I’m not sure how it happened … but the sound of breaking glass shoots through the air, harmonizing with a pained shout; then alcohol mixed with blood pours down the asshole’s astonished face one that’s now completely wiped from its previous smock expression. As if in slow motion he falls to the ground – man down. I lean over the counter and look at the body strewn awkwardly on the floor. Ship … I hope he’s not dead or something. Mel purses her mouth and cocks her head … apparently impressed.
“Way to go, girlfriend!” Then she holds up her hand for a high five and I unconsciously comply.
“What the fuck is going on here?” my robot has returned. And at the worst moment possible. Why does shit like this always seem to happen to me? It’s not as if I go out looking for trouble.
“What happened to Graham?” Enrique’s multicolored eyes are fixed on me and he looks anything but friendly. Seems like they all no the dude. And why does he automatically assume I’m the one to blame? I suck my lips in and look up to the sky … attempting to appear as innocent as possible while dropping the broken piece of the Angry Orchard bottle onto the counter.
“Eh, he had a little accident,” Mel smiles at me. “Clearly he needs to learn some manners.” How can she be this calm? I’m shaking like a freaking leaf.
The whole VIP area formed a circle around Graham who is now sitting on the floor, holding his hand against the wound on his temple. The awkward silence is eerie, reminding me of the tense scenes in horror movies. This would be the ideal time for some suspenseful background music – something like du-dun-du-dun-du-dun-du-dun as if a predatorial fish is sneaking toward me. I swallow the burning sensation that’s pushing up my throat back down cause the angry robot killing me with his eyes is considerably deadlier than any giant shark.
“Let’s take him to your office,” a now-familiar voice creeps through the crowd and Enrique gives a massive sigh. Great … I think sarcastically – only he was missing from this whole bad situation. Where the hell did Brian come from all of a sudden? I haven’t seen him here the whole night.
“He had a little too much to drink,” Brian says while helping the injured man to get up. And that’s a lie for sure. If this Graham dude is drunk, then I’m a chicken … the kind with feathers, not the cowardly type. But why lie? Is anyone thinking like me … this can’t be a coincidence, right? Him and Brian. Is this another plan of Brian to blackmail me with?
“Aria, go get Ilkay. We’ll take Graham to my office,” Enrique says while grabbing Graham’s arm to support him. He leads the guy towards his office, Brian on the other side. Mel pulls a face at me before she follows them like a scolded puppy. I wipe my hands anxiously against my apron and slowly descend down the stairs looking for the big brother. I weave through the crowd, enduring a few vulgar unasked-for touches before finding him in the stock room.
This man is either in the hospital or here … sleeping only a few rare hours in between. I know he’s a genius, but he’s still human, isn’t he? And he mostly looks so sad, his smiles few and far apart. Mel told me once that he’s still getting over some girl. Must have been one hell of a chick to make him this miserable … poor thing.
“Eh, Ilkay, we need your expertise in Enrique’s office please,” I ask as sweetly as possible. He looks up from where he was removing wine bottles from a crate and there’s a slight twinkle in his gray eyes.
“What did my sister do this time?” I’m shocked … why do they all just assume it’s something we did?
“Eh … you see this jerk harassed us … and … he knows Damion … and then … you see he said … ”
“Let’s just go,” he interrupts me, taking my arm with a smile. This time we breeze through the dreaded mob … it’s almost as though they’re clearing a path for us. And in no time at all, we enter the office. Graham is seated on the sofa next to Brian, pressing a towel to his wound. Enrique stands in front of the window and Mel is close to the door … this is where I also plant myself, clutching onto her tightly. It’s the safest spot in case we need to flee fast.
And based on the expression on the robotic man’s (that I unwittingly fell in love with) face, we just might need a good escape plan. Not that we did anything wrong … in fact, I’m feeling a little frustrated about being treated as if we’re the bad guys here. That jerk just got what was coming to him. I look at the man being treated by Ilkay and catch Brian’s eyes on me. Why does HE look so pissed? It’s not as if he got smacked on the head. Not that it’s not something I’m dying to do. I pull a sour face.
“Don’t look so worried, babe, I won’t lay a complaint about you,” Graham grins at me.
“And we won’t lay one against you … this time … but you better stay the fuck away from us,” Mel sounds irritated. She unexpectedly pulls me toward the door.
“We’re leaving,” she says over her shoulder and we quickly enter the staff room down the hall.
“I need to pee,” she tells me and I wait on one of the wooden benches for her to finish her business.
“Let’s go … I’m tired.” She pulls me up as she walks past me. Go? I’m officially still working so I need to go ask permission to leave. I open my mouth to tell her when she holds her finger to my lips, her eyes wide. Then I also hear the voices. I recognize Brian’s.
“I told you not to mess with the redhead.” He sounds enraged.
“Well, how was I supposed to know the bloody bitch is going to hit me other the head,” another man scolds. “I told you that Enrique is not a fighter and that it’s going to be difficult to rouse him up. He’s not his brother.” It must be Graham. Mel gasps and we eyeball each other. I bite my lip nervously. There is a long silent pause before Brian speaks again … as if he was thinking deeply.
“But they do look identical.”
“Oh, no, dude, I’m not going near that psycho again.” Mel rolls her eyes at me with a sly smirk on her face. What the hell is Brian planning now?