The atmosphere in the Cadillac Escalade was remarkably different compared to earlier in the evening. Instead of filling the air with small talk, the two couples simply enjoyed the quiet moment. Sonya was leaning much closer to Johnny while his arm was draped over the top of her seat. Kano's hand was on Nary's thigh as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her hand was on top of his.
Once their driver (LD) pulled away from Sazio, Sonya asked, "Johnny, where are we going?"
"A place that's owned by an old friend of mine and his wife. They moved here a few years ago from Chicago and she's an Aussie, but that's all you're getting out of me!" He playfully wagged his finger at her.
From behind them, Nary interjected, "I know where we're going and it's gonna be fun!"
Sonya glanced at the doctor and teasingly stated, "You two are in an alliance?"
She gave her friend a slow head shake, "There was no conspiring, I texted Johnny before we went shopping, he wanted us to be prepared!"
"Why the fuck am I the odd man out?" Kano crossed his arms.
Nary lightly gripped his shoulder, "Don't worry, you'll be getting your own surprise when we get home."
The flirtatious wink that she gave Kano filled him with anticipation. "Mmm, I should've known. You always get the best…treats whenever you go shopping."
Her hand slid up from his shoulder to cup his face, "This time is no different." She brushed his jaw with her thumb then whispered into his ear, "it'll take your breath away."
The sensation of her hot breath on him and lustful look in her eyes made all the hairs on his neck stand on end. No other woman had such an effect on him. "Oh Buttercup, I can't wait to see what it is!"
Sonya pressed the window button after LD pulled up to their destination. She eyed the sign noticing that it had the descriptors of pub and arcade, "Lucky Leon's?"
"He and his wife Britta are waiting for us in the back. But first, you two ladies are gonna need a little wardrobe change." He nodded at Nary.
As she reached behind her into the open cargo space, she explained, "Johnny had LD pickup our shoes during dinner."
Sonya accepted the black microfiber shopping bag from Nary and pulled out the combat boots she had purchased. "This is great! I get to be comfortable and break these in. But are we gonna be overdressed?"
"For sure, but who cares! What matters is, you two ladies are gonna be comfortable and we're gonna have one hell of a time!" A bold smile spread across the star's handsome face.
An olive-skinned man with short black hair introduced himself as Leon. He welcomed them with a gentle smile and strong handshakes. While leading them to the back entrance, he explained how he and Johnny's friendship started in their freshmen year of high school. The old friends were members of the school's film club before enrolling in martial arts classes together.
After exiting the kitchen, they stepped into a hallway lined with several rooms, on their left a door opened. They were warmly greeted by a petite pale woman with long chocolate cherry curls. She introduced herself as Britta, Leon's wife and business partner. Her Aussie accent was as thick as Kano's but had a sunnier lilt to it.
When they finally reached what Britta called "the front of the house" Sonya understood why she and Nary had to change their shoes. Before them was a huge enclosed court with large viewing windows where ten people driving bumper cars one-handed. In their free hand they held an object similar to a lacrosse stick but with a much shorter handle. A male player in a red bumper car flicked a wiffle ball into a backboard's hole.
Johnny stood in front of his friends and happily announced, "Tonight we're gonna play whirlyball!"
Cocking his head, Kano asked, "Da fuck is whirlyball?"
Nary placed her hands on his shoulders and briefly bounced on the balls of her feet, "It's a mix between basketball, hockey and lacrosse except the sticks are called scoops and the players use bumper cars but they're called whirlybugs! I've never played but some of my friends have and they love it!"
"Scoops, whirlybugs? This game sounds fuckin' silly…I can't wait to play it!" His mouth split into a cheerful smile.
The charismatic celebrity chimed in, "Hold on there, none of us have played this before so we gotta learn the rules and how to drive these cars. They use a crank for steering instead of a wheel and we need another player for our team." He turned to his old friends, "Brit, Leon could one of you help us out?"
Britta held up her hand, "I'm your girl! Leon's gonna work the front of the house tonight."
She told Earthrealm's champions along with an American family of five, the rules of the unique game. Then she taught them how to drive the bumper cars, pass the wiffle ball and demonstrated how to score a point. After a five-minute practice game amongst themselves, they took their positions and began playing a 10-minute round.
Rugby was the last team sport Kano had ever played and that was in his early twenties with his childhood friends. He and the Black Dragon clan would only work together to pull off a job for their clients and they'd celebrate afterwards at a pub or strip club. But he never saw them as a team like he did with his true friends and his fellow champions. Learning and playing a new game with them filled him with gratitude and contentment.
During the last ten seconds of the first game, Sonya flicked the wiffle ball at Kano and he scored their fourth point tying the game. He leaned over his bumper car, held up his hand and chuckled when his former enemy gave him a high five. Out of everything he experienced, that friendly exchange had to be one of the most surprising and weirdest for him.
To break the tie, the court's timer was set to five minutes. The team to score the first point would be declared the winner. Nary missed the goal by a few inches and loudly cursed causing Kano and Johnny to laugh. When the ball bounced off the backboard, Sonya caught it in her scoop then scored the winning point.
Her teammates cheered while the buzzer rang. After they got out of their cars, they shook hands with their opponents. Johnny took a group photo with the family of five then took a separate snapshot with their young teenage son.
Britta congratulated them for their win as she removed her phone from her back jean pocket. She directed Johnny and everyone else toward the pub then she excused herself to answer a call.
"Here ya go, Sweetkins!" Kano pulled out a stool for Nary.
Her mouth tenderly touched his cheek, "Thanks, Babe!"
He gently pushed the back off her stool closer to the bar, "You're welcome, my lady."
Sonya sat in between Kano and Johnny and spoke to the latter, "That was really fun! But you're clearly not the only one with a good arm." She gave him a teasing smirk.
With a roll of his eyes, he stated, "You know damn well that pitching a baseball barehanded is not the same as throwing a wiffle ball with a scoop, Blade!"
The young female bartender tied her long black hair in a loose bun while introducing herself as "Jen." She gave them a kind smile and asked for their drink orders. Kano excused himself to use the bathroom.
Nary thanked and generously tipped the barkeep once she received her glass of chilled sparkling water. As she was about to take the first sip, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw a 40-year-old white woman standing in front of her.
A small tight grin was on the brunette's thin lips, "Hi, I'm Caitlyn and my boyfriend, Trevor and I come here every week. We always sit right here," she pointed to Nary and Kano's seats. "So, I'd really appreciate it if you would please sit somewhere else?"
Nary looked around then replied, "Oh, I don't see a name plates anywhere and Jen didn't tell me anything about reserved seats. But I get it, it's inconvenient. So, how about I buy you and your boyfriend a round of drinks?" She stood up and reached into her purse.
Her grey beady eyes squinted, "I wanna enjoy a few frothies in my favorite spot; I don't need your fuckin' charity!"
Stunned by her hostility, Nary's mouth dropped open as she sensed a presence behind her.
Kano had returned; he kissed her left temple and placed his arm over her shoulders, "Hey Angel, who's your friend?"
Caitlyn crossed her arms as she looked at the engaged couple with utter disgust, "I was just telling your girlfriend that she's in my seat and now, you're in my boyfriend's spot!"
Stepping closer to the irate woman, he replied, "Well I don't see your name anywhere and there are dozens of other fuckin' seats that you and your boyfriend can take."
"We are loyal customers while you fuckers are goddamn tourists!" She hollered as a middle-age bald man walked up behind her.
"Caity, what's going on?" Trevor stood next to her and crossed his muscular arms.
Sonya and Johnny got up from their seats and came to their friends' side; the latter was filming the exchange with his mobile phone.
Caity pointed at Nary, "This fuckin' cunt and her dickhead boyfriend won't get out of our seats! And I asked nicely!"
Rage flared through Kano, "What the fuck did you just call her?!"
Grasping her hips and placing herself in front of him, Nary glared at Caity, "You are unbelievable! We were here first and I offered to buy you and Trevor a round of drinks but you shot it down and somehow, I'm the cunt?!"
Trevor blinked, "Shit, really? Babe, we can sit somewhere- "
She gave him a dismissive wave of her hand, "Fuck that, this is our spot and we're not going anywhere until these shitheads leave!"
From behind the bar, Jen asked, "Oi! What's all this hollering about?!"
Johnny explained, "Well, Aussie Karen here is throwing a temper tantrum because Nary and Kano won't give up their seats to her."
Sonya added, "Nary also tried to reason with her by offering her free drinks but she's being an absolute bitch about it."
The bartender grumbled when she recognized the couple, "Aw fuckin' hell, Caity! Britta cut you a break earlier this year because you were so sloshed, had just lost your job and you apologized to her and Leon the morning after! But they also told you that if you fucked up again you were banned; so, get the fuck out!" She pointed at the front entrance.
With a scowl on her face, she shouted, "No, you're just gonna have to call the cops to drag my ass away because I'm staying right here!"
Trevor pleaded with her, "Babe, I've had such long day we can just go to some other…"
"No! We belong here! Unlike this wanker and his foreign bitch!" She looked directly at Kano, "Bloody hell, you couldn't even stick to your own kind!"
Hearing Nary being insulted increased his fury but he felt her hand on his chest. The conversation they had earlier entered his mind and in spite of his instincts telling him otherwise, he held back his punches. "You're one to talk you racist cunt! You betrayed your own kind by not fucking a mongrel like yourself!"
Kano's retort triggered an infuriated Trevor into pushing Caity behind him, "You fuckin' cockhead no one talks to her that way!"
Nary quickly placed her other hand on Trevor's chest then nudged him back. She saw her strength surprise him, "Back off and get out!"
Caity cackled at her, "Or you'll what? Kick my arse? I'd like to see you fuckin' try!"
Sonya crossed her arms, "Are you sure about that, Karen? Because she'll have me as backup."
Rolling her eyes, Caity retorted, "I'm not a Karen and I can easily take on both of you!"
Johnny got in between them with his phone still front of him, "Nary and Sonya would easily demolish your despicable and ignorant ass, but they won't have to! Because my 320 million followers have been watching this shitshow live! Say hi to the Cage fam, Trevor Robert Lexton and Caitlyn Jean Owens!"
He stepped back and saw the same shocked look on Caity's face as he asked, "How the fuck do you know our full names?"
His cocky smiled shined, "The Cage Fam are resourceful! Within seconds they found out your names, ages, addresses and where you two work. You just made partner at your law firm and your bigot girlfriend works as an assistant at a car insurance agency that's owned by…ouch, John Yang! I bet he and Trevor's boss are gonna love getting DMs, tweets, emails of this video showing your true colors!"
Britta and Leon swiftly approached the tense scene, the former spoke first, "Bloody hell, Caity and Trevor! Get your dumbasses outta here before we drag ya out ourselves!"
Trevor scooped up a boisterous and screaming Caity in his arms and carried her out the front entrance.
Leon turned to Nary and Kano and placed his hands on their shoulders, "We're so sorry you had to deal with those racist fuck knuckles! I promise those pricks don't represent us and our customers. And to show how sorry we are, your drinks are on the house!"
With a sympathetic face and voice, she said, "That's so sweet of you but this isn't your fault. They clearly choose to be entitled, hateful and miserable assholes. But I'm touched that you supported us and kicked them out."
Britta told her, "We don't tolerate racists, Karens and assholes in this house! But still, the night was going great until that shit happened. So, your drinks are still free."
Nary thanked the friendly couple before the four of them returned to their seats. Once she sat down, she exhaled the last bit of anger from her body.
Kano placed his arm over Nary's shoulders and pecked her cheek, "Are you okay, Love? That cunt Caity deserved a kick in the teeth for the shit she was spewing at ya!"
"I'm good and yes, she was terrible but," she brought her hand to his face and smiled, "it was wonderful seeing you and our friends having my back."
"We always do and hey, we have one hell of a story to tell Liu and everyone else!" He brushed a wisp of her hair behind her ear. "No one fucks around with my Queen!" Before she could respond he sweetly covered her mouth with his.
After one round of drinks, they left Lucky Leon's and pulled into a gas station for a refill. Johnny and Sonya left the Escalade to go into the station's convenience store to use the bathroom and to purchase snacks. The cashier politely greeted them while placing money into the cash register. When her eyes met their stares, she excitedly recognized the actor.
Both Sonya and Johnny paused when they saw her face, the former spoke first, "Riana?"
"She's my twin sister! I'm Sinara and I'm a big fan of yours, Johnny! Oh and I just love how you told off that Karen tonight!" She held up her phone. "Would you mind taking a photo with me?"
"I'd love to! But I really gotta use the bathroom, do I have to buy something first?" He asked her.
"You don't; the loo is on the left side in the back, it's right next to the beer!" She pointed to the left.
He thanked her and immediately headed for the beverage aisle as Sonya picked up a shopping basket. After turning into the third aisle, she picked out some snacks for herself then grasped a box of pizza flavored Shapes for Nary. Her eyes pulled away from the shelf of savory treats at the sound of the front door's bell beeping. Three masked men armed with pistols walked in and surrounded Sinara at the register. The shortest man turned around and aimed his gun at the soldier.
"Hands up, Barbie!" He ordered, "And slowly walk up to me!"
As she mentally cursed at herself for not having her knives, she followed the criminal's commands.
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