Authors: Jessica Miller
They got to the front entrance and were let into the bar by the bouncer with no conflict. The booming music and bodies moving got Leslie’s blood pumping. She hadn’t been out to a place like this in a long time and she was ready to have a good time.
Robert tapped her shoulder, drawing her attention to the bar to grab a drink. Leslie nodded and followed his lead to the already packed space where the bartender was serving drinks. Robert had no problem making his way to the bartender despite the crowd. Leslie observed the males giving him cold looks as their female counterparts gazed at Robert’s attractiveness. Leslie laughed to herself as the women surrounding them whispered to each other. Most likely plotting how they would approach such a strong presence, Leslie thought.
Closely behind him, Leslie leaned her back against his as he ordered drinks. She regarded the scene, watching the moving bodies on the dance floor enthralled with the beat of the music. Leslie herself couldn’t help but to sway her hips to the beat.
Leslie felt Robert suddenly turn around causing her to move forward so that she wouldn’t be in his way. Robert had two medium-sized glasses in his hands and pointed his head to the left signaling the empty table for them to sit at. Leslie nodded and quickly led the way to the empty table. He set the glasses down and pulled Leslie’s chair out letting her take a seat before taking his own.
She smiled at him as she watched him settle into his seat bobbing his head to the music.
“What is this,” Leslie said as she leaned in trying to speak over the music.
Robert only replied with a grin and raised the glass to her lips. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow as she wondered if he simply planned to get her drunk. Whatever his plan was, Leslie wasn’t a lightweight and it was Robert whom she planned to get drunk.
“Together,” Leslie mouthed as she raised his own glass to his lips as he did to her. Robert laughed but Leslie couldn’t hear it—she just saw his mouth open and his shoulders move up and down.
Leslie tilted the glass she had in her hand and watched as Robert’s lips parted to intake the clear liquid. He drank it without a single hesitation causing Leslie to conclude the drink was not as strong as she feared. Likewise, Robert tilted the glass on Leslie’s lips urging her to drink as well. While Leslie did so she felt the burning sensation travel down her throat crashing down her initial assumption about the liquid not being that strong. She finished the drink nonetheless but not without a pained look on her face.
This time Leslie could hear Robert’s laughter as she felt the skin in her throat being burned off by the liquid she just consumed. She immediately flagged down a waitress and asked for some cranberry juice to soothe her throat. Robert also took the opportunity to order another round of drinks. Leslie leaned back in her chair and fanned her flushed face. The alcohol was hitting her system quicker than she would have liked.
“Enjoying yourself I hope,” Leslie said over the music before she downed the cranberry juice set before her.
Robert placed the new round of drinks in front of them and nodded.
“Only if you are beautiful,” he said with a smirk before taking another shot of the liquid. Leslie deciphered the liquid to be some sort of flavored vodka; not her favorite but it would do.
“I want to dance,” Leslie said as she stood up and inhaled a breath before taking the shot.
Robert nodded and watched Leslie’s hips as they swayed all the way to the dance floor catching a few lustful eyes in the place. Upon reaching the dance floor and joining some other inebriated souls, Leslie’s whole body began to move with the rhythm of the music. Robert watched Leslie’s movements almost in a trance. He thought he wouldn’t have minded help seeing those writhing movements under him, in bed.
As Leslie danced, enjoying herself, she felt hands snake around her waist. Automatically she had assumed it was Robert and eased into the hands continuing her hip swaying.
“What are you doing?”
Leslie immediately turned upon hearing Robert’s voice and realized it was not Robert who was grinding his pelvis into her butt but some random man. The man was not bad looking in the least, but still the look Robert had on his face was not a pleased one.
“Robert.”
In a flash, Robert had grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him into his fist. The impact seemed to be so loud that it overpowered the booming music.
Leslie’s mouth dropped immediately to floor in shock as Robert began to pound on the guy. Screams began to echo throughout the bar and it took Leslie a moment to realize this realty was happening and it wasn’t some out of body experience.
She immediately went to Robert and attempted to pull him away from the man whose blood was flying from the Navy officer’s fist. Leslie pleaded and pleaded but Robert could neither hear nor feel her grabbing at him. As she looked into his face, Leslie wasn’t sure but his eyes seemed to have turned black.
Leslie found that her current tactics were not working, or saving the man Robert was beating, who was probably unconscious at this point. Without thinking another thought, Leslie clutched her fist, threw it back and brought it forward making contact with Robert’s hard jaw.
While the impact didn’t particularly hurt him, it shocked him back to reality and caused Robert’s normal golden eyes to return. He looked up at Leslie like he wasn’t quite sure where he was. Leslie heard the door burst open and saw the giant bouncer coming their way. She looked back at the dazed Robert.
“Robert, please let’s go!”
Leslie grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the horrified onlookers and the bouncer coming their way. Leslie immediately spotted the emergency exit and ran towards it with Robert at her heel.
The cold night air hit her like a block of cement as they burst through the door and ran towards Leslie’s car.
They got in quickly. Leslie started the car, hearing the distance of police sirens draw closer. She put the car in drive and sped away from the scene before looking over at Robert whose eyes were widened. Had it finally sunk in?
“Robert?”
He said nothing, didn’t even flinch.
“Robert what the hell was that?!”
Robert looked over at her as her voice yelled at him in the small space of the car. Leslie looked into his eyes and right there and then she knew: Robert himself didn’t even know what happened.
*****
They had finally reached Leslie’s apartment after the long and tension-filled car ride. Robert immediately went to the couch and dropped his bag on the floor. His hands went to his face and rubbed the soreness from his eyes.
Leslie stood near the kitchen table feeling too many emotions. She wasn’t sure which one to address first. She decided that first and foremost she was confused as hell. Robert out of nowhere had gone into a rage that was baffling.
“Are you scared of me?” he asked.
Leslie’s eyes shot up as his low voice interrupted her thoughts. Truthfully she couldn’t answer that question. Her arms went to wrap themselves around her slightly shivering body.
She avoided the question and said, “What happened back there Robert?”
Robert looked at her and sighed deeply before his eyes became obsessed with the floor.
“I don’t know,” he said as if he was trying to figure that out himself.
“I just saw that guy on you and I snapped, I don’t know. I just blanked out.”
Leslie found herself slowly approaching the hunched over Navy officer placing her hand on his soft hair then running her fingers through it. He looked up at her and she looked into his eyes. She was sure that his eyes had turned black that moment back there at the bar.
“You never answered my question,” Robert said slowly as his hand went to take hers.
Leslie took her hand away from his and sat beside him with a sigh.
“At the time I was scared, yes. I’m not right now. But I just don’t understand what happened back there,” she said truthfully, but avoiding his eyes.
“I understand,” he replied placing his hand on her knee. “You know I’d never hurt you though, right?”
Leslie gave him a small smile and nodded.
“I know.”
Leslie stood up and took his bag walking over to the guest bedroom.
“I think you just need some sleep,” Leslie said from the bedroom. “It was a long day for you, and those drinks were pretty strong—”
Leslie suddenly felt strong arms wrapped around her. They pulled her into his strong chest. She suddenly felt his lips press against her bare shoulder putting her in a frozen state. The feeling of his soft lips sent electric shocks up and down her spine.
“Robert? What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry,” he said to her shoulder as his arms tightened around her.
Leslie wasn’t quite sure what to do, but his arms around her felt right. He felt warm and strong. Her eyes closed as his warmness engulfed her.
Leslie slowly turned around after a moment, he released her from his embrace. She placed her hands on either side of his face.
“I’m not scared of you okay, but if there’s something you need to tell me, you would right?” said Leslie.
Leslie leaned up and placed a small kiss on his cheek before pulling away. Robert nodded as he returned a kiss but on her forehead.
“I would tell you, of course.”
“I think maybe you just need some sleep,” Leslie repeated as she placed his bag on the bed. It still nagged at her that he wouldn’t say what the matter was.
Leslie placed a caring hand on Robert’s tall shoulder and exited the room closing the door behind her. She made the short walk to her room and softly shut it behind her. Leslie leaned against the white wooden door and sunk down to the floor. She wasn’t sure what was going on. Was this the same Robert she had grown up with?
Leslie pulled herself from the floor and crawled into bed not bothering to change or remove her make up. She threw the soft sheets over herself and placed her head on the soft pillow with her thoughts ravaging her mind. Leslie couldn’t get them of her head; those cold black eyes that had stared back at her in the bar.
*****
Leslie woke up late that afternoon feeling more hopeful that some rest and a late breakfast would get them back on track on their week of fun.
Leslie proceeded to shower and freshen up, part of her was reluctant to step out of the room but she knew she had to. She was the one that had to be positive and not allow last night’s little misfortune ruin the rest of this trip.
She slowly stepped out in some sweat pants and a long white t-shirt. The quietness told her that Robert was possibly still sleeping which gave her time to cook up some breakfast. She went to the kitchen and decided that a good old fashion eggs, bacon and toast should suffice. As she began cooking, she heard a stir from the other room. Robert must have finally woken up.
As she finished cooking the last of the bacon, Leslie heard the door slowly open behind her. She didn’t turn around, but felt his strong presence in the room. He stayed silent but Leslie could hear his footsteps approaching her. She didn’t move, even when she felt his close proximity.
Her hand rose and went to touch his scruffy chin. His hand went to take hers and pressed his lips against her palm.
“Good morning,” he said in a hoarse voice placing her hand back down to her side.
Leslie finally turned around with a smile on her face. She could see that he still felt troubled, but she smiled and welcomed him.
“Breakfast is ready, Chef Leslie has made; bacon, eggs and endless toast,” she said as she walked over to the table and poured him a glass of orange juice with her best impersonation of a housewife smile.
“Looks great thank you,” he said genuinely pleased with the breakfast spread. Robert instantly began to dig in making noises that he was pleased with the taste.
“So how are you feeling?” Leslie asked as shifted her food around with her fork. She wondered if Robert was thinking about last night. She sure was. He didn’t answer her right away; his eyes went to the plate before raising to look at her.
“Good, I uhm, just needed some sleep,” Robert said as he shoveled some more food into his mouth. Leslie nodded accepting the lame excuse he gave her; she knew something was up and it wasn’t lack of sleep.
“Can I ask you something?”
Robert swallowed his mouthful, then put down his knife and fork.
“I know,” said Leslie. “Fighting in war can mess you up. If something happened you can talk to me you know?”
Leslie noticed his eyes had removed themselves from her and looked down at the plate. She could see that he wanted to say something but was struggling to do so. He finally looked back up at her with determination in his eyes. Was he going to tell her truth?
“Something bad happened, I uhm, it happened when we docked, in Cuba a couple a months ago we got taken, native thugs that didn’t want us there and well—”
Leslie’s phone began to ring stopping Robert’s already intense story. She stood up and went to the kitchen counter and picked up her phone. She read the caller ID and took a breath, wondering if she should pick up or not.
“Are you going to answer that?” said Robert.