VI. Encounters
…
After two weeks, a kind of routine slowly came to Zelena's life. By this time, she had thoroughly cleaned every room in the house and also managed to reconcile her two jobs. Those days when she had double shifts were exhausting because there was just enough time in between to cycle back to the farm and get dinner on the table. She didn't bother socializing with the townspeople, although some of them tried to make some small talk with her at the supermarket or the bar. The people were nice, but she couldn't let anyone get close enough to her to really build up a friendship.
Hastily, she followed the roadway out of town. She was already past the stables when suddenly a bang echoed through the autumn silence. Startled, she jerked the handlebars and it came as it had to. She landed in the ditch at full speed. The impact sent a jolt of pain through her chest and her left foot. Breathing heavily, she lay still until the unbearable stinging subsided and she could breathe again. When she finally got up and examined her bike, she immediately noticed that the front tire was flat. Furious, she kicked the vehicle, which her ankle, already damaged from the fall, responded with a sharp throb. She would be late at home and Freek would get mad again. Her hands grew clammy as she reached for the handlebars to set up the bike. Behind her, she heard the soft clattering of hooves that caused her to turn around. It wasn't the mayor's noble apple gray mare approaching her, but a large rusty brown horse with white-booted legs. Its rider gave her a smile as he parried it beside her.
"Do you need a hand?" he inquired kindly.
Shaking her head, she looked up at him. "The tire's shot, there's nothing I can do. Damn it, I'm already out of time."
The man dismounted and held his horse loosely on the reins so it could pluck grass from the edge of the roadway. "Scarlet and I can take you home. No one will steal the bike if you leave it here until you can come back."
"Thanks for the offer, but luckily I don't have far to go. I live on the farm just down the road."
"So Birch Hill has finally found residents again." Politely, he extended his hand to her. "I'm Robin Locksley, by the way, the local forester. With whom do I have the pleasure?"
She smiled slightly. "Zelena West, nice to meet you, too."
"Pretty name. Quite unusual, I would say." His gaze slid downward over her leg, which she unburdened as she stood. "Sure you want to walk? That ankle must hurt."
Zelena had to admit that he was right and wheeling the damaged bike to the farm would cost her even more time. "Well, you convinced me. Thank you, Mister Locksley."
"Robin," he corrected charmingly before showing her how to put her foot in the stirrup and helping her onto the horse. She suppressed her ribs aching from the abrupt movement. The large saddle was quite comfortable and she noticed that Scarlet was wearing a bridle without a snaffle. The reins were in Robin's hands to guide his chestnut gelding. She clung to the pommel of the saddle as the horse began to move. From above, she could see a sheath hanging on the belt of his outdoor trousers, which contained the grip of a hunting knife. After a few minutes at a leisurely pace, they arrived at the farm's driveway and she looked up at the building.
"I can manage the last part of the way myself. I'm sure you are busy as well." She slid out of the saddle and the strain again chased torment through her ankle, which gave in under her weight. Robin quickly grabbed her by the hips to keep her from losing her balance. His sudden closeness made her shiver involuntarily and she avoided his touch. She could smell the scent of his aftershave mingling with the strong odor of leather and horse.
"Careful Milady!" He ran his free hand through his light brown hair. "Yeah, I have to check the deer cameras I set up in the woods. I'll catch that damn Nottingham soon and send him to jail, so he wouldn't shoot animals anymore."
"Good luck then, and thanks again for the ride." She gave him a genuine smile. With the slight growth of beard that gave him something rakish, she couldn't help but think he was handsome.
"You're welcome. I'll bring the bike over with my car later when I get home from the stables. Our mechanic in town can change the tire and it'll be just like new again."
"I have to work tonight. Would you just put it here in the driveway?"
Robin nodded slightly before getting on his horse and finally spurring it to a brisk walk. Zelena glanced after him as he rode off toward the woods before she followed the unpaved road up to the farm. Her father stepped onto the porch as soon as she arrived and pulled her roughly in by the wrist.
"Who was that on the horse?" he snapped at her.
"The forester," she answered, crossing her arms protectively in front of her body. "I fell off my bike, the tire is flat, and Robin kindly offered a hand."
"So, Robin then." His voice grew menacingly quiet. "Such a handsome fellow on horseback must have made eyes at you."
Zelena shook her head. "He was just kind, nothing more."
She walked past him into the kitchen to get to cooking done before he could give her an order. Behind her, she could hear his footsteps following her.
"Did you like feeling his hands on your hips? Did you imagine getting fucked by him?"
"You're in my way," was all she replied. Over the years she had learned to let his provocations bounce off her, so she stubbornly clenched her jaws.
Freek laughed hoarsely. "A man like him could have any woman. He certainly won't waste his time with you, Zelena. Just look at you, that red mane, those ugly freckles all over your face. Who would want you?"
A little too violently, she slammed the pot she had just taken out of the cupboard onto the pantry and took a package of peas out of the freezer.
"Don't you dare ignore me when I'm talking to you!" He snatched the hard frozen block from her hand and raised it threateningly, as if wanting to hit her with it. Reflexively, she held her hands in front of her face, but only a cold derisive laugh escaped him. He pressed the box against the bare skin of her neck. The icy cold feeling made her gasp. "You're not going to eat today. You've gained weight because you snack too much."
From the ingredients she had already prepared, he of course knew, that she was about to make pea soup, which she liked. She continued not to respond him, but filled the pot with water to put it on the old gas stove. Before she could do so, however, she felt an abrupt jolt into back, so that she almost lost her balance and could barely hold the heavy cooking pot. The water spilled over and poured onto the floor.
"Clean that up!" he promptly snapped at her.
She obeyed and began mopping up the tiles as soon as she had set her load down. Amused, Freek pushed her forward so she was crouched on all fours in front of him.
"That's the way I like you. Now hurry up with the food, I'm hungry!"
She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally heard him leave the kitchen. By now she realized her whole body was trembling. Once again he had got what he wanted - to humiliate and terrify her. Finally, the smell of pea soup drifted through the kitchen and she set the table. Freek did not let her eat, which he had already announced, but he made her sit across from him and watch him slurp out his bowl with relish. Since Zelena had only eaten some fruits for breakfast, she was very hungry. Her stomach kept producing an audible growling sound. Soon she had to leave again because she had a shift at the bar in the evening, so she wouldn't be able to eat anything until she got home late.
…
It wasn't very crowded at the Rabbit Hole yet when she arrived on time just before seven in the evening. She had walked the whole way because Freek had again refused to let her use the pickup. As Hook had suggested, she wore a short skirt and low-cut blouse. She had pinned up her wild red mane so that only a few loose curls fell over her shoulders. In addition, she had made up herself with dark eye shadow and red lipstick. Gradually the bar filled up, the people and the music became noisy. Zelena forgot about her grumbling stomach as she ran back and forth between the tables, bringing drinks and taking empty glasses. She repeatedly served mugs of beer to the two men who were often found at the pool table.
"Just about time, I'm dying of thirst," one of them, a greasy guy with slicked-back hair, intoned before taking a sip with relish. His gaze slid over Zelena's body as she was about to collect the empty glasses. "Nice ass, what do you think, August?"
When she felt his hand on her butt she flinched so heavily that she could barely hold the tray. The look he gave her was nothing new to her, he had been repugnant to her from the beginning, but he had never touched her so unashamedly before.
"No need to be shy, I'm not going to hurt you," he purred, abruptly pulling her close so that she smelled his alcohol-scented breath. "Be nice to me, baby."
"Leave me alone, you disgusting...," Zelena hissed, trying to wriggle away from him. She was about to step on his toes with her high heel, but suddenly her eyes fell on an all too familiar figure sitting on one of the bar stools. Freek was staring over at her, a glass of beer in his hand. Instantly, all her resistance failed.
"Keith, it's your turn!" August reminded as he reached for his own mug.
She felt his hand slide upward over her thigh until it reached the hem of her short skirt and got paralyzed.
"Hey Nottingham," Killian Jones' loud voice sounded from the bar. "Control yourself or you're out of here!"
"Spoilsport!" the latter shouted back, finally letting go of Zelena. "You should better take a cue from Tink, she's not that squeamish!"
Hastily, she sought the distance with her tray to serve the empty glasses on other tables and take new orders. When she reached the bar, she vehemently avoided her father's gaze. She knew for a fact that he had been watching everything.
"Everything all right, Zee?" Hook inquired as he started to prepare the drinks that had been newly ordered. "Just ignore Nottingham. His ego stretches from here to New York City, but he's got nothing but hot air in his head. If he won't shut up, I'll kick him out of that door so he can cool off his temper a bit. He'll be back inside faster than you can say pool anyway."
Zelena nodded absently. "I can handle drunken idiots like that."
She quickly regained her composure and just focused on her business. Since her father was sitting at the bar where Hook was pouring, she didn't have to wait on him and could confidently continue her tactic of ignoring him. The name Nottingham that had come up reminded her of her encounter with the helpful Robin that afternoon. So this was the fellow he was determined to catch in the act of poaching. Outside the Rabbit Hole, he was, by all accounts, an equally unpleasant fellow. Freek stayed until curfew, and when he thrust a few dollar notes into Hook's hand to pay his bill, she had to swallow her anger that he was so carelessly boozing away the money she brought home all alone. Of course, it had never been any different since she'd started waitressing back when she was in high school, at a time when she'd still dared to dream of a better future. Of college and of a degree.
