Bad Rep (Bad Rep, #1)(25)

“I will shove my fist so far down your f*cking throat that you'll be shitting my fingernails for a week.  I believe she told you to back off.  Now back the f*ck off or I will throw your ass out, after I use your face as my punching bag.  And I will enjoy every second of it.”  Jordan gave Eli a little shake.  Eli looked pale and was visibly retreating.  Not that I blamed him, Jordan looked ready to kill.

Randall and Cicely were laughing their asses off and K-dog wasn't even paying attention.  Nice friends there, I thought.  Riley was looking conspicuously the other way.  Eli's pride kicked in and he wrenched himself backwards out of Jordan's grip, stumbling a bit.  He sort of swayed on his feet, too drunk to stand still.  “Don't tell me what I can do with my girl,” he yelled.  His girl?  Since when?  This seemed to set Jordan off even more and he started for Eli again.

That was it, I'd had enough.  I jumped down off of my stool and got between them.  I turned to Jordan and held my hands up.  “Stop it, Jordan!  I don't need you assaulting Eli.  Go back to work.  I can handle myself.”  I was shaking from the adrenaline overload.  I was pissed at Eli and I was pissed at Jordan.  What the hell was with the He-Man show?  I felt like a bone two dogs were fighting over.  And it was seriously wrong.  Jordan was still staring down Eli but then his eyes flickered to me.  And I saw them soften marginally.

“Sorry, Mays,” he said quietly.  My shoulders dropped but I didn't relax my defensive stance.  “Just go back to work,” I told him tiredly.  Jordan looked like he wanted to say something else but I turned away from him.  I put my hand on Eli's arm.

“You okay?” I asked.

Eli pulled back from me.  He was obviously still angry and probably pretty humiliated as well.  And macho pride wasn't something you messed with.  “I'm fine.  But I need another beer.”  He sat back down at the bar and waved down Lyla, who brought him another Bud.  She looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

“Interesting night, huh?” she said, looking back at Jordan who was slamming glasses down onto a tray.  I didn't bother to answer her.  What was the use?  We had just become a three ring circus.  It was mortifying.

One thing definitely needed to happen, I had to get extremely drunk.  So I slammed back two shots of tequila and ordered another beer.  Jordan stayed away from me, so Lyla handled our drinks from there on out.  I wouldn't look at him.  I was too irritated by the earlier fight, and I didn't particularly want to talk to Eli either for causing the whole thing to begin with.  With his groping hands and inability to take no for an answer.  Luckily, his slobbery, amorous advances seemed to have cooled significantly and he spent most of his time with his back to me, talking to his friends.

A half an hour later, I realized I had to pee.  I grabbed Riley's hand and dragged her to the bathroom with me.  She had been suspiciously quiet after the Eli/Jordan smack down, which was highly unusual for her.   “Go ahead.  Say it,” I said after we stepped into the bathroom.  Riley took down her pony tail and used her fingers to comb through her dark hair.

“What are you talking about?” she asked innocently, glancing at me in the mirror.

“I can't believe you don't have some sort of witty commentary on the bullshit macho spectacle earlier.” I leaned back against the sink and crossed my arms over my chest.  Riley laughed.

“Well, it was certainly something,” she said dryly with a sardonic grin.

“And that's it?” But the truth was, I actually wanted her insight into what was going on with Jordan.  What he had done, that unexpected possessive aggression freaked me out.  And not because he almost beat Eli to a bloody pulp.

“What do you want me to tell you?  That Jordan is insanely crazy about you?  To the point that he'll take down a room full of guys if they look at you funny?  I don't need to tell you that, because you already know it.”  I started to protest.  But she gave me a look that shut me up.

“Stop playing stupid.  He likes you.  From the look on his face as he watched Eli maul you at the bar, I'd say he feels a lot more than like for you.  I know you're hot for him.  So I don't know what else to tell you.  He has a girlfriend, Mays.  Not just any girlfriend either.  But one you know pretty darn well.  I don't know what to tell you to do about that.  I'm not even sure what I would do if I were in your shoes.  But you definitely have yourself a situation here and you need to sort it out before you become collateral damage.”  Riley ran her hands under the tap and grabbed a paper towel.

I followed her to the door.  “Well, that wasn't even remotely helpful,” I joked.  Riley laughed.

“Sorry chickadee.  I'll work on my sage advice and figure on some sort of Dear Abby answer for you later,” she said.  I patted her back.

“That would be greatly appreciated.” I chuckled as we left the bathroom, my mood already improving.

“Maysie, you got a minute?”  I looked over to the door of the men's room and saw Jordan leaning against the wall.  And my restored good mood evaporated just like that.

“I'll go keep the masses entertained,” Riley said and left us.  Jordan pushed off the wall and walked toward me.