Chapter 207 Gentleness with Girls
Reese had just left the hospital and checked her phone's GPS before driving off to meet Alyssa. The two of them ended up grabbing a bite to eat at a local diner.
Alyssa was especially animated that day, chatting nonstop throughout the meal. Reese didn't mind; she found Alyssa's bubbly chatter quite endearing. There was something both straightforward and refreshing about the young woman, who seemed innocuously candid and direct. To Reese, it was a welcome change from those who would greet you with a smile but wouldn't think twice before stabbing you in the back.
After their meal, Reese reached for her wallet to pay, but Alyssa insisted on covering the bill. Reese didn't put up a fight, thinking she'd return the favor another time, maybe by picking out a thoughtful birthday present for Alyssa down the road.
Stepping out of the diner, Alyssa unconsciously slipped her arm through Reese's. Reese tensed up momentarily, a reaction Alyssa seemed oblivious to as she continued talking with genuine excitement.
"Reese, you've got to hear this," Alyssa said. "There's this incredibly skilled athlete who reminds me so much of you, and the way you play is eerily similar to last year's champion."
Reese finally stopped resisting. To her own surprise, she found Alyssa's touch not as unwelcome as she would have expected. It wasn't that Reese was being overly sensitive; she just hadn't been comfortable with close contact ever since a childhood incident where a so-called friend had pushed her into a deep river over some childish squabble. The memory of that suffocating fear was etched in her mind. If not for a stroke of luck that carried her towards the river bank, Reese might not have survived.
Since that day, closeness triggered an instinctive aversion in her. Even the slightest hint of intimacy from others would put her on guard, as if anticipating some sort of harm.
Alyssa noticed Reese's sudden silence and turned to her, catching the uneasy shift in her expression. Realizing her mistake, she quickly withdrew her arm.
"Sorry, Reese, I forgot you're not keen on physical contact."
Reese gave a slight nod but didn't utter a word.
The two soon moved past the awkward moment and made their way to the event they had booked their tickets for, with Alyssa intending to take Reese straight to the backstage area.
However, as they approached the entrance, they were stopped by a security guard.
"This area is reserved for participants only. No unauthorized personnel allowed," the guard stated firmly.
Alyssa clasped her hands together and pleaded with the guard in her most polite tone, "We just wanted to meet him for a moment. I'm a huge fan. Could you possibly let us in to have a quick chat?"
The guard had seen it all before, and such requests were a part of his daily routine to the point of nausea.
He wasn't one to hold on to thoughts about a woman; it was as if she was one of those obsessive fans, not worth a second glance.
"Sorry, we have our rules here. Plus, this wouldn't be a lounge if everyone just barged in like you're trying to," the guard said, his tone more courteous with Alyssa than usual. She was just trying not to cause any trouble for the player she admired, which was why she took the proper channels.
"I had spoken to your manager earlier, and he had agreed to let us meet," Alyssa explained patiently to the guard.
"Ha... manager? You sound like a con artist to me. No matter what you say, you're not getting in today!" the guard retorted with a scoff.
Embarrassed, Alyssa turned to Reese and apologized, "I'm sorry, Reese. It seems like there's been some misunderstanding here. I had everything arranged, really."
Reese wasn't unreasonable; she nodded and said, "Why don't you call the manager to clear this up?"
"Alright, give me a moment." Reese's suggestion jogged Alyssa's memory; she had indeed called the manager before.
Alyssa took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts for the number. The guard had already pegged them as imposters. With a busy manager like theirs, he didn't believe they had the time to waste.
The guard was already in a foul mood, having to work overtime and having argued with his wife. Seeing Alyssa and her persistence, he boiled over with anger.
"You two look like pretty young ladies. Why can't you be more discreet? I told you to leave. Do I need to get physical?"
As he rolled up his sleeves, preparing to shove Alyssa, he felt a sudden, excruciating pain in his wrist before even touching her. Reese's eyes had flashed menacingly. The guard hadn't even had time to react when an agonizing pain shot through his wrist, forcing a scream from his lips.
"Ah... My bone's gonna break!"
Reese stood fiercely, her demeanor nothing like the calm before. Rage enveloped her.
"There's no reason for you to lay a hand on us, even if you're not letting us through!"
The guard turned pale at Reese's intense aura. His previous aggression swept away, and he almost knelt, pleading for mercy.
"Please, you're killing me!"
His cries attracted a crowd, and even his colleagues rushed over. Despite Reese's small frame, no one dared to approach.
Reese's voice was as cold as ice, chilling to the bone. Alyssa, standing beside her, could feel the cold wrapping around her.
With a hint of triumph in her eyes, Alyssa spoke, "You should be gentle with women. Personal issues have no place at work, especially when we've done nothing to offend you."
Maddie was in a hurry to introduce Alyssa to Reese, otherwise the confrontation with the security guard could have taken an ugly turn. Mad as a junkyard dog, she was certainly no pushover.
The Flynns were all tough as nails, including the newly arrived Reese.
Reese barked, "Apologize to her, now!"
Shaken to his core, the guard stammered out an apology to Alyssa. "I'm sorry, so sorry, ma'am. Please, let go of my hand—it's about to break!"
Only after Reese let go did the guard's hand drop limply, sweat beading on his forehead from the pain.
Staring at Reese in confusion, he whimpered, "My hand..."
"It's just dislocated. Consider yourself lucky. A few more words and you might have lost the use of it for good," Reese warned, implying the alternative could have been much worse.
The guard's legs went wobbly. Just who was this woman with such a commanding presence? Her glare alone was more than he could handle.
A commotion inside drew out a tall figure with a baseball cap, his eyes projecting an unshakable arrogance that set off alarm bells in Reese.
Today was not going to go as Alyssa had hoped.
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