Page 54 of Fighter
He stood, shoving his body into her with a drunken cry. She lurched to the side with a gasp, glasses sliding off the tray as he brazenly reached for her chest. Glass shattered as the mugs fell to the ground.
And I moved.
Within seconds I'd crossed the floor. The next thing I knew, a groaning body lay under me and someone grabbed my shoulder, which was pulled back with a ready fist.
“Ben, get off him.” Jayson spoke directly in my ear. The world had gone oddly silent. “Now.”
In a flash, I took the new scene in. Eyes staring at me. Drunk guy on the floor. Beer pooling on the floor at my side. No blood. No pain in my knuckles. I hadn't hit the bastard yet, but I was a second away from it. Both hands up in the air in surrender, I gained my feet and stepped back.
“You saw what he did?” I asked Hernandez.
“Every second. Now get out of here. Someone give me a phone. Let's get this guy in the drunk tank at county.”
“Saw it, coach!” piped up one of my trainees from the other side of the room. A chorus of three other voices chimed in.
Duly exonerated, but thrumming with the urge to sock that guy, I spun around to find Serafina. She stood in the doorway, eyes wide, the empty tray clutched to her chest. I walked up to her, but stayed a few steps back. If I got too close, I'd pull her into a kiss that would stir all kinds of questions. People were already wondering what the hell I was doing anyway.
“You okay?” I asked.
She nodded, swallowing hard. “Fine.”
“How much longer in your shift?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Go to it,” I said. “I'll wait for you at the counter.”
“But—” Her reply faltered until she finally nodded. “Okay, thanks.”
We didn't speak again. She bustled around the Diner with a tired smile and busy strides. She kept me supplied with water and passed me a tray of fresh sliced veggies with whole wheat bread with a little smile, even though I hadn't asked. By the time her shift ended, the chaos in the backroom had died with the fight, and the last patrons swilled around.
Dagny approached her just after 10:00 and said, “I g-got this. I'll close. You g-go home.”
“You sure?”
“Definitely.”
“Thanks, Dag.”
Moments later, Serafina reappeared from behind the swinging doors that led to the back. She had a jacket in her arms, her apron was gone. I stood, grateful to finally get her all to myself. Still wished I'd hit that guy though when I saw the uneasy expression on her face.
“You good?” I asked.
She nodded. I tilted my head to the door to indicate her to go first. She waved to someone and stepped outside, then immediately turned left. The Frolicking Moose was only a few parking lots over, hardly far enough to get the conversation in that I wanted. Deep in my bones, I desperately hoped she'd ask me inside. But seeing the tired lines on her face, wondered if that would be best if she didn't after all.
Frustration gripped me again, but I set it aside. Residual angst from seeing my family again, no doubt. No matter what I did, I couldn't relax. She broke the strained tension between us.
“I . . . That is . . . Thank you.”
Serafina kept her gaze forward while she stammered out something. She'd pulled her jacket on, and I wondered if the cool breeze felt as good to her as it did to me.
“No problem.”
We crossed the first parking lot with little more than the crunch of gravel at our feet. All the time I'd spent thinking about her while I was gone, and now that I had my chance to . . . what?
What did I want to do?
Stupid question. I knewexactlywhat I wanted to do, and it had everything to do with the unfinished business of a kiss that didn't happen. But whether she wanted it as well remained to be seen.
