A Rose in Shadow

Chapter 9

The four of them, Finn deciding to hang out with the rest, headed out to a nearby pub for wings and beer before making their way to the local bar, The Corral, to hear the band.

"Let's just stick to sitting at the table tonight, okay" Mac said to Samantha. "I'm still feeling a bit protective and don't want to have to fight every guy in here if you get on the dance floor".

Samantha looped her arm through his and smiled up at him. "Fine by me" she said "I just want to spend time with you. All of you" she added as she looked at Finn and Malachi, "Anyway, you can tell me about your love life" at this she coyly fluttered her eyelashes at her brother causing Malachi to snort.

"How much time have you got?" he asked jokingly "our boy here hasn't yet landed on one he likes".

"Hey now!" Mac protested "I'm not an asshole".

"No you're not" Mal agreed "you're just too picky and don't like second dates" and he made his way ahead of them through the doors scoping out the room from his height advantage.

The music was already loud and trying to compete with the noise of the crowd. Lights were dimmed and the sound of bottles and glasses clanking together from the bar area added to the ambiance.

"Follow me" Mal said over his shoulder, "I see something open back here" the group followed him as he wove a path through the crowd.

Finn, having recently developed a study of watching men watch Samantha, nudged Mac with his elbow. "Check out all of the guys watching her" he muttered when Mac turned to him.

Glancing around the room Mac swore under his breath. "Unreal" he said, "she's here with three other guys. Any one of us could be her boyfriend and they couldn't care less". He glanced over at his sister to see that she was completely oblivious. "She has absolutely no clue" he said incredulously to Finn who just grinned at him.

"For such a smart girl it's amazing isn't it?" he responded.

Finally reaching the empty table they all sat down, the guys maneuvering Samantha into the chair in the corner farthest away from the crowd. By silent agreement they decided that they would share a pitcher of beer, wanting to be sober if the asshole showed up to try something.

The place was packed. All of the tables around the room were fairly close together but still separate enough to allow room for the servers to walk between them and chairs to be pulled out around them. The tables themselves were bolted securely to the floor.

Most of the table tops had been marked up by general wear from wet glasses and hot plates being placed on them over the years but some of them were also decorated by poems or names scratched into the surface. The one that they were sitting at had a very graphic cartoon drawing of a dog drinking beer and going home with a cat. Malachi took a picture of it with his phone and sent it to his brother. Shrugging, he grinned at Mac. "That cat looks like Steve's". Mac laughed at him.

Tapping her foot to the music Samantha looked around the room, smiling at the people who caught her eye. Finally she turned her gaze to Mac and was surprised to find him snarling at a guy at the next table.

Glancing over to the other table before turning to her brother, she asked "Do you know him?"

"No, I don't fucking know him" he said as he continued to mean-mug around the room "but I don't like the way he's looking at you".

Embarrassed Samantha glanced back at the guy who was indeed looking at her like he would very much like to take a big bite. Feeling uncomfortable she turned back to Mac. "We can go if you want. I want you to enjoy yourself, not fight with people and be stressed out".

Mac let out a breath and composed himself. "No, I'm fine. You should have fun and I guess they are all just looking but if anyone tries anything..."

"I know" Sam said putting her head briefly on his shoulder "and I appreciate it".

Changing topics Samantha asked Malachi about his work and his family and the four of them had a good time catching up. A few times they were interrupted by guys approaching the table and asking Samantha to dance but she took it all in stride, as though it was commonplace for her, and turned them down gently saying that she wasn't dancing tonight but catching up with her family.

Mac couldn't believe how she did it again and again, remaining so polite and sweet each time. He also couldn't believe that she appeared to be so oblivious to the intentions of these guys. She treated them all as though they were just being friendly and not trying to get into her pants.

After one particularly earnest guy left, Finn rolled his eyes. "Dammit woman, turn it off would you. If another guy strolls over here as though there aren't already three of us sitting with you, I'm going to nut him"

Samantha looked embarrassed and started to apologize. Finn immediately stopped her. "I'm only kidding. Kind of. I can't believe that you get this much attention. I guess I never wanted to think of you as a woman. You've always just been Samantha to me"

Mal muttered under his breath "I told you, dude" earning a glare from Finn.

Samantha beamed at Finn and reached across the table to touch his hand. "That is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me, Finn Sullivan" and made him blush. Laughing at his reaction Samantha leaned back into her chair just as every guy within earshot turned to look her way when they heard her laugh.

"Jesus Christ dudes!" Finn said loudly to the immediate room "show some self-respect" and grabbed the rest of his beer and downed it in one gulp, making Samantha laugh again.

Looking away from his sister with a smile still on his face, Mac scanned the bar once again and his gaze landed on a guy across the room who was staring intently their way. Picking up on the tension coming from Mac, Finn also looked over and noticed the guy too. The guy didn't seem to care that they were looking at him and only had eyes for Samantha who was chatting Mal's ear off about her bio-chem class.

"I need the ladies" she said a few minutes later giving her brother a gentle nudge with her elbow "Can you let me out please?"

"Sure" Mac said and, not wanting to alarm her, he got out and stayed standing while he watched her make her way to the hallway where there was the ever-present, universal line to the ladies room.

He sat back down and nodded toward the gawker. "Let's keep an eye on him" he said to Finn and then motioned to Mal "Can you see Sam from where you are?"

"Yep, I've got her" Mal said.