Scars

   "Table six needs more coffee, Ana."
   "Yes, sir."
Ana wipes her wet hands on her apron that hangs from her waist and turns to grab another hot pot of coffee. She spins around to run to the table awaiting her, but gets stopped when she catches sight of herself in the mirrored wall that stands before her. She loses track of where she is, and right above her v-neck tee shirt she sees the scar. She lets that scar swallow her whole for what feels like thirty seconds and three hours all at the same time. Eventually, the sound of the bell ringing from the kitchen awakens her, allowing her to take one last peek at herself before heading back to the customers. She is wearing the generic black v-neck that was given to all the waiters, a burgundy colored corduroy skirt with metal buttons running down the middle, black tights, and black velvet flats with bows on the top. Her pale skin seems almost invisible next to the darkness of her outfit. Her thick, red hair is frazzled and messily thrown up into a bun, causing tendrils of hair to spill out every which way. Her thick eyelashes stand out prominently against her milky skin, and her deep, dark brown eyes seem almost entirely black, hiding all of her inside of them.
   "Ana! Did you not hear me?"
She jumps from the harsh sound of her boss's voice, flashes him a sympathetic smile, and continues towards table number six.

   "I am so sorry for the hold up, here's your coffee," she says as she pours the dark liquid into their abandoned mugs. "Is there anything else you need?"
   "No, ma'am, thank you very much," the frail old woman smiles as she sips from her now steaming cup.
Ana turns quickly towards the counters knowing she has other tables awaiting her, but in her hurried state, slams into another body, causing the remaining coffee in the pot to pour onto the front of her body, and the glass container to shatter to the floor. She falls to the floor from the sudden impact and hisses from the steaming coffee now running down her tights.
   "Ahhhh!" She yells as her vision clears to see a man standing in front of her attempting to help her to her feet.
   "Oh my god, oh my god I am so, so sorry. Oh, god, are you okay?"
She struggles to her feet with the help of his strong hand and wipes the rest of the liquid off her now stained clothing. Using the backs of her hands, she wipes the long, stray hairs from her face and opens her eyes wide to the 6'2" beauty standing before her.
   "Y-yeah, I'll be fine, I-I just need to find a change of clothes..." she manages to mutter out while losing herself in his gorgeous green eyes.
   "Oh, please, let me help."
She stops wiping her clothes and looks back up to him with a confused, questionable glare.
   "Oh, not like that... I mean, I don't want to see you naked. I mean, no! Not that I wouldn't want to see you naked, it's just that I don't think it's my place and..." He trails off and lets out a flustered sigh, "Can I help somehow?"
Ana smiles in comfort, knowing that someone as mindbogglingly stunning as him could be at a loss for words.
   "No, don't worry about it," she shrugs, "I'll be okay, go enjoy your meal."
   "Please, let me help," he insists.
   "Aw, let the boy help, he's cute!" The older woman from behind her pats her on the arm and smiles a warm smile as she chuckles in her seat.
Ana sighs and puts her hands on her hips.
   "Fine, are you free tomorrow?"
His face lights up as though someone has just hit a special switch.
   "Yes I am. Would you mind joining me for a drink?"
   "Sounds great, I will not be wearing this skirt," Ana says confidently, trying to seem suave as she walks past him toward the counter. She stops and turns.
   "Oh, wait, what's your name?"
Being that he was already turned to watch her, he simply twitches his lips into a smile causing ripples of skin and stubble throughout his cheeks as he answers her.
   "Noah."
Her breath stops and she reminds herself to respond.
   "Noah. I'm Ana. I will meet you here tomorrow at eight." She turns and continues towards the counter as a captivating smile spreads across her face like it's meant to be there. Nice job, Ana.


Noah steps out of his car into the parking lot at eight on the dot. He's wearing a button up shirt with khaki pants and dress shoes. His silky hair is carefully structured atop his head leaving one strand to graze his forehead. He clenches his teeth as he walks towards the benches in front of the diner, giving definition to his sharp jawline. The freckles on his face are light enough that they're just kissing his skin but dark enough to be noticed. His hands grasp each other tightly as he sits down on the wooden bench and waits for his anxiety to subside.
Ana turns the key in the ignition, allowing the car to shut down and relax, wishing there was a similar remedy for her thumping heart. She opens the creaky car door and climbs out, letting the light, wispy material of her dress fall over her thighs. Her black heels give her some more height which she desperately needs with her 5'2" stature. The thick waves of shimmering red hair reflect brightly off the streetlights, bringing out the radiant color even more. She walks quietly over to where Noah is seated and stops in front of him as he raises his head to see her.
Once he does, he stands up with his mouth open in awe, trying to find the words to say to greet her properly.
   "Hi," he chokes out. Not entirely graceful, but when has he showed any grace, anyway?
   "Hi," she smiles, returning his greeting.
   "You are...radiant."
   "Thank you, you're looking quite dapper yourself."
Noah's smile elongates, and he smoothly grabs her hand as he leads her down the block.
   "Where are we going?" Ana questions.
   "I figured I'd take you for a pre-date drink at Delilah's."
   "I love that bar," Ana sputters out a bit too excitedly. "Wait, what do you mean 'pre-date?'"
Noah turns his head toward Ana as they walk down the cobblestone street. A devious look spreads from his eyes to his lips and he quickly turns his head forward.
   "You will see, Ms. Ana. I have a night of wonder and mystery planned for you."
She smiles, yet again, and studies the left side of his face as he walks. God, he's perfect, she thinks to herself before oh-so-smoothly tripping over a dip in the road and beginning to fall to the ground. Before slamming into the unforgiving pavement, Ana feels her body caught by a pair of muscular arms and shoulders. She opens her eyes to meet Noah's, who is kneeling on the stone supporting her, looking truly concerned.
   "You fall a lot, don't you?" He jokes, helping her gain control of her balance back on her feet.
   "Only when I'm with you apparently."
They giggle and continue down the sidewalk.

The bar is buzzing with conversation, laughter, and music, all encasing the typical Saturday night at Delilah's. The two walk in through the crowd and settle themselves in at an empty spot at the counter.
   "What would you like?"
   "I'll have a Bud Light, please."
Noah's eyebrows arch in surprise.
   "Really?"
   "Yeah, why?"
   "Just thought you'd go for something...fruitier. Bartender, two Bud Lights please."
The bartender nods and walks away from them towards the drinks.
   "I'm going to run to the bathroom, will you be okay here?"
   "Yes," Ana says, "I'll be okay. Thank you."
Noah winks at her and makes his way across the establishment towards the restroom.
As Ana waits there alone, she feels a familiar pair of eyes on her from across the bar. She turns her head to try and see through the crowd and the dark lighting to find if what she's sensing is true.
Three seats down sits a man nicely dressed in a suit and tie, legs crossed, back leaning against the bar, with his eyes glued on Ana. Finally, she sees him.
Oh god, it's him.
Ana's mind begins to race. Did he follow me here? Does Noah know him? Is this all part of the plan? Am I safe? Of course I'm not safe, I need to get away from him.
Her thoughts are quickly interrupted by the bartender placing the two chilled bottles of beer on the counter.
   "Thank you," she mumbles.
She gets her phone out of her bag, checks the time, and places it back in. Before she can get up to make an escape from him, here's there. Next to her.
   "Hi, Ana."
She swallows hard, feeling nothing but a ball of anxiety and nausea in her throat.
   "Hello."
   "It's been a while," he breathes out slowly, allowing his words to circle her head and eat her alive.
   "Yes it has," she whispers.
He reaches his hand up and traces it along her collar bone, moving any stray hairs out of his path. He continues to the top of her dress, moving it slightly to the left, revealing the scar that consumed her every day.
   "I'll always be a part of you it seems, Ana. Don't you think?"
Her body is paralyzed under his touch and her words are nowhere to be found.
   "You're here with someone tonight?" He asks.
   "Yes," the staleness in her tone is biting.
   "That's not very nice of you, Ana. You're mine, remember?" His grip grasps a lock of her hair tightly between his hand and pulls it in close to his face. "You're. All. Mine."
His words send an electric shock of fear and pure hatred through her neck and down her spine. I've got to get out of here, she thinks, where is Noah? 
   "He's not here right now, Ana," He answers her unspoken question, "And he's not going to be."
He lets go of his firm grip on her hair and quickly grasps her wrist.
   "Let's go," He demands as he attempts to drag her from her seat.
   "No," she argues, planting her ground on the stool on which she's seated.
   "What did you say?" He growls, eyes alight with anger.
   "I'm not going anywhere with you. Not this time. Not ever again."
A wave of power surges through her body. She is in control. She can do this.
   "You're a piece of shit, John, and I'm not your property anymore."
The anger inside of him is palpable, he cannot contain it anymore.
   "You bitch," he snaps, and slaps her quickly and harshly across the face.
She falls from her seat onto the wooden floor. Noah sees this from across the room as he exits the bathroom.
   "Ana!" He shouts as he runs toward the scene.
   "What the fuck are you doing?" Noah yells in John's face.
   "Well I was about to be doing that," he says, hatred filling his words as he looks down at Ana, "But now I guess you can have the bitch."
A wave of anger overtakes Noah's body, his eyes focus and his jaw tightens as he raises a fist and connects it sharply with John's face.
John crashes to the ground next to Ana as blood pours out of his nose and mouth.
   "Stay away from her, fucker, got it?"
Noah reaches down and helps Ana to her feet. Before too much attention is brought to them, he grabs her bag and swiftly guides her out of the bar.

   "Are you okay? What happened?" Noah holds Ana at arm's length, not letting go of her shoulders from his firm grip.
   "I don't know what happened," She says between breaths. "He... he's..." She's unable to finish the sentence before collapsing into the welcoming arms of Noah. He allows it, no question, and squeezes her tightly against him.
   "Let's go, we can go to my place and get you some ice for your cheek."


Ana falls onto the cushioned bed, allowing all of her stress, fear, and anxiety to melt away. She feels the bed shift as Noah lowers down onto it. As she turns over, she sees he's taken off his shirt, and is wearing nothing but khakis and socks.
She smiles, for the first time in what seems like lifetimes, and allows herself to let go and cry.
He rolls her into his grasp, letting her tears run down his chest and onto his blankets. He moves the soft hair from her bare shoulder and sees her scar plain as day. As she sobs, he reaches down and kisses the scar. First, softly and sweetly, and soon melts into a passionate, loving kiss from her scar, to her collarbone, to her neck, up to her face. She stops crying, and instead opens her eyes in a mix of comfort and pleasure. He stops, looks into her eyes and softly kisses away the tears streaming down her face. When he's done, their eyes meet yet again and his deep, supple voice flows through her.
   "You are more than your scar. And you are more than your past."
And with that, her entire body ignites with unyielding need for him, provoking her to connect her lips with his. Their bodies intertwine everywhere; their legs, arms, her fingers grabbing at his hair and his fingers tugging at her clothes. "I want you," she breathes heavily as he connects his thick lips with her neck. "I need you," he breathes in return. His strong hands peel her dress of from her hot, wanting skin and his lips connect with it yet again. She moans softly as they melt into one another.
The room fills with a sweet, zealous passion, bringing them together and allowing them to momentarily forget  the past, present, and future.

The movement stops and the atmosphere settles.
Noah softly kisses Ana on her forehead and locks eyes with her deep, dark, inconspicuous eyes that he could see through like crystal clear waters. He places his finger tips gently on her scar and exhales slowly.
"You are radiant."
She smiles, and thinks that finally, her scar as a new meaning.