The bar was already bustling with activity when Gale strode in quickly, his expression grim and determined. His gaze swept the crowded room, ignoring the curious glances and the roaring laughter. He headed straight for the polished wooden bar, where a portly man was absentmindedly wiping a glass.
"Zeke!" Gale called out, stopping dead in front of him.
Zeke, the bartender, looked up, his trademark relaxed smile on his face.
"Gale! My favorite furry friend. Whiskey, hot toddy, or a good fight tonight?"
"I'm looking for Diana. Have you seen where she is?"
Zeke arched a wicked eyebrow and jerked his chin behind him.
"Turn around, Romeo."
Gale pivoted. And then his gaze froze. In the center of the dance floor, Diana swayed carefree, her cheeks flushed with alcohol, surrounded by guys who looked at her as if they'd just found a winning ticket in a tequila bottle. Her tight dress glistened under the fluorescent lights, and her movements were those of a shipwrecked mermaid.
Gale's face went livid.
"Why didn't you call me sooner, for God's sake?!"
Zeke shrugged, a dishcloth still in his hand.
"Well, I thought I had this under control, until..."
"I thought I had this under control, baby!" Gale muttered before darting toward the dance floor.
In two strides, he reached Diana and grabbed her gently but firmly by the wrist.
"You come with me. Now."
"Hey!" protested two of the men dancing with her. "She's good here, man, don't ruin it."
"Yeah, we're having fun..."
Gale looked them over. His wolfish gaze pierced theirs like icy needles. He didn't shout, didn't even growl. He took a step forward, not making any sudden movements, but with such an aura of authority that one of the men instinctively backed away.
"Problem?" Gale asked calmly.
"...No, man, none..." one replied, looking away.
Without another word, Gale led Diana through the crowd. He abruptly set her down on a stool at the bar, under Zeke's nervous gaze.
"Can you explain what you were playing at back there?" he asked.
"Dancing," Diana shrugged, still a little tipsy. "And Zeke was the one who told me I needed to relax."
Gale turned slowly to the bartender, hands on hips.
"Of all the people here, you choose him as your advisor?!"
Diana nodded.
"He said... sometimes he gives good advice."
"Not this time. Come on, let's go back."
But Diana shook her head violently.
"No! I want to stay here. I need to forget."
Gale sighed, arms crossed.
"Forget what exactly?"
She stared at her drink, suddenly silent, then whispered, "That I'm a bad person."
Gale's arms dropped.
"That's not true..."
"Yes, it is!" Diana replied, her voice trembling. "I heard Axel... and Marlie talking. Because of me, Isabella could have... I was complicit. I'm guilty."
A heavy silence fell. Gale opened his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, he said, in a softer voice,
"I'm sorry, Diana."
She snorted bitterly.
"Why are you sorry, huh? You're not responsible. It's your brother and me. It's my fault. Me."
Her eyes filled with tears. She began to cry softly, her head in her hands. Gale watched her, torn between pain... and a touch of amusement.
"Tell me... how many bottles have you had?"
"Enough to forget I'm at fault..." she mumbled, sobbing.
Gale turned to Zeke, his eyes wide.
"Seriously, you let this happen?!"
Zeke shrugged his hands.
"I didn't do anything!" She came, she asked... I can't tell she was going to drown her regrets in emotional Titanic mode!
"Zeke! She's wasted, look at her!"
"She drinks faster than I refill glasses, I swear!"
"You're running a bar, not an emotional demolition contest!" Gale shouted.