Being an introvert, I’m not big on crowds. They exhaust me and I get overwhelmed easily, even more so since I’ve been a bachelor, but I’ll stay for an hour or so, hang out, talk, and then head home.
I’m getting better at socializing. Up until a year ago I was pretty much a hermit. But it wasn’t healthy and I knew I was depressed. I had to make some changes and start living my life again as best I could. Easier said than done, but, baby steps.
“Hey, ten o’clock,” one of my other coworkers, Aaron, says, gesturing with a nod across the bar.
I turn my head to find an incredibly attractive woman eyeing me. She has long brown hair that falls in waves over her shoulders and a fair complexion. She’s wearing a form-fitting green dress that stops a few inches above her knees and is showing off her cleavage. Her friends sit with her and cast glances at my friends and me before turning back to her and whispering.
“She’s been staring at you since you walked in,” Carlos says, and nudges me.
I just take a sip of my beer and turn back to the game. I honestly don’t know shit about football, nor do I care to learn, but it seems far more interesting to me than trying to make small talk, or even worse, flirt.
“Are you serious?” Aaron gapes at me. “You’re not gonna go over there?”
I shrug. “Not tonight.”
“Dude, she’s fucking you with her eyes.” Carlos laughs a little. “You have to go say hi at least.”
I shake my head. “I’m good, guys.”
“Damn, what a waste.” Aaron bites his lip and glances over at the woman. “Fuck it.” He takes a long swig of his drink and then sets it on the bar before striding over to the woman and her friends.
Carlos and I watch, smiling and shaking our heads.
“He’s got balls, I’ll give him that,” Carlos says, then turns back to me.
“Hey, you okay?” he asks.
“Sure,” I reply with another shrug.
“Well, you know you can talk to me, if you want to. I’m not trying to push you into anything, I promise. I just want you to be happy.”
I nod, but I think I gave up on happiness a long time ago.
* * *
A little over an hour later I say goodnight to my coworkers and head for the door. I stuck to soda after my initial beer so I wouldn’t have to worry about driving home.
The warm air hits me as I step outside. It’s September in Georgia which means it’s humid and muggy. I reach for my keys in my pants pocket, but get distracted by what sounds like a scuffle from around the corner in the alleyway. I make my way over and am horrified to see three men in their mid to late twenties messing with a slightly younger looking man. They have him pressed up against the wall and one punches the younger man in the stomach while the other two hold him.
“Hey!” I growl. “What the hell is going on here?”
The three men pause and the one who just landed the punch backs away, but the other two don’t let go of the younger one. As I step closer, I see that there’s blood dripping from his nose and his face is bruised, the beginnings of a black eye forming already. He’s filthy from head to toe, in a hoodie and jeans that are clearly three sizes too big for him, but despite the fact that he’s obviously in pain, there’s mischief in his eyes.
“I’m fine, grandpa,” he wheezes.
“Hear that?” one of the other guys says. “He’s fine.”
“Get the fuck out of here before I call the cops,” I say.
“We’re not going anywhere until we get our money back,” the same guy as before replies with a snarl.
I sigh and turn to the boy pressed up against the wall, his thick red hair falling across his forehead. He smirks and shrugs. He’s so much smaller than these guys I can’t believe he managed to withstand anything they doled out.
“You stole from them?”
“Genius deduction, old man.”
Okay, smart aleck. “Wanna give them their money back?” I use my Dad voice, making sure he knows it’s not a question.
