June checked the time on her watch, and her eyes widened.Was that really the time?It was pushing close to midnight, not that it was late in Vegas time, but for her, it was after working a long week.“I love you guys, but I should get going,” she said as she started collecting her stuff.
Sue covered her mouth, but June noticed her yawning.“Agreed.”
“You guys are party poopers,” Casey pouted.“It’s Friday night.We should be out having fun.”
“Another time,” June replied, placating her.Casey was pushing drunk and needed to go home and sleep off the booze.Kayla had only one drink hours ago and was her DD.
“You say that, but you won’t.Party pooper,” Casey slurred as she spoke louder.
“Fine, I’m a tired party pooper who has been in a sixty-plus-hour week and wants to sleep for the next eight-plus hours.As should you.Good night.”June came around the table and hugged her friends.
“June,” Casey slurred and gripped her bicep.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t let what that asshole said bother you.You aren’t frigid, and you should never let a man belittle you because of your legs or feel grateful for their attention when they aren’t worth yours.I love everything about you.”
“Thanks, Cas.”June smiled.Drunk Casey was sweet and silly.“Make sure she gets home okay,” Sue whispered in Karla’s ear as she hugged her.
“I will,” Karla promised.
June and Sue walked out the front and stopped at the entrance.“Which way are you?”Sue asked her.
“That way.”June hiked over her shoulder with her thumb.“What about you?”
“The other way.”Sue gave her a worrisome look.“Do you want me to walk with you?”
It was sweet of her to offer but unnecessary.There was a decent crowd on the street.June didn’t worry about muggers or anything.It wasn’t like she had anything of value.She didn’t wear jewelry or have a name-brand bag.“No, there’s no point in you walking out of your way and having to come back all this way.I’m fine.”
“Alright, I’ll talk to you later.”Sue opened her arms allowing June to step into them.When she pulled away, she could see Sue wanted to say something else but was holding back.
“What?”
“Casey may have no filter when she’s drunk.”June raised an eyebrow.That was like calling a spade a spade.“Okay, she never has a filter, but it’s worse when she’s drunk.However, she was right.You shouldn’t let what that guy said affect you.”
“I don’t know why you guys keep bringing him up.I’ve already forgotten about him.Besides, it’s not like it’s anything I haven’t heard before.I was called frigid even before I lost my legs because I didn’t put out in high school.His words have absolutely no impact on my life.”
“Good.”
“Alright, I’m beat.I’m going to head home.Love you.”
“Love you too.”
June made the trek back to the parking garage.She couldn’t wait to get home and put her feet up.Figurately and literally.After being on her feet all day, she was ready to take her prosthetics off and give her legs a break.
June was a block from the parking garage when she noticed someone leaning against a wall.It was the asshole Troy from earlier.Great.
“Well, well, if it isn’t gimpy.Coming back to apologize and make it up to me?”June ignored him and kept walking.She heard hurried footsteps coming up behind her, then Troy started walking next to her.“You cost me a hundred bucks you know.”
It figured he’d made a bet with his friends to see if she’d put out.“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t make stupid bets like that.”She didn’t feel remotely bad that he’d lost money tonight.Maybe it would teach him a lesson not to make stupid bets.
“What was that, cripple?”Troy gripped her arm and pushed her into an alley they were passing by.June stumbled and had to grip him to keep her balance at the sudden movement.A grimace of pain tore from her mouth as her back was slammed up against the brick wall.Pain gyrated up her spine.
“You shouldn’t make stupid bets,” she said slowly and loudly for him to understand.It probably wasn’t smart to keep poking him when they were alone and she was defenseless, but now she was irritated—and when that happened, her mouth spoke before her brain could think.There were always people walking the streets, so she wasn’t completely alone if she screamed for help.
Troy smiled coldly while he kept one hand pinned on her shoulder and pointed in her face with the other.It was the first time she’d noticed their height difference.It wasn’t huge, but she was taller than him by at least two inches.“You know, you got a big mouth.I can think of better things for you to do with it than talk back.”
June balled up her fist and slammed it into the side of his face.Troy’s head whipped to the side.June used the distraction to try to dart past him, but he gripped her shoulder and pinned her back to the wall.
