"Hi." Chad waved at Brian.

In return, Brian, sitting at the bar, lifted his beer in a toast. "Want to join me?"

"Susan is outside on the terras. I'm here to find the waitress."

"Probably too busy."

Chad looked around. The place was almost empty.

Brian leaned in towards Chad. "Word goes, you made a deal with the feds. They think you've ratted them out."

"I didn't."

"I know, but you have a new girlfriend, a libtard girlfriend. They don't trust her."

Chad looked Brian straight in the eye. "Don't mess with her. Tell them that."

"Wait. She's outside?" Brian suddenly stood up and put his beer on the bar. "The gang always comes to O'Reilly's Pub around this hour."

                                                                                       #

Waiting for Chad to return, Susan saw how a group of men kept staring at her. At first, she thought little about it. But then they started pointing and whispering to one another. Worried, she looked at the door. Where was Chad?

A man, wearing a camo-colored baseball hat, a t-shirt with an American flag in black and white, and jeans, walked toward her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. Should she go inside to find Chad?

"Mind if I join you?"

"I'm here with Chad." Maybe if he understood her boyfriend was someone from around here, he would do her no harm.

"I'll make it quick." The man turned a chair and sat on it sideways. "We don't like your sort here."

More men came circling her table.

They mumbled their agreement.

"We believe in freedom and..."

"What's going on here?"

Relieved, Susan looked up. Chad was back. He extended his arm towards her while watching the guys circling their table. "Leave - her - alone," Chad pronounced every word and Susan could see how the men almost immediately took a step back.

Susan grabbed his hand, and he pulled her close to his side. Standing on her other side, she recognized Brian.

The man in the chair got up. "We don't want her here."

"This's a free country. She can go wherever the hell she wants to go."

Susan thought she had seen Chad angry, but not like this. He was furious. She didn't know if he was carrying a gun and she rather not find out. "I'm not hungry after all."

"I am."

Susan pleaded with Brian to help her. Maybe he could convince Chad to leave.

He nodded in understanding. "I'm not hungry either."

"Let's go home." She tugged on Chad's arm.

Chad's gaze shifted from her to Brian and back to the men who were harassing her. "If I ever see you in her vicinity, you've to deal with me. And just so you know," Chad stared at the first man. "I never miss."

His words send a tremble down her spine. And she felt something else. A warm sensation she'd never felt before.

With his arm casually around her waist, they turned around. "Brian, I'll see you at my house?"

"Yep."

                                                                                          #

Back home, sitting on the steps of Chad's porch, Brian took a sip of his beer. "It was Cheryl who told the feds I went to Washington."

"Who's Cheryl?" Susan asked, sitting on Chad's other side.

Distracted, Brian answered: "My ex-wife." He continued: "That bitch told them you went with me."

Surprised, Chad looked at Brian. "I thought they arrested the whole bus."

Brian shook his head. "Nope, just you, me and Wesley. Someone told her I had gone off to the rally and a few days later, she called the feds. They showed her some pictures of me at the Capitol. She assumed the guy next to me was you."

Chad shrugged. "Don't beat yourself up. I could prove I wasn't there."

Brian stared at a point in the distance. "I was only a few feet inside that stupid building. According to the feds, it was ten seconds." He looked at Chad. "Ten seconds that ruined my life. I wish I'd never heard about that stupid rally. "

Chad nodded. "I was lucky."

"No, you were smart. What was I thinking? Trying to disrupt something that was just ceremonial?"

"He used you."

"Who? Trump?" Brian asked.

"Yeah. He used you to stay in power. And when everything went south, he didn't lift a finger to help you guys."

"Maybe I'm not perfect, but I'm not a criminal."

"I know."

"All those men, they were fooled."

"He brings out the worst in us," Chad offered.

Brian nodded. "We're not evil men."

Next to Chad Susan mumbled: "Most of them."

He smiled. He couldn't help it. To his relief, Brian hadn't heard her.

He continued: "Trial is not for a few months. Thanks for the tip. Your lawyer is snotty as hell, but he knows his stuff. He thinks he can get me out with home detention and a few years of probation. That wouldn't be too bad, but... What's with the face?"

"Nothing." Chad tried to fake a smile.

Susan chimed in. "He hates David."

"I don't hate him."

Brian ignored Chad while looking at Susan. "Why?"

Blushing, Susan said. "He is my ex."

"Wait, you called your ex to help Chad?"

Chad grunted. "He's a real leftie, drives a Tesla and all."

"I don't care. As long as he helps me, I'm good. "

Molly walked to Susan. She knew Susan would hug her every time she got the chance. While Molly distracted her, Chad leaned towards Brian. "If you need help..."

"Help?"

"You know, money-wise, just say the word."

Brian checked if Susan was still occupied. "Thanks, but for now, I can handle it." He scoffed. "I stopped giving Trump money. I have my own legal defense to deal with."

"Good for you." Susan suddenly was back. She smiled. "Maybe you can ask for a refund. I read somewhere that people do that." Before Brian could react, she got to her feet. "Enough talk about politics. Let's go for a walk. Molly would love that, don't you Molly?" She gave the dog another scratch behind her ears and Molly wagged her tail insanely.

Brian looked at him to see if he wanted him to join. Chad smiled. "I think it's a great idea."

                                                                                       #

Behind Chad's house, a trail started that led them into the woods. Susan inhaled the fresh air. She loved to walk here. Molly was trailing them, sniffing every tree trunk and blade of grass.

Brian broke the silence. "What's it you do? I mean, when you're not converting Trump supporters?"

Should she tease him a little? Tell him she was a spy, working for the Democrats? She felt she made progress. Better not to disturb the frail trust. "I'm a consultant for companies who want to reduce their ecological footprint."

"Interesting."

Susan could hear a polite remark when she heard one. "I think so. What do you do? I mean, when you're not trying to change the outcome of an election?"

Brian laughed a bit bitter. "I'm a welder. Mostly pipes for the oil industry."

Susan smiled. Maybe she could convince him to find a better, more environmentally friendly job.

Chad wrapped his arm around her and pulled her towards him. He whispered in her ear: "Hey, world improver. Save it for another day."

"I will." Looking into his blue eyes, she kissed him.

He kissed her back until they heard a polite cough. "Sorry, Brian." Before Chad let her go, he whispered in her ear: "You'll stand back and standby...tonight!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Susan saluted him. "Aye aye, sir." She felt like the luckiest woman ever.