Thirty minutes later...with minimal damage to the bar and only slightly more damage to their faces, a majority of the men in my life were standing against the wall with their hands zip tied.
I was sipping on a Jack and Coke and eating a bowl of peanuts, just throwing the shells on the floor because at this point, did it matter?
Willy must have been called during the showdown because he arrived just before the Sheriff's Department did. He surveyed the damage and then moseyed on over to me. At that point, I was still in some sort of shock over the whole thing and all I could do was stand there blinking rapidly and choking on my explanation of what the hell happened. I for sure thought he was just going to fire me on the spot because, why wouldn't he - this all happened because of me.
He put a hand on my shoulder...this is it I thought. I am going to lose my job, lose my apartment because what else is out there in Beacon...I was already scraping the bottom of the barrel, no offence to Willy. I will wind up living with Rusty and Pearl, listening to him suck her toes all night long. Kill me now.
Instead, Willy just looked me dead straight in the eyes and said, "You need some new friends," and walked back towards his office. Just as the door was swinging closed behind him, he shouted, "Clean up those shells!"
Since all of the troublemakers were regular customers, Willy was not going to press charges and it seemed no one else was either.
"Pressing charges is for pussies," declared Rusty, a chorus of exclaimed agreement followed.
Of course he was all brave now. Wait until Pearl got her hands on him. Fuck. Wait until she got her hands on me. As if sensing a disturbance in the force, Rusty turned to make eye contact with me as Pearl came into the bar like a freight train.
"Seriously...what the fuck is going on," she yelled from the middle of the bar. Not good, she was cursing. I slowly started to walk backwards towards the nearest exit, not making any sudden moves.
Rusty caught my movements and with a slow evil grin called out, "Where are you going, Delia?"
At the same time, both Pearl and I said, "Snitches get stitches." This drew a laugh from the surrounding men.
Since no charges were being pressed this evening, all the guys chipped in and produced a pile of cash for Willy for his trouble. All seemed right with the world as the guys were all freed from the zip ties and rounds of drinks were being bought as they helped clean up the mess. Where was my pile of cash for my trouble? Oh right, I was the trouble.
Rusty somehow talked Pearl into staying for a little bit since the kids were already tucked in at the Waltons, including my little love-bug. She was better off there tonight anyway...I was in a foul mood.
My Baby-Daddy, Satan, was looking at me out of the eye that wasn't swollen shut. I stuck my tongue out at him and he smiled turning back to talk to Harry. Nothing like a fight to make men friends. What a bunch of idiots. I shook my head disgusted at the way this whole day turned out. There was no way I was going to be getting out of here early tonight.
"So please tell me what the hell really happened," said Pearl demanding my attention. I sighed heavily. There was no way I was going to be able to evade telling her the truth...might at as well just get it out.
"Harry and I were having a moment," I paused looking at Pearl figuring she would have something to say but she remained quiet.
"Anyway, we were in the process of ...I don't know...making up...I don't even know what the fuck to call it and Drew walked in." No comment by Pearl so I continued.
"Satan was being his usual jolly old-self and made a comment about me and before I could process what was happening, Harry jumped on top of him and started beating the ever-living shit out of him." I paused again. She looked over her shoulder observing them talking and laughing with each other and turned back to me.
"Wait...I got detained over you? What the hell? I thought someone said something bad about someone's Momma or something," complained Rusty.
Without missing a beat, Pearl smacked him in the back of the head and began to lay into him about needing to grow up and that he was a Father and how she shouldn't have to wake their babies from a sound sleep to bring them to her parents house so she could bail him out. That her Mother was calling her prayer circle to say prayers for them. Serves him right...better him than me, anyway.
I slowly shimmied down the bar away from the bickering couple wanting to put my eyes on Harry. He had moved on from talking to Drew to one of the Sheriff's, both with a beer in their hand. This fucking town. Before I could look away, Harry caught me staring at him and winked at me...all smiles and dimples. Unreal.
Caught up in the surreal moment, I did not pay attention to my newest customer.
"Can I buy you a drink," said the all too familiar voice.
Drew looked at me out of his one good eye. Even all fucked up, he still looked good. What a son of a bitch.
"What could you possibly want," I asked, resigned to hearing something awful come from his mouth.
Instead you could have knocked me over with a feather with his reply.
"I want to say I'm sorry. That was out of line, what I said to you."
I stared at him open-mouthed. Maybe during the fight, I had somehow been hit in the head and I am only feeling the effects now. That has to be it.
"Harry seems like a good kid. He definitely has the hots for you." There we go, back to normal. But then he added something that had me spinning again.
"He said she has my eyes."
I gulped trying to draw in a breath, a knot forming in my stomach. He continued.
"I've only seen her from a distance, you know....in town. One time you were both pretty close at the grocery store but you were turned away."
Like an out of body experience I heard myself ask, "Would you like to see a picture?" He nodded mutely.
I took my phone out of my back pocket scrolling through to find one where he could see her up close. The one I came across first was a close up of her trying to blow a bubble. She had on her concentrated face trying to make it work.
You could see their matching eyes from that picture, their double lash line, the sky blue color. It looked like he was just about to say something when I heard Pearl.
"Unless you want another black eye to match the one you have, you better back the fuck up right now." Pearl was definitely in a mood tonight. Drew was normally not one to back down from a confrontation but maybe he finally had enough tonight.
He immediately stepped back but before he turned to walk away he said, "Good night, Delia...thank you."
And with that he was gone.
"Did he say something to you again?"
"No...it wasn't anything like that. He actually apologized," I took a beat, "and asked to see a picture of the baby."
Pearl looked as gob-smacked as I felt in this moment.
"I think Harry said something to him...about Ashlyn having his eyes."
"Huh," was all Pearl could come up with which means something if you know Pearl.
"Anyways," I began, "Sorry your Husband got into trouble because of me. Honest, I didn't know what the hell was happening...it was all so fast. That young Harry was like the Flash in that moment." Pearl snickered at my joke.
"Babe, you heard my Husband. He didn't even know what the fight was about before he started swinging. I hope he enjoyed his fun because it's going to be awhile before he's allowed out again."
I couldn't help but laugh as he joined us with sad puppy dog eyes. You never want to be on Pearl's shit-list.
"This is why we can't have nice things," I couldn't help but taunt. He clearly was defeated because I heard no snappy reply back.
"We're heading home now to get some sleep...lots of chores tomorrow." His head hung even lower. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.
At that moment, a few of the guys sidled up for refills and I got to hear the play-by-play of what will be a legendary story in these parts. They're welcome.
I lost track of Harry at some point, figured he headed out with his ride. That was probably for the best. I had no idea what to say to him now anyway. Holy hell.
I locked up the good ol' Ribs N' More...once again all set to rights, the only complete loss a pool stick that had been broken in two...seriously what the fuck is wrong with the guys in this town? Did they think they were in the movie Roadhouse or something?
Thinking about everything that happened tonight, I was almost to my vehicle before I saw a lanky boy reclining against the windshield of my truck.
"Hey...sweet girl, I've been waiting for you."
A/N: Back at it....stars and comments appreciated but never required.