as soon as I sat down, refusing to look up at him. He kept looking at me though, like I was a puzzle that needed solving. I watched the people as they line danced and slow danced and threw darts. After I finished what I could of the huge burger, I pushed it away and finally glanced up to find him studying me intently, his face indecisive.
I sighed and looked away. “I’m going to the bathroom. Do you mind getting me a diet to-go if she comes back?”
“No, I don’t mind,” he said and leaned back. He watched me cross the entire restaurant. I groaned once safe inside the girls’ stalls. What had I been thinking? Now things were just going to be weird and he wasn’t going to make things easy on me, obviously.
When I emerged from the bathroom, the first guy who asked me to dance was there. I smiled and waved as I passed, but he grabbed my arm. “Hold up.”
I looked at the hand on my arm and up at him. “Yes?”
“You and that weirdo out there dating or something?”
“Why?”
“I saw you check in to the motel. Thought maybe you’d be here a while…”
I scoffed and yanked my arm away. “Yes. We’re dating and c ompletely head over feet.”
“It looked like you were fighting out there, before that weird prancy, eighteenth century dancing.”
Protectiveness rolled over me. “Don’t knock on him just because he knows how to dance.”
He smiled condescendingly. “I’ll show you how to dance if that’s what you want.” He eyed the back door , which was right near the bathrooms. “But honestly, I’d rather get out of here.”
“Well, have fun with that.” I turned to go, but knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. He grabbed my arm again.
“Well, just wait. I guarantee you if you give me a minute, I can talk you into going with me.” He smiled. “I’m not such a bad guy. You just need to give ol’ Landon a chance.”
“You shouldn’t have to talk people into going out with you. They should want to or not. And talking about yourself in the third person—weird, Landon.”
His smiled faded. “You’re one of them city girls, ain’t you? Think they’re better than everybody else.”
“No, actually. Now excuse me.”
I moved to leave and his grip on my arm tightened. I turned and snapped my hand into the back of his elbow, slamming him and his face into the wall. He was so shocked that he didn’t even make a sound at the maneuver, just a small, “What the…”
“A couple years in the military at your service,” I muttered. “Not a city girl.”
He started to push back, his surprise gone, but I heard the commotion to my left. Before I could look Landon was yanked from my hands and dragged out the back door. I followed and found Enoch holding him with one hand to the brick wall as Landon gasped and grunted. Enoch was strong, I knew that; he wasn’t human. He was feeding off of him right now, which was probably a good thing. The blue veins were back in full swing. I watched as they pulsed as if alive under his skin as he seethed looking up at the man who had asked me to dance.
Landon clawed at Enoch’s arms, but he didn’t budge. I went to his back, careful to keep my emotions in check. I couldn’t be afraid right now. Enoch wouldn’t hurt me. For goodness sake, he was doing this for me . “Enoch, let him go.”
“He grabbed you. I saw him.”
“Then you also saw me take care of things.”
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to pay for…” he shook his head as if he was wrestling with himself, “for thinking he has the right to touch you.”
“I think he’s going to remember this lesson for a very long time,” I said and sighed looking up to Landon’s eyes. They were as round as muscadines as he looked between me and Enoch. He nodded as much as he could and choked a word that I didn’t understand. “Enoch,” I pleaded. God, please don’t let him kill this man.
Enoch lowered him slowly and got right in his face. “You do
I sighed and looked away. “I’m going to the bathroom. Do you mind getting me a diet to-go if she comes back?”
“No, I don’t mind,” he said and leaned back. He watched me cross the entire restaurant. I groaned once safe inside the girls’ stalls. What had I been thinking? Now things were just going to be weird and he wasn’t going to make things easy on me, obviously.
When I emerged from the bathroom, the first guy who asked me to dance was there. I smiled and waved as I passed, but he grabbed my arm. “Hold up.”
I looked at the hand on my arm and up at him. “Yes?”
“You and that weirdo out there dating or something?”
“Why?”
“I saw you check in to the motel. Thought maybe you’d be here a while…”
I scoffed and yanked my arm away. “Yes. We’re dating and c ompletely head over feet.”
“It looked like you were fighting out there, before that weird prancy, eighteenth century dancing.”
Protectiveness rolled over me. “Don’t knock on him just because he knows how to dance.”
He smiled condescendingly. “I’ll show you how to dance if that’s what you want.” He eyed the back door , which was right near the bathrooms. “But honestly, I’d rather get out of here.”
“Well, have fun with that.” I turned to go, but knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. He grabbed my arm again.
“Well, just wait. I guarantee you if you give me a minute, I can talk you into going with me.” He smiled. “I’m not such a bad guy. You just need to give ol’ Landon a chance.”
“You shouldn’t have to talk people into going out with you. They should want to or not. And talking about yourself in the third person—weird, Landon.”
His smiled faded. “You’re one of them city girls, ain’t you? Think they’re better than everybody else.”
“No, actually. Now excuse me.”
I moved to leave and his grip on my arm tightened. I turned and snapped my hand into the back of his elbow, slamming him and his face into the wall. He was so shocked that he didn’t even make a sound at the maneuver, just a small, “What the…”
“A couple years in the military at your service,” I muttered. “Not a city girl.”
He started to push back, his surprise gone, but I heard the commotion to my left. Before I could look Landon was yanked from my hands and dragged out the back door. I followed and found Enoch holding him with one hand to the brick wall as Landon gasped and grunted. Enoch was strong, I knew that; he wasn’t human. He was feeding off of him right now, which was probably a good thing. The blue veins were back in full swing. I watched as they pulsed as if alive under his skin as he seethed looking up at the man who had asked me to dance.
Landon clawed at Enoch’s arms, but he didn’t budge. I went to his back, careful to keep my emotions in check. I couldn’t be afraid right now. Enoch wouldn’t hurt me. For goodness sake, he was doing this for me . “Enoch, let him go.”
“He grabbed you. I saw him.”
“Then you also saw me take care of things.”
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to pay for…” he shook his head as if he was wrestling with himself, “for thinking he has the right to touch you.”
“I think he’s going to remember this lesson for a very long time,” I said and sighed looking up to Landon’s eyes. They were as round as muscadines as he looked between me and Enoch. He nodded as much as he could and choked a word that I didn’t understand. “Enoch,” I pleaded. God, please don’t let him kill this man.
Enoch lowered him slowly and got right in his face. “You do
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