Walking back into get a refill for my cup before moving on the previous nonchalant attitude of the young girl behind the counter had changed and instead of me getting my own drink she came around the counter to take care of making sure my thirst was quenched. I had nodded as she took my cup and motioned that I would be right out. There were two restrooms and I was told to use the one depicting folks who wore dresses. After washing my face thoroughly I walked out. It seemed these young wanted someone to talk to as they asked what I was in town for and I was honest when I said an old friend I had heard now lived but was not home so I was just passing through.
When I was asked where I would be staying I shrugged and pointed to the mountains in the east. The young lady holding my drink asked if I would get cold. I knew what she wanted but shaking my head I said I have known cold and tonight I would be fine. As I took a seat to adjust my boots she leaned over as she put down my drink. I grinned to myself as I realized that was unnecessary but had to admit the Good Lord had given her two good reasons for some young man to get excited over the prospects; I smiled to her letting her know I had noticed. Finishing that cup I went to get another but again the cup was taken and she began to fill it. Accidentally on purpose she spilled some of the drink, and immediately bent over at the waist to clean up the mess; from my angle I could not miss what she did not try hiding as her short skirt hiked up. I waited until she was done and when she gave me the cup I thanked her with a smile and quietly told her to be patient as one day she would be swept off her feet by a man created just for her, but that was not me. Walking out to my ride I climbed in and as I went through my mental checklist I noticed not only was she watching so were several of her friends who had been hanging out, Prepared I fired up the engine and slowly pulled out and nodded leaving that valley behind in the fading light.
I had intended to stop high in the mountains for the night but decided not to just in case some poorly misguided young one tried to follow. That decision was not so much to protect her but me as I knew if in the dark hours of the night when alone and cold if she found me as I camped out under the stars I would welcome the company of such a young nubile woman. I kept going to put both space physically and mentally between me and such temptations. I have to admit that when I pulled off to stretch before descending out of those mountains I did think of that young woman and the what if's briefly but my mind soon turned to the woman who I had left at home when I set out on my journey in search for work. I had made my promise to her years ago that she was the one and only one on that night we wed. Sitting looking over the brightly lit valley below I quietly spoke those vows in the almost black overlook and startled a couple who had come up from below to hide from their prospective spouses. Apparently I reminded them they also had spouses down below and I watched as they put space between themselves and shortly after left in separate cars. Watching the stars that night I wished the mother of my children could have been by my side. I finally climbed back into my ride and headed down into the desert valley frequented by the rich and pampered elite.
Not yet able to sleep I stopped for a cup of tea, to sit and write and to send my nightly message to my wife. I was still in the diner when a group of women closer to my age who had gone out for their night out with the gals walked in. It was evident they had been drinking. I had gotten up to leave and when I was noticed got corralled to their table. I was not completely unaware what they were after if the opportunity arose and those seven women in their sun dresses were not at all shy about letting me see what was not all that hard to imagine. I do not know why I sat with them but as their hyperactivity turned to a more relaxed state I went to make my leave and asked if they could find their way back to their sleeping quarters. Their discussion turned to getting back to the condo plex they were staying at and getting their vehicle their as well, if they took the shuttle. I told them I would drive them if I could get a shuttle back; crazy how easily seven women could agree on this act of kindness. With that settled, the discussion turned to me and who I was and why I was there. I did not give much in the way of details but when I called my wife to tell her I was making sure a group of young ladies who had been out for a night on the town got home safely, the dynamics changed. With a smile I asked if they were ready and was told there was no rush. On the way across the valley we had to make two more stops at different evening establishments. Of the seven three were married, two had recently been divorced and and the last two were the reason they were there they were celebrating their engagements to their soon to be new husbands ones second and the others third respectively. Their condo was actually part of a resort which had its own night life of sorts and since I was now a part of their group, and their unspoken of protection from jerks who had already seen pretty much all they had to offer to a man I tagged along. That night the club was a bit on the rowdy side and something I was all too familiar with and I got the privilege to intervene upwards of three dozen times. The last time shut down the place when one of the women allowed a younger man to chat her up a little to closely and then when he tried to move in to take the prize for which he did not ask and just assumed that her wearing that short sundress along with her being friendly was an invitation.
By the time I put my hand on his shoulder his hands were inside her dress and working in tandem, one down from the top and the other fighting for an entrance between her thighs. I only saw the fear in her eyes as he tried to stand to face me. I stepped back and waited for what was coming next. This boy was big and had a good five inches to my six feet and was about to fall off the wagon. He swung and I pivoted and let him follow his fist which ended up on the dance floor. I pivoted back to see if my new friend was okay and knew by her look and the gasp from the crowd that he was up. I looked to see the bouncers moving our way when he tried to come at my back. Again I pivoted but grabbed his arm which held a knife and using his momentum sent him without the knife which I managed to release from his hand into the edge of a table mouth first. I caught the movement of another man coming at me and when he was in range the heel of my boot went into his knee dropping him immediately to the ground crying and whimpering. I just stood and waited with the knife under a foot until the bouncers arrived I held my hands up so they could see there was nothing in them. When the first one grabbed me several patrons of the club got vocal and I told the man he needed to calm down as the two men responsible for tonight's incident were subdued for the moment but would need medical attention and someone needed to call the real authorities. Pointing to the woman who had been sexually assaulted I told him she would also need to see a doctor and be examined.
I knew the drill when the uniformed officers arrived I held out my hands and let them cuff me. That was when the big boy decided to have another try, this time my foot went into his face. I was quickly escorted out and was followed by my seven companions who though still inebriated had sobered. I let the women explain to the officers how the whole evening went down which left the officer tasked with trying to take notes even more confused. When they were through I told the only women officer, while using my head to point, the cute petite blond one missing her shoes would need to see a doctor as the big old boy in there had gotten rough with her when he was trying to sexually assault her. Her eyes went wide and nodding said she would see to it. I saw the stripes on her arm and she gave only a few orders then the paramedics arrived and retrieved the big boy now being accompanied by a young woman who wanted the officers to arrest me and she tried to make her assault but was held back by two uniformed men who to subdue her had to put a matching pair of bracelets on her. Apparently she was in the bathroom when everything went down and I apologized to her for what she was going through but she should after tonight immediately dump the two timing jerk. She shut up as that comment started to work through the alcohol induced haze that clouded her thinking.
Once we were lead into the parking lot away from the crowds, I was turned over to two detectives not in uniform, one a woman who looked like she just rolled out of bed threw on some clothes, a cap and boots. I ran down the night for them back to my stop up in the small valley on the other side of the mountains. This detective asked why I did not just keep going and I told her it was probably my upbringing having been taught to treat women with respect. it was then the petite blond who had been fondled rather roughly realized what had been really going on and she loudly told the female officer that man had tried to rape her and thanks to the guardian angel who beat his ass he never got the chance. The detective told me it seemed someone was corroborating my story. I nodded and told her I realized if they did not take me into custody them two pompous rich boys who both would need surgery then therapy would cry foul but they needed to know I was pressing charges for them assaulting me with a deadly weapon in the knife that the man with the busted up face had had in his hand, but I also wanted some help as my wife's jeep was still back at the diner with all of my gear. The male detective told me rudely that was not their problem; his partner shook her head and said she would see to it. I asked if she had a Ziploc bag and when she got me one I emptied all his personal items from my pockets, took off my wedding band and then my belt buckle and put them in the baggie along with my phone and keys. I told her she could not miss it as it looked like I just drove it across the desert. When she made a note of everything I had given her she asked if there was anything else, I told her to please call his wife using my phone and tell her I was all right but would be late getting home for dinner and why. When she asked where I lived she had already pulled out my id and smiling she said I would have been late anyway.
Nodding I told her I was supposed to head home in the morning regardless if I had found a job in the area as our anniversary was in three days. I was then led toward a patrol car by the male detective who told me to be honest they all knew I wanted that little number for myself. Very loudly I politely told the man he was mistaken that know I had not been planning on sleeping with any of my seven new friends as real men do not treat women like pieces of meat and if he would be so kind as to keep his pig like opinions to himself I would appreciate it. The reaction was swift as I felt the jab to my kidney. Smiling as I dropped to the ground I also felt the kick to my ribs. Immediately the detective was pulled away from me.Trying to stand up I knew I had ribs broken and as pain shot through my torso I went back to my knees. One of the firemen seeing me go down a second time told the sergeant he bet I had broken or fractured ribs. The third ambulance which they had called for the assaulted woman, whose friends said they would make sure she got to see the doctor by way of the hotel shuttle was offered to me. I asked if I was going to be arrested and when asked if that mattered I nodded and said if they were not going to arrest me I would pass up the offer of the ambulance and the hospital. One of the paramedics told me I should go and I said I would get checked out but not at the prices the hospital would charge and a taxi would be cheaper than the bill the ambulance company would send me.
The woman detective came over and smiling told me today was not my day and then read me my rights; pointing to an officer she told him to make sure I got to the hospital in one piece aboard the ambulance. Looking at me she told my wife did not seem surprised and said I could make it up to her when I got out of jail.
No comments:
Post a Comment