Page 116 of Demo
I gave Jake’s arm a squeeze. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. This whole thing has affected us, too. You and me.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m not getting high every day.”
What?
My attention was stolen by a familiar Kings of Leon song the band started playing. “I’m gonna go see if they got lost,” I said to Jake as I slid off the stool and headed toward the other side of the crowd of people who were swaying to the music. Knox also loved this song, and I wanted him to hear it, too.
I had to pass through singles dancing and couples canoodling. “Excuse me … sorry … just trying to get to the bathrooms …” Some made way for me, others barely moved, and I had to suck in, turn sideways and try to get past with as little contact as possible.
I felt a hand on my hip and a voice in my ear. “Hey there, sweetheart. Where are you rushing off to?”
I knew damn well that gravelly voice didn’t belong to Knox. I looked up and realized I was almost flush against a guy with several years on me. He was of medium build with short salt-and-pepper hair. We were face to face and his breath reeked of cigarettes.
“Sorry,” I mumbled as I tried to ignore his come-on and keep moving.
But he dug his fingers into my hip and wrapped his other hand around my back, pulling me into him as he bowed his back slightly, so I was almost curved into him. “Nah, sweetheart. You’re rubbing all up against me, you can’t just leave me hanging like that.”
With both hands I tried to push his chest away from me, but he was strong, and drunk or high. I looked over his shoulder toward the bathrooms for Knox but couldn’t find him. I looked back toward the table, but Jake had his face in his phone. I just kept pushing this guy away and, thankfully, someone next to us took notice.
“Dude, she doesn’t look interested,” a young punk-rocker said, grabbing the guy’s shoulder and pulling him back, sliding his arm between our bodies.
I felt a cold breeze and looked up to see Knox and Jenny coming in from the outside. He and I locked eyes right away. He stalled for a heartbeat, then his eyes darted to the guy with his hand still on my hip, the punk-rocker pulling his shoulder, and now another guy also coming to my aid.
The crowd of people parted for Knox like he was Moses parting the Red Sea. He grabbed the guy by the back of his shirt and pulled him back with such force he fell all the way back onto the floor, and Knox was on top of him. He delivered one, two, three punches to the guy’s face, but a couple of bouncers caught his arm while he attempted a fourth hit.
“Knox!” I yelled. “KNOX stop it!”
He was pulled off the guy, and one of the bouncers with arms the size of my head grabbed him by the face, looking right at him. “Dude … DUDE … Back off!”
Knox heaved heavy breaths as his eyes panned around and found me. He reached out his hand and grabbed mine. “You OK?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”
The bouncer chimed back in. “Can I let you go?” he asked Knox. “So we can escort this guy out? Are you gonna be chill, or are we going to have more problems?”
“We’re good,” Knox answered. “We’re leaving anyway.”
He pulled me behind him toward our table, where we grabbed our things. Knox pulled his wallet out of his pocket and threw several bills on the table. A piece of garbage floated onto the floor as he did so, and he kicked it away with his foot.
“Uh, we’re heading out, I guess,” I said to Jake, who still was processing the whole fight, and Jenny, who was sliding into her own jacket.
“Go,” she said, waving her hand, looking at her jacket as she zipped it.
Knox led me out of the venue and tucked me into the side of his body as we walked down the street and entered the nearby parking garage. I didn’t notice him unlock the passenger door of the truck before he opened it for me. I turned to face him before I climbed in. We made eye contact. His pupils were wide, he was breathing heavily, and he looked panicked.
I pressed my forehead to his and he willingly leaned into me, keeping his hands on the door and the side of the truck.
“I’m OK,” I said. “It was just a stupid schmuck.”
I felt him nod. “I know,” he said.
I put my hands on either side of his face and pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. He let out a breath and pulled me in close, hugging me fiercely, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, avoiding a kiss I was about to place on his lips.
He was quiet the short drive home, aside from the few times he asked me, “You sure you’re OK?” I reassured him every time I was completely fine, and the whole scene was unnecessary. He put his hand on my thigh, and I noticed his bloody knuckles.
When we got home and he parked the truck, he rushed around to my side to meet me before I was even halfway out. He took my hand and led me up the stairs, where he unlocked our door at the top. I walked in first, and greeted our barking dog as I toed out of my shoes and slid off my jacket. I turned to see Knox leaning his back against the closed door. His hands dragged down the sides of his face.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Knox, this really isn’t a big deal.”
