Salem! Clean tables 4 and 10 will yea?

How about you go fuck yourself, I whispered under my breath. The smell of stale
booze burned my nose. I picked up a cloth and a grey bin to collect empty glasses.
The tables I was supposed to clean were surrounded by bikers that think they own
the joint.
Loud laughter and talking go about around me. I bent over to grab a tall glass when
I felt something smack my ass. I spun on my heel and met a highly intoxicated biker
standing way too close for comfort.
Hey there. Thats a nice dress, his eyes move up and down his body as if he had
x-ray vision. It would look better on the floor. He gave me a wide smile. He had
several yellow teeth missing.
I moved my shoulder length hair behind my ears. I crossed my arms in front of my
chest. The bar fell silent.
You must be new to these parts. I said, calmly, smiling.
He placed a hand on my back and sat me in a chair behind me. I looked over
towards the bar where my boss was standing. Mike, grabbing a baseball bat of the
shelf above the back of the bar. I shook my head but he didnt put the bat down.
It was comforting knowing that if things go south, Mikes got my back. Felt every
eye staring at me. I wasnt too sure how many people was with this guy or how
dangerous this guy was. He looked innocent but after several years of working at
Mikes bar, Ive learned to never underestimate the innocent one.
Whats your name, sweet pea?
I tried really hard to not gag because of horrible his breath smells. It smelled like he
licked the ass of a skunk. In my head I patted myself on the back for going into
nursing so I wasnt as bothered to smells like this.
I smirked. Im Salem.
He gave a laugh, Sounds like an expensive name. Now tell me Salem, how much
will it cost me to spend a night with you?
I knew this game. This wasnt the first time Ive played this game. Unfortunately for
them, they find out that I control the game the hard way. No I dont sell myself. I
have higher standards than that. I respect myself. But I dont work in the safe side
of town. Neither of my jobs are safe. Im always leaving work battered and bruised.
If its not one place, its both.
I leaned forward and placed my elbows on the table. I crossed my left leg over my
right leg. My skirt of my little black dress slid up my leg by accident but he noticed.
The bar watched me control the game. They all knew whats going to happen next.
Hell all of them played the game themselves. I was the only one willing to stick

around during the late hours. Med school is expensive. I need all the money I can
get. But then again I have standards.
The entire bar held its breath.
The guy flicked his eyes around the room. I could tell he thought something was off.
He could tell he was getting into dangerous territory. He looked back at me and
smiled.
He reached out for my hand that was resting on the table. He barely grazed the skin
on the top of my hand when I moved it and slapped his across the face. The sound
of my hand hitting his cheek echoed through the room.
I could several snickers and whispers for people around me. I stood up, pushing my
chair back with the back of my knees.
There was a bright red mark where I had hit him. It took a lot for me to not laugh at
him. I could see the anger in his eyes.
I turned on my heel and starting walking away.
You bitch!
I shook my head and carried the tray I was collecting glasses on to the bar where
Mike was standing. He was still holding the baseball bat and was watching the guy I
just played.
You play a very dangerous game, Salem he warned me. I just gave him a wink and
leaned up against the bar. I looked over and I saw that he was talking to his buddy,
red faced and angry.
I looked back at Mike and shrugged, I dont have any pity for the stupid I stated
simply.
Mike laughed, The entire bar knows that.
The rest of my shift went by faster than it normally did after that little encounter.
Mike and I closed the bar and we said good night.
I walked to the back where my car was parked. Car were normally stolen in the front
parking lot, no one looks behind the building.
I fish my keys out of my bag when Im blinded but a set of bright lights. My keys fell
from my hands to the ground. I put my hands above my eyes so they wouldnt hurt
as much from the lights.
Engines revved loudly and laughter echoed in my ears. My head vibrated with the
engines. Laughter roared over the sound of the engines. Black silhouettes move
from behind the lights. They walked towards me and my heart tried to break its way
out of my chest.
A cold breeze brought goosebumps across my arms. My eyes, squinted from the
bright lights, searched for a way out but they couldnt. Shit.

Hey there, pretty lady.

A tall figure stepped out in front of the light. It walked towards me with a heavy
step. It got closer and closer.
I recognized that smile. My stomach churned and I tried so hard to not puke.
Large hands pushed me roughly and my head snapped against the wet brick wall.
Drops of rain fell from the grey sky. Lighting lit the sky only for a second. But that
second was long enough for me to see the anger in his eyes. To see the scary ego
deep inside him. Whats that saying? The eyes and the windows into the soul. All I
could see for that second was black.
He stocked my rain drenched hair. My blond hair stuck to my cheek. His eyes never
left mine. His hand grazed the hair on my cheek and moved it so I was flowing down
the back of my head.
In a flash he grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my face closer to his. My bag
dropped to the wet concrete ground. I couldnt move my head without the feeling of
be scalped.
He just laughed.
Why dont you pick on guys your own size Jerry?
This new voice had a mix of amusement and seriousness. Jerry turned around,
yanking me with him. When I opened my eyes I saw the bluest eyes I have ever
seen. They were light and seemed like they held the galaxies secrets in them. Or
maybe that was just my mind telling me that Im going to die tonight so be
overdramatic.
Christopher! Jerry laughed, Chris, how are you buddy?
They greeted each other like old friends while I was barely standing, being held up
by the back of my hair, totally forgotten about.
They started laughing like old times. So hows Ace?
The stranger feel into an awkward laugh and looked at the ground. Jerry waited for
an answer and the longer he waited, the tighter he pulled on my hair.
I let out a small cry of pain by accident, it got the attention of Christopher. Our eyes
met only for a brief second before he looked away. Even in that second something in
his eyes told me that something was going to happen and if I was going to live by
the end of the night was unclear.
Ace is Ace he finally answered.
Jerry chuckled. Typical.
Christopher just nodded his head.
So who is she?

His eyes bored into mine as Jerry laughed. This is my prize for tonight.
Christopher sighed. Jerry come on, I thought we talked about this!
Jerry turned to Christopher. I won this fair and square.
You know what Im going to have to do.
I fucking dare you.
They stared at each other for the longest 10 seconds of my life.
In less than a second Christopher took a step forward and grabbed me for Jerrys
clutches and put himself between myself and Jerry. Jerrys fingers got caught in my
hair as Christopher pulled me away. I screamed in pain and fell to the ground, my
forehead colliding with the rough gravel.
I could hear Christopher and Jerry scrap it out. Christopher getting in most of the
hits, Jerry getting one or two hits in but not very many. Christopher swung his right
fist, hitting Jerry in the side of the face which made him turn and go head first into
the brick wall of the club.
Jerrys guys starting yelling, revving their engines and threating to do nasty and
violent things to us.
My head dipped in and out of reality and darkness. My eyes blurred and wouldnt
focus. Something hot and wet dripped in my eye, leaving me with only one eye.
We need to get out of here.
A blurry face came into my line of sight and it was the only thing I could focus on. I
opened my mouth to say something but the words werent coming to me. I think he
smiled at me. He grabbed my hand and led me to my feet.
My head dipped again and my knees just couldnt hold me. He caught me before I
hit the ground and again. He draped my arms around his neck, completely ignoring
the fact that a bunch of bikers are pissed off at us and want us dead.
Christopher started running the best he could back down the alley, dragging me
behind him. He turned down a corner. And another one. And another one. I tried to
keep track but it hurt my head too much. I just let him led me away from
everything.
Every once and a while I could hear a motorcycle engine squealing down the street,
still looking for us.
My chest hurt, I couldnt breathe. I couldnt run anymore.
Wait wait I cant I cant go anymore I gasped.
Christopher slowed down and stood me up straight. I reached behind me and I could
feel the cold metal of a car. I slid to the ground and tried to catch my breath.
Christopher kneeled down beside me and brushed a large clump of hair that fell in
front of my face.

As I sat there things started getting clearer. I wiped my eye so I could open it. When
I brought my hand back down, it was bright red and glistened in the street lights.
Normally large amounts of blood would have bothered me but how useless would I
be as a nurse if I got faint around blood?
Are you okay? I looked up and my eyes met with dark chocolate brown eyes.
Christopher waited for my answer while I waited to think of one. I just nodded and
tried to stand up.
Christopher grabbed my hand a pulled me up. A wave of relief washed over me as I
stood up straight without swaying.
We need a place to hide. Christopher said, I wasnt sure if he was talking to me or
to himself.
My place. I spoke up. It was perfect. They didnt know where I lived, who I was so
there was no way to find me.
I explained this to Chris and he agreed. We walked to my apartment, both of us
listening into the night for motorcycle engines.
It took us an hour and a half to find my building. We climbed up the stairs in silence.
We finally came to my door. I stood in front of it and just waited. My heart and mind
expected to hear them behind us, climbing the stairs, coming down the hallway. I
also expected Jerry to be waiting for me inside my apartment. That they somehow
found out where I lived and beat us here.
I finally snapped out of it and pulled my keys out of my pocket, and unlocked the
door. I exhaled the air I held in my lungs and turned the lights on. Chris followed me
inside and he went straight for the window.
He moved the curtains just a crack and looked up and down the street.
Its all clear he said in a quiet, relived voice.
I sat down and wiped the blood away from my eye again. At this point I didnt care
anymore about the blood or the fact that I was bleeding.
I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes. The more that I thought about what
happened, the more I started to laugh. Chris turned and watched me laugh
hysterically.
Im sorry, I cleared my throat trying to stop the laughter. I should not be
laughing.
Chris smiled and chuckled, Laughing means that you arent traumatized by tonight.
Which is good!
I smiled and nodded.
Lets get you cleaned up, do you have a first aid kit around this place?

I looked around my apartment and laughed. There were clothes draped around the
couch and old take-out food containers were left on the floor and the table. My cat
was lying in a pile of clothes on the floor.
I looked at Chris and nodded. Bathroom, down the hall, first door on the right,
drawer under the sink.
Chris cracked a smile and went to go find the kit. It was small things that the
hospital wouldnt miss. But it would do the trick.
I could hear rummaging in the bathroom and then a loud bang.
I jumped up out of the chair and rushed to the bathroom where I found Chris on the
bathroom floor holding the back of his head. I kneeled beside him, going into nurse
mood. I moved his hands out of my way so I could looked at his wound but all I saw
was a large bump.
What happened? I asked calmly.
I moved his hair out of the way so I could see more of the wound. He gasped in pain
as I touched the tender skin.
Well I was doing fine until I stood up. I guess I underestimated where my head
was. He explained with a pained smile.
A smile crept on to my face and I took a deep breath so I could control myself.
Well it looks like you didnt break skin so no signs of bleeding or scaring. No signs
of a concussion or brain swelling. I concluded, sitting back on the floor behind him.
He got comfortable on the floor and we just sat there in silence watching each
other.
So doc, what does that mean? Christopher asked with a smirk on his face.
It means, dumbass, all you need is ice.