Phillip Wolfe | Phobos (inclinedfear) wrote in paxletalelogs, @ 2011-10-08 13:48:00 |
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Entry tags: | eris, phobos |
She’s a Bad, Bad Girlfriend
Who: Charlie & Rylee
What: Drumroll, please - their first date.
Where: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar
When: Just after dark this evening.
Warnings: Swearing and violence.
Notes: Gdoc Holder! Complete!
Charlie tugged at the hem of the skirt for the umpteenth time, still unable to feel unexposed. The heels themselves were still fairly short, but she had no experience walking in any kind of heightened shoe, even with a few hours of practice pacing back and forth in her apartment. It always took the most extreme concentration, and the moment she got distracted, down she went, one time nearly cracking her head on the cold wood of her apartment floor.
Regardless, she’d piled it all on, even adding a little makeup, like how Cat had showed her. Nothing too extreme - she disliked the feeling of it on her face. It took longer to squeeze into the dress, the little black number that had been acquired for this outing; she’d actually had to bend in too many positions to get the zipper up all the way (and even then there was still an inch left, which she just hoped would be hidden by her long fall of dark brown hair). Last but not least was the little black clutch that gave her something to put her keys, wallet and cell phone in.
She felt awkward, strange, and completely unlike herself. If Rylee didn’t like it, she was going to hit him with one of her newly purchased heels.
When she noticed that it was 6:59, she grabbed her heels in hand and ran, in bare stocking feet, to the lobby; they had agreed to meet, agreed being a light way of putting it. Charlie was simply of the idea that he didn’t need to come get her, she could just meet him in the lobby and they could go, despite Rylee wanting to bring the whole pomp and circumstance into what was supposed to be a simple night out.
Quickly she put the heels on the floor and wedged her feet into them, standing in place near the wall so if she felt like she was going to fall, a hand out on a flat surface would save her. After a minute, she felt like it was a better idea to just lean against it, and while waiting for Rylee to come down in the elevator, she pulled out her phone for some amusement.
The elevator seemed to be taking even longer than usual. Rylee tapped his hand against his thigh nervously, clutching the single red rose he had bought for Charlie, and willed the elevator to descend faster. Back in his apartment he had straightened the tie he was wearing repeatedly, a dark blue shade with a silver pinstripe through it, and had stood in front of his bathroom mirror for a solid fifteen minutes looking to see if there were any fuzzes clinging to his suit jacket. It was rare that Rylee was thankful that he wore a suit for work. Typically when he would grow embarrassed the pants and heavy jacket made him feel even more uncomfortable. But in this instance, it was a blessing, because the dress shoes and dark suit was something he was familiar enough with that he was able to move with ease. He let out a nervous breath, feeling as if he was near fainting and suddenly the doors were swishing open on the ground floor.
And there she was. Rylee’s jaw dropped as his eyes settled on his girlfriend’s figure. Calling her that was something Rylee still wasn’t used to but seeing her in a dress and heels was something even more shocking. Unmoving, Rylee looked Charlie over and felt his knees grow weak. They hadn’t progressed since the morning that Charlie had woken in Rylee’s bed due to her issues with intimacy while sober but that didn’t mean Rylee hadn’t been undressing Charlie over and over again in his mind. With her legs showing, her feet in black heels and the dress clinging to her form, Rylee was tempted to drag her into the elevator and beg for sex.
The doors swished closed before Rylee made any movement and the ding of the the doors, plus the disappearing figure of Charlie, brought him back to his senses. “Oh,” Rylee said quietly, reaching out and hitting the open door button again before straightening his back and taking steps forward.
Yet again he was taken by Charlie’s wardrobe and the grumpy face she had on brought a smile to his lips. “You look...” he began but his words trailed off as he approached her, bending down and kissing her lips to hopefully remove her cranky expression. “You look so beautiful, Lee. Here, I got you this.” His voice quirked with nerves as he produced the rose to her, hoping desperately that she liked it and he had done this correctly.
She didn’t notice all of this activity, thoroughly distracted by an intense game of Snake on her phone. Charlie kept muttering small curses every time she managed to kill her snake, wondering just what sort of torture the game devs had in mind when they’d created the stupid thing. Then suddenly Rylee was standing nearby and she glanced up, a fool’s grin on her face. Pushing off of the wall, she leaned forward for his mouth, which made her feel completely giddy.
“Good, ‘cause I feel completely not like me. I think my ass is hangin’ out, an’ I couldn’t get the back to zip up all the way. S’like someone put a sack over me and shrunk it ‘til it didn’t need to be this tight,” she replied, irritated but the grin still lingering on her face. The rose was accepted, Charlie still trying to look happy and thankful even when she had no idea what the hell to do with a dead plant. “Thanks, Ryry,” she replied, and then decided to act grateful as well in stepping closer to him and wrapping the arm connect to the hand holding the rose around his neck, pressing a longer, deeper kiss on him.
Rylee pulled back, catching his breath and pressing his forward against Charlie’s as he made a lazy smile. “You look really good, Lee,” he replied lowly. A hand snaked around her small body and grabbed hold of her butt. Charlie gave a little gasp, though her mouth was curving in such a way that suggested she didn’t mind the manhandling at all. “No, your ass isn’t hanging out, unfortunately. Here, let me help with the zipper.” He pulled back, leaving a quick kiss on her forehead before circling her, all the while a hand still touching her body.
Brushing at her long hair he gave another kiss to her neck, finding it incredibly hard to keep himself from grabbing her, kissing her, he wanted any form of contact that was possible. With quick fingers, he pulled up the rest of the zipper before slinking an hand down Charlie’s bare arm and gripping her hand in his; she curled her own fingers with his, the feeling of their entwined hands had long since become a familiar and welcome sensation.
“Are you ready to go? The place we’re going to apparently has fantastic steaks and a nice bar.” He looked down to her, his eyes seeming to sparkle as he grinned at his girlfriend. He was happy they were taking his car simply because of the safety of it. But he couldn’t deny how wonderful she must look if she sat on her bike in that tight fitting, leg exposing dress. Charlie easily found herself grinning (and if she were to look at herself in this moment, she’d call the expression an idiot’s smile) up at Rylee. Even though their relationship had changed, it still felt like when they were kids - sneaking off to her dad’s garage to take a customer’s car for a joyride, or skipping out of class after much coaxing on her part.
“Yah bet yer lil’ tie I am,” she drawled back, trying to take a step toward him in an attractive manner - instead, her ankle twisted and she fell forward into him, catching herself with a hand on his other shoulder.
“These fuckin’ shoes,” she growled, struggling to her feet. “I swear, Ryry, if yah let go of me I’m gonna be all ends over ends and on the floor before yah could blink, I still don’t understand why people gotta wear these stupid things...” Charlie gave Rylee a little shove, encouraging him to walk in front. “Jus’....jus’ don’t let go of my hand, all right? An’ I think if yah walk in front, I can manage. Gonna be a goddamn free show is what I’ll be...”
Rylee attempted not to appear too happy at this welcoming of further touching. Despite that Charlie only asked for his hand, he slipped his arm around her waist and kept a light pressure of his hand on her hip, just in case she were to trip again. “You look really hot in those shoes, Lee,” he commented, giving a wink and making their way through the doors of the apartment as Rylee angled them towards the parking lot. He opened the passenger door for Charlie and helped her into the car before taking his own seat and putting the car in drive. The restaurant wasn’t too far away; a nice place with fancy dining and drinks and a decent bar. Somewhere connected to the establishment was a ball room of sorts where the sounds of a wedding reception could be heard.
Rylee gave his name and grinned when the hostess mentioned that they had the reservation for two. Yes, two, he and Charlie. It still thrilled him. The restaurant was busy, with what looked like a wedding reception in the corner, but even still Rylee and Charlie were given a rather nice table near the bar. Without question, Rylee moved towards Charlie’s seat and attempted to help her in it. “Is this table okay?” Rylee asked somewhat nervously.
Charlie somewhat grudgingly accepted Rylee’s help, plopping down on the chair in a less than graceful manner. Her legs spread to the side in her usual slouch, only with the dress it became an awkward pose that was a little too revealing - Charlie took no heed, instead curious about the fact that there seemed to be too much cutlery on the table. She quickly looked up from the three forks on the table to smile at Rylee, and ignore the strange look on the host’s face, though she did note that his eyes seemed to be having trouble staying away from her lap. Quickly she scooted the chair forward, though she didn’t alter her sitting position.
“Yeah, Ryry, this is great. What the hell is this for?” She picked up something that looked like a cross between a fork and a spoon, except it was absurdly small.
Rylee glared at the host as he moved away from their table and turned his eyes back to Charlie. Letting out a sigh he pulled at the cloth napkin and dropped it on his lap as his mother had taught him. Picking up his own small fork he inspected it for a moment. “It’s for mussels or oysters, I think. You use it to scoop them out of the shells.”
He placed his fork back down and smiled at Charlie until his eyes caught of her legs. A blush quickly spread over his cheeks and he glanced down at the table. Lowly he began to speak, “Um, Lee, I love the view but I don’t think everyone else should have the opportunity to see your goods.” Charlie gave Rylee a quizzical look, then glanced down at her own lap; with a quick and hopefully unobtrusive movement, she closed her legs and scooted her chair forward so her bottom half was hidden beneath the table cloth.
With a final blush of his cheeks he straightened in his chair and grabbed the drink menu. Giving a scratch to the back of his neck he frowned at the menu, never really sure about fancy dining or drinks. In the end, he and Charlie were very much two small town kids playing dress up. “Should we have wine or something with our meal?”
She was the last person to be asking about what to have with these ridiculous meals, at least in her mind. “I dunno know much about wine - we can’t jus’ have beer?”
Rylee frowned and looked back down at the drink menu. Pushing out his bottom lip he concentrated on the list for a moment before letting out a sigh and straightening in his chair. “Yeah, I don’t see why we can’t. They have beers listed here. Guinness, Oatmeal Stout, uh... Golden Ale? They don’t have anything like Budweiser though.” He looked up at Charlie and handed the menu over to her, the frown not disappearing from his face as he studied Charlie’s expression. He was starting to grow more and more nervous as they sat there. Slowly he was growing worried that Charlie wasn’t going to enjoy herself. Already she had complained of her wardrobe, seemed unimpressed by the silverware, and he wasn’t exactly sure she’d be happy to have these beer options.
She took the menu in hand, simultaneously taking note of his expression - Charlie was quite aware of how much Rylee wanted this date to go well, she just...felt extremely uncomfortable. Going to Chevy’s or Robin’s would have had the same effect on her - good, greasy food that wouldn’t have required this ridiculous get-up... But all the same, she resolved to try and enjoy this outing, if only for Rylee’s sake.
“How about some...Cabinet? Cabinet Frank?” She turned the menu so it was facing Ry and pointed to the Cabernet Franc that was listed under the reds. Charlie had little to no experience with wines - it wasn’t really the drink of choice at the bars she frequented - but she’d had to work through worse things than a date with her best friend. Quickly she tried a smile, trying to appear interested in the idea without overdoing it.
Rylee’s smile was soft, but it was there none the less as he was reassured slightly that Charlie wasn’t completely miserable. “Yeah, the Cabernet Franc goes well with meats!” He smiled at Charlie for that, knowing how much she liked steaks and the likes. “We can get that and get steaks or something!”
The busyness of the restaurant left Rylee and Charlie with the selection of menus and no waiter. It became apparent that they might be able to figure out everything they wanted and order the moment the waiter arrived. Happily, Rylee opened up his menu and looked it over. “I think I’d get the black angus steak. It sounds good.” Under the table he moved his feet, brushing against Charlie’s bare leg accidentally and creating a blush to his cheeks. He began to move his leg away but then realized it could remain there, gently touching Charlie, because it was okay to do this type of stuff now. “What do you want, Lee?”
Behind Rylee he could hear a group of drunk men moving to the bar from the wedding party. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that the men’s ties were loose and their faces red from drink, before turning back to his girlfriend. Smiling, Rylee moved his leg under the table again to rub his knee against her bare skin. Charlie took the opportunity to remove one of her shoes and purposefully run her foot up and down Rylee’s calf, pushing up his pant leg. A much happier smile blossomed on her face as she studied her own menu.
“I’ll jus’ have the same - that sounds pretty good,” she replied, letting the menu fall to the table top and giving him a raised brow combined with a knowing smile from across the table as her foot climbed a little higher. She had no interest in anything else in the restaurant, curious to see how far she could go before Rylee started to squirm. Being intimate in public was so much different than in private...
Rylee fought to keep the smile from his face. Instead, his cheeks grew pink as he bit his lip. Looking at Charlie with her form fitting dress and secretive smile only made Rylee blush even more. He felt her foot traveling up along his leg and he wanted her even more than any previous moment during the night. Multiple visuals of having sex with Charlie on the table, in the hall, in his car, even in the bathroom flashed through his mind and by the time the water walked up his face was a vivid red- straight to his blond roots.
“We’ll have the Cabernet Franc. Uh.. a glass each,” Rylee quickly said to the waiter, his voice a decibel higher than usual as his blushing continued. Clearing his throat he looked down at the menu again. “And, uh, the black angus steak for the both of us.”
Rylee let out a small breath, thinking he could try to compose himself and be left alone by the waiter but the waiter gave a bemused smirk before asking what sides they would like. “Mashed potatoes and corn,” Rylee replied as he closed his menu and looked at Charlie, his blush returning as he realized he was nearly undressing her with his eyes and mind. “Lee, what do you want?”
Her grin had grown exponentially as had Rylee’s blush, and she gave a light shrug to the question.
“Same, sounds fine,” she replied, not for a moment tearing her eyes away from her plaything seated on the opposite end of the table. Scooting backward in her chair, Charlie gave herself enough room to continue her foot’s path upward, gently pressing against her blond boyfriend’s thigh. The waiter glanced from one to the other, confusion crossing his face, before giving the apathetic compliment of a fine dinner selection, and that he’d return soon with their wine. Charlie’s foot had far other, more interesting distractions, and she dropped both of her arms to the top of the table, one hand propped up to settle against her chin.
“Somethin’ the matter, Ryry? Yah look...uncomfortable,” she drawled, slow and quiet, her appendage inching closer and closer to his crotch.
Rylee took in a deep, shaking breath but the blushing continued. “Not... uncomfortable... exactly...” He looked at Charlie with a certain hunger in his eyes that made clear just what he was feeling. “Not fair, Lee, not fair.”
A smirk played on Rylee’s lips for a moment before he made a quick movement of his hand, grabbing Charlie’s bare foot under the table and running a hand up the inside of her leg with a raise of his golden eyebrow. “Two can play that game,” He replied, voice low.
The waiter appeared with the two glasses of wine, making Rylee jump and his knees hit the table. The glasses of water that had been given to them, the silverware, and the candle placed in the center shook from the movement and the waiter raised an eyebrow. Rylee brought up one hand and accepted his wine, keeping a firm grip under the table on Charlie’s foot while making lazy circles with his thumb along her ankle.
He smiled at Charlie and gave a nod with his raised glass of wine before slowly bringing it to his lips and tasting it. It wasn’t half bad, rich and with the faintest taste of grapes.
She mimicked his action, the glass of wine held carefully in her tapering hand. It was an awkward position, her leg behind held outward, but the strength in his fingers made the muscles under her skin shiver with anticipation - something Rylee could no doubt feel. The wine was a little bitter tasting to her palate, having no experience with this particular alcohol; there really always was a first time for everything. Still, she schooled her face, knowing that after awhile liquor could make shit taste like ambrosia.
“Mmm,” she responded, never for a moment losing the staring contest they were participating in; the noise emanating from her throat could have been applied to her thoughts on the drink, or on what Rylee was currently doing to her foot.
“Yah gonna let me go?”
Rylee scooted his chair forward, placing his glass of wine down and reaching under the table again he ran his hand up the inside of her leg. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve got you for good, whether you like it or not.” He grinned at her, not taking away his gaze, and despite the pride he felt for making her quiver, it wasn’t doing him much help in trying to stay calm.
The smile on her face tempered a little, though not out of fear; his words obviously held an underlying meaning, one that even someone as thickheaded as Charlie could comprehend. Rather than being wicked and sexual, her mouth turned kind, and for a moment she wished she were sitting next to him instead of across from the table. So often all she wanted to do was touch him, lay her head on his shoulder, lay on him, just be near him. Instead, she pushed her leg forward, against his hand, and found his grip to be unmoving and solid.
“Good,” was all she said in reply, putting her hand out on the table to take his.
“Good,” Rylee repeated with a nod. He withdrew one hand and reached across the table for Charlie’s own hand, giving it a brief squeeze. Lessening his grip on her foot, he placed it on his lap and leaned back in his chair with a lingering smile.
With a clatter of noise, two waiters approached the table to serve the couple their dinner: black angus steaks that were still steaming and juicy. The sides to their meal placed near the plates of their main dishes. Dinner was served, the wine still chilled, and Rylee hoped Charlie would enjoy the date much more now that she had meat to eat. With a grin, Rylee took his fork and knife and cut into his steak.
“Guh, that smells great,” she nearly exclaimed, letting her voice ring a little too loudly. A few patrons from other tables glanced over, but Charlie paid them no mind, instead entirely focused on the wonderful smelling steak that was being placed in front of her. Picking up one of the forks (the salad fork, to be precise), she jabbed it into the meat and started sawing with her left hand, somewhat awkwardly. The slice that came away was huge, and instead of concentrating on cutting a smaller piece, Charlie simply put one end in her mouth and gnawed with her teeth - thankfully, the meat was well cooked and parted into her hungry stomach without too much fuss.
The patrons surrounding the table were, however, quite put off by Charlie’s fervor in consuming her meal, as a small cloud of whispers sprang up. Several diners put down their cutlery and raised napkins to their mouths in a dramatic show of distaste.
Rylee, unfortunately, was witness to his girlfriends eating habits. How could he not be? He had eaten meals with her nearly every day since they were in ninth grade. He knew exactly how she ate: like a ravenous animal. He had grown used to her gnawing of food many years before; what he wasn’t used to were the looks of disgust coming from people around him.
Shifting in his seat, Rylee glanced about him and made eye contact with many of the other restaurant patrons. Many had the decency to look embarrassed and go back to their own meals but some continued to stare. Slowly, Rylee felt a blush growing on his cheeks as he gripped his fork and knife, unsure of what to do. He didn’t want to tell Charlie to straighten up and eat correctly because this was Charlie - he wouldn’t change her. But the stares of the other guests had to stop. Rylee simply was not sure how.
Before finishing the first bite, she added a second, the juices of the steak running down her chin. Charlie made a yummy noise, glancing over to Rylee to prove her enjoyment of the evening, before she noted his discomfort.
“What?!” Giving him a wide eyed, curious look, she glanced around, noting how everyone was staring at their table. Leaning forward, she covertly whispered. “What’re they starin’ at?”
Rylee dropped his face, staring at his plate as his blush spread and made the tips of his ears pink. “Um,” Rylee muttered, unsure of how to say this without upsetting Charlie. He didn’t want her to feel embarrassed or anything. “I think they’re just watching you eat... they’re... they’re kind of like... rich snobs. You know. They have a very specific and delicate way of eating stuff.”
“Oh, is that all?” Charlie shrugged her shoulders, and leaned back in her seat. Then she quickly leaned forward again, her hands holding her fork and knife pressed to the table top. “Fuck ‘em, Ry, we’re here to enjoy ourselves, right? This is a damned good steak,” she whispered, smirking before releasing the knife and picking up her wine glass. The taste was much smoother this time, curling around the meat and adding more flavor.
“Damn, that’s really good! We gotta do this at home,” she continued, letting loose a small burp, before picking up her napkin from its place on the table and quickly swiping at her face. “I mean the steak an’ the wine. I didn’ think it’d be so good!”
A small smile appeared and Rylee’s shoulders relaxed a little. The burp made him cringe internally but Charlie was completely right. They were having a good time and if the other patrons didn’t like it, well, fuck them. “We can try to have a stay at home date night next time,” Rylee replied with his smile quickly developing into a grin. “We’ll get wine and I’ll make the steaks. You can... defrost those ready-made cheesecakes.” Charlie swallowed her food and stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend, though the prospect of not having to do much in the kitchen enticed her like no other.
He winked at Charlie and returned to his meal, cutting into the meat and continuing to eat, his nerves temporarily at ease. Still smiling, he waited until his mouth wasn’t filled with food. “We could dress up... or maybe not... and sit next to each other. You could keep your feet on my lap the entire time.”
“Aw now yer jus’ tryin’ to butter me up,” she replied, stuffing her mouth full of another piece of steak. This time, she remembered to swallow before she spoke. “Though I like the idea of jeans and sittin’ on yer couch, eatin’ this stuff. Now that’s what I call fancy.” Grinning, she popped another piece of meat into her mouth, followed by a spoonful of mashed potatoes.
This evening was going just fine entirely, and Charlie scooted her chair forward, released her other foot from it’s heeled imprisonment, and put both on Rylee’s lap, since he seemed so eager for the contact. She was making headway through her food like a locomotive, though where she was putting it all away in her skinny frame was another question entirely. At least the dress remained unstained, as far as one could tell, though black hid almost everything...
Rylee finished cutting up the remaining pieces of his steak before slipping his left hand under the table again and resting it on Charlie’s bare feet. He was happy, really happy; in fact every day he realized that he had exactly what he had always wanted he was even more happy.
The food was fantastic and the wine tasted great. Rylee noticed how quickly Charlie was eating and took it as a good sign. His meal was also disappearing fast; as was his wine. Feeling full, he ate the last few bites of his meal and let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. “That was really good. This place isn’t half bad,” Rylee commented with a lazy smile. Music was accompanying their dinner from the wedding; a slow waltz-like tune that surely had all of the couples on the dance floor. It was nice and relaxing, made even more so by Rylee’s full stomach and being in the close vicinity of his girlfriend.
Shoving the last bit of food into her already well-filled mouth, Charlie somehow managed to chew and swallow. She gave a contented sigh, already feeling the beginnings of a food baby with the amount she’d eaten - but the sudden strains of the waltz perked up her ears. Her mouth gave a slow grin, one that preceded every time she was about to drag Rylee into something potentially criminal.
“Wanna dance?”
Rylee grinned and threw his cloth napkin on the table. “If you think you can walk in those heels some more.” He slipped her feet off of his lap and stood up with a brush of his hands down his suit pants. Circling the table, Rylee offered Charlie his hand and jokingly gave a little bow. “I’ll keep ya from trippin’.”
“Yah better,” she responded tartly, though there was a wry look in her eye. Slipping her feet back into their shoes, Charlie rose with Rylee’s help. Then her concentration went toward proving to him that she was perfectly fine in the shoes, as she dragged him (not without some wobbling) through the tables and into the small, cornered off section of the wedding reception. Then they were mixed with the crowd of dancers, indistinguishable from the wedding party itself.
“Ok, so...s’like Prom, I guess, yer hands go here,” and she grabbed both of Rylee’s appendages, moving them to her waist, their weight warm and slightly heavy, though not unwelcome, “an’ mine go here.” Resting her own on his shoulders, she quickly found herself sliding them around his neck, scooting in closer for both stability with her ridiculous shoes and the desire to simply be nearer to him. Her face titled upward, smiling almost giddily as her body began to rock back and forth to the melody.
Rylee’s hands rested on Charlie’s hips for a moment before getting more of a firm grip. One hand began to travel up her side, brushing over her tiny waist and the side of her ribs. Tipping her face up further, Rylee kissed his girlfriend for a span of seconds before pressing his forehead to hers. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he muttered with a grin as they shifted back and forth amongst the wedding party. Everyone seemed too drunk to notice the wedding crashers amongst them. Rylee and Charlie were certainly not the best dancers around but they tried and didn’t look embarrassing. They were supposed to move with the music, at least that’s what Rylee’s parents had always advised while they were taking ballroom dancing classes when Rylee was a child. He’d watch from the living room couch as his parents would waltz through the room and into the kitchen. He had wanted to look that happy and loving with someone one day. Unbeknownst to Rylee, he had that look now. “You know, these heels make you less than a full foot shorter than me.”
“Always teasin’ me about my height.” Despite the annoyed remark, Charlie was still grinning, pressing herself as close to Rylee as she could get while they rocked back and forth to the music. The only other time they’d ever done something like this was senior Prom, and even then they’d been something of party crashers. But if this was the sort of thing that boyfriends and girlfriends did, well, it wasn’t that bad, not in Charlie’s mind. It felt wonderful, especially since she was doing these things with her best friend. Without thinking about it, she was kissing him again, a quick one like he had kissed her, and then she put her head on his shoulder, face tucked into his neck.
Resting his cheek on the top of Charlie’s head, Rylee continued to rock her back and forth to the music until it ceased. Someone with a mic announced the cutting of the cake and Rylee straightened up. “Time for our exit,” he whispered into Charlie’s ear. Taking her hand he led her away from the dance floor and out into the dining area. The drunks that were previously at the bar were far gone by this point, slouched on one another and yelling at passers by. Rylee, true to his nature, tried to avoid their gaze but sure enough he heard their cat calls become directed at Charlie.
She was stumbling after Rylee with as much caution as she could manage; the shoes were as treacherous as ever, but her ears perked upon hearing the words that were so obviously directed to her.
“Hey baby, why don’t you come hang out with us?”
“Yeah, screw that blond later, the real party’s over here!”
“You, yeah, you in the little black dress, you know we’re talking to you!”
One even pressed forward, moving to impede their exit path. Not the sort of girlfriend to hide behind a stronger male, Charlie pushed around Rylee, though still latched on to his hand for fear of falling.
“The hell is yer problem, asshole? Go back to the pit yah crawled out of!”
“Oh, listen to this one, she’s a goddamn firebrand! C’mon, sweetheart,” he started, moving forward with unsure steps, “don’t worry about this one, we’ll show yah a good time.” One of his hands was reaching out to touch Charlie on the shoulder, something she was anticipating; his mouth smirked, so completely sure of himself. Her free hand was already balled into a fist, ready to make contact the moment he reached her.
Rylee dropped Charlie’s hand and stepped forward. “Leave her alone, asshole,” he growled at the drunk. The other drunks stepped forward, smiling and stinking of beer. The present one, standing in front of Rylee, attempted to reach around him to grab Charlie, and Rylee gave him a firm push. “I said leave her alone.”
She watched with wide eyes as Rylee did the exact opposite of what she was used to him doing. Rather than hang back, afraid and unsure, he was stepping into the role of protector. Mixed feelings batted around in her mind over this: she was so used to being the one that fought, the one that made sure he was safe, so she immediately felt annoyed that he was assuming she needed to be stood up for, at least this time. The other half of her mind was, well, definitely turned on.
“And what if I don’t want to? What if she doesn’t want me to?” The drunk leered back at Rylee, moving forward into the other man’s personal space. Those also in his group began to fan out, the beginnings of something that was uncalled for in the dining space already started.
In the corner of her eye, Charlie could see a host on the phone, potentially already phoning the police.
“I think she already made it abundantly clear that she wants you to leave her the hell alone,” Rylee replied with his hands curling into fists. “Go back to your booze and leave us the hell alone.” The way Rylee spoke, it was as if there was no other option for the man. The only thing he could do at that moment was turn around and leave. Rylee was angry, very angry; this was the long awaited date that he had planned to a T. He wasn’t about to let some drunk ass ruin his time with Charlie. A part of Rylee wanted to drag Charlie back to the wedding reception and continue dancing with her; but a much more vivid part wanted to hit this man square in the nose.
Teeth ground into her bottom lip as Charlie decided to take matters into her own hands. Giving Rylee a light shove to move to the side, she stepped back in front of him, perfectly ready to give this asshole a piece of her mind. But the moment she did so, the drunk’s attention latched back onto her and his hand shot out to grab her arm.
“See, I knew she wanted to play,” he sneered, jerking Charlie forward and off balance. She grappled with his arm for a moment, trying to free herself. Rylee’s eyes grew wide as Charlie flailed and the drunk made a successful grin. His fist was moving forward before he could quite think through what he was doing. It connected with the drunks jaw and snapped the mans head to one side. Rylee could feel his fist connecting with the teeth that were hidden behind the mans cheek and all too quickly the drunk was bleeding from the mouth and stumbling back. Rylee’s body was nearly shaking with rage. He wouldn’t allow anyone to be grabbed at like that; especially Charlie.
She lost all balance and stumbled backward as the drunk’s grip was lost as Rylee socked him in the jaw. Her eyes went wide again, but then she was hitting the ground on her ass, nearly falling into a chair. A loud oof emanated from her throat, accompanied by a very pissed off look that screamed she was going to make someone pay for her injury. Grabbing a hold on the same chair, she pulled herself to her feet, but before she could enter the fray the drunk was back up and looking to return the favor bestowed upon him.
He took a swing at Rylee, which was wide and inefficient since it was hampered by all the alcohol he’d consumed. By the host’s podium, two cops were entering the scene.
Rylee was focused on two things: the drunk and Charlie. Seeing her fall only heightened his anger. He dodged the oncoming swing and pushed the man in the direction he had seemed to be going, watching briefly as he stumbled out of his way. Quickly, Rylee turned to Charlie with a panicked look and reached for her. “Are you okay? Did he push you?” But the drunk could be heard as he turned on his staggering feet and aimed his attention for Rylee again.
That was when Rylee noticed the cops. The two cops who had grabbed the drunk making another swing at him and were now glaring at the new couple. “Oh no,” Rylee muttered, a hand coming to rest on Charlie’s hip as he still tried to make sure she was standing straight and all right.
Charlie was ready to surge forward and rip Rylee’s attacker a new one - and she did, using the fact that he was being held in check by police officers to her advantage. Her fist connected with his nose, probably breaking it, and the next thing she knew, she was being grabbed by the other police officer. She protested loudly as he ordered her to calm down. The next thing she felt after that was cuffs being slapped on her wrists.