Chapter One: Rusty's Bar - Corner of Camelot and Sherwood

The bar was way too loud, too crowded for my liking. Only a couple of glasses of wine would dull my senses enough to make it bearable and I was only halfway through my first Cabernet.

I watched my friends across the table laughing and having a good time. They were co-workers from Camco where I worked in the engineering department. Dana was a busty redhead, with a little too much make-up for my taste, but she pulled it off somehow. She looked more like Dolly Parton than Tammy Faye. Sharon was a loud talking, aggressive, redneck that wouldn't take any crap from anybody. I hated to say it, but I was slightly afraid of her. This may have been the reason I took her up on her invitation to join them at the Rusty's, a local dive bar and it was a decision I was beginning to regret more and more each second. So what if my co-workers thought I was a stick-in-the-mud who didn't know how to have a good time? So what if they made my life a living hell by talking about me LOUDLY behind my back the way they did Peggy, the Pentecostal Holiness girl in payroll? Who needed friends like these? Who needed this lousy job anyway?

I needed the job, but the friends? I could take them or leave them. I was used to being alone, but I was getting bored going home alone every night and heating up frozen dinners, curling up to watch my favorite crime drama. Maybe I should get a dog....

"Hey, Earth to Carly! Wake up!" Sharon was screaming at me from across the table.

I blinked at her. "What did I miss?"

Dana laughed too loudly. "Oh, my God! Not even through one drink and she's already drunk!"

"I was saying that Charlie was here! He's over there by the bar."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, great, just what I need." Charlie was the supply clerk for the front office. His daily routine involved making the rounds to the office cubicles checking for supply requests. He always spent more time in the female cubicles and even more time in mine. Or at least it seemed that way. The women tolerated him only because they had to. The last girl that pissed him off didn't get staples for 3 months.

Charlie thought he was a ladies' man. With his tattoos, piercings and over powering cologne, I could hardly stand to be near him, let alone go out with him as he kept suggesting. Both girls laughed hysterically. "You know you want him!"

"Are you kidding me?" If there was someway I could get out of there gracefully, I would have. Especially when I saw Charlie making his way to the table. I could smell his cologne 5 feet away before he reached the table.

"Hi, Ladies! Mind if I join you?"

Before anyone could utter a response, he flipped a chair around from another table and scooted it up right next to mine. Then he plopped down heavily and grinned at me. I managed a pleasant smirk and pulled another sip of wine.

"Hi, Doll!"

"The name's Carly."

"Oooh…touchy! I still love ya, anyway."

I rolled my eyes again and looked away from him. That's when I noticed the guy at the end of the bar watching me with piercing eyes. I guess I'd been too preoccupied with Charlie to see him before. His long hair was brown, parted in the middle and straight. He wore it so it hung down and hid part of his face. When he saw me looking at him, he looked down at his beer bottle. From what I could see, he was nice looking. So what was his problem? He looked like a guy I could use in my corner right about now. I watched him as he tilted the beer bottle to his lips, his muscular arms straining at the material of his plaid shirt with the movement.

"Hey, I'm over here!" Charlie said inches from my ear.

I fought the immediate impulse to slap him. He hadn't touched me yet, or I probably would have. But he was in my space, taking up way too much of it.

"Charlie. I'm not deaf. I can hear."

"So, when are you and me going to go out?"

When hell freezes over! I sighed and bit my lip. "I'm not ready for that yet, Charlie."

"You need to forget about that guy and get back in the saddle, Sweetie."

Oh, great. Just what I needed. Cowboy-themed double entendres.

"If you keep saying 'no' I might quit asking."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" I blurted.

I watched the reaction on his face turn from smiling to scowling. Slowly at first, then deepening into disbelief, then turning into anger. For a second, I wasn't sure. Had I really said that out loud? I wasn't sorry in the least, however. I hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings, but I was really tired of this game.

When he didn't say anything, I stood up. "Excuse me; I have to go to the ladies' room."

I walked off on wobbly legs and seemed to float through the bar. Past Charlie, the guy in the plaid shirt, the guy with the ponytail whom I'd seen drinking with Charlie earlier. Nerves and two glasses of wine had finally kicked in, and I was a little drunker than I had intended on getting.

After I peed and splashed some water on my face, I stared into the mirror. What was it guys were after? Did I have "doormat" stamped on my forehead? Some facial characteristic that led them to believe that I was gullible? Did I have a "tell" that hinted at my low self-esteem?

I took a deep breath and gathered my courage to go out and face him again. What right did he have to think I was obligated to go out with him? What was with these guys? Just because they ask, doesn't mean I have to say yes.

The bathroom was down a hallway, with women's on one side and men's on the other. There was about 5 feet of space between them, so that if you were coming out of one and someone was coming out of the other, you couldn't see into the other bathroom. As I opened the door and stepped out, the door to the men's room opened. I caught my breath, hoping I wouldn't have to walk past Charlie. I was relieved to see that it was the brooding guy I had seen sitting at the bar. I nodded at him. He stared at me intensely for a second, then stepped in front of me. I froze and stared back at him. He touched my arm lightly and leaned forward till he was a few inches from my ear.

"I need to tell you something. That guy you were talking to? He and his buddy are planning to take you out in the parking lot." His voice was raspy and menacing.

I gasped and drew back instinctively and his grip tightened a bit. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let that happen," he promised. "I'm going to go back with you to your table. We're going to act like long lost friends, okay?"

I nodded. "How did you…?"

"I heard them plan it in the bathroom. I waited until they left before I came out. Then I waited for you."

"Th-th-thanks."

He smiled and his blue eyes danced. "Glad to, ma-am. Now, let's go back before someone comes looking."

He turned me and walked slightly behind me, his hand still on my arm.

"So, what are you, a cop or something?"

"Or something. Let's just say, I don't like seeing people pick on someone weaker than them."

"Oh, really? So you're just a white knight helping a poor damsel in distress? Is that a hobby or an occupation?"

He laughed. "A little of both, actually."

We were halfway to the table and I suddenly realized something. "I don't know your name."

"Eliot, Eliot Spencer."

"I'm Carly."

I was relieved to see Charlie was gone. I sat down after Eliot pulled out my chair and then sat in the empty seat next to me.

Sharon looked Eliot up and down hungrily. "Well, well, well! Next time, let me know when you're going to the ladies' room! I might want to go with you if you're going to come back with one of these!"

I laughed. "Sharon, Dana, this is Eliot. He's an old friend of mine. I haven't seen him since I worked at the mall!"

"Yeah, those were some great times, weren't they? Remember that time that guy shoplifted those pants…?"

"Oh, the one that left his wallet behind when he was trying them on?"

"Yeah, then he came back to get it."

I turned to Sharon and Dana. "In saunters this guy, looking really spooked, and as if that wasn't suspicious enough, I notice the tag hanging out of his shirttail AND…the size tape still on the side of his pants!"

Eliot was laughing loudly. "So she calls me, I was the security guard that night. I come in…."

"…the guy was still in the dressing room when he got there. I guess he was waiting so it wouldn't look so obvious when he came out."

"You should have seen the look on his face when he opened the door and I was standing there!" He re-enacted the scene, his face molded into a menacing grimace.

We were all laughing by then. His story was so convincing, I found myself watching him and trying to imagine the look on the guys face. But more than that, it was the scowl on his face that I knew would turn Charlie's legs to butter.

While the girls were still laughing, Eliot caught my eye and then glanced toward the door. I nodded slightly.

I made a point to look at my watch. "Wow! Look at the time."

Sharon snorted. "It's still early!"

"I know, but I've got further to drive than you two. I have to take the freeway to work."

I turned to Eliot and said "we have to get together and talk about our bad old days sometime."

Eliot nodded and smiled. I felt my heart jump slightly. "You still got my number, right?"

"You're still working there?"

"Are you kidding? They'd have to close the place if I left."

I laughed and leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Stay sweet, Eliot."

He gave me a look, a cross between a smirk and a smile that made me tingle. "Always."

I said goodbye to Sharon and Dana and turned to leave as if nothing was going on. I didn't realize how hard it would be to walk out that door alone, trusting that Eliot, who was practically a stranger, would be somewhere behind me. Fighting the urge to look back, I felt like Lot's wife: any minute now, I would turn into a pillar of salt.

The cool night air felt like a slap in the face when I walked out. It had been quite warm when I got to the bar. I shivered slightly not sure if it was from nerves or the cool night air. I scanned the parking lot quickly for my car and walked towards it. Dead man walking, I thought. Dead woman walking? Which would it be? My mind was racing with thoughts and plans as to what I would do if Charlie tried to hurt me and Eliot didn't make it in time. And there were two of them! What kind of guy was he that could take on two guys at once?

Come to think of it, he never did tell me what he did. He was evasive when I asked him if he were a cop. He joked about his profession being a "white knight." He was built like a body builder, but looked like a grunge metal rock star. A very curious man, Eliot Spencer.

As I tried to sort it all out, I was also wary of my surroundings. And yet, I never saw him when he appeared from nowhere and grabbed my arm as I reached to unlock my car door.

"Hey, Snooty Bitch!" Charlie was suddenly in my face. Before I could react, he had me pinned against my car, pushing his body against me. "Who do you think you are? You think you're too good for me? HUH?"

The mixture of whisky and his cologne made me nauseous. I briefly considered throwing up on him; maybe that would get him away from me.

"Charlie, hang on. It's not that." I didn't know what he had in mind, but maybe I could stall him until Eliot showed up.

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know what you mean! I haven't done anything to you."

"Then why won't you go out with me?"

"What's with you, Charlie? Can't you take a hint?" a voice growled from the darkness. Charlie turned around to see Eliot step towards him. He leaned away from me, but kept a grip on my arm.

"Beat it. This is between her and me."

"That's where you're wrong, friend. The only thing between you and her is me." He grabbed the arm Charlie was using to hold me and twisted, coming up with his knee at the same time. I couldn't see where his knee landed, but it must have been painful. I heard the sound of a bone breaking as Charlie let out a yelp and let me go. Eliot was on him like a pit bull, hitting him in several places with lightning speed. Charlie was on the ground gasping for breath. Eliot picked him up and hit him again, this time knocking him out. Then he grabbed him by the collar and dragged him a few feet away and dropped him between two parked cars.

I was shaking uncontrollably when Eliot walked up. I was holding my stomach and I felt like throwing up. He grabbed me by the arm as I bent over and looked at me. "Hey, you okay?" Tears spilled out and I started sobbing. He pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. "I take it you've haven't seen too many fist fights?"

"No," I sobbed. "Isn't that obvious?"

He laughed. "I thought you looked out of place in there. Why did you come here?"

"Dana and Sharon talked me into it. I was bored. Wanted to do something different."

"Well, come on, I'll take you home. We need to get out of here before Romeo wakes up."

I pushed away from him, suddenly feeling uneasy. "I have to be at work in the morning. I can't leave my car here."

He stiffened up and got a strange look on his face. "Oh, okay. I see."

"No, Eliot. I mean, I don't want to leave my car here." I took a deep breath. "Oh, God, I don't mean…I mean…I don't want you to think…Oh shit!"

He smiled, his eyes dancing. "Calm down. Damn, girl, no wonder men take advantage of you! You gotta learn to be strong, stand up for yourself."

"Oh, shut up." I gave him a quick light punch to the chest. He feigned injury and grinned. "I don't think Charlie-boy will be bothering me any more." I unlocked my door and opened it.

Eliot stood back and peered into the back seat. "I think ol' Charlie-boy's gonna be looking for someone to whoop after he gets out of the emergency room. I'm just afraid that someone might be you."

I looked up at him as he shut the door. "You think so?"

"Why don't I just follow you home? You okay to drive?"

"I'm in better shape than Charlie. Oh, what happened to his friend?"

"Let's just say I made a believer out of him."

I gave him a puzzled look. "I don't want to know, do I?"

He smiled and glanced away. "Which way you headed in case I lose you?"

"Up towards the freeway. Then east."

He nodded, and then slapped the hood. "Lock your doors. I don't want to have to whoop any more asses tonight if I can help it."

I locked my doors and watched him get into a truck about three cars over. I waited until he had started his engine before I started mine, then I pulled out and left the parking lot, watching him follow me in the rear view mirror. It was very comforting to know I had someone who could handle himself and protect me. I had not had that feeling for a long time.

We arrived at my house with no incident. I was exhausted from the drive and the stress of all the excitement of the night. After I pulled into the driveway and got out, Eliot met me and walked behind me to the door. As I unlocked the door, I said over my shoulder. "I appreciate all you've done for me tonight, Eliot. I don't know what I would have done without you."

I turned around and looked at him in the darkness. I was glad he couldn't see my face…or could he? How much reflection was the street light casting on my face? I looked away quickly, opened the door and reached to turn the outside light on.

"Don't!" he commanded.

I froze. "Why not?"

"Light makes a better target."

"Oh," I said sheepishly. I stood in the doorway, uncertain what to do next. I didn't know what his intentions were, how he expected me to repay him, and I was getting very nervous. He was still playing the heavy, bodyguard role he had assumed back at the bar, growling and unsmiling. I wasn't sure I liked this Eliot.

"You know, you really should let me check the house. In case someone is here."

"You think Charlie beat us back, broke in before we got here?"

"No, but I'm sure Charlie has friends. We know he has at least one that's willing to get his ass beat for him."

I stepped back and let him come in. I always left a small table lamp on when I was going out. I was grateful for that now, even more than ever.

"Stay here," he growled and went off into the other part of the house. It suddenly occurred to me that this was all just a macho act, trying to impress me with his knight-in-shining-armor role. Unfortunately, it reminded me of my first husband. I heard him flicking light switches and opening closet doors. Then I heard him in the bathroom taking a wizz. I bit my lip to keep from laughing, which lasted until he walked down the hallway.

One look at his scowling face and I cracked up.

"What's so funny?" he snapped.

"If you had to come in to take a piss, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to go through all that drama."

For a second he looked as if he was getting angry, then his face softened and broke into a smile. "That's funny. I'm just trying to protect you, Carly."

"I think you've done your duty tonight, above and beyond the call, Eliot. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep. I have to get up early."

I watched his face go blank a second, then blinked. "Sure. Okay. If that's what you want."

I crossed over to him, and touched him lightly on the arm. I could feel his muscles jumping underneath the fabric of his shirt. "Eliot, thanks for your help. I don't know what else to say. It just doesn't seem like enough. What can I do to repay you?"

He smiled slyly. Then his expression softened. "I'm glad to do it."

I smiled back. He reached over and kissed my cheek softly. "Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite." Then he turned away and walked to the door. He stopped, the turned around. "Oh, give me your cell phone."

I looked at him oddly, but nodded. I fished it out of my pocket and handed it over to him. He punched numbers for a while, turned it around and showed me the screen.

"Mark?"

He smiled handing it to me. His expression turned serious as I took it, and he let his hand linger on mine. "Call me if anything strange happens. Even if you think it's nothing. Okay?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine, Eliot. Don't worry."

He nodded and turned to the door. Walking through he reached around to make sure it was locked, and then walked out shutting it firmly behind him.

I went to the bathroom, and started my shower. As I was taking off my clothes, I glanced over at the toilet seat. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the lid was down. So he was a gentleman after all.