Unlikely Places

Chapter 2 Mysterious Stranger

I froze. I didn't mean to. I didn't even know I had done so until Branson gave my shoulder a shake. His action startled me enough to break my trance-like state. I watched with concern as Branson turned his head toward where I had been looking. I turned back, too. The man was still there. And he was still staring at me.

I could see Branson stiffen in sudden realization. I could also tell he didn't like how the stranger didn't take his eyes off of me. It wasn't threatening per se, but it was intense and very unnerving.

As I had said before, my friends were very protective of me. That emotion was coming to the forefront now.

I cringed and reached out to Branson to turn him back to face me. His body half-turned towards me but is face did not. Neck twisted beyond what it should be, he kept his eyes directly on the man who continued to watch us. 

Me.

Branson's peculiar posture and stiff stance soon attracted the other guy's attention. Despite being in the middle of the dance floor with a hundred gyrating bodies, my friends and I stood stiffly, one eyeing someone in challenge as the others looked on in confusion.

It didn't take them long to figure out who Branson was pissed at. As the man continued to only pay attention to me, the why was soon apparent.

What followed was awkwardly long and tense. Thankfully Percy intervened before Branson or any of the others made a move.

He grabbed Branson by his wrist and Archer's as well. His eyes lit on Noah and Mick and he flipped his head in a 'this way' gesture that dared them to defy him. His eyes then lit on me with a 'get your ass over here' expression and the five of us traipsed behind one very anxious bride to be.

As I started to walk, I could not help but notice how Noah and Mick lay back until I passed them. The two of them flanked me from behind as the other three walked in front. Archer and Branson kept checking back behind them as Percy marched them forward.

I also could not help but glance at the stranger as we came to the nearest point of contact. He was no more than five feet from me now and my eyes peeked in his direction. His eerily colored eyes under the rainbow fluorescent lighting were still trained on me. His face up until that point had remained impassive. But as he caught my swift peep, his lip curled up in a pleased half-smile.

The look disturbed me. Goosebumps ran up my arms and prickled my skin. I shivered despite the heat of the club. What the hell?

"What the hell?" Branson said a few minutes later as we got back to our table, echoing my sentiments of moments before.

Percy shushed him and the others who were starting to join in with their own angry comments.

"Sit!" he ordered everyone, pointing to the chairs. "Hey baby," he said, taking me by my wrist and pulling me over to sit down in between him in Archer.

That worried me.

Everyone took their seats but no one was sitting back comfortably like before. All five men leaned in towards the table, all staring at Percy with the occasional flicker of concern thrown my way. I sat squooshed between Percy and Archer, but was oddly comforted by the tight squeeze. I had a feeling Percy was about to say something I may not like and I was a little scared.

At my age that felt a little disconcerting to admit but it was the truth nonetheless. I wasn't built for trouble. I avoided it like the plague. Having been picked on in the past, I knew my weaknesses.