To Rescue a Villain

Chapter 7

I couldn't help but notice that the bar was far more crowded now than it had been a week ago when I'd first been hired. Maybe there was a special holiday coming up or something, though Odette hadn't mentioned anything.

As I stood behind the bar, washing some unusually shaped and hard to clean bottles, I occasionally glanced up at the small robots who managed to play different songs every day. They weren't like animatronics, which would just sing over and over and make the same motions until they broke. These ones could react to people and voices and would answer specific questions if asked. This world really was more advanced than ours, if even by a mere ten years.

"How are things with Derek going?" Odette suddenly snapped me out of my daze, bringing me back to the present. It was a relief to have a distraction since I didn't want to think about the world I'd left behind and the parents I hadn't even said good bye to.

"...Things are going fine. I haven't been hurt yet," I answered with my cheery, customer-service voice. I was referring to his grandmother who, according to the books, used to be very violent before...uh...she died.

Unfortunately, Odette was picturing something very different. "Has he threatened you or anything?" she asked, resting a hand on my arm protectively. "If he has, I can—."

"No, no." Seeing her act like my mother made me giggle. "I was referring to his grandmother. Derek's been fine." Though he still didn't like me all that much. He was very good at tolerating my presence, though. I also apparently hadn't been screaming in the night, which was a relief.

"Okay, good. But if anything bad happens you just let me know. Don't want to see you ended up in an abusive relationship you can't get out of," she said with a tone that reflected wounds of her past.

As I watched her turn back and start mixing a pink and blue drink, I considered telling her that Dark and I weren't in a relationship. But then I'd have to explain that I was paying rent to live with them and that would mean explaining where my family was and I didn't want to get caught in a lie. So, I stayed quiet.

But, since she thought we were dating, there'd be no harm in asking some questions now. If I was going to find his future wife and prevent her death I needed to start an investigation. If only the comics had used a more specific label than "wife".

"Uh...how many girls has Derek dated?" She could have been an ex that he got back together with.

Odette glanced at me, then smiled sympathetically. "You don't need to worry about such things."

"I know but...If I can find out what they did wrong I'll know what to avoid."

More sympathy. She really thought I was lovesick, didn't she? "I didn't really know him before we started dating. I was still recovering from my first husband, you see, but after Derek and I dated and broke up I'd say he's dated maybe..." She paused and tried to calculate. "Eight girls? Maybe nine? I don't tend to keep tabs on my exes, Mary. Sorry."

"What were they like?" I knew how Dark's daughter acted since she wasn't very similar to her dad that meant she had to be like the mother!

Dark's daughter, whose name was Polly, had been a young teen who looked similar to her dad but acted more sweet and cautious, not showing any of his manipulative and talkative characteristics. Before she had died she'd been somewhat of a hero and had turned against Dark on numerous occasions before her death.

Her death had been what pushed him completely over the edge so even if I did mess up and the wife died, I would still know how to prevent Polly's death. That wouldn't be for years, though, since Dark was still single and childless...unless it was an accidental pregnancy.

Gah. I had spent so many years pouring over the books and still didn't know anything!

"What were they like? Um..." Odette looked up at the ceiling, scrunching her nose in deep thought. "They were pretty...Um...That's all I know. Sorry. It's hard to tell how someone acts when you don't know them personally."

I sighed, knowing this wouldn't get me anywhere. The only options I had right now would be to either ask Derek himself, which wouldn't happen, or just keep by his side until the potential bride appeared.

"But," Odette continued, leading me around the bar and pointing me toward the customers. "Since he just walked in, you can ask him yourself."

"What?"

As my boss shoved me toward the front of the bar my eyes desperately scanned the faces of everyone nearby and finally landed on the familiar dark hair and mischievous eyes of Derek. He was seated at a far table with what I guessed were his friends.

I knew I had to do my job and take their orders but, for some reason, it felt embarrassing to be seen working at a bar with all this makeup on. It might look like I was insecure and trying to cover up my face, which wasn't the case. Not that wearing makeup equaled insecurity but...I didn't know. I was just making up excuses not to talk to the villain of the story.

As I walked toward Derek and his obnoxiously loud friends, I found myself focusing every ounce of attention on my legs as they moved. Unfortunately, I think paying attention to my steps was making my movement even less graceful.

"See? I told you she was pretty," I heard one of the guys whisper in Derek's direction. He was trying to lower his voice but had likely already started drinking because he wasn't doing a good job of it.

"Can I get you anything?" I started to ask but froze as soon as Derek looked my way with a bored expression on his face. Our eyes locked for a moment and I felt my heart skip a beat, then he looked away as though nothing had happened and ordered one of the strongest drinks we had available.

As I wrote down the other boys' orders my mind raced with questions about his actions. Was he ignoring me to hide our "relationship"? Did he not recognize me? Or did he just not care?

The breath I'd been holding in the whole time was finally released when I turned on my heels and strutted away, numbly handing Odette the list of orders as I got over the nervousness and returned to normal. I didn't even know why I was feeling so nervous.

"That's interesting," Odette whispered as she studied the paper and started throwing together the drinks, letting me rest and lean against the edge of the counter to give my limp legs a break.

"What is?" I asked.

The woman shot Derek an odd look, then frowned. "I've known plenty of men in my time," she began, resting a dark green bottle on the tray to be taken out. "And the way he looks at you..."

I waited, confused as to what she was getting at.

"....It's not with the eyes of a man."

"Huh?" Not with the eyes of a man? What did that mean? And why was she giving me another look of pity? "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying you should break up with him, hun. He doesn't see you as a woman."

"Then what does he see me as?"

Her eyes went wide as she whispered the dreaded words. "A waitress."

No!

Author's Note: I would like to explain that those last two lines are the characters being sarcastic, not sappy. And Derek's reaction was intentional and part of the story. It wasn't just there for me to make a lame joke that no one laughed at.