Ray of Sunshine

Chapter 3: Bar Fights and Flirts

I pulled up to a bar after two hours of driving. The town seemed nice, but I had a bad gut feeling when I looked round. I shook my head and got out of the car, my worn combat boots crunching the gravel beneath them.

Alejo barked twice at me, his whines and tail wagging telling me he wanted to go inside. I shook my head at him. I didn't really need him inside the bar, but I didn't want to risk him getting hurt if someone started a fight. He flattened his ears in sadness before lying down in the backseat.

He gave me the biggest, brown eyed puppy dog stare he could muster. He put his head on his paws and looked up at me. The smallest whine came from his pitiful form. I sigh, shaking my head again before grabbing his leash and hooking it to him.

"One false more or you bite some one, I'm taking you back to the room," I quietly warned him.

Alejo sat up and licked my face, getting slobber all over it and up my nose. I couldn't help but laugh at him, smiling a little. The two of us walked inside and went to a booth.

The bar maybe had ten to twelve people mingling about, the bartender and three to four waitresses. I watched Alejo lay down on his seat in the booth, paws on his head again. I watched him close his eyes and begin lightly napping.

I ordered myself a Coke and a burger, sending up a Spanish prayed before I began to eat, leaving some of the burger for my dog. I sigh when I sip on my Coke, eyes closed as a thought passed through my mind.

Happy 28th Birthday, Alejandro. I know you and Alejo would've gotten along swimmingly like he and I do. I picked him because your nickname is his name, I think to myself as a tear rolled down my cheek.

I shake my head a third time, then I glanced down to my knees. Alejo had his head and a paw resting against my right knee, his eyes mimicking a slight sadness. I smiled weakly and scratched back behind his ear.

"Hey, Mami, you look so fine," a man says as he walks up to me. The man stank of Cuban cigars and Tequila.

I ignore him, still petting Alejo. I had zoned out a little bit, focusing on Alejo and calming my nerves.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Bitch," the man snapped.

I bristled at the bitch comment. I turned to face the man, my left hand holding Alejo by his collar. I locked my jaw and looked up to the man.

He gave a sickening grin as he leaned down, his eyes holding lust and mercilessness in them. I didn't even think, I just acted. My right foot went between the man's knees, causing him to double over in pain. I then stood up, bringing my right knee up into the man's chest.

He grunted, then he tried to tackle me. I side stepped and he ran into the table. Alejo hid under said table and just watched. I roll my shoulders, then I raised my arms and curled my hands into fists. I barely noticed a woman standing to my left and another man on my right.

When I did notice the two I had been punched in the side of the head, making me land on my ass. I blinked, slowly standing until I became dizzy. I leaned against the woman whom supported me as the two men began fighting.

"Kick his ass, Angel Baby," the woman shouted in my left ear.

The man whom I assumed was Angel gave the woman a big Cheshire Cat grin. He then kneed the other man in the face like I had. I went to say something to the woman, but my attention was cut short by another man joining the fight.

Soon my eyes rolled back in my head and my knees buckled. The woman yelped softly as she fell with me, the fight momentarily stopping. I groaned when I felt Alejo lick my cheek. I felt my head loll to my left, my body becoming limp.

What else can go wrong today?