Sunday Morning (Damaged #7.5)
By: Bijou Hunter
Walking down one of the main streets in town, I passed fast food places. They were air conditioned, and I had enough cash to buy a small soda. If I could find one not overflowing with screaming kids, I’d sit in a corner and read until near sundown. The plan was so simple yet alluring.
McDonalds and Burger King had kiddie areas, so they were full of moms and children hiding from the heat. I kept walking, but every place was crowded.
After thirty minutes of walking, I remembered how the community center typically only drew in the town’s seniors. I figured old people were quieter than toddlers, so I began walking that direction.
I wasn’t dressed to be noticed. I wore a plain white t-shirt and baggy jeans. My clothes still clung to my sweaty body, thereby gaining the attention of a bored perv at a gas station. He tried to make small talk, but I ignored him.
“Don’t be like that,” he said, following me.
Years earlier, I’d learned how talking to horny men only encouraged them. This guy had nothing better to do, so he kept following. When I stopped at a light and stared straight ahead, he stood too close to me.
“Are you deaf?” he asked, still smiling.
His hand brushed the side of my face. I instinctually swung around and hit him with my backpack. My temper never considered the damn consequences. The guy wasn’t big, but I backed away from him while holding my pack in front of me.
“You’re a little bitch,” he growled, clearly unsure how to handle the situation.
People nearby laughed at how I nailed him with my pink, flowered backpack. His ego bruised, the guy needed to react somehow. If I were a better bullshitter, I’d have talked him down. I could have apologized, put on my sad, little girl face, and told him I was just really scared. Hell, I should have pretended I didn’t know English.
My temper didn’t allow me to back down even though I was scared. In fact, I’d gotten my ass kicked a few times. Pain wasn’t something I embraced. My neighbor fought with people regularly and walked around with constant black eyes. Nothing fazed the bitch, but I wasn’t jaded like her.
My heart beat so loudly in my ears that I didn’t hear the traffic nearby, let alone the roar of the Harley. The asshole had spotted Kirk before I did. He also put together the situation faster. I was still shaking like an angry leaf when I turned to find Kirk’s idling Harley behind me on the sidewalk.
Kirk never said a word before the guy panicked and ran away. Still shaking and confused, I stared at Kirk.
“Every time I turn around, you’re starting shit with someone,” he said, fighting a smile. “Want me to chase him down and let you beat him with your backpack?”
“Sure,” I mumbled in a shaky voice. “How did you find me?”
“I’ve been following you all day.”
Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “Sure.”
“Good timing, I guess. Or maybe I just sense when crazy little girls are about to go feral on a poor schmuck.”
“The asshole touched me.”
Kirk never lost his smile, but his jaw clenched.
“Are you jealous?” I asked, feeling confident despite my still shaking hands.
“Sure. I’ve been dreaming about you hitting me with a backpack for weeks.”
Laughing, I backed away. “I better go before it gets dark.”
“Won’t be dark for hours. Where are you going?”
For whatever reason, I didn’t want to tell him about the community center. I felt stupid for wandering around as I had been.
“I was bored, so I took a walk.”
“We’re four miles from your place. That’s a long fucking walk.”
“My boyfriend lives around here so…”
Not buying my attempt to play him, Kirk shook his head. “Your boyfriend is a punk. I heard he’s cheating on you too, babe. Gotta get you some higher standards.”
Smiling, I admired the sight of him looking so powerful on his Harley. His dark blond hair shined in the late afternoon sun, and his dark eyes hid behind mirrored glasses.
I stepped closer. “Where are you going?”
“I was bored, so I figured I drive around.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Yeah, what you gonna do about that?”
Uncertain how to respond, I shrugged and stepped back. “Thanks for the help with the asshole.”
“Let me give you a ride back.”
I shuddered at the thought of returning to the trailer park. “No. I’m not ready to go home.”
Kirk glanced at the road where afternoon traffic zipped past. The world was oblivious to this moment, but I sensed something powerful happening. Kirk struggled with whether to let me walk away or push this connection between us. I didn’t think the decision should be a big deal for him. What would Kirk have to lose if I said no? How many of those trashy yet beautiful women at the strip club said yes every damn night? Kirk didn’t need me. I was replaceable in a way he could never be for me.
Kirk hid behind his mirrored glasses, yet I felt him arguing with himself. His tension ebbed and flowed between us.