Bar Scene

Danyka stepped inside the Rusty Tap tavern. Smoke drifted from the fireplace and the fat hand-rolled cigars most of the patrons sucked on.  The steady thunk of a dart hitting a board and bawdy laughter led her to a dark corner. Running her hand through her spiky black hair, she headed for their table, turned a chair, and straddled it.

        Her partner Jameson Vance was running the dart board, while their fellow warden Fergus Emberz, sat with a woman on either knee. He winked at her, causing Danny to snort. 

        Women loved Fergus, although Danny wasn’t sure why.  The man was gangly with a shock of wild, wiry red hair that was a hot mess on a good day, and he couldn’t coordinate his outfits to save his life. 

        A rose girl came by with her basket of colorful blooms for sale, and Ferg ordered three, letting the women choose their own.  He kept a delicate yellow one with red skimming the edges of the petals. With a kiss and a swat on their bottoms, he sent the ladies on their way with promises to find them later.

        He leaned back, eyes followed the sway of their hips as they left.  Danyka threw a peanut at him, bringing his eyes back to her.  “Double the trouble tonight?”

        Shamelessly, he grinned. “Could be, lass.  Night’s still too early to tell.”

        “I see.  You’re holding out, hoping the triplets will stroll through before closing.”
        “Now, pixie, ye ken, I can’t help the way lasses be drawn to me like bees to honey.”

        “You sure about that, Ferg? You’re not using a spell on them, are you?”

        His face turned red, and his fire drakes made an appearance, absorbing his irritation. “Danny, luv.  Ye’ve known me for how long, na? Do ye really believe me capable of that?”

        A smirk pulled her lips as she said, “Nah, but I love messing with you.”

        A curse escaped Fergus’s lips as Jamey joined them. He set a red rose on the table and sat next to Danny.

        Danny glanced at the roses and then peered around the crowded bar.  “What’s with the flowers tonight?” Rose girls frequented the bars on the weekends, but it was a Tuesday.

        “Saint Valentine’s Day.” Fergus said, tossing a shot of Irish whiskey.

        “Night to make your lady feel special.” Jamey supplied.

        “Ferg, you better call her back. You’re gonna need all of them to cover your harem.”

        He choked on his whisky and glared at her. “I be more discerning than that.”

        Jamey and Danny burst out laughing, holding their sides.

        “Big word, lover boy.  Surprised you know what that means.”

        The rose girl came by again, plying her blooms. Danny flagged her down and bought a white rose.

        “Ye have a lad picked already for yer nightly?” Ferg asked with a gleam in his eye.

        A crude hand gesture in response made him chuckle.

        “Don’t need a man to buy me a rose.  This one is for me.” Her gaze was far away as she plucked a petal off and set it on the table. “This is for all the parts of my soul they shaved off one by one.” She yanked on another. “This is for my innocence—lost.”

        Her mood darkened.  The heartbreaking look on her face as she continued picking petals devastated the two men.

        “This is for how they left me.” Her fingers pulled faster as she chanted, “Small, weak, pitiful, broken, bruised, defeated, unlovable, dirty… hopeless.”

Voice breaking, she stopped and blinked slowly, coming back to the present. She cleared her throat, reached for the bottle of whiskey, upended it and took a long chug, not ready to face them.

        Fergus spoke, “Mayhap they left ye a mess, lass, but tain’t who ye be now.” He picked up his rose, locked eyes with her, and began pulling off petals.  “Ye be loyal, kind, brilliant, and jest sassy nuff to be me best friend.”

        Jamey’s red petals fell next as her eyes welled. “You’re a vital member of our team, intuitive, smart, sweet when you want to be, and tough as nails when you don’t. You’re the best damn partner I’ve ever had.”

        He paused, staring into her eyes, and she felt a pull in her chest she hadn’t been aware of before.

“You’re a feisty li’l scrapper when roused. You’re my Hellion.”  Jamey’s voice was deeper.

She heard the humor in his voice, but his eyes were dead serious as he stared into her soul, and something shifted between them. She thought for a moment that his gaze held an awareness of her as a woman. Unwilling to consider this, she glanced at Fergus.

        “Hellion.  I like that.”

        “Don’t get too excited, lass.  Jest a fancy way to say yer a pain in the ass.”

        They all laughed, and the mood lightened. Grateful for the reprieve, Danny took another swig and passed the bottle around to the only two men she’d ever trusted. And if she were honest with herself, they were the only men she’d ever loved.  One like a brother, and the other—well, she was too much of a coward to examine her feelings regarding Jameson. They would have to wait for another day.