Messy Ending

Dai

Arriving at work was not something I was anticipating in fact I more dreaded it that
anything. I chewed my lip, pushing through the diner’s glass door and into the cool diner. It was almost instantaneous the array of questions I received. “Are you okay? What happened? You left so suddenly.”

I couldn’t help, but giggle. “I’m fine, Steph,” I informed the red head semi-truthfully.

Steph wrapped her arms around me in a hug, one I returned within a second.

I busied myself with putting chairs on the ground from the round tables and scrubbing those and the booths clean.

~~~

The day looked promising for the first half. No sign of Ben and the others, the diner was pretty busy, and Marilyn hadn’t spoken a word to me all day. In the blink of an eye it really did take a turn for the worse. A low whistle mingled with the bell of the diner’s door. My brow furrowed and I swiveled to glance at a couple of the construction workers from down the street striding into the diner.

I made a noise of disgust that matched my facial expression, hoping Marilyn could take care of them, but their eyes were dead set on me, well put more accurately, my breasts. A cigarette hung out of one’s mouth.

I crinkled my nose at the sight. I didn’t smoke and I absolutely hated the smell of cigarette smoke. But not on Ben, my brain reminded me. I growled in disapproval of my thoughts and made my way to the foul, ill-mannered man, barely acknowledging the bell of the door.

“Excuse me, you can’t really smoke in here,” I pointed out to the man, pointing to a sign that read clearly, ‘NO SMOKING.’ A lit cigarette with a crossed out circle decorated it.

“Why don’t you just shut your pretty little mouth and go get us some cokes?”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, and plucked the cigarette from his mouth. I put out the cigarette in an ironically placed ashtray.

“Hey, Marilyn, you should serve the guys at table four, they’re totally your type,” I called to the blonde, turning and seeing five guys stood at the counter, only one of the guys paying attention to me, the man with beautiful green eyes.

The contents of my stomach churned sickeningly.

Steph appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, grinning genuinely at the guys. “Are you guys gonna make it a daily thing to come to my diner?” Steph teased, embracing the man I recognized as Danny.

“We just damn near might. Those muffins were fucking delicious,” he laughed, releasing my friend.

“Well, the baker of them is right here. Dai!” Steph called to me, grinning widely.

I realized I’d been standing and staring, but I made my way to her regardless. “Yeah?” I bit my lip.

“So, you’re the famous Dai?” Danny grinned at me. “I’m Danny.” He extended one of his big hands to me and I shook it.

I nodded, plastering my best fake smile to my face. “I’m Dai, obviously.” Once more I looked up as the bell on the door went off, this time revealing Sammi. The blue eyed girl skipped to me.

“Dai, with you gone I had to eat with my co-workers!” Sammi groaned, encircling her arms around my petite frame. “They are so boring!”

“Yeah, cause I’m so much better,” I teased, shrugging the girl off me.

“You are!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Dai, can you deal with the construction workers at table four?” Steph inquired.

“Do I have to?! They’re creepy!” I exclaimed, aware that I sounded like a child no more than five years old.

“Dai.” Steph shot me a stern look.

“Sometimes I swear hate you.” I narrowed my eyes and turned on my heel, my pony tail batting against the flesh of my jaw.

“You know you love me!” she called after me.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved my hand behind me.

I took a deep inhale of breath and made my way to the grimy men occupying the table.

The same man I’d taken the cigarette from emitted a low whistle. “You gonna serve us or what, Sweetheart.”

I scoffed, disbelievingly, offended. It took everything in me to keep myself composed, but as I was about to ask what they wanted a figure moved to stand beside me.

“Did you whistle at her?” Danny inquired, cocking his head to the side a bit.

I glanced up at the man, who was easily a foot taller than me.

“What’s it to ya?” the chubby, gray haired, man I’d had problems with asked rudely.

“She’s a lady, not a dog. Show her some respect.”

I hadn’t realized Ben had had joined me at my other side until that moment.

I’d seen enough Asking Alexandria interviews to know that these guys could be extremely disrespectful of women, but I idly wondered just how much of that had been jokes.

The man snorted unattractively and I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

Ben’s arm brushed gently against mine sending shivers down my spine.

“And who the hell are you?” the gray haired man questioned, angrily.

“Well, that depends. We can be your worst nightmare or you can treat our friend with respect,” Danny finished, resting his arm on my shoulder, the weight of it weighing me down slightly.

The man grunted and ordered for him and his friends.

“Thanks,” I murmured to Ben and Danny, rounding the counter to hand the chef the paper.

I swiveled to see Ben and Danny had abandoned the group and were now secluded by the door, talking in hushed voices.

~~~

Ben

Danny and I stood off to the side.

“What’s up?” Danny questioned, voice hushed.

“Dai was the girl.” My eyes watched anything, but Danny’s face. They fixed on the smooth greyish white color of the countertop.

“What are you talking about?” Danny fixed his expression to one of confusion.

God, was he really that dense? I furrowed my brow finally meeting his eyes. “Dai is the girl I had sex with.”

Danny froze, pulling himself together quickly to ask. “Are you serious?”

“No, I’m making it up,” I quipped, sarcastically. “Why the hell wouldn’t I be serious?” I hissed.

“I have no idea!” he snapped. “But it seems damn near impossible!” He drew in a breath. “Why don’t you ask Steph for her address, so you can talk to her?”

“Yeah, because that sounds like it’d be a good idea. Ask someone’s address and risk sounding like a stalker,” I growled.

“You’ve got a point, but… you know what? Just let me handle it.”

My eyes narrowed, head tilting. “What are you going to do, Danny?” My voice stayed hushed, not risking anything.

“Just let me handle it,” he repeated, leading me back to the gathered group.

~~~

Dai

Ben and Danny joined us again just as Sammi announced her exit. I didn’t miss the glances Danny had been shooting her the entire time she had been there. Danny’s glance met mine and I shot him a knowing smile sending a red tint across his cheeks.

The rest of the group had been lost in their own conversation when I moved to stand beside Danny. “So, do you like Sammi?” I questioned, bluntly.

My question clearly caught him off guard. “She’s, uh, she’s really pretty…” he stuttered in what I assumed to be an uncharacteristic show respect for the girl who had been my best friend for years. “Does she have a boyfriend?” The question was soft, an urgent undertone about it.

“Nope.” I bounced on the balls of my feet absentmindedly, smiling a bit. “Want me to talk to her for you?”

Danny’s eyes brightened just a tiny bit. “Uh, yeah. Sure… if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Sure, oh and a piece of advice.” I gazed up at the man.

He quirked an eyebrow. “Okay… and what’s that?”

“Be yourself. I know this isn’t who you really are. Quiet and such…”

Danny’s face broke into a grin. “And you are absolutely one hundred percent right about that.” Danny laughed.

“Oh and another thing Sammi likes accents,” I giggled.

Danny rolled his eyes and rested his jacket covered arm a top my head.

“Danny!” I squealed, shaking it off and dodging it when he went to set it on my head again,
colliding with Ben . “Oh, sorry,” I mumbled, stepping away. “Steph, my shift’s over. I‘m gonna leave and let Marilyn over there deal with the creepy construction workers.” I jerked my head in the direction of her, merely waving haughtily when she noticed.

“Alright. See ya tomorrow, Dai.”

I grabbed my purse and jacket off the counter and speed walked to my car.

~~~

Ben

The moment Dai left Danny pulled Steph aside and began speaking softly.

I examine her changing emotions to gauge what they were speaking of and I knew Danny had actually gone through on his promise the moment she glanced at me.

She chewed her lip, but nodded and reached for a piece of paper and pencil, scribbling down something unintelligible at my distance. She ripped off the lone paper, shoving it into Danny’s hand sternly telling him one more thing. Danny nodded and hugged her, whispering one last thing before making his way to me and tossing the paper at me.

It floated in front of me, making it easy for me to catch.

I appraised the information written on the sheet. “How the hell did you manage to get this?”

“I told her you know Dai. You better be telling the truth, man, or my ass is in trouble.” Danny chuckled.

“Again, why would I lie about this, man?”

“Again,” he mocked me, “I don’t know. Why do you do half the things you do?”

“Funny,” I replied, sarcasm thick in my accented voice.

“Aren’t I always? Now we have to get you to Dai’s house.”

“One problem. I don’t have my car,” I pointed out.

“Well, then we’ll drop you off at your apartment then you can go talk to her.” Danny shrugged.

~~~

The radio played softly in the background, cutting through what would have been silence otherwise.

Outside of the apartment building I had been parked for five minutes, debating.

“Fuck,” I muttered, ripping the key from the ignition and exiting my car. An Audi Locus I think it’s called, I’d never really been good with cars. I ignored blatant stares I received, making my way toward the elevator.