But then, the man wolf whistles at me again and hisses something along the lines of, “Come here, baby.”
Of course, I ignore him. I stride past to the pretzel stand, pasting a smile on my face. I push the stranger out of my mind while looking over the flavors. Should I get the spicy jalapeño one? The cinnamon? Or maybe I should settle for a classic plain.
But the strange man just won’t let up. This time, he actually gets up and sidles over next to me in front of the pretzel stand. I shrink away, trying to keep as much distance between us as possible, but he leers, showing off bright white teeth that look like Chiclets. The stranger’s handsome in an ugly way, if that’s possible. His features are even and straight, but there’s a misogynistic sneer on his lips that makes me shudder.
To my horror, the man literally places one hand on my waist, inching his palm up closer and closer to my breast.
“Do you dress like this all the time?” he breathes hotly. “You’re a mighty pretty girl, you know. Why don’t you help a poor fellow like me out and show off some of these assets?” he leers. Then, before I realize what’s happening, he literally yanks the top of my tube top down in a quick move. It’s enough to make a big nipple pop out, and I gape for a moment, frozen with astonishment. Then, I press my arms against the fabric in a desperate attempt to prevent the material from sliding down more, but the damage is already done. My big breasts are out in the open, creamy and white with my pink crests bare for everyone to see.
OMG, is this really happening? I’m frozen with shock and outrage. I’m just about to open my mouth in a loud scream when suddenly, Damon’s on him. My boyfriend’s big hands literally reach around the stranger’s scrawny neck, squeezing the air out of him.
“What the fuck?” the smaller man wheezes. “I was just admiring a pretty lady,” he manages. “Don’t much care if she’s your girl, the mayor’s, or the president’s. Last time I checked, America was a free country.”
Damon laughs blackly, and fear runs through my heart. I’ve never seen this look in his eyes. It’s one of pure murder, and I shrink from them both. Then, Damon squeezes even more as the man’s face goes purple.
“Stop, stop!” the cashier screams. “You’re killing him!”
I realize that it’s true. My harasser’s eyes are going bloodshot, his eyeballs bulging from their sockets. His mouth is open, his tongue stuck straight out like a cartoon cat, but nothing comes out except the faintest hiss, like air escaping a balloon.
“Hey!” I snap. “Enough!” I press my hands against my boyfriend’s chest to push, and fortunately, Damon comes to his senses and lets go immediately. He continues to glare at the man even as my molester keels over, collapsing onto the ground while his hands go up to his neck. Meanwhile, we have to make a getaway because the damage my boyfriend inflicted is real. Quickly, I take Damon’s wrist and tow him toward the exit of the mall. My cheeks are bright red with a combination of anger and embarrassment, and once we’re inside his truck, the silence is thick.
For a few minutes, neither of us says anything. Damon’s hands grip the steering wheel so tightly that the leather creaks. His knuckles are white and he’s breathing hard although the threat is long since gone. Meanwhile, I struggle to get control of my emotions. Never in a million years would I have thought Damon would be capable of that kind of dark violence. He almost murdered the guy!
“What the hell was that?” The sound of my voice is loud in the tense silence of the car.
Damon forces himself to let go of the steering wheel so he can rub the palms of his hands against his jeaned thighs. “You saw what it was,” he replies in a low voice. “That fucker had no right to touch you like that.”
I’m floored by his suppressed rage. He still looks mad enough to commit homicide, come to think of it.
“So, what then? Were you going to kill him?”
He shrugs. How can he be so maddeningly casual?
“Maybe. If that’s what it takes.”
“Damon, goddammit!” I gather my hair over one shoulder and squeeze it between my hands. “I get that you were angry. I get that that guy was an asshole, and literally popped my boob out for the entire mall to see. But your reaction was completely over the top!” I exclaim. “You were acting like a fucking crazy person, and for what? Because of a little bit of nipple?” I shake my head fiercely. “Damon, do you understand that you could face assault charges? And who knows what’ll happen after that? What if you lose your job? The mall has you on camera you know.”