Perfection #3 by Claire Adams Page A

Okay…“Um, we’d like two diet sodas and two of the chicken tender
meals please.”
    “Anything else?” She stared at me like she hated me but I couldn’t
understand why. I looked behind me, was it me she was shooting daggers at ? “Yes, that’s it.” She scribbled something down on her
tablet and mumbled under her breath and then stomped away. Was I being
overly-sensitive? Did she hate the world or just blonde violinists? I had no
idea but I was glad to see our diet sodas came in unopened cans. I wouldn’t put
it past her to spit in them. I toyed nervously with my pearl choker. She
plunked the cans down on the table and stood staring at me.
    “Is there something I can help you with?” I looked
around the pub wondering where the hell Bullet was. Did anyone else think this confrontation
was weird? Was I about to be assaulted? I had no idea what to think but I knew
I needed to be careful.
    “I was just wondering why in the world you would
want to date that guy. I’ve heard that some women can be bitches but to date
him? I mean don’t you think what he did was wrong?” The waitress, I could read
the name “Judith” on her tag, was upset. She tapped her order book on my table.
I felt threatened and I froze to survey the dangerous woman who towered over
me.
    “What are you talking about? Who did what to whom?”
I pushed back from the table, unsure of what she was going to do next. I could
see a nearby bartender watching us but he didn’t make any move to stop her yet.
    “Steinmann, right? That’s Bullet Steinmann. He raped my friend and he never paid for it. He got to
walk away Scott-free and she’s a wreck. She cries every day and stays drunk all
the time. You tell that bastard he better leave her alone or I will kick his…”
    “Hey Judith! Cut the crap! Don’t be doing that in here.” The burly bartender stood at the
end of the bar watching her, making sure she obeyed him.
    “Who’s your friend? What girl? I don’t know what
you’re taking about!” I stood to my feet. I wasn’t staying there another
minute.
    “Amelia Sheffield! That’s who! You tell him it ain’t over and he better leave her the hell alone!” I
practically ran out of the pub, the bartender berating Judith behind me. Tears
of shock and embarrassment filled my eyes. I ignored the stares of the
onlookers who drank their beers and munched on French fries. I wasn’t hungry
anymore. I ran out into the sunlight and decided to keep running, toward the
car. It was only about a tenth of a mile away but I regretted wearing my mules.
I ran down the sidewalk, crying like a crazy person. I didn’t even think about
what I was going to do. I didn’t have keys, a car or anything. I was stuck with
Bullet in a town far away from home. Bullet, who might be a rapist!
    He saw me running and slammed the trunk. I didn’t
know what he was looking for but I was ready to go. “What happened? Are you
okay? What is it, Lilly?”
    “I want to go! I don’t want to be here anymore! I’m
done with this and I’m done with you! Take me to the airport now, Bullet.”
    “But what is going on?” I ignored his shocked
expression. I cried silent tears, wiping them away angrily as they appeared.
“Did someone say something to you or hurt you?”
    “I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to go
home. Take me home.”
    “Okay, we will go home.” He glanced at the Blue Lake
Pub and seemed to consider going there to find out what happened but he didn’t.
He climbed into the car with me and we drove away leaving Blue Lake behind.
    I could breathe again, now that I was away from that
hateful waitress who had ruined everything. Could Bullet really be a rapist? I
mean, I knew he was passionate and sometimes a little rough in bed but he had
never assaulted me. Could I be driving to the airport with a rapist?
    Fear suddenly crept over me. I didn’t know what to
say or do.
    I just hoped that I would make it home.    
    Perfection
#4 comes out January