He was paying close attention to the movie, very much into it, while all she did was lust after him at various intervals, or pondering things, asking herself questions such as, ‘How tall is Tom Cruise?’ and, ‘Isn’t he a bit too long in the tooth to be doing these stunts?’
Axel’s hands were covered in butter from the popcorn he’d scarfed down, but she didn’t mind. He lit up the room with his booming laughter. She’d enjoyed hearing a full belly laugh from the man multiple times while seated next to him. It sounded like thunder and orchestra music, a perfect blend. He just dripped with sexiness, more so because he didn’t even try. The theater exploded in applause when the final action scene played out. But her mind then drifted to work, her mounting to-do list, and other issues she could do absolutely nothing about. She slurped on her cherry Icee as the movie ended, then gathered her belongings when the end credits began to roll.
“That was good. Are you ready?” he asked. The lights came on and he put on his leather jacket.
“Yeah, I am.”
Before she knew it, the bastard had snatched her Icee out of her hand and began noisily slurping on the straw, trying to garner anything that was left.
“Excuse me!”
“Mmm hmm,” he hummed, looking anywhere but at her.
“Axel, that was so rude.”
“You were just gonna leave it here!” He pointed to where it had been sitting during most of the movie, as if that somehow drove his point home.
“You don’t know that. You could’ve asked.” She rolled her eyes at him, pretending to really care. She actually found it hilarious, but this was far too entertaining for her to back down now.
“Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Do you want another one? I can buy you one if it means that much to you.”
“No. You go on right ahead and knock yourself out.”
He kept drinking, then got to his feet when he was good and satisfied. As they walked out, he tossed his hollow popcorn bucket and the now empty Icee cup into the trash receptacle.
“I need to make a stop in the restroom,” she explained as they neared the exit.
“Okay. I’ll wait over here.”
He leaned against the wall, messing with his phone, while she went to the ladies’ room.
He has butter on his hands. You’d think he’d want to wash them. I’m going to say something about that when I get out of here. Men are trifling.
She waited in a short line, and then when a stall was available, she went inside, taking small breaths of air through her mouth to prevent from smelling too much.
Damn! Somebody blew this stall up! It smelled like gorilla shit in that cubicle, combined with a million dead mice, and hot city garbage. I’mma be sick! All she wanted to do was take a pee and be on her way. As she layered the toilet with paper to protect her bare behind from the seat, she felt her phone vibrating. She sat down, rummaged in her purse as she urinated, and finally got a hold of her phone.
Her heart sank. It was a text message from Master.
I’ve waited too long for you to call me back. Shira, I’m done playing with you.
She placed the phone back into her purse, blinking back tears of anguish and frustration. Moments later, she was at the sink washing and drying her hands as some woman argued with her daughter on the phone. English regarded herself in the water-stained mirror and tended to herself—fixing her hair and reapplying her lipstick.
I look unbothered, don’t I? Can I pass that off? I have to look okay. I’m not going to let this mess ruin my evening. I said I was going to take my life back, and that’s what I did. I can’t go through this again. This was supposed to be over.
She fixed her twisted bra strap and sprayed a bit more perfume behind her ears.
I should go to the police… but what if he does good on his threats from before? I don’t want anyone else involved in this!
She went out into the lobby and screamed. Axel was standing there with a man in a half nelson, squeezing the life out of him. A vein bulged from the bastard’s forehead, and he was turning a deep purple, his arms flailing loosely, and his knees giving out. What was heart stopping, and incredibly creepy, was how calm Axel looked while he administered this level of violence. As if it was just another night at the movies.
“Axel!”
She raced toward him, where a small crowd had gathered and a security guard stood somewhat nonchalantly, talking into a radio about needing backup.
“What’s going on?” She brushed past someone. Was he crazy? Was this why he’d been on the news? Was he a loose cannon always popping off at the drop of a dime?