Zack sighed to himself and ordered another beer. Curse his father. Curse the marines. Curse them for driving him to drink. He groaned in frustration. Ever since he got back from his most recent term of service, he had been going through Hell. He had gotten shot, honorably discharged because he had nerve damage to his left arm. He couldn't use a gun, that didn't mean he couldn't use his sword but they didn't believe in using a medical weapon. The pay was good, except it was now all going to fund his mother's divorce with his father. The man had been using his sister as a cash cow and then wasting the money when the family could have used it most.
When Zack got back, his mother went from being a stay at home mom to working two jobs. Xion had been elevated through school, all the way to college and watching her study in almost tears broke the winged man in ways he didn't think possible. It was only when Xion had a mental break down, going to him and begging him not to make her go to some academic competition did Zack finally get involved, especially when Xion begged him not to hate her for not wanting to do it. The abuses his dad put his mother and sister through wouldn't stand. Not anymore. He didn’t even notice the woman who sat next to him at the bar. She ordered a fruity little drink that barely caught his ears. As she waited for her order she turned to look at him.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You don't look so good."
Zack finally looked up, since he was being addressed. She frowned as his deadened eyes looked up at her in hopeless despair. His eyes looked itchy and tired. They were bloodshot and she wasn’t an expert but she knew they had to be dry. The woman looked at him through electric blue orbs. Blonde hair framed her face. He sighed to himself. Her brow was arched upward in concern and a sad frown creased her face. He knew he felt like he was the one that did wrong, and he deserved no sympathy but in the woman’s eyes that was all the reason more to at least talk to him.
"None of your business," he grunted.
"It's better to talk about it," she encouraged.
He shrugged his shoulders. Zack said nothing. He just looked down at the table top, gripping his hands even tighter. The knuckles were showing from his tight grip on his knees. The woman put a hand on his. Zack's eyes narrowed. She gently took his hands away from his knees. She rubbed the back of his knuckles. It was then that Zack got a real good look at her. She wore a black leather corset that she looked like she would have popped out of if she bent or moved the wrong way. And the way her leather pants squeezed her legs could only be described as sinful.
"If I guess it, will you talk to me?" she asked but she didn’t wait for his answer. "Hmm… A nice guy like you, I think it's got something to do with family."
"How do you know that?" Zack all but snarled at her.
The woman smirked in triumph because despite Zack’s best efforts to ignore her, he was finally talking to her, just like she wanted him to. However, the rage in his eyes had to be quelled. She didn’t like the idea of getting into a bar fight. Especially one she would win. Zack was too caught up in his drink to notice the predatory look on her face, or the way her lips curled up in a dark smile. She twirled her finger around the rim of her glass. She hadn't gone for something usually fruity. She went for the hardest thing they had on tap.
"Let's just say, I’m kind of psychic," she said in something akin to a bedroom tone. "I'm Trish. What’s your name, fly boy?"
"Zack," he grunted. "Please, just leave me alone."
He pulled his hands back, away from her. Zack really did not want to be rude but he simply was not in the mood for drinking with anyone. He had gone through enough, thank you very much. There was not much that could pick up his mood after this. He was already frustrated enough, at himself, at his father, at mother for not leaving or telling him when things got bad with his father – how is sister had a mental breakdown and was in the hospital recovering from fatigue and the stress.
"C'mon, smile for me big guy. I bet you’ve got a great smile." She coaxed.
"Listen, I appreciate it, but I'm really not-"
"Tell you what big guy, come home with me and I'll make you forget everything."
Zack raised a brow. A sly smile from the woman peeked his interest a little more than it should have. So he finished his drink and paid.
