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This City is Contagious

(5)

Sara didn't know how long she had been sitting there; time had seemed to slow with every drink she ordered. Not that she was really ordering properly, at random intervals she would call the bar tenders name and he would appear with a fresh beer for her. She assumed it was bad to know him on a first name basis but she realised she didn't care. She didn't care what he or the sleazy regulars thought about her.

"Hey Derek." she called from her stool turning around to survey the people that had found themselves here, this late on a weekday night. People that were no better than her, she noted.

"Who's that guy over there?" Her eyes rested on a man sat in the corner booth his arms wrapped around a girl half his age.

"Oh that's Ben Rocker." The young man in front of her responded nervously he placed hands in his pockets.

"Are his girlfriends always so...underage?" Sara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Err...I don't really know...I haven't worked here long..." He replied worried about what Sara was intending to do. She gave him a small smile before picking her beer up and swinging her legs around the stool to stand up.

"Is this guy bothering you?" She asked the young girl, avoiding eye contact with Ben.

"Will you butt out lady- we're trying to have a chat." He snapped at her not giving his date a chance to respond to her question.

"Wow, are you always so charming? No wonder they can't keep away from you!" She shot back, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What's your problem?" He asked as if it wasn't obvious.

"I think you know..." Sara said in a deadpan voice, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Seriously if you don't leave..." He began threatening her.

"Go ahead; put your hands on me...I dare you..." She replied slowly.

"If I put my hands on you you'd know all about it chick." He mildly threatened.

"But you're not going to because I'm the wrong side of 15?" She asked sarcastically.

Ben stood up his hands finding themselves in a vice like grip around Sara's arm but all she did was smile at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Getting defensive are we not?" She laughed slightly not fazed by the way he had roughly pulled her towards him. Giving him a few moments of thinking he had the upper hand before she kicked him in the crotch, twisting his arm around his back she pushed him to the ground.

"I dared you didn't I?" She said breathlessly as she rested her knee in the centre of his back.

Brass appeared in front of her; at some stage Ben must have called the cops. Sara glanced up at him not knowing how to respond to his presence.

"Come on..." He offered her his hand, and without thinking Sara took it, letting him pull her to her feet. "I've called Greg...go wait outside for him."

"Jim..." Sara began to explain but she realised that she didn't know what she could say, and all of the drinks she'd had that night seemed to be hitting her in one go.

"Just go Sara." He instructed through gritted teeth but she persisted to try and talk. With a sigh Brass turned to her. "What are you trying to do Sara, lose your job? Someone else could have responded to the call and you know what you could have. But I made sure I took it. I'm trying to help you out...so will you just leave?"

She nodded silently making her way to the door tears stinging her eyes as she attempted to gather her thoughts. But they didn't seem to be making any sense in her head as she sat herself down on the curb, her head in her hands.

"Sara..." A familiar voice filled the air surrounding her. She glanced up to see Greg watching her with concern. Not being able to stop the tears that were flooding past her eye lashes she turned away from him.

"Hey...it's okay...you're going to be fine..." He muttered to her as he pulled her to her feet and into his arms. Sara let herself melt into his embrace, using him for support to keep her standing burying her face in his neck. The familiarity of his scent overwhelmed her as she attempted to explain to herself why she had made such a stupid mistake.

"I convinced the guy not to press charges..." Brass announced as he stepped out. "Take her home."

Greg nodded pulling Sara tighter into his arms hoping that he was doing something to make her feel better, doing something to dull the hurt. He helped her to the car, letting her slid into the passenger seat.

The drive back to Sara's house was silent as she stared straight ahead, her eyes blank as she lost herself in her thoughts ignoring the concerned glances Greg was throwing her way. She didn't want to talk to him; she didn't want to attempt to justify her actions tonight.

And once Greg had parked outside of her house he turned to face her attempting to word the right thing to say to Sara in this moment but he realised that he had no idea what to say. She remained perfectly still not moving a muscle in her seat.

She'd shut down. She had closed the world out. Her expression was blank but her stormy eyes told enough about the conflicts she was putting herself through. Greg took a deep breath climbing out of the car opening the passenger side door he scoped her up in his arms.

Once they were inside the atmosphere simply seemed to thicken; Greg carried Sara to her bedroom and placed her down on the bed. He removed her coat, shoes and jeans and pulled the covers over her as if she were a child.

Greg placed a gentle kiss on her forehead but as he tried to pull away Sara clung to his arm, sobbing into the soft fabric of his t-shirt. Not saying a word about her turmoil she simply held on to him and Greg didn't tear himself away from her like he knew he should have done. He slid beneath the covers pulling her into his arms holding her as close to his warmth as he could.

"Things are going to be just fine..." He muttered to her, running his fingers through her hair. "I promise..."

She eventually stilled in his arms, closing her eyes letting his comfort provide her with enough calm to let sleep wash over her. Greg slowly moved away from her, he pulled her covers around her shoulders, with another kiss on her forehead he disappeared into the living room.

With a sigh he laid down on the sofa, throwing a blanket over himself while thinking about all of the things that had happened that night.

How had things become such a mess?