Chapter 23.
Steve was a tall and well-built man, standing at about 6'2" with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He had short, dark hair that was styled neatly, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to be fixed on something in the distance. He was dressed in all black, with a fitted leather jacket and jeans that hugged his strong thighs. His boots were polished to a high shine, and he wore a silver chain around his neck that glinted in the dim light of the bar. Despite his imposing presence, there was a sense of calm about him, and his expression was unreadable. He seemed lost in thought, his attention drawn to the stage where Andrianne was dancing.
A random guest at the bar walked up to Andrianne, he was wearing a tight t-shirt and jeans that were too tight for him. He had a beer belly and was slurring his words as he tried to talk to Andrianne. He was leering at her in a way that made her uncomfortable, and his breath reeked of alcohol. Andrianne had a feeling that he had been drinking for a while, and she could smell the liquor on his breath from where she stood.
The guy had a rough voice, and his words were barely coherent. He had an arrogant demeanor about him, and it was clear that he thought he was God's gift to women. He kept trying to get closer to Andrianne, despite her protests, and his hand kept creeping up her thigh. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her in her drunken state.
The man leaned over to Andrianne and spoke in a slurred voice. "Hey there, beautiful. What brings you to a place like this?"
Andrianne rolled her eyes, trying to ignore him. She had no patience for drunk men making advances on her. But the man persisted, moving closer to her and slurring his words even more.
"Come on, don't be shy. Let me buy you a drink," he said, his hand brushing against her arm.
Andrianne pulled away from him, feeling disgusted. "I don't want a drink. I just want to be left alone."
The man smirked, his breath hot on her face. "Oh, I see. You're playing hard to get. Well, that's just fine with me. I love a good challenge."
Andrianne felt her anger rising. She didn't want to be here, dealing with this kind of harassment. She tried to move away, but the man grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
"Where do you think you're going, huh?" he sneered. "You can't just walk away from me like that."
Andrianne struggled to free herself, but the man was too strong. She felt a surge of fear as he started to drag her towards one of the rooms in the back of the bar.
Just then, a tall figure stepped between them, his hand on the man's shoulder. "I think she said she wants to be left alone," he said, his voice low and menacing.
The man turned to face him, his eyes widening in surprise. "Who the hell are you?"
The stranger's grip on the man's shoulder tightened, and Andrianne could see the muscles in his arm bulging with strength. "I'm the guy who's going to make sure you leave her alone."
The man took a step back, hands raised in surrender as though he was going to leave. "Hey, and who is that person? You?" He charged towards Steve and threw his fist in a punch but Steve dodged it.
Steve's punch landed on the man's face with a resounding thud, causing him to stagger backwards. The man was clearly not expecting the hit, and he stumbled for a moment, trying to regain his balance. But Steve was quick to follow up, moving in closer to the man and delivering another swift punch, this time to his gut.
The man doubled over in pain, gasping for breath. He looked up at Steve with fury in his eyes, and tried to throw a punch of his own, but he missed by a mile. Steve dodged out of the way, and the man stumbled forward, crashing into one of the bar stools.
The other patrons of the bar were starting to take notice of the commotion. Some of them looked concerned, while others seemed to be enjoying the show. Andrianne was still standing by the stage, watching the scene unfold with a mix of fear and amazement.
Steve took a step forward, ready to deliver another punch, but the man put up his hands in surrender. "Alright, man, I'm sorry," he said, his voice trembling. "I didn't know she was your girl, I was just having a little fun."
Steve glared at the man for a moment longer, before finally relenting. He took a step back, but kept a watchful eye on the man as he stumbled out of the bar, muttering curses under his breath.
Steve lifted Andrianne into his arms and carefully carried her out of the bar. She was crying uncontrollably, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and she was murmuring words that Steve couldn't make out. He felt a wave of sadness and empathy wash over him as he held her close. He could tell that she was in a lot of pain and needed someone to comfort her.
He walked over to his car and gently placed her on the passenger seat, before strapping her seatbelt on. As he sat in the driver's seat, he started the engine and turned to face her. She was still crying, and Steve didn't know what to say to make her feel better.
"It's okay," he said, gently rubbing her back. "You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Andrianne continued to cry, but her sobs eventually began to subside. She looked up at Steve, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Steve smiled at her, and his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was, even when she was crying. As he drove, he couldn't help but steal glances at her from time to time.
After a while, Andrianne fell asleep, her head resting on the window. Steve drove around aimlessly, not knowing where to take her. He watched her sleep, and memories of their past flooded his mind. He couldn't believe that he had found her again after all these years.
He remembered how they had met in high school and how they had fallen in love. They had been inseparable, but things had gone sour when Andrianne had moved away to another state with her family. Steve had been heartbroken, but he had never forgotten about her.
As he drove, he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were meant to be together. He knew that he had to see her again, no matter what.