I Am Your Safe Haven

I was so embarrassed. Brayden had witnessed me falling off the stool I had been sitting on. To make matters worse, Luke had shouted there she blows so I tagged him in the head with a slipper. Brayden couldn't stop laughing and neither could I.

Luke looked dumb founded and looked at Kevin. Kevin looked away as he was laughing hysterically. I looked at Brayden who was bent over, laughing and I lost it. I sat down and was laughing really hard when I looked at Kelly. I lost my balance and fell over the stool yet again.

At that moment, a salesman came running over. "Are you okay ma'am?" he asked and I laughed even harder.

"I am fine," I replied, looking at Brayden.

Brayden pulled me up and the guy got down and said, "Are you sure?"

The look Brayden gave the guy was priceless. "She said she was fine; I helped her up. What more do you want?" he asked the guy.

The guy looked up at Brayden and backed off. "Store policy sir," he said and hurried away.

I laughed and said, "You got that guy worried."

"Just to help you out," he said with a grin on his face.

"Why don't we go grab a drink in the food court," Kevin said, trying to calm down. "You ladies are welcome to join us."

I looked at Kelly and said, "Why not?"

********************

We sat down with our drinks and Kevin said, "So where were you born?"

For a minute I debated on not answering but eventually said, "Urbana."

"Where is that?" Kevin asked me.

"Between Bath and Hammondsport," I said.

"Is it near Elmira?" Kevin asked. "You know, where the Jackals play?"

"Not too far. About a 50 minute drive," I replied.

Kevin nodded and then said, "I know this may seem a bit personal, but ever been married?"

I almost choked on my Dr. Pepper but decided to get it out there. "Yes but it was a stupid mistake on my part," I replied. "So if I seem like I am withdrawn from things, that's why."

"If anybody tries to hurt you, just let us know, okay?" Brayden said. "We will take care of them for you."

Kelly gave me that look and I said, "Thanks."

We sat there playing 20 Questions when a guy whose girlfriend got up to get a smoothie started to flirt with me from a distance. I rolled my eyes and looked at Brayden who gave the guy a disapproving glare.

The girl came back and followed her boyfriends eyes to me. "What the hell are you doing?" she shouted at him.

"But babe... She..." he started until she dumped her smoothie on his head.

I couldn't stop laughing and then the sent whiffed our way. "It smells like a strawberry banana smoothie," I said. "It was a run by fruiting!"