My Angel is the Centerfold

Chapter 16

Carol wasn't sure what happened. And there wasn't really time to ask. One minute she was setting a clean pan on the stove to cook the girls a cheese omelet. And the next thing she knew, River and some strange woman were having a full on screaming match in the lobby of the bakery. At first Carol thought the woman was a street person that wandered in through the unlocked door. She was painfully thin, which suggested she might have a drug problem. Or, there was a chance the woman was some sort of disgruntled customer. Carol never worked in customer service before the bakery. But even in the short time she'd been there, she'd seen some truly entitled and deranged behavior from the people that came in to buy bread and cookies. But then Carol heard what River and the woman were yelling at each other. It was immediately clear that they weren't having a debate over cake filling or gluten. This had to be the wife of the man River was sleeping with.

The woman was calling River a tramp and a slut and every other name for a loose woman that she could think of. And River was screaming back, calling the woman equally nasty names that were mostly insults pertaining to her appearance. They weren't throwing hands yet. But they were standing toe to toe, hollering in each other's faces.

"Stay in the kitchen," Carol hissed, shifting her body to try and keep the girls behind her.

"Like hell," Harley spit back. She stepped around Carol, forcing her to move out of the doorway in order to see around Harley's taller frame. But thankfully, Harley didn't head further into the lobby or involve herself in the altercation. Not yet anyway. She was busy twisting her mass of blonde curls back into a ponytail and taking her earrings off. There was no doubt in Carol's mind of what would happen if the woman in the green wig laid one hand on Harley's mother. Harley was stronger than she looked. And absolutely vicious. Negan's wife would be lying on the sidewalk outside in pieces before she even saw the girl coming.

"Don't you dare," Carol warned, eyeing the tall lanky girl with a look of concern. Harley flicked her eyes away from her mother for a moment, meeting Carol's gaze. She responded with a casual shrug before she crossed her arms and leaned back against the doorframe.

"Then you better get rid of her," Harley said. "...because if that scarecrow ass bitch touches my mom, she's cooked."

Carol skirted around the corner of the bakery case. But then she hesitated, unsure of the best way to break up the fight before it turned physical. The loud commotion was triggering for her, especially since it happened without warning. Later, Carol would be secretly proud of herself for not freezing up completely. She paused and assessed the situation. The best thing for her to do was get in between the two women. Her best bet was to push River backwards and hopefully into the kitchen. Then Harley could get rid of their uninvited guest. But Carol wasn't sure if she wanted to put her back to the strange woman. The way she was screaming, Carol was worried she might end up taking a blow that was meant for River.

Carol stepped forward and put her hand on River's shoulder in an attempt to get her attention. "The girls are watching," she urged. "Calm down." River glanced towards the kitchen doorway. Harley was lounging against it like this was just another day in the life for her. But Sophia and Wren were staring with wide frightened eyes. Wren had her arm around Sophia's slightly smaller frame, holding the other girl close to her. River's eyes flicked back to the woman in the green wig. And then back towards her younger daughter. Then she took a step back. For a moment, Carol was hopeful that the situation was about to be diffused. But then the devil himself walked in.

"Lucille!," he hollered, stepping forward and gripping his wife lightly by the arm. "I asked you not to come down here. I told you I'd take care of it."

"Take care of it?," River barked. "Ya better start explainin' yerself! Who the hell is this bitch? You told me you were divorced!"

Negan's wife didn't seem to care much for being called a bitch. Or for the way River was demanding an explanation from her husband. She lurched forward. But she didn't get far. Negan still had a firm grip on her arm. He turned, putting his body between his wife and his mistress. A position that Carol guessed he was enjoying more than he was letting on. Glancing back over his shoulder, he cringed slightly before he answered River's question.

"Look," he said, his tone already conveying a very half hearted apology. "I said whatever I had to. I just wanted to get into your pants. Okay." River's eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly open. She felt so damn stupid. She should have learned her lesson by now, after everything Merle did to her. But apparently, she was a slow learner.

"I'm sure he didn't have to say much," Lucille added, accompanying her words with a flip of her middle finger. She looked River up and down, narrowing her eyes in judgment at the short length of her shorts and the low cut of her pink bakery tank top.

"Ya talk a lotta shit fer a woman whose husband is steppin' out on her," River sassed back. Carol saw the wicked grin that flashed across River's face a moment too late. She made a grab for her with the intention of holding her back. But she caught nothing but air. River darted forward, reaching around Negan and snatching his wife's wig right off her head. She held the bundle of hair in her hand, shaking it around like a deranged carnival prize. "Let's see you talk shit now, you bald ass bitch!," River taunted. Carol sucked in her breath. The poor woman didn't look great even with her wig on. And with her peach fuzzy bald cancer head, she looked even worse. Carol felt a pang of sympathy for her before she remembered that it was Lucille that came here looking to start shit with River and not the other way around. This woman ought to be taking her anger out on her husband. Negan was the actual guilty party in this situation.

"That's a-god-damn-nough!," Negan hollered. He let go of his wife as he turned to face River. "Give it here!," he demanded, holding his hand out for the ragged green cap of hair. Instead of handing it to him, she threw it in his face. And then she pushed him, slamming her palms against his chest.

"GET THE FUCK OUT!," she yelled, pushing him again. This time it was hard enough to force him back a step. And Negan swung his arms, trying to swat the wig out of his face and keep River from shoving him again. Carol was fairly sure he never meant to hit River, although he wasn't exactly being careful not to. But intentional or not, his arm swung across the space in front of him. And the back of his hand cracked her straight across the face so hard that it snapped River's head to the side. The sound of his hand hitting her face echoed through the lobby. And Harley was already on her way around the glass cases to beat his ass when Carol heard the doorbell jingle.

Carol knew that Merle was hanging around the bakery. He'd been outside almost all day for the last few days. But in all the chaos, she forgot about him completely. Until he appeared in the doorway. He was focused on Negan like a bull on a red flag. And Carol guessed the slap was only part of the reason why. Merle wanted to fuck Negan up because he was sleeping with River. This was just his excuse. Harley let out a loud string of foul curses. And instead of rushing into the mess to fight her softball coach, she grabbed her mother by the back of the shirt and hauled her out of the way.

"That's my dad!," Wren shrieked, unsure of what she ought to think about Merle's sudden appearance.

Negan turned just in time to see Merle's fist flying at his face. His knuckles smashed against cartilage and teeth, causing blood to start flowing instantly. The next punch was to Negan's gut. And then Merle slammed him into the glass front of the bakery case. The glass shattered and both men fell down onto the floor. Since Merle wasn't the one that just got his face beat in, he clambered to his feet first.

"Yer such a dumb asshole," Harley cursed. She was never one to miss an opportunity to air out her annoyance towards her father. And this was no exception. "Why didn't ya just beat his ass outside? Now look at the fuckin' mess ya made!" Merle rolled his eyes at the girl as he shook the bits of glass out of his shirt.

"You a'right?," he asked, cupping River's face with his hand. She nodded her head. And then she grabbed Merle's hand and started dragging him towards the kitchen. She could already hear the sirens. They were still a few blocks away. But it wouldn't be long before the police arrived. If Merle was still around when they got there, it wouldn't go well for him.

"Ya better go before the cops get here," River said, pulling an ice pack from the freezer and pressing it into Merle's hand. He took it, pulling River against him with his other arm.

"I'll go if ya promise yer gonna start answering my calls again," he said, ignoring River's snort of indignation. He was in no position to be negotiating with her for anything. He was breaking his restraining order just being in the bakery, let alone calling her on the phone.

River shifted her weight anxiously from one foot to the other. The sirens were getting louder. And she was starting to get scared. After another moment's hesitation, she couldn't take it anymore. "Fine!," she huffed. "I'll take yer calls." Merle chuckled, a grin spreading across his face as he caught the back of River's neck with his hand. He pressed his lips down on hers, kissing her like crazy before he let her go and took off running out the back door of the bakery. River smoothed her hair down and brushed the front of her shirt off.
"I think I'm gonna barf!," Harley announced.

"Barf later," River replied, trying her best not to laugh. "What are we about to tell these cops?"

Harley tossed her long ponytail back over her shoulder and gave her mother a wink. "Don't worry," she chirped. "I got this."