to Kathy. “That thing takes video, you know how to use it?”
Kathy stared at it, and up at her. “You want me to go out there and record him?”
The evil glint in Gina's eye said it all. “All you have to do is hide behind Eddie and record Mr. Shitface when I get him talking. I'll keep his attention on me. Then we'll see how many of his friends want to take his side.”
She looked at Eddie. He shrugged. “Your choice, beautiful.”
It was a good plan. She could show everyone just what kind of utter bastard Mark really was. All she had to do was muster up the courage to get through the next few minutes. But it felt like a mountain rising in front of her, and one wrong move would leave her buried in a landslide. If it went wrong, well... their friends already believed she was evil. It probably couldn't get any worse.
Maybe it wasn't like that. Maybe it was all just in her head. Maybe Mark would have an explanation, or something, and the world would be right again. Kathy nodded. “Okay. Let's do it.”
Gina lead them out into the bar. Kathy spotted him almost immediately; he was sitting next to a rather butch goth with black and pink striped hair, who clearly had no interest in him and was trying to talk to Tony. Axeman was already walking over from the stage with a frown on his face. The bar was starting to fill up, and tonight's main heavy metal act was tuning up on stage.
“Go around the side and get ready,” she said. “It's got a pretty good mic but you'll probably want to be as close as possible, so just stay behind Eddie and Axeman.”
Kathy fumbled with the phone, pulling up the video app with trembling fingers. All she had to do was hit the button and it would pick up everything Mark said. She followed Eddie, making sure to keep out of Mark's line of sight. Please, please let it be okay, she thought.
Axeman stood in front of her ex-boyfriend with his arms folded. “That's my girlfriend, man, how about you back the fuck off?”
Mark got out of his chair and made a good show of bravado. “I don't see your name on her, asshole.”
“Actually she's just too polite to tell you to go away, man,” said Tony, displaying his usual sense of subtlety.
The lady in question rolled her eyes. “Real smooth, Tony. No wonder you're single.” She stood up as well and tugged on Axeman's arm. “It's okay, babe, just ignore him.”
“Yeah, just ignore him,” Gina called out. “That's the same sad fuck who came here looking for tail when he had a girlfriend back home. She dumped your ass yet, loser?”
Kathy stared to record, pointing the phone out from behind Eddie's arm as he stood off to one side and watched. She could see the video clearly on the little screen.
Gina marched right up to him and got in his face. “You got a lot of nerve coming in here again, asshole,” she sneered. “You're a lying, cheating sack of shit, you know that? I hope she cuts your balls off and feeds them to you.”
Mark shoved her away roughly. “You think just because we had sex you can talk to me like that? Fuck off, you skanky bitch.”
“Oh yeah? At least I'm honest when I go whoring it up! I don't have a girlfriend to cheat on, Mark ! Or is it Dave? What stupid fucking name are you using tonight?”
Axeman's girlfriend looked down her nose at Mark. “He said his name was Steve.”
“Steve!” Gina laughed. “Steve, Dave or Mark! How are you going to explain that to Kathy, huh?” She took note of his surprise. “Yeah, I found out her name. I think I might just go tell her that last night wasn't a once-off.”
“You're not gonna tell her shit,” Mark snarled. “I got her wrapped around my little finger, bitch, so when I make up some bullshit story about what happened, who do you think she's gonna believe? Her boyfriend or some cheap slut from a shitty bar?”
Kathy had been afraid. She hadn't trusted herself or her feelings, holding onto a vain hope that this wasn't happening. Some part of her wanted it to