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Eddie! You hear that?
Eddie was surprised V could hear anything over the loud music and typical noise of a Friday night filling the bar. The low thumping bass and vibrating bar seemed to soothe the symbiote, reminds me of home, he’d whispered to his host.
“Hear what?” Eddie strained his ears to try and distinguish between the sounds of a busy bar and what could have caught Venom’s ear (do symbiotes have ears?).
There! There!
The symbiote turned his head for him (I told you not to do that anymore!) to catch a glimpse of one of the waitresses as she disappeared into the kitchen. Her sweet humming floating through the air.
The song triggered fond memories of Annie and their almost life together. He’d made it his mission to avoid the song at any, and all, costs since. But hearing its soft melody juxtaposed against the loud bar, cheers for whatever was playing on the TV, and the laughter after every shot a bride-to-be makes, seemed to put him at ease. No one around the bar seemed to hear the melody, almost like it was meant for him alone (Hey!).
“‘Scuse me?” Eddie’s eyes never left the spot she had previously been in, the other bartender approaching.
“What can I get you?”
Eddie looked toward the voice, his brow rising at the man’s voice, “Uh, s-sorry, can I get,” Say something you idiot, “a water” Eddie said, his voice trailing off. The bartender shot him a questioning look. With a grunt, he filled one of the filthy glasses with water from the sink just hidden behind the wooden bar. “Thank you,” Eddie said, raising the glass in the air like a salute and downing the entire thing. Dumbass.
Eddie couldn’t find it in himself to reprimand the parasite as he echoed his own thoughts. His head hung down, tracing the scratches that had been left over years of glasses hitting the lacquer with satisfied sighs. He downed the water, quickly sobering up and realizing his source wasn’t showing up. Pulling out his wallet, he threw what little cash he’d brought on the bar and turned to leave.
“Excuse me!”
“I-I am so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going! Here, let me help you,” Eddie said to the woman that was picking up the pieces of shattered plates and sticky glass shards from the floor. “I am so sor-”
You giggled at the flustered man as he bent down to help you, “No worries, if anything this saves me from returning to that table for a little longer.”
He looked at the table you had indicated. They watched you and him, eyes at half-mast, speech slow and lewd comments spilling toward them. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you out?” Is it time for dinner? I haven’t had beer-battered liver in a while.
“No, it’ll be fine, just gotta get some cheese fries and water in them.”
Eddie chuckled, standing and handing you the tray, now filled with fries covered in more beer and glass than plastic cheese. You placed the tray on the bar near you, “thanks, for your help and the very gallant offer to defend my honor.” You stuck your hand out, giving him your name.
“Eddie,” he said, breathless at your smirk.
“I know…” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. So do we get to eat or not? “So, I know we just met, and this hasn’t been the cleanest first meeting, pun intended,” he said gesturing between your stained apron and his sticky hoodie, “but I was wondering if I cou-”
The sounds of glass shattering behind you made you sigh and lazily pick up the tray to put behind the bar. “Sorry, gotta help with this.”
Eddie watched as you calmly walked toward the two boys growling and throwing punches in slow motion. “‘Scuse me, boys? Is there a problem,” you asked, placing a hand on a raised fist. The two men looked dumbfounded. The one with his fist raised slowly lowered it, watching you. You simply smiled.
“Now, if you’ll kindly take this outside I would greatly appreciate it,” you said, taking each of them gently by the elbows and walked them out, towing the men like oversized toddlers, your voice trailing soothing behind you as your song had earlier.
Eddie watched you handle the situation, dumbfounded. I like her.
“That’s good to know bud. That is good to know.” Now, back to who I get to eat. Eddie chuckled walking out the door that you had just exited.