Small Town Hero

Chapter 8

Chibs wanted to keep an extra close eye on Noelle especially since it was a Saturday night. He was afraid of the crowd that would be there that night. She wasn't their waitress that night, Happy didn't figure she'd want to be anyways, but they sat where they could see the whole bar and everything that went on. It infuriated the Tacoma Killah to see other men putting their hands on her. The fake smile she plastered to her face told him she only put up with it in hopes of getting a good tip. 'She deserves a much better life than this!' he huffed to himself. Little did he know that's what she was trying to build for herself.

Things were going well. The bar was full, she was never not busy either bringing drinks, cleaning off tables, or wiping down tables or the bar. The other waitresses were doing their share of cleaning as well. Suddenly a fight near the door broke out. Noelle sighed hoping it wasn't going to be a repeat of the previous night. Chibs told Happy to remain seated and if they needed to step in, they would. Happy tried to keep an eye on Noelle but she disappeared in the crowd as she tried to help break up the fight.

She pulled one guy off another and was elbowed in the face for her efforts making her cuss. The night manager was doing his best to calm everyone down but the fight was getting worse as people were bumped into by the ones fighting which made them jump into it. Noelle had mad it to the middle of the bar, where Happy and Chibs could see her, when she was grabbed. She turned around and slapped the guy who then proceeded to grab her by her throat. Happy watched, with a deep sense of satisfaction, as she kneed him as hard as she could in the nuts. "Dat girl really hates being grabbed by the throat!" Chibs commented with a laugh.

The guy bent over holding his aching gonads then called her a name that she despised. Cunt. Since he was still bent over, she kneed him in the nose and told him to watch what he said to her. Happy wondered what the guy had said to invoke being kneed in the nose. The other three waitresses were still trying to help stop the fighting but Noelle had had enough. She went back to cleaning off tables. Or was trying to. The guy grabbed her around the waist and jerked her back making her eyes go wide. She tried to wiggle out of his grasp but it did no good. Happy was having none of it and stalked over to where the drunken idiot was trying to manhandle Noelle.

She sighed with relief when she noticed Happy coming. He didn't even say anything just balled his fist and hit the guy scare in the nose. The sound of his nose breaking was still heard even through the noise of the fights around them. Happy leaned down and whispered in his ear "I ever see you lay a hand on her again, I'll fucking kill you and no one will ever find where I bury your body." The guy just nodded and quickly wormed his way out of the bar. Happy winked at Noelle before walking back to his seat.

The cops were called once more. More talking with the staff, taking photos of injuries, and warning about having to be called out again. The manager apologized for the problem and said he didn't normally have issues like he's had the last two days. One of the waitresses twisted her ankle so she asked Noelle to take over her section as well. To her surprise, it was the section Happy and Chibs were in. She sighed and agreed. The pair sat and watched as one waitress limped out of the bar leaving just two. Happy wondered who their waitress would be the rest of the night.

When she noticed Chibs' glass was empty, she took a deep breath and walked over. He asked for the house beer as she took his empty glass and Happy's empty bottle and turned away. She got their drinks and headed back to the table without a word. She smiled at the pair then went to check on her other customers. "The lass is a good waitress." Chibs noted earning a head nod from Happy, "And pretty tough." The more Happy saw of this woman, the more intrigued he became. He wondered what it was about being grabbed by the throat that she hated so much. It seemed to set her off pretty quick.

The rest of the night went by without any more incidents. She cleared off tables, kept a close eye on everyone's drinks never letting them get empty, and cleaned in between serving customers. She put up with people grabbing and smacking her ass. It irritated her but if she wanted tips, it was a necessary evil. It irritated Happy to see these people touching her inappropriately and it made Chibs laugh. He didn't know why Happy wasn't making a move on her since he clearly had the hots for their new friend.

The pair closed down the bar. Happy threw down a fifty for her before he left. Chibs left her a ten and followed the assassin back outside. He told Happy he'd seen him at the clubhouse knowing Happy was her ride home. She cleaned off tables, took her tips and stuck them in her bra, and brought all the empty bottles and glasses to the bar for the bartenders to deal with. She cleaned out all the ashtrays then wiped all the tables down. Once she was done, she headed to the bathroom to change clothes. Her ride was waiting on her and she didn't want to be any later than she had to be.

He was just sitting on his bike waiting for her. She gave a small smile as she walked towards him. Hoping onto the back of his bike, she scooted to get comfortable, accidentally pressing herself into his back, then wrapped her arms around his waist. He took off for her house without a word. Would she say anything about the tips they'd left? How much did she make in tips on an average night? With a sigh, he pulled into her driveway and shut the engine off. After climbing off, she looked at him wondering why he'd shut his bike off.

"Uh, thanks for coming to my rescue. You didn't have to. It was appreciated, though." Noelle stated.

"No one has the right to put their hands on you without your permission." He told her making her scoff at him, "Noelle?"

"Nothing. Thanks for helping tonight and thanks for the ride. I guess I'll see you tomorrow evening." She said before turning and walking towards the house.

He reached out and grabbed her arm then leaned back in case she turned around swinging.

"What? I'm tired and want to go to bed." The annoyance in her voice more than evident.

"Try to get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." He quietly told her as he released her arm.

She just stared at him for a moment. Her heart was thumping in her chest. Her pulse had quickened. Why was this man having such an effect on her? She smiled and turned to head to the door. He made sure she made it inside before firing up his bike and backing out of her driveway. Tonight had been the second time he'd come to her rescue and saved her from being attacked. That wink he shot her confused her. Did that mean he liked her? How did she feel about that thought? Kicking off her shoes, she walked to her bedroom. It had been a very long night. Before she went to bed, she washed her face of the dried blood that had dripped down when she'd been elbowed.

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