two can finally meet face to face."
"Yeah, you mind if I bring Gabriela?"
"I thought you two weren't together?" I questioned while going into the kitchen to grab a warm beer Ronny brought over to motivate us to get the decorations done today.
"We're not, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. It was just one drunken hookup."
"Okay, no need to get defensive, I'm just asking."
Ronny sighed heavily while rubbing the back of his neck in guilt, "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot." I decided to pop open two beers, I can tell this conversation was going to get deep. He accepted the one I offered while I drunk from mine to warm my blood and make my muscles relax.
"Say if, hypothetically, you got a girl pregnant."
I spat out the beverage in my mouth all over the floor before choking on air and leaning over my knees to catch my breath. With the aid of Ronny patting me on the back and a few ugly coughs, I got myself together and sighed heavily. "Continue."
"Okay, so you find out she's pregnant by- maybe spotting the pregnancy test under a few loose tissues and you take a look at it, not intentionally snooping few her trash. But the girl doesn't know that you know and you try to play it cool but you're freaking out on the inside. Anyway, hypothetically speaking, what do you do?"
I blew raspberries while shrugging my shoulders out of instinct, "Hypothetically, I would speak to the girl about it. There's a low chance that it's not hers and it could be a friends, so it's best not to assume anything. Also, I would recall rather I wore a condom that night of a hook up you idiot! Seriously?!"
"I thought we were hypothetically speaking?"
"Oh we are, so hypothetically I will smack you in the back of the head if you didn't wear a condom. That's the number one rule dude, wear the rubber or don't get the lover. Jeez." I pinched the bridge of my nose out of frustration. I was basically contradicting myself because Samuel and I didn't wear a condom in the car, but that happened so fast and we didn't have any nearby- besides, I'm birth control and even took the morning after pill the next day. After that day, we wore condoms. "You has all those changed to wear protection that night."
"We were in the moment. Jeez, I would of expected a gentle response from you."
"That was gentle compared to your mother. But if Gabriela is pregnant, she wouldn't be going to a bar- so there's now a higher chance the test wasn't hers."
Ronny nod her head in agreement, finally drinking from the bottle. "I pray she's not." It was wrong to say that and it was equally as wrong for me to agree, but none of them are financially stable for a baby and they're really young.
Fulfilling my hypothetical promise, I gave Ronny's neck a good smack that made him choke on his drink. "Idiot," I said in a stern voice.
******
I arrived at the bar seven o'clock on the dot like every night for the past week, Gretchen was already behind the bar serving her first drink while Paul was getting ready to do inventory before the truck load come in for tonight. Usually clocking in was swiping your work card into the only register in this place and saying hello to Paul before it becomes busy.
"You look tired," Gretchen stated the obvious when coming to my side as I clocked into the complicated system I'm not exactly use to yet. It took two tries to successfully log in.
"I had to move new furniture in my place, I am so not ready for tonight." I grumbled before putting all my stuff in the secret compartment under the bar where it's secure and in our site.
"Well, get ready sugar, it's Friday night football and I already seen a bus full of hardcore Jet fans walking around the block."
I groaned out loud and rubbed my face, "Fantastic."
Gretchen chuckled before shaking my shoulders to wake me up, it's something we do to each other during the night when one of us is moving slow. Considering both of us has day shifts, even though mine is a little easier than hers, we would both get exhausted.
The first wave of guys came in at nine, it was a small crowd of football lovers that stayed around until the end of the game. All you heard was the tv and them cursing under their breath when a player fucks up. Mostly we serve food and beer other than actually alcohol during this time, however, when the game is over and all the fans leave to go home- the real party starts.
Eleven o'clock was the most busiest time here, all the young people come in to start their night with pre-gaming, ordering complicated drinks while listening to loud music. By then Paul was pitching in around the bar, he was an efficient bartender, actually he's been doing this ever since he were fifteen; of course, working illegally in his grandfather's bar back in New Orleans.
Anyway, we were referred as the three musketeers from the way we coordinate around each other without knocking into each other. I'm glad I found my way around, it was best to be the usual bar keep around here to take up more tips from the regulars.
"Hey beautiful, how about I buy you drink?"
I looked up to Samuel sitting directly in front of me with a smirk upon his face. "I don't think my boyfriend would be pleased." I decided to play along for a quick second while pouring shots for the guy wedged in next to him.
"I'm sure he would understand."
"You don't know him pretty well, he gets pretty jealous." It was true, for the past nights I've been working here, Samuel would poke his head in for a quick second to see various of guys trying to flirt with me. The way he would scare them away so quickly without saying much was absolutely sexy.
Samuel chuckled to himself, "Let me get a shot of whiskey with a side of jack and coke. Where's your cousin?"
I turned to reach for the top shelf whiskey and jack Daniels he likes, quickly making his drinks with an exchange of a crisp twenty dollar bill. "By the stage, the guy with the gray scarf and black vest." Realizing that was half of the black guys in here, I added a new feature. "He's next to Gerald's sister."
Samuel eyes widened slightly before he took the shot and pushed the glass away. "I'll be back."
"I'll be here."
He disappeared into the crowd to introduce himself properly, I was a little worried because I'm not nearby as a cushion; and like any other cousin, Ronny gets protective. I continued to do my job until the rush crowd died down and I could finally see Samuel and Ronny from afar. They were laughing amongst themselves as if they've been friends for a really long time. Speaking of friends, Chaz and Alex made their appearance a while back when I was too busy to notice. They all huddled around the small table as if life were good, or at least the moment was blissful.
It was a quarter to one when the young people dispersed to their finally destination, which was rather the club or someone apartment. Either way, Gretchen and I were granted a short five minute break, Paul took care of the five people at the bar.
"Hey guys," I voiced to grab their attention. "This is Gretchen. Gretchen this is Chaz, Alex, Gabriela, my cousin Ronny, and you already met Samuel." I went in exact order counter clockwise from where we were standing.
Gretchen and I went to reach a chair, but I was quickly pulled into Samuel's lap with a small twirl. It was odd seeing him being romantic in front of his friends, who were technically bashing our relationship, now they're fine with it. Whatever he has said to them to be nice to me, it must of sucked their immoral souls out their body or at least made it run in the corner to cry.
Gretchen found a spot between Chaz and Alex, considering they both made a spot for her. I kicked Chaz leg to make him behave and not try his disrespectful tactics, but when I distracting him from trying to get into Gretchen pants- Alex swooped in with a polite and personal greeting.
"Thanks Joy, thanks a lot." The emotional blonde gave me a sarcastic smile before pushing down his complaints by drinking his beer.
"Anytime, Point Break." Even though the two boys has been disrespectful to me in the past, I couldn't help but make a form of tolerance for them. I couldn't just pull Samuel away from his friends, and they were most likely surrounded by rudeness and disrespect- like Samuel. So, instead of biting at each other necks, we crack jokes to fulfill that hate. Alex wasn't really in my kill list, which is why I'm standing by on the fact he's trying to spit game to Gretchen- which is kinda working because she was giggling and blushing from head to toe.
All was going well, we made short conversations around the table to fit in the time Gretchen and I had left before going back to our duties. The music was already turnt down to only be a low murmur in the background, and Samuel- well, he was trying to cop the field as well. Fiddling with the ends of my shirt, discreetly rubbing my thigh, kissing my shoulder when no one was paying attention. I loved the attention he was giving me, it made me warm all over.
Suddenly, the air shifted for the worse; the hairs on the back of my neck stood to full alert, body jerked alive, and my heart picked up pace when seeing Gerald in the flesh- storming straight to Ronny and punching him square in the face before he noticed his presence.
"Ronny!" I screamed out while running to his side on the floor, as well as Gabriela. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I looked at the asshole, Chaz and Alex was already holding back while Samuel was standing between him and I. We helped him to his feet, aiding Ronny's bleeding nose and keeping him back so this situation wouldn't diffuse for the worse.
"You fucked my sister and got her pregnant." Gerald said in a stern voice, eyes darkened as his need to murder someone didn't exactly have an accurate compass.
"Gerald enough!" Gabriela stood her ground. "Go away."
"Nah, dont go anywhere." Ronny sniffed, he too wanted to murder someone, only difference is he knew who would full under his rage. He managed to push both Gabriela and I to the side, but before actually reaching Gerald, Samuel held him back.
"It's not worth it man," My boyfriend advise in a low tone. "Just let it go. Gabriela, take him outside."
Gabriela grabbed both of his arms and pushed Ronny out where the problem wouldn't escalate and where they can talk about what Gerald just pointed out. It was quite obvious when one should connect the thoughts, Gabriela hasn't drunk anything other than water and sprite all night- not one drop of alcohol, and her features changed from the last time I saw her. I know that's a huge stretch during the short period of time of detecting the pregnancy, but it was starting signs. By then, Paul already had his bat in hand, ready to threaten to crack a few skulls if the situation didn't diffuse.
"This is none of your fucking business!" Gerald didn't exactly put a name of the person he wanted to kill next, but we all know he was targeting Samuel now. Sam never explained what happened to their relationship after that night I attacked them both, but he never mentioned him ever again. Gerald took a step back to keep Chaz and Alex from literally holding him back. "That prick should be beaten in the back alley, you all would of joined."
"That prick is my cousin." I stepped forward, obviously not frightened by Gerald's harsh cold murderous glare. "Leave, now."
Gerald scoffed lightly while looking between Samuel and I, immediately connecting the thoughts when spotting Samuel's protective hand on my wrist to keep me from stepping closer. "You got to be fucking kidding me. Samuel Jones has gone smitten with a prostitute. Don't you have dick to suck you-" before he could insult me anymore... before he could get the rest of that sentence out, Gerald was airborne and slammed down onto a small table behind him.
Samuel held him there, gripping Gerald's shirt and forcing his weight down onto his ex-friend's chest so he wouldn't move. "Apologize," He was still calm, voice low and stern. It was a frightening site to see, no one moved- afraid that Samuel would lose all the anger he had inside him and lash out, even Paul didn't know how to approach this situation; even though he's the only one who has a weapon. I never seen him so angry, the rage wasn't in his face or words- but more like in his gaze that turned dark and cold, colder than Gerald's stare.
"What?" Gerald growled, he was panicking a little bit; but because his pride and hurt, he wanted to challenge Samuel's upper hand. "Big bad Sam finally fell in love, huh? With all the girls in this damn city, you had to lose your head over a fucking whore. What would your father think of you now?" That was the reset button... the one nerve Gerald pushed. Everyone who knew Samuel personally know three things: one, never talk about the accident from when he were a teenager. Two, never fuck with his money. Three, never speak about his father.
He went to strike, fist coming down face to Gerald's face but an inch before it could collide with the prick's fearful features, Samuel stopped himself. Not because he saw Gerald as a pile of nothing and shouldn't waste his time and energy trying to teach him a lesson, nor the fact he was coming to his senses when about to pursue an act of violence he saves his clients from serving jail time for. It was more in the lines of me screaming his name, my voice coated with fear as the thought of Samuel beating his to death crossed my mind.
Giving Gerald's chest one forceful push to make him lose his breath, Samuel created a safe distance between them. "Get him the fuck out of here."
Chaz and Alex went into action immediately, dragging Gerald out of the bar and taking him far away from Samuel's wrath faster than a speed of light. The bar turned silent, the four of us and plus the customers that stayed around for the show didn't dare to say or do anything. Samuel catches his breath to calm the beast inside that wanted to get out, not because drinking the rest of his beer and grabbing his hoodie from the chair. "Joy," He called out while walking out the door.
I looked between Gretchen and Paul, not know rather I should help bring my boyfriend from killing anyone or stay here and pray I did many lose my job. I decided to take the first choice, being that me here wasn't going to ease Paul's own rage either. "I'm sorry Paul, I hope what happened tonight doesn't affect my job." I voiced before dashing behind the bar to get my stuff and following Samuel out to the outside world. "Samuel!" He was already halfway down the street.
He came to a complete halt when I finally caught up to him, suddenly his fist hits the brick wall behind to release that last ounce of again- causing his knuckles to turn red and bleed from the dramatic force. "Fuck! I should kill him-"
"No," I grabbed the side of his face to make him look into my eyes. "Don't day or think that. Gerald isn't worth it, he's nothing."
Samuel took a deep breath, one that held a sharp intake and shaky exhale. He squeezed his eyes shut to officially push down the bloodthirsty beast. "Are you okay?" Opening his eyes, Samuel looked me over as if I were the one he dropped on the table.
I chuckled lightly while rubbing his neck and down his chest twice while my other set of fingers fiddled with his hair. "I should ask you that. You scared me in there, I thought-"
"I'm sorry, I lost my shit. I don't know what came over me."
"We all do that sometimes. We just have to make sure we have a better grip on ourselves, even if that person deserves it."
He nod his head in agreement and took yet another deep breath, "I don't want to go home."
"Where do you want to go?"
"Your place, I-I can't be left alone and I don't want to be at my place. Take me anywhere you want, but not there."
"Okay, we can go to my apartment."