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“Yes. I couldn’t lie about it. He would have felt bad if we’d—”
Her eyes move to Dawson, who kept giving her the look. He was the most egotistical guy I’d ever seen in my entire life. He strutted around like a gorilla, as if he were in charge of his own jungle. He thought he was God’s gift to everyone. I didn’t know how on earth Sarah could stand it. He looked as solid as a brick, and I would have bet he was as dumb as a fricken post too.
“You really are hilarious sometimes, Karly. But don’t worry, he’s probably just trying to figure out how he’s going to deal with all the sexual tension.” She laughed. “He’s probably got a hard-on that he needs to deal with every time you have dinner, the poor guy.”
I rolled my eyes at her teasing, and then I spotted Keith, my ex. He was coming at us with that look in his eye, the look that meant he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Shit. I didn’t like that look. His temper was inexcusable when he didn’t get his way.
He sidled up next to me in the booth. “Well, hey there, stranger. I’ve been meaning to call you up, girl. It’s been some time, and I want to ask you out to dinner. Sound cool? Just as friends, of course.”
He looked determined. Sarah didn’t like him, and she ignored his presence as he tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. My stomach did flips, knowing he would be forceful if I declined his date.
I found the strength. “Um, it’s kind of hard right now. I have a new job that requires long hours, so I’m working all the time. At the moment, I’ll have to say no. Sorry.”
“But you get time off, right?” His words went from casual to pushy. “I mean, you and Sarah are here right now, so you do get time off.”
My mouth dried up. When we were together, he always did this. He asserted his way and made me feel unsteady in our conversations. I didn’t know what to say. I was anxious and scared. He was a mean man. Thankfully, I hadn’t stayed with him long enough to know what that actually meant.
“Karly, you’re a fuckin’ tease. I can’t believe you’re still leading me on like this.” His words were angry and mean. I couldn’t cope with the way he was making me feel. I felt trapped in my seat, and my breath was becoming shallow.
Sarah gave him a look of discouragement. “You can’t force her to go. Please let us have our girls’ night.”
My heart raced as I listened to her words. I wasn’t happy that he was breathing down my neck, but I felt more than uncomfortable with Sarah speaking up against him. He raised his arm, and I thought he was going to hit me for a second. I closed my eyes, expecting it. His face was filled with a type of rage I’d seen before. It grew on him, flushing his cheeks and forehead. Then, like the douchebag he was, he placed it on his head and gave a narcissistic smile.
“I’m outta here,” he said, flipping us the finger. As he did it, the bouncer came over and grabbed his arm, obviously ready to escort him out. He flailed his arms, and the bouncer let him go, following his body with his eyes as he went through the exit.
I felt sick and needed to leave. I just wanted to get home and feel safe again. I didn’t like his tone. When I’d been dating him, my parents had had their doubts about him, too, especially when he’d strutted into their diner like he owned the place.
“I need to go, Sarah. I don’t feel great right now.”
Sarah looked over at the hot guys standing at the bar. I knew she was slightly annoyed by me wanting to leave, but I also knew she understood. I wasn’t one to get anxiety, but she could feel I needed a friend right now.
“Okay, honey. Let’s get outta here. The music sucks anyway. I know he’ll be here on Friday, perusing what’s on offer: me!”
We grabbed our bags, and Sarah got Raymond, one of the bouncers, to escort us out. Keith would have probably left by now, but we wanted to be sure. Sarah didn’t trust him, and neither did I. It wasn’t fun being treated like a doormat by a guy whose ego was over the top. Being domineering was in his DNA, and that wasn’t good when it sprouted out in the angry sense. He was the type of guy who would stalk someone, although, thankfully, he hadn’t done that to me.
“Karly, I’m going to come to your place tonight. I can’t be bothered to catch a cab until the morning. We can have ice cream and listen to eighties music for a while.”
