Into the Fire

 From Chapter 11 of Seeing . . . 

     “What’s it gonna be, Blaine?” Rosie attempted to keep her voice neutral, but she doubted it sounded defrosted.

     “So where is she anyway?” He looked up at the older waitress with a cocky sneer on his immature features.

     “Are you ready to order, Blaine, or do you need a few more minutes?”

     He put his arms on the table and examined her. “She was doin’ your cook in there while she was goin’ out with me. Why do you care about a slut like her?” 

     Rosie was no amateur at dealing with insolent patrons. She’d been a bartender for years before coming to this truck stop, and she didn’t take flak from anyone. She glanced around to gauge who might be within earshot before replying. “You sure you wanna have this conversation with me?” 

     He laughed at the concealed threat. “Nothin’ you can say to defend her, Rosie.”

     Rosie stuck her pad and pencil back in her apron pocket, took one more look around, and bent down with her hands on the table. “You’re nothin’ but a punk coward. A big dumb kid who thinks he’s a man when he brings it out of his pants anytime he has the urge. But you got a long ways to go before you ever make it to manhood, you stinkin’ wimp. Real men don’t beat up on women half their size, and if you was half the man you think you are, she wouldn’a had to be ‘doin’’ Jack in the first place, now would she—which she wasn’t anyway.” Rosie’s words were searing. 

     She watched Blaine’s face redden and she saw raw rage converge in his eyes. “You gonna hit me, too, big boy?” she asked, matching his stare with her own ire.

     He pushed himself out of the booth, bumping her as he strode out of the restaurant.  She watched him go and then went back to the kitchen to find her composure. Jack intercepted her, having seen the whole encounter.

     “You alright, Rosie?”

     “It’d take a lot more than that stinkin’ punk to get the best of me,” she snapped, pulling her cigarettes out of her apron pocket. “I’ll be back in a few.” She walked out the back door and lit a smoke.

Father, every word, character, story – apart from you, I can do nothing. Always desperate for you and thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.