Out of Time 01 - Out of Time

lips in a pout. “I’m tellin’ ya, the fix was in.”
    Jimmy cackled and slapped him hard on the back. “You’re just sore cause you lost that fin, Eugene,” Jimmy said, drawing out the last syllable. Judging from Eugene’s reaction, his name was a sore point. “Come on Roy, drinks are on fat boy.”
    Eugene grumbled under his breath, and the trio pushed their way through the crowd. Charlie put up a hand to signal Lester to let things be. For now. Maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t cause too much trouble.
    They commandeered a table not far from the piano and plopped down into the chairs. Elizabeth walked over to take their orders. “What can I get you boys?”
    Jimmy smirked and cocked his head to the side. “I can think of a few things.”
    “Why don’t you sit down, sweetheart?” Roy said, inching his chair back and patting his broad thigh.
    Elizabeth shook her head. After a month of waiting tables, this sort of thing was old hat. “You boys want drinks or don’t ya?”
    “Ooo, she’s got moxie, this one,” Jimmy said with a wink to his pals.
    Roy grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “That ain’t all she’s got.”
    “Call me when you make up your minds,” Elizabeth said and turned to leave, but Jimmy grabbed her arm.
    “Now, why are you runnin’ off so fast?” he said. “Not that I mind the view. You’re just as good goin’ as comin’. But I think I’d like you comin’ best.”
    Elizabeth tried to wrest her arm from his grip, but his dirty fingernails dug into her arm. Jimmy yanked harder and pulled her onto his lap. Grabbing her roughly about the waist, he tried to kiss her. His stale breath was hot and fetid.
    “Come on, baby,” he purred, as he squeezed her backside.
    “Let go,” she said, and managed to get to her feet. Reacting with pure instinct and adrenaline, she slapped his face.
    He smiled, even as the red mark blossomed on his cheek. “Like it rough, huh? You’re gonna have to do better than that if you—”
    The rest of his sentence never made it past his snarling lips. The words and a good portion of nose cartilage were smashed back by the force of a hard fist connecting flush with his face. The power of the punch sent his chair toppling. He landed on the floor with a clattering thud.
    Everyone in the club fell silent, waiting like a derelict old fireworks factory hoping for that errant spark. Jimmy pushed himself upright and gingerly covered his nose. He looked up to see Simon flexing his hand, towering over him.
    Jimmy coughed through the blood that dripped over his chin and gushed down the back of his throat. “You broke my nose,” he gurgled.
    “Next time I’ll break your bloody neck,” Simon growled.
    God, it felt good to hit someone, Simon thought, as he clenched his fist. He glared down at the man, still sitting stunned on the floor, willing him to stand up so he could hit him again. Jimmy was too shocked at the sight of his own blood to move. Tacitly satisfied, Simon turned his attention to Elizabeth. “Are you all right?”
    “I’m fine. That was—Look out!” she cried, and tugged on Simon’s sleeve. He ducked, barely missing being hit in the back of the neck by Roy’s rabbit punch.
    Simon stepped aside, and Roy’s momentum caused him to careen off balance. He staggered and Elizabeth stepped forward, lifted her tray and clobbered him on the back of the head. The metal dented with a resounding bang. Stunned, Roy lurched forward and fell onto a small table that gave way under his weight.
    Simon blinked in surprise. “Elizabeth?”
    “What?” she said innocently.
    Eugene grunted and wedged himself out of his chair. “So you wanna play, huh?” he said, and charged at Simon. There wasn’t time to react, and the two of them crashed into another table. The stake in Simon’s pocket dug into his ribs. Teacups flew in every direction, hitting the floor and shattering into jagged shards. Freshly ordered whiskey dripped from the remnants.
    “We just got that,” a man lamented, more concerned about the wasted booze than the pile of humanity at his feet.
    “Told you we should have gone to Lenny’s,” his friend griped, oblivious as Simon pushed Eugene off his chest.
    Like cinders from a wildfire caught in the wind, smaller skirmishes flared up all around the room. Lester and Charlie did their best to put them out before they grew too hot. The blistering around the edges festered enough to keep them away from the main attraction.
    Simon laid