Hello friends! I hope you all are doing well. Enjoy this new chapter. - Sevy14
Agent Rumlow and I entered the Bar and Grill. It wasn't anything special, but I felt like I was stepping into a five star restaurant. After having my life completely turned upside down by this 'Project Legend' and being sent to this place in Alaska, it was just so nice to be out of that house. Katie and her new 'husband', Agent Rollins, wasn't here yet. I looked back over my shoulder at Agent Rumlow as the door shut behind him, before walking further into the restaurant. The locals and regulars, I assumed, all looked up from their meals, drinks, and from where they were by the pool tables to look us over. I offered a small smile and wanted to shrink back into the wall, to be invisible and anything other than the center of attention. My nervousness manifested in reality as I took a small step backward which caused me to bump into Agent Rumlow who was directly behind me. For his part he didn't react to my action and shifted about me, passing by and indicating that I follow with a jut of the head. I followed him as he made his way through the building to a table in the back and sat down. Agent Rumlow acted as though the staring by those already in the establishment weren't there and I did what I could to ignore the eyes that followed us through the room and sat next to Agent Rumlow, feeling the pressure of eyes on my back. I fidgeted with my sleeves but stopped when Agent Rumlow's eyes flicked down at them, then up to my face and past me. We sat for a few minutes, the low murmuring of patrons starting up again and I was startled by a cheery voice cutting into my anxious thoughts.
"Hi there, welcome!" I look over. A woman in her early twenties was standing next to our table. Her face was welcoming and set me at ease a bit.
Agent Rumlow didn't respond, so I did. "Hi." I smiled at her. "Um..." I start and she nods, politely. "We're going to have two more joining us."
She nods, "Okay! I can bring ya two more menus. Can I start you with any drinks while you're waiting?" She asks, looking from me to Agent Rumlow and back again.
"Oh uh..." I look at Agent Rumlow. "I think four waters to start. I need to look over the drink menu before I order." I say.
"Great! I'll bring that with the other menus. Be back in a jiff!" She responds. Her bubbly voice wafted through me and I felt myself smiling and nodding to her. It was nice to interact with someone like me, someone not like Agent Rumlow.
I look over at Agent Rumlow who, for his part, seemed calm and nonthreatening. But I knew that was far from the truth, he was surely ready to go in attack mode if need be at any moment. I was not able to decide if that made me feel better or worse.
Clearing my throat I look over at him, "Um... Do you know what time they'll get here?" I ask. He gives me a look and then something else flashed across his face, something I couldn't discern.
"No." Why would I know when Jack would get here? That was a dumb question. I tried to hide my annoyance at it.
I nod and say, "Oh..." Another minute passes between us before I speak again. "Um... am I allowed to drink?" I could feel myself fiddling with my sleeve again. Where was this waitress I thought, looking around to distract me from Agent Rumlow's piercing gaze. Even in a relaxed state he was intense.
"Do you not usually drink?" I ask her. She makes a face, trying to determine how to answer I surmised. I continued, "I don't care if you drink or not."
I nod at him opting to not vocalize any other response. The waitress finally returned and I smiled in her direction, relieved at having a distraction from this dying conversation.
"Alright you two, sorry for the wait." She says, bubbly voice calming me instantly. "Now, here are two more menus and a drink menu. Happy hour ends in a half hour, just let me know if you want any happy hour food or drinks and I will get those put in before it ends." She says with a big smile.
Nodding, "Okay we will, thanks!" I pick up the drink menu to look it over.
"Well, just wave me over if your friends come before I return." She turns before either I or Agent Rumlow could respond and bounced off. She, unlike myself, did not seem opposed to the stares that followed her.
I look over the drink menu and settle for getting a Miami Vice. Agent Rumlow, for his part, has not indicated that he is even remotely interested in imbibing. "Um, A-" Agent Rumlow looks at me and cough, uncomfortable. "Brock, would you care to look at the menu?" He gives me a once over and then in a swift movement pulls the menu out from underneath my hand and flip it around so he can view what is listed. He doesn't say a word and his inspection of the menu lasts for a few seconds before he looks away, seemingly to observe the other occupants of the bar. The noise of cars passing by catches my attention and I turn, I feel my face break out into a smile. I watch as Katie looks about and I reach a hand up and wave slightly. She sees me and smiles back. I notice Agent Rollins seems impassive and observant, just as Agent Rumlow is.
Just as they reach us, Katie speaks. "Hi!" Her voice a welcome sound to my ears.
"Hi." I reply, smiling. I notice Agent Rollins pull out her chair for her and I give her a look. I dared not look over at Agent Rumlow, but I was sure he saw our exchange. "I'm so happy you were able to make it."
Nodding, Katie replies. "Me too." She pauses and then speaks again, "Brock, nice to see you."
"Mrs. Rollins." Agent-no Brock greets Katie back.
"Katie, J-Jack, here is the drinks menu. Our waitress said it's still happy hour for a few more minutes if you'd like to order." I hated how I stutter at saying these men's names.
Katie nudges me, "What are you getting?" She asks.
I smile, "Oh. I'm going to get a Miami Vice I think." I reply. "I haven't had one in a long time." I smile at her. "This one." I point at it, my finger tapping the plastic of the menu.
"Ooo that does look yummy." She replies. "Uh... Jack, are you getting anything?" She asks. We both look at him and then I, to Agent-to Brock.
"Oh I think I'll have a whiskey. Brock?" Jack says.
A nod, "Yeah, I"ll probably have a whiskey as well."
"Great." I say. I look about, the settling of quiet at our table over comes us. Turning, I catch the eye of our waiter, and I wave offering her a small smile.
She walks over, making small talk as she passes other patrons. "Nice to see your friends have joined you. Have you decided on drinks?"
I nod giving a quick look at Brock before speaking. "Um yes. We," I say gesturing to Katie and myself, "are going to have a Miami Vice, please." I say. Just as I'm about to speak Brock's voice cuts in, cutting me off.
"We're both going to have a whiskey- on the rocks!" He says. His voice cuts through the air.
"Great! I'll go get those started. Will you be having any food?" Our waitress inquires.
Katie answers, "Oh! Uh we haven't looked at food yet." She says.
Our waitress nods and turns her head to glance in the direction of a voice. "Great! I'll get those drinks made and come back. If you have what you'd like to eat then I'll be able to get those entered before happy ends." She nods her head and turns, bouncing across the floor.
Katie nudges me, "She has the perfect personality for this job."
I nod, smiling. "Yes." I pull two menus towards us and flip mine open. Under my breath I mutter, "Alright." as I peruse the options.
A few minutes pass and I was ready to order, so were Agents Rumlow and Rollins. Katie, was flip flopping between choices. Agent-Brock was not letting on that he was annoyed with her indecisiveness.
The waitress is back, "Alright, you folks ready to order?" She said as she laid our drinks down on the table.
Agent Rollins answers, "Yeah. I'll have a steak, medium rare with the salad and veggies on the side." He closes the menu and scoots it across the table towards the waitress who picks it up, her eyes washing over him. Agent Rollins speaks up, "She," he gestures with a hand, "and I are on the same bill."
Offering a nod in his direction. "You got it, honey." The waitress says.
"Katie." Agent Rollins says, indicating her for her to say what she is going to order.
She looks from him to the waitress. "Right. I will have the salmon, with mashed potatoes and veggies as a side, please." She says. As she does so she closes her menu and hands it to the waitress.
The waitress looks at me and as I move to speak, Agent Rumlow speaks. I give him a look but he ignores it. "The two of us are on the same bill. I am going to have the venison burger, with a salad."
As he finishes his order I look over at the waitress and when she looks up at me I speak. "I'll be having the salmon as well, with mashed potatoes and veggies to, please." I had my waitress the menu.
With a nod, "Lovely! I'll get those put in right away. Enjoy your drinks."
The evening passed quickly with Katie and I relaxing as the alcohol took over our systems. I'd like to say that Agent Rumlow and Agent Rollins grew more relaxed as well, but that would be a lie. I couldn't tell if they had relaxed or if they'd even had a good time. Eventually though we had said our goodbyes and parted ways. Katie and I had given one another a hug and promised to talk the next day. In the back of my mind I was certain that both of the Hydra Agents had rolled their eyes.
As we drove home I couldn't help but smile. It had been nice to have a nice meal outside of the house and with Katie, even if Agents Rumlow and Rollins were present. It had broken up the weirdness of this whole situation. I looked over at Agent Rumlow as he drove us home. "Um... Thank you for letting us go out." I say.
He nods, "Yep." Was all that he replied.
I took that as he wanted silence and I turned my head and looked out the window. The rest of the ride home was a quiet affair. As we pulled into the garage I looked over at him briefly before exiting. Sliding out of the front seat and moving around the car I could feel his eyes on me. Opening the door I say over my shoulder, "I think I'll shower and go to bed." I received no audible response.
With my shower and bedtime routines done, I lay in bed, letting my mind drift until darkness took me, knowing that tomorrow, like today, would hold few verbal exchanges and the deep knowledge that someday I was expected to sleep with Agent Rumlow, a man whose menacing sharp eyes scared me.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. - Sevy14