“Fuck, babe.  If you’d just let me explain this morning, you’d know that woman is my ex and not a woman I ever want to see again.  As for your boss, what is he doing?”

She was quiet for a moment before responding.  “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“Sorry, I should have waited.”  Her voice was quiet, hesitant.

“Yeah, you should have.  But it’s done now.”  I was shocked as shit.  I’d expected her to drag this shit out like women tended to do.  The fact she didn’t made me want her even more.

“I’m on my lunch break and it’s just about to end so I’ve gotta go.”

“Tell me where you work; I’ll come and see you at the end of your shift.”

“Gossip Cafe.  You know it?”

I did.  “Yes, what time do you finish?”

“Three.”

“I’ll be there,” I promised and hung up.

***

Two hours later, I entered Gossip Cafe, and my gut tightened when I caught sight of Carla at a table in the back.  I was an hour early but I couldn’t stay away any longer.  She finished with her customers and began walking my way.  When she saw me, she faltered, and slowed.  I didn’t take my eyes off her; even surrounded by the busy hum of a full cafe and distractions everywhere, all I saw was her.  She was fucking beautiful.  Dressed in black pants and top with flour marks down them, her long brunette hair pulled back in a ponytail but with strands falling out everywhere, and a frazzled look on her face; she was perfect in her imperfection.

She kept walking my way, her focus solely on me, but suddenly her attention was diverted to some customers and she ceased movement.  I narrowed my eyes to take it all in.

“Sir, what is the matter here?” she asked a guy who was glaring at a woman sitting on her own.

His angry eyes shifted to Carla, and he jerked his thumb at the lone woman.  “This dyke is making my woman uncomfortable by staring at her, and I’ve had enough.”

The lone woman stood up, anger etched on her face also, but before she could respond, Carla spoke.  “I think it’s pretty damn rude of you to use language like that,” she said to the guy.

“I don’t give a shit what you think, bitch.  I just want this fucking lesbian to take her eyes off my woman.”

This dickhead had overstepped all boundaries now, and I took a step toward them, ready to kick his ass.  Carla kept talking, impressing the shit out of me.  “Number one, you don’t call me a bitch and get away with it asshole.  Number two, you don’t diss lesbians and get away with it.  And number three, did you ever stop to consider that perhaps this lady wasn’t looking at your woman?  Perhaps she was looking past your woman.”

The woman he was referring to as a lesbian piped up.  “Thanks babe, but I can stand up for myself,” she said to Carla, and then looked at the asshole, “I wasn’t looking at your woman, I was actually checking out the chick behind her, dude.  Your woman isn’t my type.”

Carla grinned.  “Great.”  She turned to the guy.  “So you can sit your judgemental ass down now and leave this lady in peace.”

He glared at her.  “Not before I complain to your boss,” he threatened.

Carla waved her hand in the air at him.  “Do what the fuck you want, dickhead.  If he listens to you, then he’s not the kind of man I want to work for anyway.”

With that she turned and headed over to where I was.  She didn’t look happy.

“I’ll probably get fired for that,” she said, dropping her head down and shaking it before looking back up at me.  Tiredness lurked in her eyes.

“Maybe you’d be better off not working for him if he fires you over that.”

Nodding, she agreed.  “Only problem is that I need the money.”

I shrugged.  “I’m sure you could get another waitressing gig.”

Her lips pursed together, and she sighed.  Running her hand through her hair, she asked, “Why does life have to be so damn hard sometimes?”

Before I could answer that, her boss bellowed out, “Carla!  My office now.”

“Fuck,” she muttered, and then added, “Yep, he’s gonna get rid of me.  I’ll see you in a minute.”  And then she was gone.

I figured she knew what she was on about so I walked outside to wait for her.  She didn’t take long, joining me a couple of minutes later.  Disappointment was clear on her face as she said, “Get me out of here, Havoc.  Take me far, far away.”

In that moment, years of me erecting barriers to people were washed away.  I didn’t want any fucker getting close to me anymore; didn’t want them to have any power over me and I certainly didn’t want to help them deal with the shit in their lives.  After wanting it all in life, and losing everything I’d worked hard for years ago, all I wanted these days was the shirt on my back and my bike.  And yet, Carla standing before me, with a wearied and beaten aura to her, was ripping my barriers down.

Against all my better judgements, and against the voice screaming out no in my mind, I nodded, got on my bike and told her to get on behind me.  Pulling her hands around my waist tight, I said, ‘Hope you’re up for a long ride, darlin’ because that’s the only way I know to get rid of the shit in your head.”