Tina heard the tinkle of the bell over the front door and groaned. Some people can't take a "Sorry, We're Closed" sign for a hint. Whoever it was had to be blind, starving, or rude. Without turning from wiping the counter Tina said pleasantly, "Sorry, but we're closed. We open back up for breakfast at 7. Have a good night."
When she hadn't heard the bell tinkle again or a reply to her polite dismissal Tina stopped. Okay. Blind, hungry, rude,
and
deaf. She sighed and turned. She immediately recognized who the insistent customer was. She'd seen him in before several times. He had introduced himself as Bear. He'd always been nothing but gentlemanly and always left her a very big tip. Tina estimated that Bear was somewhere in his mid 40s. She'd never seen his eyes, only his blinding white smile against his dark skin, since he always wore those dark sunglasses with the silver galloping horses on the arms. He had waist-length jet-black hair down his back strung through a giant turquoise bead with a feather attached. The man truly took after a bear; he made the furniture in the diner look like it belonged in a doll's house. Despite being older and stocky, he seemed in relatively good shape, or at least didn't have the usual 40-something's beer gut.
Bear smiled. Tina took on a polite but distant smile. "Hi, Bear. We're closed for the night, okay?"
He took a step forward and finally spoke in his friendly, smoker's voice, "I know, Tina. Just thought I'd pay you a visit. Keep you company." He took another step.
Tina was getting a tad annoyed now. Her smile edged an inch closer to distant and farther away from polite. "Actually, I'm almost done here, so I'll just see you some other time, Bear."
Bear's smile widened. "Oh, come on, Tina. Keep an old man company for a while."
Alarms started going off in Tina's head. He suddenly didn't much resemble the gregarious uncle type she'd always perceived him as. A tense dance began as Tina took a step backwards and Bear took another step forward.
She was going to make one last attempt at being polite but firm, though at this point she was prepared to dash behind the counter for Tom's shotgun. She had no intention of using it, though Tom had made sure she knew how. Tina hoped Bear wouldn't make her go for it, and if he did try something, she hoped he wouldn't force her into feeling she would have to actually use the gun.
"Bear β" Tina took another step backwards and bumped into someone. She gasped and whirled away. It was Bear's usual companion, a 30-something guy whom she'd never heard speak beyond mumbling his order to her and at a distance when he conversed with Bear. They both dressed like the usual bikers: black leather, chaps, jeans, boots, jackets with some weird, flaming skull, an intimidating name, and a threatening motto on the back. The younger guy was much slimmer than Bear but still pretty damn big. He wore a permanent five o'clock shadow along a sharp jaw and had thick, charmingly disheveled black hair. He was more traditionally attractive than Bear, coming close to something like a bad-boy underwear model. Tina admitted to thinking he was gorgeous and always wondered what he looked like when β if he ever β smiled. She often thought she felt his stare on her when she wasn't looking. Bear referred to him as Harlan.
Harlan had effectively and stealthily cut off access to the shotgun. She hadn't even heard the back door open, close, or his booted steps through the kitchen. Where Bear had put up a friendly front, she could see in Harlan's eyes they plainly meant her no good. One last try: "Guys. It's time to go. I'm tired and I want to go h β
Ah!
"
Harlan grabbed her in an iron grip. "
Let me
go
, Goddammit!!
" Tina fought like a pissed-off wildcat. Despite the large amount of energy she was expending breaking the painful bands of Harlan's hands around her arms appeared to be out of the question so she tried another tactic; she aimed her knee for the prominent bulge in his jeans. It never contacted as he abruptly released her to fall painfully back onto her tail.
Whatever they wanted β cash or ass or both β they had free reign to take it; she had no hope of taking down or even slowing down either one of them without a weapon and no way to call for help.
Tina was silent. She was frozen by Harlan's cold eyes. "Get up." he mumbled. When she didn't respond with anything but a baleful glare he took a step toward her. He growled, "Would you like me to
help
you up, Tina?"