Mayhem

Chapter 9

Alex closes the case and slides it under his jacket. "Good doing business with you," Richie remarks, shaking his hand. I roll my eyes and turn back to the bar. Fuckers. It had started to get dark outside and there was a bit of a chill. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Richie pulls Alex off his bar stool and across the room. I wave down the bar tender. "Another?" I pass him my glass and he tops it up. 

"You're not from around here, are you?" A masculine voice murmurs from beside me. The man sat on the bar stool next to me had pretty brown eyes and a jaw that could cut glass. He looked a bit older than me, maybe in his early thirties? I smile awkwardly at him. "Nope, just dropping in," I reply, taking a sip. I had to admit, he was pretty attractive, but I wasn't interested. I loved James. "Well, I hope this isn't too forward, but your really hot... And I would like to buy you a drink," he states with a nod. 

Well it was certainly sweet of him to offer, but I kind of just wanted to get out of this grungy bar. I let out a forced laugh. "I already have a drink," I mumble, holding it up in front of him. I was trying not to hurt his feelings, I really was. Someone really outta write a handbook about how to let nice guys down easy. 

"Just one drink?" He asks, his eyes slightly desperate. Dang, dude, alright. "Okay," I finally agree, feeling guilty. He gestures to the bar tender and then smiles back at me. "Wow look at that twilight, am I right?" He points out the window at the sky. He was right. The clouds were a pretty candyfloss pink and faded into an orange behind the buildings on the other side of the road. 

I smile back and nod my head. "I'm Chris by the way," he says, pushing my drink towards me. I pick up my glass and tilt it in cheers. Before I had brought the glass to my lips, Alex was in front of me. He takes the glass out of my hand and places it onto the bar. "Hey Babe." Before I could detest, he leans in and kisses me on the cheek. "He put something in your drink," Alex whispers in my ear before pulling away and wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me against him.

Wait, what? Chris put something in my drink? I glance at the cup of clear liquid in front of me and furrow my eyebrows. But he just seemed so damn nice!

"Who's this guy?" Chris asks, gesturing to Alex. "Her boyfriend," Alex buts in before I could reply, getting all defensive and stepping forward into Chris' personal bubble. Chris smirks at me and raises his arms in defense. "Hey, not my fault your bitch is flirting with other guys," Chris chuckles. 'Your bitch'? 'Flirting'? I no longer considered Chris sweet. 

"Excuse you?" I scoff, taking a step forward as well. "Firstly, I am nobody's 'bitch' and secondly, that was not even nearly flirting. It is sad that you think it was. In fact, it is sad that you felt the need to try and drug me within the first five minutes of our conversation simply because of your deep-seated rejection issues and pedophilia tendencies," I spit back. I see Alex smile in the corner of my eye. A bunch of guys holler from a table beside us. It was only then that I realized that all his friends were sat there watching the scene develop in front of them.

Chris tenses visibly and he roughly grabs my wrist. Alex doesn't waste a single second before pushing him back. "Touch her again and you will regret it," he sneers at Chris. I couldn't help but chuckle. Alex was always so aggressive.

Chris steps closer once again and pushes his shoulders back a little. He reaches his hand out towards my chest jokingly and I get him before Alex this time. I grab his hand and his elbow and spin him around, pushing him to his knee and pulling his arm back. "Argh fuck!" He shouts, struggling in my grip. I pull his thumb all the was back and it pops out. He lets out a shrill scream and drops his head. I see one of his friends move to help him but Alex puts him in a head lock with ease. Everyone in the room stays perfectly still, watching us.