Lori had dropped her son off at a friend's so she could run down to the corner store to get some things she needed to make Mel's dinner. Now she was in a rush to get home. There had been a line, the clerk was slow, and she was afraid Mel would be home before she returned. And she knew if that happened, her husband would be furious. Mel demanded that she be home and have dinner ready when he arrived.
She ran down the street, hoping to get home before Mel arrived. She decided not to stop at Marie's to pick up her son. She could get him later, after she had Mel's dinner ready. Her heart sank when she saw that her husband's car was sitting in the driveway.
Mel was standing in the doorway when Lori arrived in front of their place. "Where the hell were you?" he roared when Lori turned onto the front walk. He had a beer can in his hand and took a deep swallow after he yelled at her.
"I had to get something at the store," Lori said. "I'm not that late."
"The fuck you're not!" Mel shouted. "What's goin' on, there some new stud down there at the fuckin' store that you're servicin'?" He gulped down more beer.
"Mel!" Lori said. Her eyes filled with tears. "What's wrong with you tonight?" She walked by him, into the house, and put her bag of groceries on the kitchen table. She figured there was no point in trying to make dinner. She had to go to her friend's place and pick up her son.
Mel threw his empty beer can in the trash, went to the refrigerator, and got another. He opened it and sucked down half of it in one swallow. "What's wrong with me?" he said, his voice growing louder. "I work hard all fuckin' day and come home expecting a little fuckin' something to eat, and you're out fuckin' some pimple-faced snotty kid at the goddamn store. That's what's wrong with me, you bitch!"
Lori had never seen her husband like this and, for the first time since she married Mel, she was frightened. He seemed so violent, so out of control. She knew right then that she had to get away or she could very well wind up getting hurt. She started for the door.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Mel bellowed, lurching to his feet.
"Out!" Lori snapped. She dashed out the door and slammed it behind her. Something hit the door with a loud "Thud!" She realized her husband had thrown his beer can at her, and knew that it was very likely she wouldn't be coming home tonight.
"You fucking slut!" she heard Mel yell through the closed door, "Go ahead, cunt, go ahead and run out and leave me, you fucking bitch! You can fuck the whole goddamn town if you want to, but don't fuckin' come crawin' back to me and fuckin' expect me to take you back, you bitch!"
Shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks, Lori ran down the street. She had no idea where she was going, and didn't really care. All she wanted was to get away from Mel, and find some place where she would be safe. She had been walking for what seemed like hours when she realized she was hungry. She went into a small diner, sat down, and ordered some food. While her food was being prepared, she called her friend, Marie, told her what happened, and where she was.
"You can stay here tonight if you want to," Marie said. "God, Lori, why did you stay with that creep as long as you did?"
"I...I don't know," Lori admitted. "Look, Marie, I'm going to eat something, and maybe walk some more, then I'll come over. You sure it's OK if Donnie and I stay there tonight?"
"Of course it is, we're friends," Marie said. "I'll see you in a bit."
The waitress brought Lori her food and she sat there, picking at it.
"Hey, beautiful, you all by yourself?" a rough voice asked, snapping Lori out of her daydream. She looked up into the face of a heavy-set, bearded man wearing dirty work clothes. Without waiting for her to answer, the man sat down on the stool next to hers.
"Ain't seen you around before," he said, "What's your name?"
"Ah, it's...it's Lori," she replied and was immediately sorry she had. She didn't like the looks of this guy and wanted to be left alone, especially by people like him. Maybe he'd go away if she ignored him.
"Come on, Lori-baby," the big man reached over and laid his hand on hers. "You and me, we could go out do some drinkin' and dancin', have us a real nice time. Wadda ya say?"
Lori could smell alcohol on the man's breath. She'd dealt with enough drunks for one night, for one lifetime, actually. "No," she said. She tried to tug her hand from the man's grasp. "I don't feel like dancing tonight."
"Hey," the man's voice got louder and his grip tightened, "You think you're too good to go out with me, is that it?"
"No, no," Lori said, scared and embarrassed, "It's just that I don't really feel like dancing tonight, I...I had a bad day."
"Look, baby," her uninvited admirer's voice grew menacing, "I want to dance, and I ain't in the mood to take no for an answer."
Lori looked around and realized most of the people in the little diner were staring at them, but it didn't look as if anyone was about to help her. She felt trapped, as if she had no choice but to acquiesce to the oaf's demands.
"Sir," a new voice, soft, but commanding, interrupted the drunk. "I don't think the lady is interested in your company."
Startled, Lori looked up into the face of a man in his late forties. He was dressed in what looked like an expensive business suit.
"Look, buster," the drunk lurched to his feet, "I'm talkin' to this chick. You fuck off. Go find some other chick if you want one, this one's mine."
"I'm here to meet my daughter for dinner," the man in the suit said softly, "And I assure you that neither of us want you to join us. If you don't leave, I'll be forced to call the police and have you removed. Do you understand that?!"
The big man who had been bothering Lori looked confused. "This...this here's your daughter?" he asked.
The man in the suit nodded. "Yes, she is," he said. "Please leave us alone so we can enjoy our dinner. I'm not making an idle threat. If you continue to harass us I will see to it the police deal with you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The drunk nodded, then he slid out of the booth and struggled to his feet. With one last glare, he walked to the counter, sat down on a stool, and didn't look back.
"Are you all right?" the man in the suit asked Lori.
"I...I'm fine," Lori replied. She was fine, but she was acutely embarrassed, too. "I...I didn't know what to do." Tears filled her eyes and she knew she was about to lose it.
The man who'd rescued her sat down. "That's all right," he said. "I'm just glad I was here to help."
The waitress came over. "I can't believe you got Eddie to leave her alone like that," she told the man, "Eddie, he's pretty much of a jerk when he's drunk, and he's mean, too. Most people let him alone." She looked at Lori. "You OK, hon?"
