LOVE ME, MY OLDER BRIDE

"Miss Ava".

Ava looked up and noticed the anxious expression on the Clara's face.

Clara, one of the younger waitresses and a co-worker.

She was barely out of her teens. She looked kind of tense as she clutched her tray, nervously.

"What's wrong, Clara?" Ava asked curiously.

Clara hesitated a bit, glancing over towards a table of four men in the corner.

The men were loud, whistling at every passing waitress.

"I... I'm scared to serve that table," Clara said and lowered her gaze. "They're always... touching, groping. And they laugh it off like it's nothing. I really tried to tell them off last time, but they just got worse."

Ava's eyes followed Clara's gaze to the men, who were currently making rude gestures toward another waitress. Her brows arched into a tight brown.

Men like them piss her off.

They all looked like middle-aged men, making passes at an 18-year-old for what exactly?!

They were clearly old disgusting creeps .

"They've been bothering you?"

Ava asked softly.

Clara nodded quickly.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to do my job, but-"

"Hey," Ava interrupted gently, placing a hand on Clara's shoulder.

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize for not wanting to deal with creeps like them. I'll handle them. Don't worry about it."

Clara looked up at her, eyes wide with relief.

"Really?"

Ava smiled back.

"I'm older, and maybe that'll intimidate them enough to behave. You just focus on your other tables, okay?"

Clara sighed in relief.

"Oh my goodness thank you, Ava. Thank you so so much".

"Don't mention it."

Ava smiled back and with that, Ava grabbed her tray and headed toward that particular table.

As she approached, the men's laughter died down, and as they turned their attention to her.

"Evening, gentlemen," Ava said, trying to keep her tone professional, wearing a polite smile.

"What can I get you?"

One of the men, a middle-aged guy with a receding hairline and an arrogant smirk, leaned back in his chair, checking her up and down.

"Well, well. They sent a mature lady to serve us this time."

Another one smirked.

"Yeah, no more of those little girls. You've got experience, don't you?"

Ava ignored there comments , pulling out her notepad.

"What drinks do you want, sir?"

The first man chuckled, leaning closer.

"What's your name...pretty thing, can I call you mummy?"

The others laughed loudly.

Ava ignored them, still forcing a smile, trying to stay ....professional.

"Ready to order?"

The third man, with a cockier appearance added.

.

"She's got that mummy vibe. Bet she likes to be on top and take the lead. Never had a female dominate me in bed before, but for you I love to try..."

The table erupted in laughter, and Ava felt her patience thinning bit by bit.

However, she kept her expression straight, refusing to give them the reaction they wanted or let their words get to her.

"Gentle men. Let's keep it about the drinks, shall we?" she said with a fake smile, her pen poised over her notepad.

"Alright, a serious question," the first man said. "What color is your underwear?"

"Excuse me?"

Ava snapped with a tight frown.

The table erupted in another loud laughter, and Ava's grip on her notepad tightened out of anger.

"Or better yet," another one cuts in, "what's your cup size?"

"Alright, that's enough," she said coldly. "Order your drinks or I'm walking away."

Instead of backing down, one of them reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Come on, pretty, don't be like that. We're just having fun."

Ava yanked her arm back, stepping back out of reach.

"Touch me again, and you'll regret it," she snapped, her voice filled with anger.

The man raised his hands in surrender.

"Whoa, calm down. No need to get all uptight. You're acting like you don't like the attention. You should learn to take compliments, lady. You're not getting any younger. Might as well enjoy the attention while it lasts."

"Yeah, we're just having fun. You should try it sometime, might take a few years off that serious face of yours," the first man added.

The others laughed again, their voices became louder, drawing attention to the scene.

Ava clenched her jaw, but before she could respond, the first man leaned closer.

"You know, you should feel lucky we're hitting on you at all," he sneered. "Most women your age don't get this kind of attention. You're... what? Forty? Expired. You should be thanking us."

Ava froze for a split second, his words hitting like a slap on the face.

"Excuse me? What did you say to me?"

Ava asked slowly, her face blank.

"You heard me," the man sneered, leaning back in his chair with a smirk.

"You're past your prime, bitch. You should be thankful someone's still giving you attention."

The other men laughed even harder.

Then one of them mumbled ,

"Don't waste your energy, man. She's too stuck-up to appreciate it."

Ava inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself the fuck down. Else she would do something she'd regret and probably put herself behind bars. She had dealt with countless creeps in her years working at the bar, but this was different.

This wasn't just harassment; it was an attack on her very being, her self worth.

Expired?

Did the harassment change because she aged?

Still, she kept her cool.

"First of all," she said, her voice low and razor-sharp, "I'm thirty-seven. Second, I don't need attention from men like you. I am sorry to tell you this but I don't think any woman will find that hairline attractive. And thirdly, I'm here to do my job, not entertain your delusions and insecurities. So I'd appreciate it if you could keep your opinions to yourself."

The man's smirk faded slightly, replaced with irritation but he tried to cover it up with a fake smile.

"That attitude's why you're still single, I bet."

Ava leaned in closer, her eyes narrowed.

"And your lack of respect is probably why you're still here hitting on women who want nothing to do with you and girls old enough to be your grand daughters. You should be ashamed of yourself."

The man's face darkened, his ego clearly bruised.

His friends exchanged awkward glances, their laughter fading.

"Ashamed of myself?"

The man scoffed, and suddenly stood up.

"Women like you turn me on. I love taming strong women. No woman is actually strong, but they think that they are, and I love proving them wrong."

Before Ava could say a word, he reached out and groped her chest.

The world seemed to freeze for a moment before Ava's instincts kicked in.

Her tray clattered to the floor as she slapped the man hard on the face. The force made him sit back on the chair.

Heads turned in their direction, and the other men looked up, speechless and shocked at Ava's action.

The man's chair scraped loudly on the floor as he stood abruptly to face Ava, his face red with anger.

"You crazy bitch!" he growled , grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her toward him.

Ava cried out in pain, struggling to free herself.

"Let go of me, you creep!"

Clara immediately rushed over, shouting at the man to stop.

"You've got some nerve!" he snarled at Ava.

Their drama drew attention and created a scene.

"What the hell!" the bar manager barked, pushing his way through the gathered crowd around the scene.

When he got to the table, he stepped forward.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, his eyes darting between the furious man and Ava.

"This psycho slapped me!" the man holding Ava's hair yelled, finally letting her go. "She needs to apologize to me, this minute!"

Ava staggered back, holding her head as tears glistened in her eyes.

"He groped me!" she cried, her voice shaking angrily. "I'm not apologizing to a pervert!"

The man turned to his friends, and they laughed with him.

"Groped you? You wish."

The manager turned to Ava, looking disappointed.

"Apologize to the customer, Ms Ava."

Ava stared at him in disbelief and speechless.

"What?" She scoffed.

"This place is ridiculous," one of the men sneered. "Rude, expired women running the place. No wonder the service is trash."

"You heard me, apologize," the manager said again as he turned to her.

Ava's chest felt tightened.

"You're asking me to apologize? I was assaulted! He should be the one apologizing."

"Apologize, Ms Ava. We can't afford this kind of drama."

"I'm the victim!" Ava shouted this time in frustration, her voice cracking as she pointed to the one with the ugly hairline. "He assaulted me!"

"You're making a scene, Ava," the manager snapped.

The men smirked at Ava triumphantly and exchanged glances between themselves.

The first man, who had grabbed her, scoffed.

"See what I mean? Rude, expired women. This bar's a joke. No respect for customers."

"Disgusting customer service," another added. "You should hire some younger girls who actually know how to treat men."

They walked out of the table heading towards the excise while knocking over their chairs and flipping tables in rage.

The other customers muttered among themselves, giving dissatisfied looks as they watched the men cause chaos in the bar.

The first man stopped at the door and turned to the manager.

"You're lucky we don't press charges," the first man sneered. "This dump isn't worth our time."

With that, they stormed out.

The silence in the bar after that was so intense and uncomfortable.

Glasses lay shattered on the floor and tables were upturned. Soft murmurs filled the room as other customers complained about the scene.

The manager glared at Ava and ran after them to apologize on her behalf.

Ava sat slumped in a chair, her face buried in her hands as the other waitresses hung around her, consoling her.

"Miss Ava, are you okay?"

Clara whispered.

"I'm... I'm fine," Ava said weakly, though her shaking hands showed otherwise.

"No, you're not," another waitress named Edith said.

"You're strong,Ava. That's one of the things I admire about you."

"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to take that table," Clara said sadly.

Ava shook her head.

"No, don't say that, Clara. It's not your fault. Please."

"Alright, that's enough," the manager's voice cut in. "Everyone back to work." He ordered.

The waitresses exchanged uneasy glances, but they dispersed reluctantly, some still casting worried looks at Ava.

The manager walked to Ava and stood in front of her, his tone a bit softer now but there was still a hint of anger in it.

"Ms. Ava, I need you to listen to me."

She raised her head, her red, tear-streaked eyes staring at him.

"Am I wrong for defending myself, sir?" Ava sobbed.

The manager sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look, I'm not saying you didn't have a reason to be upset, but this is a bar, not a nunnery, Ava. Things like this happen, and you need to learn how to handle it without escalating."

"Escalating?" Ava shot back, her voice trembling. "He grabbed me. What was I supposed to do? Smile and thank him?"

"You slapped a customer," the manager said sharply. "And now we've lost not just them but the people sitting nearby who got uncomfortable with the scene. This isn't a high-end lounge, Ava. It's a bar. People expect a certain atmosphere, and you just made other customers uncomfortable. Next time this happens, I won't have a choice but to fire you."

Ava's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You will fire me for standing up for myself?"

"This is a business, Ms. Ava," the manager said bluntly, his tone hardening again. "You're here to serve drinks, and make the customers feel good with your service. If you can't handle it, maybe this isn't the place for you."

Ava was quiet, she can't find the words to express herself anymore.

The manager's words were so disappointing.

"Look, Ms. Ava, you are one of the best workers here. Also, you are the oldest. I expect more from you. Just clean yourself up and get back to work. And remember, next time, keep it professional."

The manager walked away, leaving Ava standing there, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Tears filled her tears but she kept fighting them back.

Just then, Clara approached her.

"That wasn't fair. I am so sorry,Ava".

She said quietly.

The four men on their way home, staggered drunkenly down a deserted pathway, their laughter echoing through the quiet street.

They had been to another bar and drank to their heart content after the confrontation with Ava.

"Did you see her face?"

The man that had a fight with Ava started the conversation.

"Ha! The old bitch thought she could put her hand don me and get away with it. She got some nerve."

The second nodded in agreement.

"Old and expired, trying to play hard to get. She should be grateful we even gave her attention!"

"She's lucky we didn't teach her a real lesson. Acting all high and mighty like she's got options at her age," the third man added.

The first man laughed.

"Well, that bitch felt soft and nice in my hands. I had a hard-on instantly. I will be returning there tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

The third replied.

The first man nodded with a smirk on his lips.

"And this time, we will wait for her after work. She needs to learn how to respect men like us."

They all laughed.

"Totally agree, It's been long since we dealt with a proud bitch. Well, this time, we will do it raw and watch her beg," the fourth man added.

They continued and didn't notice the tall image leaning casually against a black super bike under a streetlight a few yards ahead.

The man was dressed in a black leather jacket. His hands were tucked into his pockets, his head tilted slightly backwards as if he'd been waiting for something or someone.

A cigar was resting in between his lips, its smoke curling into the night sky.

As the group of drunk men approached, the first man noticed him and squinted his eyes.

"What's with that biker guy?" he muttered, loud enough for the others to hear.

The others paused their laughter and chats as they glanced towards the biker man.

However, the biker man didn't move nor speak. He didn't even act like he saw them.

He stood still with one boot casually propped against the bike. For some reason they felt threatened by his presence and decided to confront him.

"Hey, buddy, got a problem?"

The ugly hairline dude who seems to be the boldest of the four might as well be their leader, called out to the mysterious man.

To their surprise he replied.

"You're talking about the bar waitress by the name Ava, aren't you?"

His voice came deep, they expected such from his physique but it was still scary.

He didn't even glance towards them, his head was still tilted back, relaxed.

The men exchanged silent glances amongst themselves.

One of them, driven by alcohol,replied.

"Yeah, what about it? You know her?"

The biker lowered is head slightly and looked at them, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint, humorless smirk.

The four men watched in total silence, wondering what the hell is going on with this dude.

The biker pulled the cigar from his lips and dropped it to the floor. He stepped on it, grinding it into the ground as he exhaled a cloud of thick smoke.

"I know Ava," he said coldly almost in a whisper as he took a step toward them, his gloved hands sliding into his pockets.

"She's something else, isn't she?"

He asked.

This time the men exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

The leader, who was slapped by Ava, continued.

"So you've dealt with that bitch too, huh? That old bitch-"

Before he could finish, the biker attacked him.

It was so fast, they barely saw it-one moment he was standing still, the next, his fist landed on the man's face.

The force of the punch sent him stumbling backward, clutching his nose as blood trickled between his fingers.

"What the fuck,"

The man cursed and collapsed on the floor with his nose still bleeding.

The others reacted too late, their drunken state slowed their movements.

"Hey! Why...why.... did you hit him?"

The second snapped, but the words died in his throat as the biker turned to him, his cold gaze locking on him like a predator to his target.

"Dude... what's...what's ...with you, man?"

The biker kicked him straight to the stomach and doubled him over, it didn't end there, fists after fists landed on his face before he was shoved aside like a rag doll.

Afterwards,the biker relaxed his neck muscles and clenched his fists, and the sound of bones cracking back into place was audible to the ear.

That scared the shit out of the other two, even more. They glanced down at the other two, lying on the floor as though they had no life in them anymore.

"Who... who... the hell are you?!"

The third man's voice trembled as the biker approached him.

"Come on ...Phil.. let's... let's face him together".

He told the fourth man and tried to swing, but the biker sidestepped, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back.

The sound of his bone cracking was heard, followed by a scream of pain and agony. Then punches that died down the cries until no sound was heard anymore.

Yet the punches continued.

The last man fell on his knees, trembling at the sight of his three friends swimming in a pool of blood and the crazy biker beating the life out of them.

He took out his phone to call for help, his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Dialing a number, he tried to crawl away.

Unfortunately before the call could go through, the biker stepped on his hand, pinning him in place, making sure the hand went numb.

"Ahhh!"

The man cried loudly.

The biker crouched down, his cold, expressionless face inches from the man's.

"Going somewhere?"

He asked and picked up the phone.

"L-look, man, we don't want trouble. We don't even know you."

The man cried in pain.

"Please," he begged, his voice shaking. "Don't kill-"

Unfortunately, the biker didn't give him a chance to finish. A gut-wrenching punch landed on him.

Again and again until he blanked out.

____________________

Ava reached her front door with trembling hands, her heart still racing from all that had happened at the bar that night.

The street to her place was quiet as always, the sound of a distant traffic was the only thing that accompanied her home.

She fumbled for her keys, her fingers trembling as tears blurred her vision.

Finally she found the key and opened the door.

She stepped inside and slowly closed the door behind her

With a loud broken sob she leaned against the door, feeling her chest heavy with bitterness.

Her bag slid off her shoulder and dropped to the floor.

She didn't even bother picking it up.

Instead, she slid down to the door, burying her face in her hands, sobbing quietly.

The scene of what happened at the bar replayed in her mind. She could still hear their laughter, their disgusting comments about her body.

"Old and Expired."

Then the manager's voice.

"Maybe this place is not for you".

Ava squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out their voices, but they only grew louder in her mind.

Her heart hurt bitterly as she remembered the hand grabbing her boobs and his guts for demanding an apology.

Her fingers instinctively went to her chest feeling irritated.

"I need to take a bath. I feel so filthy."

She said to herself and sniffed.