Love's Illusions: A Novel by Jolene Cazzola Read Free Book Online

me as I wiped down tables while collecting empty glasses from around the room. He was out-of-place at The Canteen, even considering the eclectic bunch of misfits that frequented the place; he had a military look with a 50’s style, sort of flat top haircut and a scraggly beard. His clothes looked like they hadn’t been washed in weeks and he smelled nasty, as if he’d been on the streets, without a shower for a while. The guy was loaded, but wasn’t shit-faced; he still seemed very much in control, standing motionless.
    The bar was empty except for a few regulars lounging on the ratty couches in the stage area, this stranger, and a couple of Rick’s buddies at the bar. On my next round of the room I said, “We’re closing, so if you want another quick beer, it’s now or never.” Again, he didn’t answer, this time turning his back on me. Asshole, I thought . But something in his eyes was making me nervous; I did not like this guy – so when I approached him for the third time to let him know that the bar was now closed, and it was time to leave, I stood back further than I normally would have, well out of his reach. Without a word, his face blank, he lifted his now fire-filled eyes to meet mine, looking through me as if I was some kind of enemy to be destroyed… Then without warning, he smashed the bottle on the slate. Luckily for me he hesitated for a split-moment, glaring through me before lunging in my direction, holding the bottle by the neck – jagged edge pointing in my direction.
    All hell broke loose in that second. Everything that happened in the wake of the smashing bottle happened in seconds, but to me, the world took on a sense of slow motion. I heard stools crashing over and caught a glimpse of Rick leaping over the bar from the corner of my eye. Someone yelled “Duck Jackie!” as Rick, his friends, and the regulars from the end of the room lunged at the stranger. I ducked and stumbled backwards over a stool falling onto my ass a few feet away, adrenaline coursing through my veins, heart hammering in my chest.
    One of the men who rushed to my rescue caught the stranger from behind, and yanked the arm holding the broken bottle back while at the same time wrapping his other arm around the stranger’s neck. The stranger tried to reach back to free himself, but as he did, one of the guys from the stage landed a punch, hard, in his gut. Although he started to double over, emitting almost non-human grunts with the fire in his eyes getting brighter, he somehow managed to stay on his feet, almost breaking free, punching back, and catching one of Rick’s friends in the jaw. By this point, two more of the regulars were on the guy, wrenching the remaining piece of bottle from his hand, which went smashing to the floor. A series of blows to his body and face brought him down, blood dripping from his broken nose and the corners of his mouth.
    Everyone was shouting – the words all a blur… I know the whole thing was over in a matter of minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to me. I heard Rick yelling to his friends, “get that motherfucker out of here, and make sure he never comes back,” as he knelt down beside me on the grimy floor. I watched four or five guys drag the still struggling stranger up the stairs and out the door. Then the world began to move at a normal speed again.
    “Jackie, Jackie, are you okay!?! You’re not hurt are you!?!”
    “No, I’m fine, I’m just…” My voice sounded strange to my own ears, and my heart was still pounding out of my chest. I looked up at him, tried taking a breath and spoke again “I’m okay… What the fuck just happened? Why would that guy do that? It was like he just freaked out all of a sudden. I don’t know him, I’ve never even seen him before - why the fuck would he do that? He gave me the creeps but…”
    “I don’t know, did he say anything before he flipped out… Shit you’re shaking!”
    “Of course, I’m shaking, I’ve never… I