He looked completely soulless. Like an empty well deep below the ocean’s surface. The liquor swimming in him gave him balls of steel no doubt, and now, Martha had let the wind out of his sails. Kim drew closer to her, showing a united front. She could smell the bullshit cooking inside of the bastard, burning and setting off the smoke alarm within him.
“Don’t touch you like that?” He sneered. “Why not? It’s probably the most attention you’ve gotten in ages, you old fat bitch.”
“That’s it. Get out.” Kim snatched the napkins out of Martha’s hand.
“Get out?” he repeated, a crooked grin across his face, calling her bluff.
“Are you a parrot? You heard me the first time. No need to repeat it. You’ve done nothing but cause trouble for your waitress tonight, and you’ve been loud and disruptive to other patrons, too.”
Kim shoved Martha out of the way and began to bus their table with the fucker still sitting right there. All night he’d been cat-calling her, whistling, and making crude remarks. Enough was enough.
“You can’t tell me to leave. You don’t have authority over me.”
“Oh, really? Try me. I said, get out!”
Moving like a bolt of lightning, the man grabbed her arm and squeezed it hard, twisting the flesh so it wrapped awkwardly around her bones. A strange heat crept up her skin and muscles, mixing with sharp pain from the unnatural way he manhandled her.
“Stop it! Let ’er go!” Martha yelled to no avail.
“I know you better get your grubby ass hands off me, son of a bitch! Fraaank!”
She called out for the night manager when the piece of shit tightened his grip even more, trying to drag her closer, slamming her into the table. The scrawny bastard was strong as hell, and now, if he hadn’t before, he looked stark raving mad. Completely crazy.
“We used to own y’all. My ancestors put more value on cows than the likes of you. I can’t say I disagree,” he said with a wink.
“And you used to eat raw meat in caves, while my ancestors were creating mathematics, physics and astronomy. We don’t serve steak tartare here. Sorry for your disappointment.”
He yanked her harder, then pushed her so roughly, the glasses on top of the table rattled and threatened to topple over. The men sitting with him began to clap and egg him on, hooting and laughing. No one got up from their seat to help, and most important of all, where the hell was Frank?!
“You think you’re smart, don’t you? Niiiiiice.”
She could see it in his eyes—he wanted to call her a nigger. The word was right on the tip of his tongue. Ripe for the taking. “You aren’t shit. Just like that fatty with you.”
“I. will. Dog. Walk. You. GET THE HELL UP OFF ME!” She snatched herself loose, almost falling back, but Martha bumped into her with her hip, helping her stand straight, then took her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. “I told you to get out, and I mean it!”
“And I told you that I’m not leaving. You need to mind your own fuckin’ business.”
“Frank!” she yelled again, in shock that after all of this time, he still hadn’t shown up.
“Why don’t you just go?!” Martha began to argue with the man, and the guys he was sitting with began to argue with her right back in defense of their friend.
“Oh, calm down! Can’t you take a joke?”
“He was just kidding! Relax!”
Martha grew angrier and angrier, her face red as a beet as she yelled over them, her voice carrying in ways Kim had never heard before. The woman wanted them all out of there, and to never return. Frank finally emerged from the back, waving his hands as if he’d been annoyed by all the ruckus.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough.”
“I’ve been yelling for you for the past three or four minutes!” Kim’s voice cracked as she glared at him, angry as hell.
“I’m sorry, but I was on the phone with a vendor,” he explained. “Sonny, I think you’ve had too much to drink.”
“Ohhh, Frank!” He laughed. “I was just havin’ fun. They’re overreacting.”
“No, you weren’t just havin’ fun. He smacked my bottom, and then yanked Kim across the table! He said racial stuff to Kim, too.”
“Sonny, let’s go. Time to leave,” Frank demanded, crossing his arms.
“You can’t possibly be taking their side? I’m a paying customer! You can’t take their word over mine. You weren’t even here, Frank!”
“I heard enough of what was going on, and Martha isn’t one to lie.”
Oh, but I am? The hell with you, Frank… and that receding hairline of yours. Kim bit her words and shook her head, trying to keep her composure.
“I can’t have you touchin’ the waitresses,” he said. Kim looked around and wasn’t surprised to see practically everyone in the place gawking at them, but still not moving a muscle or speaking up to assist. “I’m going to need you to go.”