A unique moment

The talk at the table was louder and more animated now. 

I quietly filled the glass and stretched my hand out to the man, but he was too intrigued by his own loud conversation to notice.

I waited, hoping he would turn around as my heart beat faster. 

This was any introvert's nightmare. 

I could feel the other men glancing at me oddly, wondering what the hell was wrong with me.

The loud man waved his hand around in my direction to describe something, and I managed to move the glass I had been holding out a mere second before he would have knocked it over.

“Sir,” I managed to say. Whether my shy voice was too low, or the man and his friends were simply too loud, I would never know.

But he did not hear me, and I was leaning down right beside him. 

An embarrassed blush spread from my neck to my cheeks as two men from the group glanced at me again.

One of them motioned for me to just drop the wine glass and leave. 

I bowed hurriedly and dropped the glass on the table, anxious to hurry off and go cry behind a closed bathroom door.

“Kim Kardashian. Where the hell do you think you are going?” The loud man said when I had only taken a few steps. 

The laughter was louder this time, as some men clapped their hands while laughing like hyenas, amused at the clever way he had compared me to the curvy celebrity.

I stopped, very close to tears now, then I turned around. 

“You left my drink here? Am I a dog? You served other people, but don’t you think I am worth serving?” He frowned.

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t. 

I did not know what this man’s deal was with me, but I suspected now that he was picking on me. 

And why the hell did he keep making comments about my body?

I was just another petite curvy woman in America, and no one blinked twice when I walked past. 

Even here, although people had stared, no one had talked about it as much as this man had in just a few minutes.

I walked back to the table to pick the glass up, too embarrassed to look at any of the men’s faces. 

The loud man was back to talking, entertaining his friends with an elaborate tale of the stripper club he had been at last night.

“Sir.” I said.

He did not turn.

I pressed my lips and stretched the glass further out into his line of sight. Unfortunately, he threw his hand back in that moment to take it, without looking at me.

The wine glass flew out of my hand and somehow managed to stain both our clothes very badly. 

He flew out of his seat, and turned furious eyes at me.

“I know pretty girls are always dumb. But a common wait staff job is too much for your brain to handle too?” He yelled. 

Some of his friends gently told him to let me go, and it was a mistake, but none stood up to my defense.

I could not even stand up for myself, as my lips hung uselessly. 

I could only just stare at him, wondering why he had to insult me that way. 

I could have told him I had an engineering degree all his wealth could not buy, or that I understood why he would hate pretty girls because he had the kind of face only a mother could love.

But I said nothing, and just bowed.

“Is that all?” He grabbed my arm as I turned to leave. It all went downhill from there. 

Blaine, who was still a stranger, was up, as fast as the wind, yanking him away from me and punching him.

Everyone was shocked and I could only guess why. Even I, who had only known him for a few minutes, had noticed he was the quietest one among this bunch, but he was punching his friend over a waitstaff.

The loud man looked up in disbelief, his lip cut and bleeding, but all the other men were up and did not let any more punches fly.

The loud man laughed. “You think you will get some by flexing your muscles for the thot?” 

Somehow, Blaine managed to get another punch in between the men trying to make sure they stopped fighting.

“You hit me again?”

“And I will continue till you learn to treat women with respect,” Blaine said.

“Who do you think you are to speak to me that way?” The loud man yelled, his face red with rage.

Blaine turned to me. “If you want to sue for harassment, I can drive you out now to the police station.”

My jaw fell, and I stared at him with wide eyes. 

I did not know what to say to this macho, handsome man. 

Sue? They looked rich. I could never win against anyone here.

“No. No.” I said, my brain hardly working properly. “Thank you,” I bowed to him and hurried away quickly before I caused any more trouble.

I was sure now that I would lose this gig, or worse, not get paid for all the hours I had worked already. Maybe it was for the best. 

Looking at that day now, If I could turn back time, I would have taken my bag and left that minute.

That way I would have forever treasured Blaine’s memory as my heroic knight, and would have had a normal life, and I would never have lost my son or my mother.

I had just stepped out of the restroom where I had cried a bucket full and managed to wash as much wine away from my shirt when I saw my supervisor waiting for me outside.

“How do you know that man and why is he protecting you?”

“What man?” were the first surprised words that came out of my mouth, even though my brain recognized what man she spoke about.

My supervisor frowned with distaste. “He came down to the kitchen himself to explain what happened and asked that I let you keep your job.”

My jaw fell as I stared at her.

“Why would a man like that care for you?” The woman looked from my head to toes, then her eyes happened to stop at my waist and then my hips, and she looked like she was about to spit.

“I see why you will be their type. He asked me to move you to a separate room, and you are to serve only him till the party's over.” 

My supervisor barked out a harsh laugh. 

“He said it was to avoid more incidents like earlier.” She looked me square in the eye now. “Just be careful. It is easy to get knocked up at a party like this.”

She turned and stomped angrily away. I should have listened to her advice.