Trigger Warning

Two

Two

The glint of glass drew Jayden’s attention before she heard the crash and looked up to see the shot glass shattered on the floor.  Next came the inevitable sound of a punch landing on someone’s jaw on the other side of the bar.

                “Oh, come on.” she sighed, melodramatically throwing her hands into the air.

                A grunt and another crash as the culprits plummeted into a table. Someone shouted as their drink fell.

Finally, Jayden looked up to see the two drunken men swinging their fists in a slur of motion but couldn’t bring herself to really care.

“Oi!” She shouted, stepping out from behind the table and grabbing one of the men by his sweaty hair. She tugged back with no regard to whether that hurt the man or not. “Dumb and Dumber, what do you think you’re doing?”

A greasy hand grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her away from the fight.

Jayden laughed and mimed rolling her sleeves up as someone shouted at them for mishandling a lady and joined into the fight. A woman stepped in front of Jayden and asked if she was okay, but Jayden placed her hands on the woman’s waist and gently moved out of the way.

“I’m peachy, thanks.”

Then, to the bar fighters, she shouted, “I don’t care what your deal is, cut the crap!”

She grinned when she felt the internal click.

Silence. The entire room simultaneously shut up and froze in place, staring back at her with blank expressions.

“You two,” she pointed to the original fighters, “Out of my bar.” Click.

The roughed up duo didn’t ask any questions, they stood up straight, grabbed their jackets, and ducked out of the bar in a timely manner.

Jayden fixed the strap of her shirt that had shifted when she’d be shoved, frowning at the fresh tear, and stepped up to the third guy. “As lovely as your chivalry was and all, I think I can handle myself. Thanks, though.”

He gave her a once down, taking in all five foot nine inches of her athletic frame before his eyes settled in her crystal gray eyes so delicately placed on her hard edged face. She looked like a model that’d kick your ass if you tried to flirt with her.

“Please,” the man said, examining his knuckles for cuts, “No one mishandles a woman.”

Shrugging, Jayden said listlessly, “That very kind of you, now get back to your date.” She nodded towards the petite blonde with glasses who was watching their interaction with an intense gaze.

She ducked back behind the bar after leaving the man. Around her, people were going back to where they’d been before, the mash-up of fists and grunts quickly forgotten in the atmosphere. Shouts and cash waved in her direction as happy hour began.

Absently, she filled mixed drinks and poured shots, occasionally winking at a cute guy.

The air was musky and cool in the tavern where she worked, the brisk winter air pouring in every time someone opened the door. She was still adjusting to the cool of Justice, Maine and the chill of the air gave her goose bumps, ruining her freshly shaved legs.

It wasn’t like she really cared, though. Jayden had never been the type to complain about something as mundane as scratchy legs. There was so much worse that could be happening and that thought kept her away from whining over broken nails and smudged eyeliner.