Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Bar Fight

ALLISON

As the dark-haired woman named Isabel dragged her through the busy crowd in the bustling tavern, Allison allowed herself to be led with bemused interest. It was fascinating how quickly “Izzy” had warmed up to her, and while a brief surface scan assured her this woman was keeping a lot of secrets, none felt related to her or Carter.

Ryan had interacted with women, some of whom had joined them in their encounters, but those activities had largely been limited to sex and drug use. Allison had found herself with little opportunity to simply get to know other women while living in Briar Oak apartments, let alone spend a night at a tavern drinking with one. There had been no “bar hopping”.

She had thus been unable to spend as much time with human women as she wished. At the moment, she had no intention of seducing Izzy—she was more than wrapped up in her budding partnership with Carter, who met all her needs—but they could still be friends. Also, Izzy was a prime example of a confident woman in her prime. A woman she could learn from.

Despite moving in heels that were easily six inches, Izzy walked as confidently as another woman might in flats. Allison could not decide if it was her lower center of gravity or the sheer depth of her experience, and she envied Izzy’s agility. Also, seeing how much those heels enhanced Izzy’s sex appeal made her decide a nice pair of heels would be her first purchase with her new money. Not just for Carter. For herself.

Izzy also carried a purse, or rather, a small handbag that she clutched with a protectiveness Carter, as a man who formerly charged through crowds of enemy attackers while clutching a football, might appreciate. Izzy’s purse was a cute little black bag.

Allison really needed to get herself a cute little black bag.

The crowd thinned as Izzy led Allison to the back area of the building. They traveled a hallway with paneled walls and framed pictures of locations Allison suspected might be from all across this town. Historical photographs, perhaps? A commemoration of this tavern’s history?

As the reached a pair of doors which Allison identified by the human icons in their centers—one male, one female—Izzy offered a wry grin and shoved the door to the lady’s room open. She beckoned Allison inside. Once she complied, Izzy hurried to the mirrors.

Izzy brushed her eyelids, pursed her lips, and moved her head so her face was reflected from one angle after another. It seemed she did intend, just as she had suggested, to check her makeup. Allison covertly observed and catalogued Izzy’s movements for future use.

Another woman, a young and attractive blond in a little black dress Allison instantly adored, was also in the process of adjusting her makeup. Her general sense of surrounding life forms told her an additional woman occupied a closed stall. She pondered introducing herself to the blond at the mirror and then decided that might come off as strange.

This was a reminder that, if she wanted to blend into Earth’s population successfully, she would need to make more friends like Izzy who could “show her the ropes.” As much as she had loved her time with Carter, the idea of also having good human friends with whom she shared interests and hobbies remained a long term goal. It was another tempting hint of the fulfilling life she could enjoy here on Earth if she could simply stop running.

Determined to blend in with the other women, she moved to the last open sink and gazed into its mirror. She mimicked the actions Izzy had presented as she checked her “makeup”. Given her recoloration was part of her skin, it remained perfect.

Izzy glanced at her and snorted. “You are so fucking gorgeous. How do you manage that?”

Allison only wished she could tell her. “Thank you. You are beautiful as well.”

From beside them, the blond checking her own makeup made a small “Aww” sound and beamed as she walked by. She touched Allison’s shoulder as she passed, a friendly gesture which took her by complete surprise.

Were all strangers this randomly supportive of one another? She hadn’t witnessed such behavior before. Then again, the majority of her experiences had been among men or in mixed company.

Perhaps females interacted differently when alone. Some of the studies from Earth had suggested as such. She would need more experience to decide.

“So are you new in town?” Izzy asked. “Where are you from?”

Allison launched into her well-rehearsed backstory. “I came here from Argentina.”

“Wow! A whole other country?”

Choosing an origin within the United States came with a risk of whoever she told being from there, while the chances of meeting someone from Argentina, while here, were remote. “I came for a job in the United States and decided to stay while I sorted out immigration issues,” Allison continued smoothly, which was... somewhat true. “I also went through a breakup recently, so my relationship with Carter is rather new.”

Izzy popped a little tube out of her handbag, extended some lipstick, and began to make adjustments. “Sorry to hear about your breakup.”

“It is fine.”

“But I bet you traded up. Carter seems like such a sweetheart! How’d you two meet?”

Announcing that she had fled into Carter’s sandwich shop while being chased by a bounty hunter from outer space was not a story Allison could tell, but she knew how to keep things vague. “It was online. We matched.”

“You found that hot piece of man meat on a dating sight? How are you so lucky?” She eyed Allison up and down again. “Oh, who am I kidding? You probably had to pick him out of a haystack.”

Allison thought it best to redirect. “How did you meet Rick?”

“Oh, I’ve known Ricky since middle school.” Izzy finished her lips, puckered them, and tucked her lipstick away. “He’s such a fuck up, but still funny as hell. I’m working on him.”

“That is kind of you.”

“Don’t you know it!” Izzy grinned and slapped Allison’s arm. “God, how do you look so perfect after sucking your boy’s face off? I am envious.”

“You have absolutely nothing to envy,” Allison assured her.

Izzy winked. “You’re a sweetheart too. We’re gonna be great friends.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“You all done?”

“I am.”

Izzy headed for the door. “Let’s go rescue the boys before they get in trouble.” She smoothly left the restroom, at which point Allison felt a spike of alarm.

That burst of shock and fear had come from Izzy. What had happened? Allison hurried out after her to find two human males, one about the size of Carter and one a bit smaller, entirely blocking the narrow hall leading back to the tavern. The lead man scowled at Izzy.

“What’s up, bitch?” The speaker, a tall and well-muscled man with spiky dark hair, looked spiteful and pleased with himself. Malevolence radiated off him.

The other man had longer hair, brown, and his body language and frequent glances at his companion assured Allison he was subservient to the larger, meaner looking human male. She also sensed a hint of uncertainty from the second man. What did that mean?

Before Allison could examine both men further, Izzy gave the first man a playful shove that had little effect. “What’s up, Tommy? How you been?” She sounded so friendly.

Tommy scowled and took a step forward. “Don’t act like we’re still friends. You owe me, you and your dipshit of a boyfriend. You think I’d let you run off with my stuff?”

Izzy huffed. “Jeez, Tommy, we’re in a bar here! Why are you being so hostile? I don’t know what’s got your panties in a wad, but let’s get a beer and hash this out.”

Despite the earnest and carefree way Izzy spoke, the tension throughout her body and the fear radiating off her mind betrayed her true feelings. She was terrified of this man and yet still managed, on the surface, to sound carefree and annoyed. That was impressive.

This hallway was too narrow for them to pass without aid. Izzy was not attempting to get past Tommy and his friend because she couldn’t. Instead, she was attempting to deescalate until she could escape, but she did not have the benefit of Allison’s mental abilities.

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This man did not intend to let this go. He wanted something ,and it was evident Izzy did not have it. It was time to intervene.

“Excuse me!” Allison stepped forward and smiled. “Could you both move, please?”

Both of their hard gazes landed on her at once, and while their expressions made their appreciation for her form and outfit obvious, it was not appreciation she enjoyed. There was no friendliness to their gaze, just undisguised lust.

While she loved igniting such feelings within Carter, his attention always came wrapped in a blanket of consideration and warmth. These two, by comparison, looked at her as if they wished to take her… and not with her consent. They had no desire she enjoy it.

“Wait your turn,” the man with the long brown hair said. His uncertainty had faded now, replaced with an eagerness that was unpleasant.

“Wait for what?” Allison asked innocently. “If you are looking for the men’s room, the door is behind you. I can show you if you like.”

“Fuck off,” Tommy growled at her.

“Fuck you, Tommy, I don’t even know this chick!” Izzy said. “Will you just let her by and stop being a dick? We’ll talk about this in private.”

Allison was struck by Izzy’s unexpected altruism. In the lack of any clear way to escape herself, Izzy was denying association with Allison in hope that Allison could escape... even if Izzy couldn’t. Whether she hoped Allison would go get help or not, it was still brave to remain alone with these two obviously  angry men while doing all she could to set Allison free.

After a moment, Tommy glanced at the end of the hallway, then at her. He motioned her to pass. “Get lost.”

An emergency exit waited at the end of the hallway, leading outside. Had Tommy observed that? If he had, he would have a way to force Izzy out of the public eye the moment Allison departed. In other words, he could abduct her the moment they were alone.

Allison considered all her possible options. Her first option was simply to unleash a weak mind blast at both men, which would cause them to collapse and leave them dazed for several minutes. That, unfortunately, came with drawbacks.

First, Izzy would witness the action. Moreover, anything other than subtle mental actions became a beacon to any Tharon hunters within miles. That was why they were the ideal hunters of her kind. On their planet, they’d evolved to hunt telepathic prey.

Her other option was to support Izzy’s bluff of non-association, squeeze by, and quickly return with Carter and Rick. Yet if Tommy did force Izzy out of the bar through the fire exit, they could be gone by the time she cut her way through the crowd and returned. The anger she felt rising off these men was sufficient that they might seriously hurt Izzy.

An instant’s consideration of these options assured Allison she could not risk leaving her new friend to seek help. She needed to stop both of these men now, with a mind blast, but she would first drop a lull on Izzy to dampen her perceptions. It would be easy to claim ignorance of whatever dreamlike memories the woman retained afterward.

Afterward, she and Carter would flee this tavern before any Tharons arrived to investigate. It would be a depressing end to what was turning out to be a perfect first date, but Izzy, at least would be unharmed. That was more important than anything.

Allison was just about to drop them both when a voice called to her over the men.

“The heck?” It was Carter. “You two okay down there, Allie?”

Allison’s human heart fluttered as Carter stormed down the narrow hallway toward her and Izzy with Rick in tow. Rick’s eyes widened as Tommy spun around to look at them, and then his face turned white. “Oh no. Oh shit!”

“You little punk,” Tommy growled.

Rick took off running right back up the hall, a reaction Allison had not expected but which she could understand. Even as Tommy started after him Carter spread both arms and stepped into his path. He blocked the whole hallway by himself.

Tommy stopped short and glared across at him. “Move!” Despite his aggression, he didn’t immediately try to move Carter. They were the same size, and Carter’s tight shirt made no secret of how “ripped” he looked to be. He was not a man one would cross lightly.

Instead of throwing a punch, Carter smiled and raised one palm. “Hold on there, simmer down.” He, too, looked friendly. “What’s all this about? You got a beef with Rick?”

“Just move, hick!” Tommy said. “Don’t make me kick your ass.”

The brown-haired man forcefully caught Izzy’s arm as she bolted for the fire exit. He arrested her motion and almost pulled her off her feet, but the sound and motion distracted Tommy enough to glance behind him. That was a mistake.

Carter’s fist struck Tommy’s chin with speed Allison could barely track. That rocked Tommy’s head back, and even as he stumbled Carter followed up with three more strikes. Tommy dropped flat on his face before he even had time to defend himself. As Izzy broke away and sprinted for the door, the man with Tommy charged Carter.

Allison snatched his hand. An instant was all it took to reconfigure her arm and hand with strength far surpassing that of any human woman. That strength allowed her to tear the other man off his feet and toss him into the opposite wall hard enough he rebounded. His head hit the floor with a loud crack. Despite fully intending her motion, she gasped at the result.

Committing violence was so alien to her that it was like reading a foreign language, but she had only done what was obviously necessary. She could not risk the second man harming Carter, and he had already dealt with the first. The fire exit slammed closed, but a glance that way revealed that Izzy remained inside the hallway, not out.

Izzy’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God! You knocked them out?”

“Carter did,” Allison proclaimed proudly. She walked to a still visibly seething Carter and slipped an arm through his, gently gripping his bicep to calm him. “He remains my knight of shining armor.”

Rick chose that moment to return, and this time, he had the bouncer from the door with him well as another, even bigger man. He must have been stationed elsewhere in the tavern. The bouncer’s face was hard and his eyes narrowed, and his ally looked equally angry.

The lead bouncer took one look at the hall and the two downed and groaning men in it, then fixed his gaze on Carter. “Was this you?”

Carter’s features remained hard as stone. “They were hassling these girls.”

“That’s right!” Izzy shouted. “Bastard tried to grope me!”

From the floor, Tommy rolled onto his back and groaned. “You bitch.”

The lead bouncer glanced at Allison. “Were these men hassling you as well?”

“They were,” she said loudly. “I also believe they intended to harm Izzy.”

Allison detected the creak of the ladies room door, and then another woman she hadn’t seen peeked out. The woman from the bathroom stall! The bouncer looked to her.

“They’re both telling the truth,” this woman Allison had never met said. “Those two men completely blocked the hallway and threatened both these women.” She pointed at Carter. “I was about to call 911 before he showed up and stopped them.”

Allison was again impressed by the way this random stranger had thoughtlessly come to their aid. The woman lacked the muscles to aid them in a physical fight, but had instead observed from cover while prepared to alert the authorities. So much unexpected help.

“Understood,” the bouncer said. He nodded to Carter. “You three are good. Tell the bartenders James said your drinks are on the house the rest of the night. Sorry for the trouble.” He glanced at his partner. “Let’s get these assholes out of here.”

As the two bouncers pulled Tommy and his disoriented partner to their feet and guided them to the fire exit, Allison’s relief that they had solved the conflict without serious injury cooled. They had been extremely lucky. Had the woman from the stall actually called the cops instead of simply intending to, they would likely have been asked to make a statement.

And since Carter could not speak to the police and she had only a student ID, that could have seriously compromised their mutual desire not to be arrested.

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