Giovanni:
"Okay?" Carlos calls from his corner of the bar as he pours a guy a shot of tequila.
"Yeah, of course." I grab a glass and try to focus on the couple trying to order a drink from me. My eyes are more focused on the red haired woman making the wrong turn on her search for the toilet.
She obviously doesn't belong here.
"Gio!"
Shit.
"Sorry, what was that?" I ask the couple again. The man frowns but the woman gives me a small smile.
"I'm sorry. Just a little distracted."
"A little? Move." Carlos comes to my rescue, thankfully. He takes the couple's orders.
The bar is swamped with a lot of people. I need to focus or I'll be out of a much needed job.
"Your woman went the wrong way." Carlos nods towards the direction she took as he expertly mix drinks for a new customer.
"She's not my woman."
"Yeah. She's obviously not in our league."
"I know that." I smile at the woman I'm now serving and accept her tip.
"Look, you're clearly distracted and she doesn't seem to know the way to the bathroom. I can handle things here with Sia for a few more minutes. Go."
"Are you sure?" The red haired woman seemed to have hurt her finger earlier when she was searching for her phone on the floor.
"You're useless when you get distracted. Go."
"Thank you. I'll just give her a bandaid and come back."
"Sure. Be quick." I nod another thanks and drop the bottle I'm holding as I hurry into the back room to grab the first aid kit.
There should be band-aid here somewhere.
Found it.
"Is this too plain for her?" I stare at the brown bandaid dubiously.
Well it'll have to do.
I also grab ointment before heading back out and towards the direction she went.
It's pretty dark back here.
I'm fiddling in my pocket for my phone to turn on the torch when I hear it.
"Stop! Matthew, please!"
I recognize the voice.
Adrenaline rushes through me as I race towards the panicked voice.
I see her panicked green eyes before I see the man holding her.
"Get off her!" I peel him off her and use all the force I can muster to punch the sick bastard. He screams as he falls to the floor at her feet and she screams in fright.
I have to grab her hand and pull her away from the wall he had her pinned to.
Shit, my hand throbs painfully. I might have punched him too hard.
"Oh my God. Thank you. Thank you."
The wind is knocked out of me slightly when she throws herself into my chest.
"Shhhh. You're safe. You're safe." My eyes don't leave the man who's wiping blood off his cheek as he stares daggers at me.
"Really?! The bar man?!" He spits.
"Get out of here before I call security." I growl at him.
"Whatever. You're a crazy bitch!" He points to the woman who folds into my side. I think I'm the only thing holding her shaking body up.
"Get out!"
"Fuck you!" He brushes past me not too softly and I move the scared woman out of his way.
"Oh God." She nearly slumps as soon as he disappears into the darkness, her feet giving way under her.
"Hey, I've got you." I hold unto her tighter.
"I am so stupid. I can't believe I thought he was a decent human being." She sobs into my shoulder.
I silently rub circles into her back and let her sort her feelings out.
We stand, with her plastered to my side until my phone starts ringing in the darkness, startling her. I feel her shoulders jump.
"It's fine. It's just my phone." I catch a sight of my abandoned phone on the floor and point to it.
"Look at me, taking your time. You must be busy." She peels herself off me but stumbles at the first step.
"Here, let me help you out." I wrap my hand around her waist to hold her up and try to not think about how weirdly nice it feels to have her lean into me.
She doesn't need this right now, Gio.
Get it together.
"Thank you so much. I'll make sure to compensate you for your help."
"It's fine." I walk her out of the darkness and into the rowdiness of the club room.
Weirdly, there's no music playing anymore and everyone's eyes seem to be glued to the both of us.
"Gio! Someone has been looking for..." Carlos stops short when he notices the pale woman on my arm.
"Her...What's wrong?"
"She's fine. She just needs to get home. Right?" I turn to ask her.
"Yeah, I'm fine now. I think my legs work now." She chuckles a bit and I wonder if she really is fine.
"Well, let me get you some water before calling you a cab."
"That won't be necessary. Someone's at the bar looking for her." Carlos points to the bar and i follow his fingers to a man surrounded by suited men.
"Isabella!"
Okay?
Is that the boyfriend?
The man comes running to forcefully pull her from my side.
"Hey!" Suited men grab Carlos and my arms are bent backwards from both sides before I can wrap my head around what's going on.
"He just saved her life!" Carlos snaps.
"Luke, what are you doing? Let them go. He helped me!"
"I'm not so sure! They look suspicious as hell." What's wrong with this Luke guy?
"Sir I..."
"No one's talking to you." Said Luke glares at me. Really?
"Luke.."
"You're too trusting." He berates Isabella.
"Take them both away." He tells his men.
"What the hell, Gio." Carlos is just about to lose it. They actually start to drag us out and people begin to stare.
"Let them go this instance!" Isabella's outburst is both surprising and effective.
Everyone stops moving.
"I said let them go." She grinds at the security men who look to their boss for instructions.
"Luke?'
"Fine. But we're out of here." We're more like roughly shoved away as Luke drags Isabella.
"I'm so sorry!" I think her hear her yell as she gets dragged out.
I stare after her back then notice the eyes on me.
"You've pissed off some powerful people, Gio." Carlos says as he drags me away.