Not This Time

Jon: August 31, 1983

     I watched her serve those jerks in her section, trying not to let her notice me watching. It was bad enough that I was watching at all, but it would make it ten times worse if she knew about it.
     I watched as she headed back over to the counter to trade her cleaning rag for an order book and pencil. Mid-reach, she froze. She didn't look up at me, but I could tell something was off. She seemed unnerved. Just about the time I realized she could tell I was staring, she turned to glance back at her table and rolled her eyes.
     I glanced over at where Luke was taking an order or something from the telephone. I glanced between him, what he was writing, and my coffee for a moment. When I looked back over at Nina's table, I found her walking away from the troublesome trio toward the kitchen.
     "Hey, Luke," I said as the manager hung up the telephone. He smiled and stepped back over toward me.
     "What's up, Jon?" he asked, "Need more coffee?" I looked down at the cold coffee and shook my head.
     "No, I'm fine," I told him, glancing at the kitchen door to make sure Nina didn't come out while I was talking to Luke about her. "What else can you tell me?"
     Luke grinned and leaned on the counter toward me. "What would Dorothea say about you asking these questions?"
     "Leave Dotty out of it," I growled, "I'm just curious."
     He shrugged. "I dunno," he said, "I think I've told you everything I know about her that I'm not obligated-by-law to keep to myself." He chuckled, "If you want to know more about her, why don't you ask her yourself?"
     I raised an eyebrow at my friend. "You ask how Dorothea would react to my questions," I snickered, "How do you think she'd react to me actually talking to her?"
     I smiled a little at the thought of Dorothea's jealousy. It really was adorable. She always threatened to leave, but she never did. Just the threat of being without her would be enough to get me in line, I guess.
     "Where is Nina anyway?" Luke asked, looking around. He then shouted, "Nina! There's a table out here!"
     "I'll be out in a second, Luke!" came Nina's voice through the kitchen window. Luke turned to look at me with an unamused expression. I tapped the side of my coffee mug with an amused smirk before letting my eyes drift up to the waiting table.
     "I've got a bad feeling about those guys," I muttered, still glaring at the guys seated at the booth. The jerk with the blonde crew cut was mumbling something to his friend with the mullet while the guy with curls on the other side of the booth watched the kitchen door for Nina.
     "They won't do anything when I'm standing right here," Luke assured me. I gave him an uneasy look all the same. His words didn't comfort me. Luke turned away from me and shouted again, "Nina!"
     A few seconds later, Nina came out of the kitchen with a stern look. I looked away so that she wouldn't catch me staring. God knows, I didn't need to be looking anyway. I had a great girlfriend who seriously did love me; I didn't even know why I was so interested in Nina. There was just something about her.
     While Nina took Curls' order, I watched the other two continue muttering to themselves. I could tell they believed that bullshit rumor about her. I let my gaze drift down her figure, all the way down to her shoes. Yeah, she was beautiful like any prostitute should be, but what kind of whore would wear Converse? My eyes rose once more to the dark blonde ponytail she wore her hair in. There was just no way.
     As she turned to head toward the counter, I quickly dropped my eyes to the coffee that sat in front of me. I had stopped drinking it about an hour ago, but the coffee was my excuse for continuing to sit there. I only dared look up again when I heard the counter door swing closed once again.
     Nina headed back towards the table with three Coke bottles, as the other waitress came bustling through the door. Candice shrugged to Nina as she passed on her way to clock in.
     "Candy, you're late again," Luke scolded as Candice made her way into the kitchen.
     I followed Nina's gaze to the clock on the wall. Her shift was over; she'd be leaving soon. I closed my eyes and rubbed my face. If the writing sessions hadn't been running late this whole week, I would have had to come up with something to tell Dorothea for why I'm out so late.
     "Well, I didn't order the strip show, but if that's what you're into," one of the guys called out, bringing my attention back to the situation with Nina. She was already stepping into the kitchen, apron in hand.
     "Hey!" Luke snapped, "If you can't respect the waitresses, you'll have to leave. I won't have you talking to my employees that way."
     I looked back over at the guys in the booth. They all glared a little before turning back to each other and muttering amongst themselves. I exchanged glances with Luke and took a sip of my cold coffee. I grimaced and shook my head as Luke laughed at me.
     "See ya, Luke!" Nina called out as she bounced toward the exit.
     "Yeah, yeah!" Luke responded, though she was already halfway out the door.
     I watched Candice step out of the kitchen with her apron now tied around her waist. She grabbed her order book and pencil from behind the counter, but before she could get to the table that Nina had just abandoned, Mullet, Curls, and Crew Cut hopped out of their booth and abandoned it as well.
     On their way to the door, the three of them danced around Candice as she carried a rag over to the table they'd left their Cokes on. I stood and pulled out a five dollar bill as they walked out the door.
     "Thanks Luke," I said, dropping the fiver on the counter.
     "See ya, Jon," he answered, "Tell Dorothea I said hey."
     I nodded to Luke as I stepped around the counter. "Night, Candy," I mumbled as I passed the waitress. Candice, Coke bottles in hand, repeated the phrase back to me absently as I stepped out.
     It was quiet outside as usual for this time of night in Sayreville. Due to failing streetlights, it was darker than it should have been, but I could see the group of three guys following a female figure down the sidewalk. Sticking my hands in my pockets, I trudged after them. I scowled as they tried to attract her attention with their cat calls and whistles.
     "Hey baby, I got a twenty with your name on it if you stop walking now," Mullet shouted.
     "You know you'll enjoy it too!" Crew Cut hollered after her. Nina didn't acknowledge, but it was obvious by her quickened pace that she'd heard their comments. No one could miss all the racket they were making. "Come on, sweet cheeks!" The three of them started chasing after her.
     Nina looked over her shoulder and started running as well.
     "Shit," I muttered, yanking my hands from my pockets so that I could keep up with them. I considered going back to the diner and calling the cops, but the last thing I wanted to do was file a report and go through the system with this, let alone bring it upon her to do so as well. I shook my head. I'd been in enough fights in high school; I could handle those losers.
     I stopped at a corner for a moment, looking down the side street uncertainly. I couldn't see the three of them around the curve on this street, so I wasn't sure they hadn't chased her down the other. I didn't know what to do.
     Then I heard laughter.
     Taking another glance down the side street, I cautiously started across it to continue down the way I'd been following. I didn't run, just in case I was wrong. Nevertheless, I could feel panic trying to rise at the thought of what might happen to her if I made the wrong choice.  
     "Stop!" a woman's voice cried. I actually stopped. The word bounced off the brick walls and empty shops surrounding me. I wasn't completely sure it hadn't come from the street I'd just crossed. Fueled by doubt and fear, I turned and looked back the way I'd come. I covered the short distance back to the corner and looked back down the other street.
     I heard someone else shout in what sounded like pain. Just like before, the sound echoed off the buildings, but I knew that it hadn't come from down the side street. Just as I turned to continue the way I'd originally started, the same woman's voice called out again, this time for help.
     The sound of her terror hit me like a block of ice, causing a slight hesitation as goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. I shook my head and I broke into a run. Just as I saw the alley opening, her screams were muffled.
      When I got to the alley and I saw what was happening, my blood boiled.
     "Hey!" I snapped, "Leave her alone!"
     Mullet looked up at me from where he held Nina down. Crew Cut looked over his shoulder at me. Curls stepped between me and the scene before me.
     "Says who?" he challenged, arms crossed like he thought it would intimidate me.
     "Says me, deadbeat." I looked over Curls' shoulder to address Crew Cut. "Get away from her."
     Nina kicked for her life in response, but there wasn't a lot she could do besides make it more difficult for them. Seeing her struggle made me even angrier.
     Curls came closer to me, cracking his knuckles. If the situation hadn't been so serious, I probably would have laughed at the cheesy move.
     "You're asking for a fresh one, narbo," Curls threatened. I didn't even bother answering him.
     He took a swing, which I dodged, before landing one of my own. Curls stumbled back, holding his nose. When he took his hand away, there was blood on both his hand and his face.
     "Hold still, you little bitch!" Crew Cut growled.
     I started toward him and Mullet, but Curls got in between us once more. He raised his fist like he'd make another swing, but I was quicker. This one knocked him out cold. Unconscious, he hit the ground with a solid thud, causing his two friends to look my way.
     "Who's next?" I spat, already heading toward them.
     Crew Cut jumped up, his belt not quite unbuckled. Nina squirmed even more with only Mullet struggling to hold her down.
     Crew Cut managed to land a hit on my face, sending me back just a little, but I came back with a punch of my own straight to his gut. Crew Cut doubled over and lost his balance, falling against the brick wall.
     "You're in some deep shit now," Mullet grumbled, leaving Nina to scramble on the ground as he and Crew Cut both got up to attack me.
     "Run!" I shouted past them at Nina.
     I saw her nod as she struggled to her feet. I returned my attention to the idiots in front me as she ran off. Mullet lunged at me, straight into a gut punch to match his buddy's. I grabbed Mullet's shoulder and held him up while I punched him in the face repeatedly.
     "You. Sick. Bastards." I raged, punching him with each word.
     Crew Cut came up behind me and grabbed the arm that held Mullet's shirt. He held that arm behind me and grabbed at my other one as I dropped his friend. Finally getting a hold of my punching arm, Crew Cut held both my arms behind me so that Mullet could hit back.
     Mullet straightened and wiped his bloody nose with on his arm before returning those hits to my stomach. Before he could get in quite as many as I had, I knocked Crew Cut's head with my own, quickly freeing my arms. I punched Mullet in the face, then turned around and did the same to Crew Cut.
     Crew Cut stumbled backward and tripped over his unconscious friend, Curls. Before I could turn back to him, Mullet tackled me from behind, taking us both down. He was quick to get to his feet, and I covered my head with my arms as both he and Crew Cut started kicking wherever they could get to.
     What happened next surprised even me. Without warning, sirens sounded and the alley was flooded with red and blue lights.