8
I turned and looked up at Forrest to see him rummaging through his pockets and his eyes remained on the floor as he did so. I looked away feeling awkward now.
"Here." he said and I looked at him to see some dollars in his hand. Now my father told me that you work at least seven days before accepting pay if not you're not worthy of being paid. I looked up at him and shook my head.
"No. I would rather wait until I've worked at least seven days before I get paid. I've done nothing today." I replied and as I explained he shook his head.
"No take it. I don't want to hear any mess from your brothers or your old man for not giving you anything." he said his looking past me and at the wall behind me. I frowned and shook my head.
"I don't want it yet." I said pushing his hand back to his chest but he pushed it right back towards me.
"Damn it Eula take the money." he said his eyes looking at me for a second then looking away and I couldn't help but grip his chin and force him to look at me. I felt his body tense up and I frowned at him.
"I will take nothing from you until you can get over your little hatred for looking at black women." I told and in seconds his hand gripped mine and I tensed now at his grip knowing I overstepped some kind of boundary with him and I gasped a bit. He looked at me with such intensity that I felt my body grow smaller compared to his.
"Is that what you think?" he asked. I winced as his hand still held mine.
"You haven't given me any other assumptions." I answered my hand forming a soft fist in his grip. I saw his nostrils flare softly as if he were smelling my fingers? I blinked and looked down softly and he looked down at me and I felt his hand pull me closer and I wasn't sure I should move into him and my body was feeling all type of emotions.
"Eula…you are a member of this bar and like any other member you are respected by me, by Howard and by Jack. I have no hatred for black women and we will never talk about this discussion again." he said. I stared up at him shock not knowing what to say or to do. He slowly held my hand down now and placed the money in my hands and forced my fingers to curl over them. I swallowed a bit and looked up at him and he looked down at me. "Eula…"
But his statement was interrupted by loud honking noises coming from my brother's car. Forrest turned and looked at the door before mumbling under his voice.
"Your brothers are here." he replied and swiftly opened the door and left and I wasn't even sure what happened, but I just looked down gathering my thoughts before leaving the office myself. I wondered what he had to say back there. I left out the store and got into the back of the car and we drove away. I saw in silence not saying a word. Ray looked at me from his rear view member.
"How was work?" he asked and I shrugged.
"Fine. Not much happened." I replied and the boys looked at each other as if trying to figure out if it was telling the truth. I simply leaned back and placed the palm of my hand on my forehead.
For the whole week it was this way. The boys took me to work and I got paid every seven days even though Forrest insisted on paying me every other day or so. He still acted odd around me, avoided my face when we spoke and looked down if we ever found each other staring for more than five seconds. Maggie left last Wednesday so now it was just me. My brothers were actually loosening up to the Bondurant boys until Howard, driving drunk, almost drove them off the road. Another fight was the conclusion and I was told Forrest fought in this one and blackened Arliss' eyes, both of them. Things were always the same for those boys.
It was a Saturday and I was cleaning off a table of which some men were eating at. Forrest was in his small office, Howard was out with his friends, and Jack was out probably doing his moon shining stuff. The door opened and I looked over my shoulder to see two white men coming in. I had never seen them and they wore nice suits. I knew they were trouble I felt it in the bottom of my soul. They saw me and began smiling drunk like and I tensed a bit and tried to hurry so I could take their orders. It was so silent in here and I reached over to continue wiping the tables when I feel a firm hand grab my behind and I gasp and lean up and turn to see the men in front of me.
"Hey sexy thing, you come here often?" he asked cheekily grabbing both my hands. I tensed.
"Let go of me." I replied. The pencil mustache man smirked.
"Oh come on baby let's have some fun." he said and suddenly pushed me hard and in seconds I felt my hands held back by the other man. I screamed and began kicking and screaming.
"No!" I replied and I felt his body move between my legs and lift up my skirt and I thought I would get no help, but he proved me wrong. Glass shattered over the man's head and he grunted and flipped the table with me on it and I fell over onto the ground.
I heard now nonstop grunting and yelling. I pushed the table off me and rolled onto my stomach to see one man was on the ground and Forrest was wrestling with the mustache guy. He had brass knuckles on his fingers and he punched the guy dead in the neck. So much blood came out and I looked at Forrest's face and he looked so calm but hidden underneath was a feral beast. I looked at the man on the ground to see him struggling with something on his belt loop and I knew it was a gun. He was going to shoot Forrest. I looked around to see a large shard on the ground from Forrest breaking the glass on the other man's head.
I grabbed it and quickly stood up and as the man was getting on his feet and pointing his gun at Forrest I threw myself forward and shoved the glass hard into the man's neck ignoring the loud bang that went off and my body felt almost as if it were in a rush. Blood streamed down my face and I saw his eyes widen and his blood streamed down my hand and I felt suddenly on fire and I removed the shard and shoved it into his throat again and he fell over. I panted and I gripped the shard even harder. Yes, I am a Kincaid. We are forever victorious in a fight. I feel a soft hand slide over my right shoulder and I slowly turned to look up at the dark eyes of Forrest. He was also covered in the blood of the other guy he fought and he stared at me for a second and I don't know what emotion moved through him and he now started to look down and his eyes furrowed on my stomach and I slowly looked down to see blood falling through my grey blouse and my hands trembled now and I looked up at Forrest who shook his head.
"Oh no." he said in disbelief and I felt my knees weaken and I began to fall to my knees but Forrest was there, he caught me swiftly. My breath was hitched and he picked me up. "You'll be fine Eula." I felt my body moving and we were outside. I looked up at the sky feeling so fuzzy in my head. The clouds were grey and dark. It was going to storm. I close my eyes and felt my mind going dark and so I assumed I wanted to sleep.
"Eula, stay awake. Don't close your eyes." I heard Forrest say. I opened my eyes to see I was lying in his lap and his arms were on the wheel. When were we in his truck?
"I'm so tired Forrest." I mumbled closing my eyes again. He looked down at me with worried and alarmed emotions in his eyes. The first time I had seen other emotions in his eyes. I closed my eyes again.
"Eula please don't close your eyes. I- I need you to stay with me." I heard him beg. My lips felt so dry.
"Why…wouldn't you want me to die so I don't have to work in your bar?" I mumbled.
"No. I would never want that….um…I want you there all the time." he replied. I looked up at him and felt pain start to form in my stomach.
"My stomach hurts." I replied. He nodded.
"You've been shot honey, but I am going to make sure you get all the help you need I won't leave you so don't you leave me." he replied. What did he call me? I mumbled.
"Why would I leave you?" I asked closing my eyes again and now I could hear nothing.
"Because I always have this thought that you were going to leave me...I need you here with me." was the reply. I was shrouded by darkness and I felt so numb. I heard nothing but a buzzing noise.
"Eula?" I heard a voice, a male voice. I could hear that was all I was concerned with and I mumbled softly and slowly opened my eyes to see a beige ceiling.