“Get out of this bar!” I yelled.
“I’ll leave when I’m damned good and ready,” Tyler said. His arrogance was so extreme. It made him look like a damn fool. I hated his guts. The pain and misery he’d put me through was enough to drive anyone crazy. I wished I had my new gun. I was sure I could use it on him if he tried anything with me. But I didn’t. I couldn’t bring it into the bar. Damn.
“You heard the lady,” Mason said. He stood up in front of Tyler.
Tyler was a few inches taller, but more out of shape than Mason. It was tough to tell through the suit he was always wearing, but I could tell that Mason was in pretty good shape. And did he mention to me once that he had trained in martial arts?
I didn’t want him to get involved, but it was too late. This was happening. And I knew Tyler was not the type to back down.
Tyler laughed. “Wow, this guy your new man or something? Well, you’d better tell him to back the fuck off before he gets his ass kicked!”
I felt my heart leaping into my chest. I’d seen Tyler in fights before. He was pretty brutal and was capable of inflicting serious damage quickly. “Mason, it’s ok. I’ve got this.”
Mason said nothing, but he didn’t shy away either. He actually stepped forward into Tyler’s face. Tyler for a second seemed shocked and annoyed, and did I detect a hint of fear there. His eyes lost contact with Mason’s for a moment and looked to the side and then right back in. He seemed uncomfortable but he was growing angrier by the second. This was escalating.
“Tyler, I have a restraining order. You are going to jail. I’m calling the cops right now. Do you want to add fighting and disturbing the peace to that charge?”
I grabbed my phone and began to dial the cops. Tyler saw I was serious.
“Fucking bitch,” he growled. “This isn’t over. It’s just beginning.”
Tyler glared at Mason and then walked out of the bar. I was glad Tyler was gone, but I knew he would be back. Maybe he wouldn’t be back in the bar, but he wasn’t going to leave me alone. There was just no way. He was in this for the long hall. I had to do something.
When the answer came on the phone I was instantly relieved. I reported Tyler and that he had just broken the conditions of his restraining order and he had threatened me in front of witnesses. The cops were going to arrest him. He would probably be going to jail now. I hoped he went away for a long time.
“Are you ok?” Mason asked when I ended the call.
I was shaking and trying to keep it all together, but I was visibly not ok at all. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks. You shouldn’t have interfered, though.”
“It’s ok. It had to be done. Punks like that need to be taught a lesson. They think the world is theirs and they need to learn really quick how fast they can be brought down. I’ve dealt with his kind in my life before.”
“So, you are probably wondering who that is,” I said.
“I am, but I understand if it’s your private business and you don’t want to share.”
“No, it’s ok. You defended me. The least I can do is let you know why. That is Tyler. He’s my ex. We dated for a while, thought things were getting serious, and then he revealed his true colors. He became unhinged, abusive, and he was conducting illegal activities. And when I broke things off he became threatening and has been stalking me ever since. It’s escalating, so the other day I took out a restraining order on him.”
“Wow, that’s rough,” Mason said. “But you are doing great in standing up to him. You have done what you had to do and showed that you won’t be pushed around. That’s important.”
“You don’t think I’m some kind of a coward?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not. You are very strong and courageous. That gives me a bit of hope. I just hope I can face obstacles in my life with the same level of courage.”
“Oh, I’m sure you will. My problems pale in comparison to yours. I hope that Jack starts to feel better and he outgrows some of these ailments. Sometimes that happens with kids. Their bodies will be sick and you think they are never getting better but suddenly their immune system kicks in and they improve. I used to work as a candy striper when I went to junior college and I would see things like that.”
“Ah, I never knew you were a candy striper.”
“You never knew I went to college either. Surprised I’m that smart?” I teased.