Still trying to decide whether to leave or not, I lingered, watching her through the window. When they stood, I realized they were getting ready to leave and ducked back around the corner. It would be bad enough to walk in and have her think I was following her. It would be worse to have her turn around and see me looking at her through the window like one of those homeless pets Bwat took care of in his free time. Feeling like a complete idiot, I pressed myself against the brick wall. The females stood outside the door for a moment talking to each other. I took that opportunity to walk down the block and make a right into a parking area behind the bar. Should I go home? Or circle around the block and go inside now that the shrew was gone so I could get my snack and a beer? But what if she came by my apartment while I was here and I missed her?
I’d just decided to go home when the shrew turned the corner, heading right toward me. About to be caught, I stepped into the light, planning to act as if this was a chance meeting and hope I could pull it off.
“Hello! What a sur?—”
The last word was cut off with a whoosh of breath as the shrew’s foot slammed into my diaphragm. As I bent over, she punched me with a solid right uppercut, then sprayed burning, noxious liquid into my face.
14
WILLA
There it was. My little silver-and-rust car with the primer-gray rear fender, and duct tape holding the left front wheel well trim on. I looked down at my purse for a split second to get my keys and out of my peripheral vision I saw a large shape disengaging from the shadow of an SUV near me. Adrenaline flooded my veins. A deep voice said something, but only fear and instinct registered in my brain. I kicked, punched with the hand I’d been about to grab my keys with, then I let loose with the pepper spray. I’d no sooner slammed my finger down on the button than I realized that I had recognized the voice.
It was Eng.
“Holy shit! Eng, I’m so sorry! Damn, you scared the crap out of me. What are you doing sneaking up on a woman like that?”
“Arrrrr!” he shouted in reply, dropping down to the pavement and digging his palms into his eyes. Tears streamed down his face. Snot poured from his nose. He was even slobbering. It wasn’t a good look, but it was all my fault and I felt terribly guilty that I’d assaulted my…friend-with-benefits? Probably just benefits without the friend part.
“Oh, God! Oh, God!” I dug around in my purse, pulling out the water I’d smuggled into the arena because I hadn’t wanted to pay twelve bucks for their marked-up bottles. “Move your hands and open your eyes.”
“No! Arrrrg, it stings. I can’t see. I can’t smell anything.”
I had a moment of panic wondering if orc physiology reacted more strongly to pepper spray and I’d just permanently disabled my…sex partner or whatever. Either way, washing the stuff off his face and out of his eyes would help.
“Move your damned hands and open your eyes,” I snapped. “I’m trying to help you.”
“Youtriedto kill me.”
Okay, that sounded like a petulant whine. I let out a sigh and took the cap off the water. “You scared the crap out of me. I wasn’t expecting you and I thought you were someone who was going to rob me. Or try to rape me.”
He growled at that, pulling his hands away and opening his eyes to look around the parking lot with an expression of fury. If his eyes hadn’t been so red and I hadn’t known him intimately, I would have been afraid.
Instead I took the opportunity to pour water into his eyes and over his face. He sputtered, blinking and gasping. I waited a few seconds, then repeated the dousing.
“Better?” I asked as I emptied the last of the water over his eyes.
“It still hurts.” And now he sounded sullen, which I was taking to mean he did indeed feel better.
“It’s supposed to hurt.” I sat down on the pavement beside him. “It is supposed to disable someone, giving a victim an opportunity to escape an attacker. It’ll wear off in a bit.”
He looked over at me, his eyes already a little less red. “Do all human females carry this terrible spray?”
“Not all of them. Sometimes women take precautions, like going everywhere in groups or holding their keys in a defensive position, or having a whistle or something that lets out a loud sound to bring attention to an attack—anything to allow them a few vital seconds to get away.”
He scowled. “You thought I was an attacker?”
“I didn’t know it was you,” I explained. “I saw a large person coming toward me and reacted. I don’t know how things are in your world, Eng, but here women always need to be prepared for a possible attack. We’re taught from a young age that someone could kidnap us, convince us to come with them using lies about a lost dog or an injured parent, or just overpower us physically. Every human woman is aware of the likelihood they may be attacked, so they’re vigilant, especially at night in an unpopulated area.”
“No male with any sense would attack or attempt to rape you,” he told me.
I wasn’t sure whether that was a compliment or not, but I’d been feeling rather vulnerable tonight, so I went with an insult.
“Because I’m not sexy? No man would be attracted to me or so overcome with lust that he’d resort to violence to have his way with me?” I knew as soon as I said it that I sounded just as petulant and whiny as Eng had a moment earlier.
He frowned. “No. That is not at all what I meant. You are desire walking. Males turn their gaze to watch your body as you stroll by. All it would take is a swing of your hips to bring nations to war. But rape is not about sex, it is about intimidation and oppression. Those who are powerless and insecure try to punish those they see as having the power they crave. No male with any sense would attack or try to rape you because you would easily kill them and they know that. You walk like a female who has the ability to destroy any opponent. This is the…theromgarathatshines from you like the sun. You are a warrior, and those who see you know that.”
Now it wasmyeyes that were stinging. No one had ever said these sorts of things to me. And for them to come from Eng, the guy I’d assumed was just with me for the easy sex…
