One Man Arguing

by Renae Dubois

‘I told you to get away from that car!’ the tall man bellowed into the face of the younger guy, who felt the warm, wet spray over his nose and cheeks. He resisted wiping the droplets of saliva away from his chin and mouth, instead tried glaring at his verbal opponent. This went unnoticed though, as the brute was on a roll.
‘I said don’t touch the car! I said as much, what more do you want me to do? Break your arms?’ he roared, pulling up his shirt sleeves and flexing his muscles.
Trent thought he could see a blood vessel about to burst in this idiot’s forehead.
‘Calm down,’ he said, ‘I was just admiring it with my girlfriend’.
‘Don’t bring your bitch into it. This is between you and me.’
The man’s face was flushed. He’d clearly been drinking most of the day. Trent had seen him when they arrived at the pub about two hours earlier, but there had been no interaction between them until now. The man had come outside to urinate in the carpark and was on his way back to the bar when he had seen the young couple.
Suzie looped her arm through Trent’s to get his attention. He focused on her long enough to squeeze her hand then signal with his eyes for her to move back. Her frightened eyes pleaded, but he ignored it. She dutifully stepped back, closer to the tavern. From there she watched helplessly, her eyes darting between the two.
Trent stepped closer, this time with his arms extended and palms out. ‘Oh man, I didn’t mean anything. My girl and I just like these old Valiants. You’ve done it up real nice’. He stepped forward again to slap the man on the shoulder, but the bully braced his legs and raised his fists – his eyes disappearing beneath his furrowed brow.
‘Don’t give me that crap,’ he said.
‘Really, I just want to be cool. How about I buy you a drink? What do you drink?’ Trent said hastily, abandoning the plan to get closer. ‘Tell you what. Suzie,’ he glanced at her, ‘can go in and get whatever you like, how’s that?’
The man’s fists lowered and his hands relaxed somewhat, but he still stood in readiness for a fight that only he was waging. Trent waited for his response while keeping his own body in a relaxed and casual stance, even though his knees were shaking. He lit a cigarette, and offered one to the man. Finally there was a reprieve in tension, however slight.
‘Alright, she can get me a pint of mid strength and a double rum and coke,’ said the old fella, as he took the cigarette. The wrinkles in his brow were softening, and Trent thought he could see a twinkle in the man’s eyes. He looked back at his girlfriend, who was still tense and unsure, and signaled for her to go in and grab what the man wanted. She gasped at the method her boyfriend was using to get out of this situation. However, she took her cue, and went inside.
The two men stood smoking and eyeing each other off. Trent kept his shoulders straight and tried smiling at the older fella from time to time. When a pretty girl went past, they both looked, noticed each other looking, then laughed together.
‘You know, you’re not such a bad bloke’, the older man drawled to Trent, and put his arm on his shoulder. ‘I’m sorry I been such a prick, but I’ve had trouble around here with kids keying my car and stuff’. He gazed away frowning, the cigarette held close to his mouth but not quite touching.
Trent laughed, ‘yeah well you’re not a bad codger yourself, for an old bastard’, he ventured, sweat droplets forming on his forehead at his own audacity. He drew on his cigarette.
‘Ha, ha, ha, you got me!’ as he slapped Trent hard on the back mid-draw. Trent coughed and they both laughed. Just then the door of the pub opened, and a waitress stuck her head out.
‘I can’t bring your drinks out here fellas, you’ll have to come inside,’ she said.
From behind her Suzie emerged hesitantly, just in time to see the two men shake hands and introduce themselves. The older fellow was Malcolm. ‘Call me Mal’, he said. Suzie turned to Trent, shock and disappointment and a few other things in her eyes.
‘Come and have a drink with me,’ said Mal, starting to stagger slightly towards the bar.
Trent looked at Suzie and she adamantly indicated no way with her furious eyes and pursed lips. Trent knew that a refusal of this invitation could be taken the wrong way, but there was no way Suzie would approve of socialising with this fellow after his threats.
‘Oh, can’t mate, got to get to her Mum’s place, we’re going to be late. But, tomorrow, are you going to be here? I finish work about 4.30. What do you reckon?’
There was a long pause, and Mal looked at the two thoughtfully and knowingly. ‘Yeah, mate. I’m here most afternoons.’ He smiled and the two knew this was their opportunity to leave. They didn’t waste any time. A quick handshake again, a nod to the waitress, and soon they were walking back to their car.
Trent could feel Suzie’s irritation. She kept exhaling quickly and making little grunting noises. He tried taking her hand, to no avail. So he asked how much the drinks cost, pulling out his wallet.
‘Oh, you owe me more than the drinks I bought,’ she said, eyes flaming. ‘Why did you let him treat you that way?’
‘Well, what did you want me to do? Beat him up?’ he joked.
‘Yeah! Or man up, anyway. You totally gave in to him. You let him treat you like a fool’.
Trent looked sharply at her. This was going to be a long drive.