Between the Lines

Make it a Double

"Whisky. Neat with ice." She slipped onto the barstool, heart still racing. What the actual hell had been going on there?  She shouldn't have run, but there was something in his voice that not only excited her but in that moment of rage?  Terrified her.  The man she thought he was?  A sham, a front.  She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to see the real Loki Laufeyson again.

She downed the whisky in one gulp.  "Another," she called to the bartender, wincing as the alcohol burned its way down her throat. "Please, Ken?" she added with a smile as he walked over and took her glass. 

Ken looked at her and shook his head.  Kathy had been coming to his bar for years with friends, with boyfriends, and with colleagues.  Never once alone.  Not until today when she'd burst through the door looking like she'd seen a ghost.  Walking straight up to the bar, she'd sat on a seat and ordered.

Now, as he poured her another, his concern outweighed his need to sell drink. "You ok Kathy?" he pushed the glass to her but kept hold of it, stopping her from lifting it.  She looked at him, her eyes full of trouble.  Man-trouble.  Ken was nothing if not a product of forty years behind the mahogany psychiatrists couch called a bar.

She looked up at him with the air of a woman who'd been desperate for someone to ask that very question.

"Honestly?" she retracted her hand from the glass and ran it through her hair, "I have no idea.  I thought I was until about twenty minutes ago.  Now?  I am more confused than that time with the Absynth shots." she smirked at the memory. 

Walking, talking but completely out of it, she'd tried to call her mother.  All well and good except the phone she was using?  The bar contactless machine.  Ken had taken her through the back, plied her with coffee till she was at least aware of her surroundings, and put her in a taxi home. 

He'd also threatened the guy she was with that he'd find him and cut his balls off if he did that to another living soul, let alone a woman.  Now, though, safely in hindsight, they both laughed at the memory of her trying very seriously and intensely to persuade Ken his phone was broken, and it was a conspiracy by MI6 that had done it.

"Oh dear, maybe you do need that after all," he said with a smile and released the glass.  She downed it again, wincing less this time.  This was in danger of getting messy.  "Maybe that should be your last one?" he said,"Coffee and a chat instead?"

"Nope.  More whisky, then a chat." she dumped the glass on the bar.  "Please?"

Against his better judgement, Ken nodded.  Just one more, he thought.  Enough to make her relaxed enough to tell him what was up.  Then, he would make sure she was safe.  He watched as she stood,  still steady for the moment, and walked to the ladies' lavatory at the back of the bar.  

Kathy Green was small, well, short.  She had bottle blonde hair, green eyes, and a body that if he had been thirty years younger, it might have been worth risking his job for.  She also made up for her lack of height with the biggest heart he'd ever known. 

She would stand up for what she believed in no matter what.  He'd read her articles.  He'd been blown away by her dogged determination to stand up for the little guy.  Multi-national corporations?  Nothing to her.  Prominent figures abusing their position?  Watch out.  She was the old school investigative journalist.  Dig until you hit bedrock, then dig some more. 

After watching her career flourish, he thought of her more as a surrogate daughter than anything. He wasn't kidding when he said he would kill anyone who hurt her.  

That included the man who had just walked into the bar, obviously looking for someone.  He was tall, dark, and even Ken thought, handsome.  Dressed well, he didn't look the serial killer type, but then you could never tell could you?  He scanned the bar and then walked up to Ken.

"Have you seen a woman?" he asked, and Ken raised an eyebrow.  "I mean an attractive but harassed looking woman." The other eyebrow joined its friend.

"Depends." he continued polishing the glass he was holding.  He moved nearer to the small button under the counter.  He could summon help at any point.  

"On what?" The followup was scathing, "whether you know what a woman looks like?"

"Listen, mate, sarcasm will get you nothing other than flung out." Ken was a calm type, rarely lost his rag, but he'd make an exception if he had to.

The stranger sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Sorry.  I'm just worried about her, that's all.  She's petite, blonde, green eyes, pretty smile, great body...." he trailed off as Ken smirked. "What?  Is that not allowed these days?  Ok, well, she's super intelligent, feisty, and the best reporter I've ever met.  That better?" he said, crossing his arms across his chest defiantly.

"Much.  And yes, I have seen her." Ken got the feeling that this was definitely NOT a serial killer situation.  

"Well?  Where man?  WHERE?" 

"You knew I had green eyes?" The voice behind him made him jump, and Ken smiled, walking away to the other end of the bar. 

"Kathy..." Loki began to speak, but she held up a hand.

"Don't.  I'm sorry, too.  I have NO idea why I got so spooked.  Not like me, is it?" she smiled and blushed, and Loki could tell she was a couple of drinks in.  Only because she smiled, really smiled, for the first time he could remember.  Her cheeks had pretty pinpoints of pink, and her eyes sparkled in the way they do when you see something you like and can't hide it anymore.

"No.  It's not.  But then, this isn't normally the way we are together, is it?" he laid a tentative hand on her arm.  She looked at it as if it were an alien from another planet, and he hastily withdrew it. "Sorry."

"No," she downed the last of her drink and grabbed her jacket. "Don't be sorry, be my knight in armour and save me from myself.  Take me for something to eat before I get any more drunk.  Ken?  Add it to my tab, will you?  See you later." she called over, and Ken nodded.

Now he recognised the man. It was Loki Laufeyson.  Her boss.  Initially, he'd been in protective Dad mode, suspicious and careful.  Now, he was in Big Brother mode.  Giving them room, but with the proverbial baseball bat at the ready.  "See you later, Kathy, be safe, love." he glared at Laufeyson.  There was something going on between these two, and Ken wasn't entirely sure he wasn't the only person who could see it.

Loki nodded at Ken and smiled. If the situation had been reversed, he would have been the same. No, strike that, if the situation had been reversed, Ken would be dead by now for even giving her a moment's grief.  He took her elbow and guided her out the door to his waiting car.

"Ok, you want to eat? Let's eat.  I know a restaurant not too far away.  Does a mean steak.  You do like steak, don't you? " he suddenly became aware, other than her prowess with a pen, he knew next to nothing about her.

"Oh yeah," she giggled, the fresh air making her a little tipsy and a lot bolder. "I love a good bit of prime meat." 

Loki rolled his eyes silently as he helped her into the back of his limousine.  

The sooner she ate the better.