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Before she received an answer, she felt someone move to sit on the barstool beside where she was standing. The guy that bought her the drink was making his move.
She did not want to have to deal with this right now.
"Hey. You're new. I've never seen you in here before. I'm David. " He held out his hand.
She automatically put her hand in his. "Jenny. Thanks for the drink, David, but I don't think-- " The words stopped when she felt heavy hands drop to her shoulders from behind her. She was stunned that he could appear like that when just a second ago he was talking to someone else.
She felt Richard reach around her and push her drink toward David. "The lady doesn't want your drink. " Antagonism laced his words.
"You don't know that. She can decide for herself. " David sounded surly and inebriated.
"I do know that. She doesn't want it. " Jenny stood in shocked silence as the drama unfolded around her. She looked up and saw that Sabrina was just as engrossed in the interchange.
"Look, Bergeron, you can't just walk over here and-- "
"I can. She belongs to me. Now. You can walk over there and keep drinking and find someone else, or you can leave my bar. Your choice. But don't try it again with this one. Understand? "
Jenny saw the man look closely at Richard, then at her again. He answered. "Okay, man. I didn't know she was yours. No problem. " He picked up his drink and moved away.
Jenny remained frozen in silence. Anger at his arrogance pulsed through her. She was about to turn and complain when she saw the blonde walk up behind him. Oh, my God! This just kept getting better by the second.
She watched in the mirror as the blonde started pulling on one of his arms. Her words when she spoke were slurred. "Come on, Richard baby. I thought we were gonna have fun tonight. " She wobbled on her slutty shoes.
He let go of Jenny and reached out and steadied the woman. "Not tonight, Darlene. You're drunk. You need to go home. " He spoke gently to the woman. Then he turned to the bartender. "Sabrina, will you call a cab for Darlene, please? "
Rage like she had never known filled Jenny's mind. She felt like the top of her head was going to explode. She steeled herself and forced herself to speak in a moderate tone. "Yes, Sabrina, will you make that two cabs, please? I really need to get home, also. " The bartender turned away to use the phone down the bar.
Richard stiffened at her words. Darlene was still hanging on him. He turned and set her on a barstool and grabbed Jenny's hand and started pulling her toward his office. "I want to talk to you, " he barked.
Jenny wasn't going to cause a scene by falling to the floor and refusing to go with him. She knew he would literally drag her behind him if he had to. She called out to Sabrina. "Just knock on the door when my cab gets here, okay? " She barely heard the woman's agreement before being thrust into the room.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Jenny shook off his arm and
walked across the room. She took a stabilizing breath and turned to face him. He was leaning negligently against the door.
"What's this all about, Jenny? " His voice was calm and soothing.
Jenny saw the tactics he was going to use to try to get his way. Her resolve hardened.
"I'm going home. "
"Why? "
"I'm not going to have a fight with you. I don't need to explain myself. You know what you've done. If you don't know, then I guess you've got all the time in the world to figure it out, now don't you? " Her voice was dripping sugar.
He straightened himself to his full height at her words. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you threatening me, babe? " He advanced toward her.
She held her ground. "Stay away from me, Richard. " Her voice was alarmed, angry. Hysteria was not far from the surface. She didn't know what she would do if he touched her. She might hit him. Or she might melt in his arms. She stiffened her spine and braced herself.
He heard the panic in her voice. He stopped. He could see she was really upset. He needed to calm her. "Okay. I won't touch you. But you don't need to leave, sweetheart. We can talk about this. "
"I don't want to talk about it. " Her voice was shaky. "Not right now. I can't. I want to go home. "
"No. I don't want you to go home, I-- "
She cut him off. "No. You can't always have it your way, Richard. I want to go home. I th-think this is probably o-over, anyway. "
