Rule (7 page)

Shaw was standing by the bar .  It
was crowded but her white blond hair was unmistakable.  So was the fact that
she looked stressed and freaked out while a guy in a white polo shirt crowed
her into the edge of the bar.  He had a hand on her shoulder and was leaning
down into her face, and whatever he was saying made her look like she wanted to
punch him in the nuts or puke on his shoes.  I’d never seen the look of panic
on her face like that before; she was normally so cool and unflappable that
against my better judgment I was climbing to my feet.  I wasn’t the type to
give two shits about a damsel in distress, but this damsel I knew for a fact
could take care of herself and if she looked like she was struggling, despite
how I felt about her I was going to intervene.  “I’ll be back in a second.”

Since I was tall and had a good portion
of visible skin covered in designs that cried ‘don’t mess with me’ I didn’t
have to worry about people in the crowded bar moving out of my way.  When I got
close enough her eyes snapped to me and I was pretty sure I saw relief flood
into the sparkly green depths.  Polo shirt leaned in even closer to her and I
thought I heard him say something about how things were going to look when he
went home alone over winter break.  I saw her stiffen and try to pull away but
polo shirt just moved in to more fully keep her pinned against the bar.

“I don’t care what my mother told
you, Gabe.  We’re over; I have no interest in going to Aspen with you or your
family.  Stop calling me and stop showing up where I’m at.”

“Baby, we’re meant for each other
and once you stop being stubborn you’ll see how great we could be together.”  I
hated guys that called girls baby.  Baby was what you used when you didn’t
remember the girls name or you were just too lazy to come up with your own
nickname for her.

She wiggled a little more and I
noticed the way the guy’s followed the deep vee of her revealing outfit.

“Let go of me Gabe.  I didn’t want
to be with you like that when we were dating, I sure as hell don’t want to be
with you like that now.  Leave me alone.”

Polo shirt got red in the face at
her blatant rejection.  He was about to lean even farther into her, about to
put his other hand on her when I reached out and grabbed her wrist and tugged
her free.  Polo shirt was a good four inches shorter than me so I tucked Shaw’s
small frame under my arm and glared at him over the top of her head.

“Sorry I’m late Casper.”  Without
missing a beat she put an arm around my waist and practically collapsed into my
side.  I had used the nickname to tease her when we were younger because her hair
was almost white and knew she hated it, now it sounded intimate and personal
like we had some kind of secret polo shirt wasn’t in on.

“No problem.  I’ve got an hour or
so left of my shift can you hangout until I’m off?”  Her eyes were pleading
with me to play along but I was too busy wondering why my side felt like it was
on fire where we touched.

“No problem, who’s your friend?”

Polo shirt was glaring at me and
turning an alarming shade of red.  He didn’t even give Shaw a chance to
respond.

“I’m her boyfriend, Gabe
Davenport.  Who are you?”

Shaw went stiff next to me and I
felt her fingers clutch the back of my shirt.

“Gabe this is Rule Archer, Rule
that’s Gabe my EX boyfriend, only he’s having a hard time getting the ex-part
down.”

“Shaw, get away from him.  What are
you thinking?  You can’t possibly think anyone is going to believe you would go
from me to someone like him, can you?  Just look at him, he’s a mess.”

I was immune to the someone like
him tactic, I heard it all the time but apparently Shaw wasn’t.  She bristled
like a wet cat and made a move like she was going to poke the guy in the chest
but I wrapped her back up against my side and subtly tried to calm her down by
rubbing a hand up and down her bare arm.

“I’ve known Rule most of my life,
Gabe.  I could care less what he looks like because he isn’t anybody’s puppet
and the same thing cannot be said about you.  Don’t think you can stand there
and judge him or judge me, not when you’re practically stalking me and trying
to bully me into a relationship by manipulating my parents because you know
they like you.  Ayden is here and you can bet your ass if she saw you she’s
going to go get Lou.  Lou doesn’t like to see his girls upset so unless you
want a scene that I’m sure you’ll never live down go away and don’t come back. 
You can call my mom, talk to my dad all you want, I don’t want to be with you
and nothing is going to change that.”

He looked like he was gearing up to
keep fighting but there was a sudden surge towards the bar knocking Shaw even
further into my embrace and I took full advantage by pulling her small frame
completely in line with mine.  The girl was rocking some serious curves and I
wondered what in the hell I had been smoking to miss it right up until then.

“We got a problem bro?”  She pulled
away from me slightly with a scowl and put her hands in the center of my chest
to get a little space.

“Yeah, bro we do, but now isn’t the
time or the place and I don’t have time to mess around with a peon like you. 
Shaw I’ll see you later, this isn’t done.”

He shoulder checked me and sent us
a double glare as he pushed around us.  I gave Shaw a squeeze and let her take
a step back but kept my hands loosely at her waist.  I was watching polo shirt
walk away and trying to catch Nash’s eye over her head.  She let out a breath
that fluttered against my throat and sent a chill running across my skin.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.  That guy needs to get
a clue.”  Nash finally looked up and I jerked my head toward the door where
polo shirt had just exited.  He gave me a slight nod and said something to
Rowdy and Jet which had the two of them climbing to their feet as well.  I saw
Shaw’s dark haired roommate hanging by the door with a mountain of a man.  She
gave my friends an odd look as they filed out the door but didn’t say
anything.  I dug my AMX out of my wallet and put it in Shaw’s hand.  Her luminous
eyes were watching me curiously.

“Close our tab out on that, will
ya?  I’ll be back in just a second.”

She took the card and fell back a
step.  I tried not to notice what it did to her chest when she crossed her arms
over her breasts.

“Where are you going?”

“To run an errand.”

“Leave Gabe alone, Rule.  He isn’t
like you and Rome.  He was born to be a politician.  Threats and intimidation
don’t mean anything to a guy like that, just forget about him.  The idea that I
would leave him for a guy with tattoos and purple hair is enough of a blow to
his ego to get him to leave me alone for a while, trust me.  Besides I’ll talk
to Lou the bouncer, if I tell him that Gabe is harassing me they’ll 86 him for
good.”

“Look Rome would kick my ass to
Nebraska if he found out some douche bag was giving you trouble and I didn’t
say something, plus I hate guys that think they can just do whatever they want
to a girl because he has an in with the parents.  I’ll be back in a second,
just close our tab and hold on to the card in case you have to bail one or all
of us out of jail.”

I thought it was funny but she
didn’t even crack a smile.  She was just looking at me like I had suddenly
grown another head and I needed to get a move on it before the asshat left.

“It’ll be fine, Shaw.  Seriously, I
got this.”

I set her fully away from me and
moved around her to follow the guys out the front door.  The pretty roommate
caught my eye and lifted a brow.  “Maybe you have redeeming qualities after
all, Archer.”

I flipped her off, because well
that’s what I do and made my way to the edge of the block where Nash and the
boys were leaning against a white Lexus.  A very nervous looking polo shirt was
pacing back and forth in front of them threatening to call the cops waving his
I-Phone around and asking repeatedly if they had any idea who his dad was.  I
tucked my hands in my front pockets and cocked my head to the side.  I could
see why Shaw’s parents were all about this guy, he was alright looking if you
went for a dude that looked like Banana Republic threw up all over him.  He
actually had coloring similar to mine, dark hair minus the purple and spikes,
and light blue eyes, but he oozed entitlement and vanity in a way only the idle
rich could.  He was custom made to be the husband that had a piece on the side
while the pretty wife smiled for the cameras during election time, and while my
relationship with Shaw tended to be tumultuous at best, I knew on a soul deep
level that she deserved better than whatever this slime ball was selling.

“Hey polo shirt slow down a minute
I just wanna talk to you for a second.”  He was in the middle of telling Nash
that he was going to sue him for this or that and that his dad was judge so
they would throw the book at him when he finally noticed I joined the party. 
He lowered his wildly flailing arms and glared at me.

“I know who you are, you know. 
Shaw might think she’s clever but she has a picture of all three of you boys in
her room on her nightstand and her parents have told me multiple times about
her unhealthy attachment to you and your family.  Her father has even
threatened to stop paying for school for her if she keeps showing such
questionable judgment in who she spends time with, this little encounter might
just seal the deal.”  I had to give the creep credit.  On my own I was a fairly
intimidating guy, surrounded by guys that were just as big and a hell of a lot
more used to physical violence than he obviously was, the little puke held his
ground.  “I don’t know what her fascination with a freak like you is, but it’s
time for her to outgrow it.  She belongs with someone like me, not someone that
can’t go through a metal detector without clearing out their face.”

Nash snickered and Rowdy laughed
outright. I just shook my head a little and lifted up my mouth in a twisted
grin.  “I think she belongs with someone more interested in getting into her
pants than into her daddy’s wallet.  Shaw’s a good girl and she has a good head
on her shoulders.  The fact she wouldn’t let you even round first base in six
months is pretty telling bro.  From the sounds of it you would have better luck
taking her folks on a date than her.  Look she’s like family and I don’t like it
when people mess with my family.  This is a friendly little chat because we’re
on a public street and I’m feeling generous, next time it won’t be public and
my generosity has a time limit.  Leave her alone, end of story.”

He looked like he wanted to argue,
wanted to say something back put the mountain of a human being that was clearly
the bouncer for the bar came around the corner.  He looked at the guys on the
car and the heated polo shirt and shook his head.

“Enough.  You four go back in,
Ayden told me what was going on so your tab is on me.  You,” he pointed a meaty
finger at Gabe.  “You are no longer allowed at the Goal Line, consider yourself
86’ed.  If Shaw doesn’t want you here I don’t care how much you got in your
wallet or what kinda pull your old man has this is my house and you aren’t
welcome.  Next time you want to get all up on one of my girls, put your hands
on them you won’t have to worry about these guys because I’ll make sure they
never find your body, understand?”

Even I didn’t question that this
monster meant business so polo shirt gulped and nodded his head slightly.  My
boys pushed off the car and Nash ‘accidentally’ shoved into him as they made
their way over to where I was standing.  Gabe swore and jumped into his car. 
He pulled away from the curb and flipped us all the bird as he squealed into
traffic.  The bouncer looked me up and down and flicked his impassive gaze over
our motley crew.

“You friends with Shaw?”

I mean we weren’t friends exactly
but it was as close as any other explanation so I shrugged and answered,
“Sure.”

He nodded.  “I’m Lou.  I look out
for the girls that work here, Shaw and Ayden just happen to be two of my
favorites.  They’re good girls; work hard here and at school.  They aren’t here
just to show their asses and get into trouble and I respect that.  I don’t let
anyone mess with those two; in fact I take it personally when someone tries to.”

I wasn’t sure why he was telling me
all this but frankly he was one scary mother so I kept my mouth shut and just
kept making eye contact.

“Shaw is a sweet kid but she tries
to do too much by herself and if that asshole keeps bothering her she’ll just
suffer it in silence.”  Now he was looking at me pointedly so I lifted an
eyebrow.  “I wanna know if something needs to be done about him.”

“Shaw and I aren’t exactly close
like that.  She wouldn’t tell me something like that.  You might want to have
this talk with her roommate.”

“I’m having it with you, son.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to
that but just as I was about to say something sarcastic back the doors to the
bar opened and the middle aged guys in the jerseys came spilling out and got
between us.  Lou gave me one last direct look that I couldn’t help but take as
him meaning business and went back inside.  I looked back at my friends and
sorta threw my hands up in the air.

“See what you miss when I go out of
town on Sunday?”

All three of them burst into
laughter and Jet decided it was time for us to move onto another bar so I had
to run in and get my card from Shaw.  The guys pitched in ten bucks each for me
to give her as a tip so I wound my way back to the bar where she was talking to
another waitress; this one had honey-gold colored hair and was dressed in the
cheerleader uniform.  Shaw stopped midsentence and looked at me through narrow
eyes, I grinned at her and handed her the money.  “You bouncer friend picked up
our tab but the boys wanted to make sure you got taken care of.”