Sounds Like Deception (Sounds Like 2)

Becca and I had gone shopping the day before. We walked out of the boutique excited about our dresses. Proud of how good they looked on us. Eager to wear them on date night.

But all it took was one lewd comment when I strolled to the restroom for all hell to break loose.

“I have something nice and hard for you to sit on, baby.”

I knew better than to acknowledge the taunt. I would have walked faster, but I was blocked by a line of people ordering drinks from the bartender.

“Just lift it a little higher and I can give you a ride right here.” He chuckled.

I didn’t want him to see me do it, but I tugged on the sequins, forcing more coverage over my thighs. I needed to find a way around the line, but instead of making a path to the right I was forced left when a waitress plowed forward with a tray of drinks.

I stepped into his space and felt his fingers circle my arm. “I bet you’ve never had it the way I give it up the a—”

I’d never seen a fight break out that fast. I didn’t know when AJ became aware of what was happening, but he was now. I’d never witnessed anything like it. AJ was all over him. Pinning the dick to the bar in a choke hold. I was in awe. No one had done anything like that for me before. No one had defended me. In all the times I had to listen to cat calls and vulgar comments, no one came to my defense.

/> I was used to going to bars and fending off guys as they tried to grab me, or touch me in places their hands should never be. Becca and I had war stories from clubs and bars in the city. The sad thing was, I could swat hands. I could protest. I could call a bouncer over, but I couldn’t fight back. I knew that was asking for the kind of trouble I couldn’t handle. And it pissed me off. But that was my reality. How were we supposed to stand up to men twice our size? How did we tell them to back the fuck off without putting ourselves in more danger?

We had been taught to always go out in pairs. Always have a girlfriend system. We had checks and balances to keep each other safe. But there was no way to keep vulgar taunts from happening. There was no way on a beautiful night, wearing a beautiful dress to stop a prick like this from thinking he had the right to verbally assault me.

AJ did what I’d never been able to do. He had that asshole’s throat in his hand.

“Don’t you ever talk to a woman that way.” He glared in his eyes. “Do you understand?”

The man gurgled. His face was red.

“AJ.” I tugged on his arm.

“I’m waiting for an answer. Are you going to speak to women like that?”

I stared in amazement when he started to twist his head back and forth.

AJ let up. The man reached for his throat, rubbing where AJ’s hands had been.

He glared at me. “Sorry your girlfriend can’t take a joke.”

I froze.

AJ stepped closer. “You think what you said was funny? I didn’t hear the joke.”

The people around us stared. I was about things were about to escalate again. The bartender held his phone in his hand as if he was ready to call for backup at any second.

The asshole laughed. “Oh I get it. You’re trying to impress her. That’s it. You’re hoping you’ll get some tonight. I get it, man. She’s a fine piece of ass.”

“Oh shit,” I groaned.

AJ practically lifted him off the ground, taking his throat in his fist.

“He’s drunk, AJ,” I whispered. “Put him down.” He had to be drunk. No rationale man would stoke embers like this.

“If she was someone I’d never met, I’d do the same exact thing a hundred times over. You have a problem man.”

He let go and the man fell, doubling over, gasping for air.

He moved me away from the bar where the crowd still gawked.

“Are you ok?” AJ asked.

I nodded. “Shocked, but I’m fine.”