T hey wrapped up another successful nap. Beth stretched on the bed. Her body ached in all the right places. She’d actually fallen asleep and Benny had nudged her shoulder a few minutes ago, waking her. Instead of scrambling to get ready, she lay back and watched him.

“Do you think you’re ready to take the key after our session yesterday?” Benny walked around the bed and kissed the tip of her nose.

Beth thought about the significance of the key. It wouldn't only bring them closer. It was a symbol of trust. Their first couple therapy had surpassed her wildest expectation. She’d initially feared the views from an outsider, but it had helped. Second chances were possible.

“I’ll take the key.”

His smile was infectious. “You make me happy, Elizabeth.” He straightened his tie and adjusted his blazer.

Anyone who saw him in a suit would be happy. He looked hot. With clothing or without, Benny Wilder turned her on. He also reached inside and tugged at her heartstrings like a master puppeteer.

“I love… you in a suit.” She’d been close to saying I love you again, but it remained locked in the vault. She wasn’t sure what would have to happen for her to spit it out.

“I’m glad you approve. I love you,” he said so effortlessly. He’d been saying it for weeks.

She couldn’t even muscle the three tiny words past her tongue. The feelings were there. But her ability to express them verbally was not. Once she said them, there was no taking it back. She got out of bed and yanked on a shirt from her bag. “I can’t make your game tonight because I’m working. But I’ll be rooting for you. It’s St. Patrick’s Day so luck is on your side tonight.”

“That place isn’t safe. I wish you would reconsider and not work tonight. There are more brawls in your bar than we have on the ice.” He approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her midsection. “You can start at my friend’s sports bar anytime next week. Take a night off.”

Benny didn’t hide his distaste for the pub. He didn’t like her working there, and last night she’d put in her resignation. It wasn’t solely to please him since she’d been looking for another job for a while. She liked the staff, but the clients were getting worse every week.

“It’s one last shift. I’ll sling green beer and take home more money than I did last month.”

“I make enough money to support both of us.” He wasn’t bragging. It was a fact. Benny had more than a few million tucked away for a rainy day. That was his money though; not theirs.

She swiveled in his arms so they were face to face. “Not a chance. I pay my own way. One day, I want to explain to our kids the value to earning their keep. I want to say we both paved our own paths.”

“Our kids. That’s the first time you’ve mentioned anything long-term. I love the sound of it, but keep taking those pills. That’s a distant future. Right?”

“Very distant. I have about 7 more years of schooling before we can talk about starting a family.” Speaking with a professional had also solidified her career path. She wanted to help people the same way Brenda was helping them. She reached onto the tip of her toes and kissed him. “That means we’ll have plenty of practice before we’re ready for the main event.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Our next practice session won’t be until much later tonight. We’re playing a tough team. They’re hungry like we are, but with me in the net, we’ll win.”

“Your modesty is unbelievably sexy.” She pulled on his tie, bringing his lips back to her for one last kiss. Beth released his tie and fixed it. “You’re ready. I’ll meet you back here after my shift.”

“I’ll pick you up. It’s not safe there. Don’t argue with me. Didn’t you tell me security confiscated weapons last week? If you are hell-bent on proving you can take on the world by yourself, that’s cool, but you’re not leaving there after dark alone.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself. I’m going to enjoy a long soak in your shower before I leave.” She traipsed out of the bedroom, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Is my key still on the coffee table?”

“Exactly where you left it.”

“Great.” She blew him a kiss. “In the spirit of the holiday, maybe you’ll get lucky later.”

He laughed. “If I get any luckier, I’ll be farting pots of gold.”

“You’re gross. I’ll see you later.” She closed the bathroom door and turned on the water.

Steam billowed around her in seconds. His bathroom reminded her of being at the spa. She sat on the bench and let the heat envelop her. Benny had given her a key to his place. He trusted her completely. She looked down at her hands. They weren’t shaking. That was progress.

Tonight, was the busiest night of the year. On top of the holiday, it was also a game-night. The place would be packed wall to wall. The violence had been escalating lately. After tonight she never had to set foot in there again. It would have been easy enough to drop this shift. But she didn’t want to depend on Benny. She couldn’t turn down good money so she could watch her boyfriend play hockey. Even though her gut was telling her to do exactly that. She pushed those thoughts aside and finished her shower.

She dressed casually, in a pair of skin tight jeans and a green t-shirt that read lucky girl across the breast. It wasn’t very festive, but it would do. Once she arrived at work, she wondered why she hadn’t taken Benny up on his offer. For a holiday, the mood seemed almost somber.

“What’s up? Why the long faces?” She asked one of the regulars as she tucked her bag under the bar.

“You didn’t hear?” He looked around and signaled for her to come closer. “Cliff got jumped last night. They beat him pretty bad.”

“Get out! Is he okay? He’s huge. There must have been lots of them” Beth’s hand covered her heart. She scanned the room for her favorite bouncer.

“He walked away, but they said they’d be back. Everyone’s keeping an eye out. If those punks show their faces in here…” He ran his thumb across his throat, signaling death.

“He’s not here. Is he?” It was impossible to see every corner with the hordes of customers piling in.

The man she’d been talking to stood up and wobbled. “I’ll take another one. Go put some beads on. All the other staff are wearing em. You hand them out to your big tippers.” He stumbled away.

Beth wanted to find Cliff and make sure he was okay. If he’d been attacked, he shouldn’t be at work. But she also knew he had bills to pay and student loans too. People took getting kicked out far too seriously. It wasn’t personal, but Cliff and the guys got more death threats than the Prime Minister.

Orders were piling up and Danielle, another bartender, looked like she was in the weeds. Beth didn’t have time to find the injured bouncer and comfort him. She tied her apron around her waist and got to work. Danielle handed her a handful of green beads and they made a game of who would lose their beads the fastest. The loser had to buy the winner a drink. Since they drank for free if they wanted, it was more for fun than anything else.

“First one’s on me.” Danielle poured them each a shot of tequila which had green food coloring added to make it festive.

It was her last shift, and she was determined to enjoy it. “Bottom’s up,” she said, lifting a shot of the green drink to her mouth. The cheap liquor burned going down. They chased it with another. “That’s it.” She held up her hand as her co-worker offered another.

After the game started, Beth hardly had a moment’s rest. She’d consumed another two shots and given away over half her beads. A quick calculation confirmed, she’d cleared over three hundred dollars in tips and still had half the night to go. As much as she wanted to watch the game, there hadn’t been time. When the home team scored the place erupted with cheers and by the end of the third period, they were up two to nothing.

Benny was having a good night, but then disaster struck on the ice. They got a penalty for hooking during a breakaway, resulting in a penalty shot. The player managed to sneak one past the crease. The next two plays resulted in more penalties. High sticking and instigating a fight. The two-man advantage cost them their lead, sending them into overtime.

Both teams wouldn’t give up. She poured more drinks and smiled at the customers, but all she wanted to do was stare at the screen. She passed on the next round of shots Danielle offered. Her buzz had kicked in and if she drank anymore, she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. The TV caught everyone’s attention. There were fewer players to watch, but every second counted. The players fought hard for the win, but overtime ended in a tie.

An eerie silence followed as everyone, including Beth, watched the men line up for a shootout. She held her breath as the first shot sailed towards Benny. He caught it and repositioned himself for the next attempt. She exhaled. His teammate fared none better. Benny proved why he was the best goaltender in the NHL by saving the next two shots on net. Beth prayed it wouldn’t end in sudden-death. It all came down to one player. Theo Montagne batted the puck around and fired it towards the corner. He scored.

Everyone in the pub was on their feet cheering. Strangers hugged while Beth sent a text to Benny telling him how proud she was of him. It was an incredible game, and she shouldn’t have missed it. She apologized for being headstrong and told him she wouldn’t miss the next one.

There was no time to slow down and enjoy the victory. The pub was over capacity. Beth could tell because everyone was standing elbow to elbow. She poured drinks and tried to keep up with demand. By the time midnight rolled around, she was exhausted and her feet ached. She was having a hard time finding a reason to smile until Benny showed up. She saw his head of curls from a mile away.

“I’m taking a break,” she yelled to Danielle.

Beth left the bar and elbowed her way through the crowd towards him. All she wanted was to feel his arms around her. He grinned when he saw her coming. She signaled with her arm for him to wait by the wall, but he didn’t. She passed a group of young kids. They must have used fake identification. Two looked oddly familiar, but she couldn’t place them. The girl looked right at her, searching for something or someone. Her blue eyes, round face and dimples were the spitting image of one of the missing teenagers.

It clicked. She’d seen both faces on Caroline’s website. It didn’t just look like the picture she’d seen, it had to be her. Beth cursed those drinks because she couldn’t remember the girl’s name. The girl looked away and moved out of arm’s reach.

“This place is a madhouse,” he screamed.

Someone pushed against her from behind, forcing her into his side. “There’s no room to breathe in here. I think I saw some of those missing kids.”

“Have you had a few celebratory drinks? I smell tequila.”

“Yes, but I swear it’s them.” She looked around again, but they’d disappeared into the crowd. “Kimber. That’s her name. Let’s go outside for a minute and we can search the website on your phone. Then call the cops if I’m right.” She took his hand and attempted to make her way through the wall of customers.

She bumped into Cliff, who looked like he had his hands full, holding the back of some guys arms. His face was covered in bruises and his lip was slit open. “Are you okay?”

He glanced at her and shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing I can’t handle. Oh shit. Beth, get out of here.”

Chaos followed. Her eyes registered the threat, and her instincts took over. It happened too fast. She was sandwiched between Benny and Cliff as three thugs came rushing towards them. Without thinking, she let go of Benny’s hand and pushed Cliff out of the way as the knife sliced through the air towards him. The force of her shove moved him out of the way, but the blade caught her. She felt the sting on her side. When she looked down, her shirt was cut and blood stained the edges.

“Watch out!” Benny’s voice caught her attention.

Her reactions slowed from the alcohol. She glanced up in time to see a fist seconds from connecting with her face. There wasn’t enough time to flinch, but somehow Benny stepped in front, shielding her from the impact. She stumbled back, lost her footing and fell on her ass.

There were legs everywhere and if she didn’t move she’d get trampled. She got up quickly. Too quickly. Her eyes searched for more danger, but Cliff and Benny had all three men on the ground. The room tilted. She touched her side and lifted her hand. Blood. A wave of nausea bowled her over. She felt lightheaded. Beth reached out for Benny, but he was too far away. Her knees gave out and then everything went dark.