Disclaimer: I don't own any of this so don't sue me.
Chapter 9 The Shark Pit
The ride to the Shark Pit was filled with tension, the kind that is two parts sexual and one part anxiety; both Alex and Marissa were fully aware of what had happened, or at least almost happened, back at Louie's and the almost kiss was weighing heavily on both their minds. Marissa was trying to figure out how Alex could make her forget everything, including the pain that Ryan had caused her. Alex on the other hand was petrified that she had over stepped her boundaries with the beautiful brunette.
Alex pulled into the parking lot and maneuvered the Jeep into the manager's space, both girls climbed out and met in front of the car. Marissa followed Alex up to the front door; the blonde threw a reassuring smile over her shoulder before pulling open the massive piece of wood which had a tribal shark carved into it. Immediately they were assaulted by Puddle of Mudd playing at full blast and a wall of shouting people.
"What the hell!" Alex said a scowl darkening her face. The blonde began to shove her way through the crowd, hearing Marissa shouting for her to wait, Alex merely reached a hand back and grasped the struggling girl's hand tightly effectively dragging her through the mass of moving bodies.
About half way to the bar Alex finally registered the words that were being chanted by the inebriated crowd. "Fight, fight, fight!" Her eyes went wide when she caught a glimpse of Eden squaring off against an unseen person. "No, no, no, no." The blonde said as she changed course and redoubled her efforts to get through the crowd. With the club being as full as it was a bar fight could be disastrous.
She now stood at the edge of the crowd looking in at Eden and Sarah 'the Sunshine Slut' yelling at each other. Alex could see Lena and Jodie trying to keep the brunette boxer from doing anything that would be considered stupid while the other girl stood safely on the other side of the circle taunting Eden. Turning back to Marissa, Alex said "Head towards the bar, when you get there tell the guy behind the bar that I said I wanted you to wait inside the ring." Alex pulled off her denim jacket to reveal a black wife beater. She handed the stunned looking brunette the garment, smiled grimly. "If a fight breaks out stay behind the bar! I mean it Marissa."
"I'm not a child." Marissa scowled at the blonde. Alex sighed deeply; she didn't have time for this.
"Please… Stay behind the bar. Tell Justin to call last call. Please?" Pleading with her eyes, Alex was relieved when she saw Marissa throw her annoyed look before heading towards the raised platform the bar sat on. Turning her attention back towards the arguing women, Alex stepped in to the center of the circle. Immediately she saw the relief on Jodie's face as she made her way over to her friends.
"What the hell is going on!" Alex demanded stepping right in front of the struggling Latina; the blonde could see that it was taking both Jodie and Lena to keep Eden from beating the other girl to a pulp. Eden never took her eyes off of the girl that stood taunting her at the opposite side of the circle, Lena was pleading with her girlfriend, her lips moving against her ear. When she didn't get a response Alex moved closer to Eden so that their faces were only an inch apart, effectively forcing the girl to look at her.
"Eden? What seems to be the problem?" Alex asked her voice now eerily calm. Eden finally seemed to realize that her friend/boss was standing right in front of her.
"That fucking bitch over there," the brunette said glaring at the other girl before looking back at Alex "tried to kiss Lena and when I told her to back off she fucking slapped me!" The blonde now saw the distinct blush in the shape of a hand that adorned the side of Eden's face. 'Why the hell hasn't Justin called last call yet?' she wandered.
"Let me take care of this Eden." Turning from her friends Alex raised her voice "Ok people show's over. Finish up your drinks and get the hell out of my club." There was a chorused groan of protest from the crowd. "You can come back tomorrow people. Same bat time, same bat channel; now move your asses."
Satisfied that the crowd was dispersing, Alex turned her attention to the somewhat tall girl with short dirty blonde hair and glared at the girl. She began to move menacingly towards the now not so cocky girl, Alex smiled to herself. "Sarah right?" she asked when she was only a couple of feet away. The girl nodded.
In a very quiet voice Alex said "Sarah, I am supposed to be on vacation right now. In fact I was just at a very important party when I got a phone call from one of my managers telling me that I had to come down her because some two bit skank was causing trouble."
Sarah looked like she was about to protest, but Alex just raised a hand to silence her. For the first time that evening Alex saw the girl she had wished she would never see again step up behind Sarah. "Did you know that Eden over there could have been a professional boxer?" Alex asked, ignoring the girl that had just stepped forward, seeing the girl's eyes go wide, she continued. "Yeah, her trainer said she had the potential to be the best. Only problem was, she had a hard time stopping when the ref said to." Sarah took a couple of steps backwards, too shocked to say anything. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Alex said with a smirk. Turning she sent a wink over to her friends, she could see that they had heard most of what she said to the girl. Even Eden seemed to have relaxed.
"Hello lover." Alex cringed at the voice that said those words, turning around she came face to face with her ex.
"K.C. I thought I told you to never set foot in my club again?"
"Now Alex, you know you didn't mean it." K.C. said as she trailed one of her manicured nails down the front of Alex's wife beater. Grabbing the girl's wrist fiercely Alex glared at the girl.
"Don't touch me."
"You know you still want me Alex."
"No I don't!" the blonde seethed.
"So how come you haven't dated anyone since we broke up?" the girl asked smiling wickedly.
"Who said she hasn't?" Marissa's voice came out of nowhere. Suddenly Alex felt the brunette wrap her arms around her waist from behind. Both Alex and Marissa enjoyed the stunned look on K.C.'s face as the cocky smile fell away, replaced by a scowl. Alex immediately released the other girl's hand, placing one hand over Marissa's and bringing the other one up to gently caress the girl's face where it rested on her shoulder.
"What ever!" K.C. huffed as she turned and walked away. Sarah, seeing that her cavalry was in retreat quickly followed the girl. Everyone laughed as one of the waiters "accidentally" spilled the drinks he was carrying down the front of Sarah and K.C.'s shirts.
"Oh my, I am so sorry." Justin said shaking the last few drops out of the glass onto the top of K.C.'s head and then walked away laughing. Both girls glared at him in disbelief before storming off. Everyone laughed as the two girls fled. "Oh man did you see the look on their faces, priceless!" Justin said coming up to the group and setting his tray on one of the near by tables. Alex glanced around taking note that the bar was quickly emptying out. Turning back to her friends she saw them all looking at her funny. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing." Jodie said, smirking at her friend. Just then Alex realized that Marissa still had her arms wrapped around her. Reluctantly she disentangled herself from the beautiful brunette. "Thank you for helping out with K.C.; the girl just doesn't know how to take no for an answer."
Marissa just nodded, sending Alex a shy smile. The blonde smiled back at the girl before turning to her staff. "Okay people, let's get this place cleared out and cleaned up. Since it seems that we are getting out of here early…party at my house." Quickly she turned to Marissa, "If it's okay with you that is?"
The brunette smiled at Alex, nodding. "A party sounds like just what the doctor ordered."
After the last person had been ushered out of the club the staff began cleaning up, Alex got Marissa situated at the bar with a Sex on the Beach and then began helping her crew clean up. Someone had turned on the sound system, filling the room with music, and a few of the employees were dancing as they worked. Alex and Jodie were behind the bar wiping down the counters, Lena and Eden were getting cases out of the storage room to restock the bar; Dominic and a girl Marissa didn't recognize were going along behind the bus boys flipping the chairs up onto the tables and the tall boy that had intentionally spilled the drink on the two girls was going along behind them sweeping.
Marissa took another sip of her drink and continued to watch the people around her having fun while they worked. The brunette looked around for Theresa, but did not see the young mother anywhere. Jodie had just finished counting out the till behind the bar when the phone rang; the shorter girl picked up the phone and balanced it between her ear and her shoulder as she wrapped a stack of bills together with a rubber band, dropping the bundle into a blue money bag.
"Shark Pit, Jodie speaking. Sure, one sec." Hitting a button she spoke into the receiver, her voice blaring loudly over the PA system. "Kai, line one it's Frank. Theresa, money pick up at the bar please."
Marissa looked around trying to find where Alex had disappeared to. Jodie cocked an eyebrow as she watched the tall brunette try to look for Alex without being too obvious. "She went into the office to check on something." Marissa jumped slightly at Jodie's words.
"I'm sorry?"
"Alex, that is who you are looking for isn't it?" Jodie asked knowingly as she continued wiping down glasses and placing them into the over head rack. A blush crept into Marissa cheeks which she tried to cover by taking another sip of her drink. The small brunette smiled at her. "It's okay, your secret is safe with me. Just keep this in mind, Alex isn't as tough as she pretends to be; if you hurt her…I'll break you in half." With that she walked out from behind the bar and was talking to Kai.
Kai smiled deviously and nodded her head, moving in the direction of the sound system. Just then Marissa's questing eyes found what they sought as Alex and Theresa came out of the office; the blonde seemed to be reading over something Theresa was showing her. Alex nodded a few times as Theresa spoke and then appeared to sign something.
Just as Alex looked up and locked eyes with Marissa the sounds of the Pussy Cat Doll's rendition of 'Tainted love/Where did our love go' came over the sound system. Alex looked like a deer caught in headlights as both Kai and Jodie descended on her. Both brunettes were walking towards their boss, swaying their hips to the music.
"Come on Alex…Dance with us?" Jodie asked, reaching the blonde first. Alex began back peddling, right into Kai. The two brunettes seemed to be moving to well choreographed little show, "You know you want to." Kai said coming up tight against Alex's back so that the two girls had the blonde snugly sandwiched between them.
'Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away, I've got to
Get away
From the pain you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night'
Marissa saw Alex try and make a break as the two girls backed away at the same time. In that instance, the brunette saw that the beautiful blonde was blushing furiously. Just when she had almost gotten away, Jodie snuck an arm around Alex's waist so that the blonde's back was against her front. Marissa found herself getting jealous as she watched the two women move together; it was obvious that they knew each other intimately. Marissa tore her eyes away from the little show that was happening in the middle of the dance floor to look at Dominic, who had just come up and was leaning with his back against the bar, elbows bracing him.
Downing the rest of her drink she smiled at Dominic. "Hot aren't they?" the well built young man asked. Marissa looked back over at the three girls.
"What's the deal with them?" The girl asked. Dominic knew who she was talking about, although there were three of them on the dance floor it was Jodie and Alex that had the undeniable chemistry.
"Jo and Al were each other's firsts, first girlfriends, first love, first lover, first everything. And if they weren't so explosive together or maybe if things hadn't happened with Katie, they might still be together." Dominic said watching the brunette's reaction "But now, they are just best friends that occasionally get their freak on in front of the crew."
'Baby, baby…baby don't leave me
Ooo please don't leave me, all by myself
I've got this burnin', yearnin', yearnin' feelin' inside me
Ooooh deep inside me,
And it hurts so bad…
You came into my heart so tenderly,
With a burning love,
That stings like a bee…
Now that I've surrendered so helplessly,
You now wanna leave me, ooo you wanna leave me…
Oh baby, baby, where did our love go?
Oh don't leave me,
Don't leave me no more…'
Marissa watched the two girls hugging each other tightly as the song ended. Jodie was whispering something into Alex's ear that made the Blond smile sweetly and placing a soft kiss on the brunette's cheek. Doing her best to squash the jealousy that had invaded her mind, Marissa smiled at Alex as she made her way over to her.
