Even through her small haze, Padmé understood the terrible situation she was in. She watched as his tongue glistened over his lips and his eyes began to probe her body like a predator sizing up its prey. Quickly, she tried to escape, but as she did, his arms seized her, pulling her against him with her back pressed to his chest. His arms crisscrossed over her, holding her tightly as he attempted to feel her form beneath her clothing. His mouth was so close to her ear that she could sense the heat radiating from it, along with the strong aroma of alcohol on his breath.
He shook his head, discouraged, and scolded her like a disobedient child. "It's not going to be that easy," he snickered, almost brushing against her ear. I never leave without getting what I want.
She tugged against his arms for a moment but found them locked too tightly to move. For the first time in her life, she didn't know what to do, and the haze in her mind prevented her from thinking clearly. The only thought that crossed her mind was to scream, but as she opened her mouth to alert anyone nearby to her distress, a voice stopped her before she could cry out.
"I suppose you'll be disappointed today," a voice said, followed by a rough tug from behind Padmé as someone seized the man and released her from his prison of arms. "Get away from her!"
"Who the hell are you?" the black-haired man demanded angrily, stumbling back as Padmé turned to join the conversation, her eyes locking with Rush Clovis's. Rush remained silent as he pulled Padmé into his embrace, causing her to stumble against his side while his arm secured her. With great care, he assisted her back into her seat, navigating around the table without glancing at the other man. In one swift motion, he settled down next to Padmé, draping his arm around her shoulders before finally turning to face the offender.
"This is my girlfriend," Rush snapped. "And I believe you were leaving."
A look of disbelief crossed the black-haired man's face, but he let out an irritated groan before turning to stalk away. It was a pleasant scene, but as soon as he was out of sight, Padmé removed Rush's hand from her shoulder and politely stepped away, as his grip had been uncomfortably tight.
"Thank you," she said flatly, hoping he wouldn't linger to chat, but of course, he did. "Thanks? I think I deserve more than that. You're lucky I was here," he boasted, sipping his drink. "In fact, someone as pretty as you shouldn't be out all alone," he whispered, trying to move closer, impure thoughts clearly filling his mind.
Padmé moved away once more, looking the man in the eyes. "I'm not alone; I'm with my friend," she clarified, pointing to the woman on the dance floor who was now dancing with two men– Ah, Jack and John.
"Yes," Rush nodded, unimpressed. "So you are." He stared at Dormé for a long moment, a slight frown on his face, before turning to Padmé with a sudden, cocky smile. "But you're alone right now."
A heavy weight settled uncomfortably in Padmé's stomach. " Yes..." Padmé agreed, becoming increasingly uneasy as her mind swirled with recent memories. "So, could this possibly be our date?"
The weight suddenly felt like a knife in her stomach rather than just an uncomfortable burden. That was the last thing she expected to hear from him. She anticipated some other form of advancement or a sleazy compliment but never an invitation to a date.
"Our what?" she exclaimed in disbelief, not even making an effort to conceal her irritation.
"Our date," he repeated calmly, though hidden anger lurked in his voice. "Remember? You saved my life from that creature."
"You mean, Lord Vader?" she asked, giving him her full attention.
"Yeah. Him," he quickly replied, attempting to dismiss the topic... but Padmé wasn't going to let that happen. Her interest suddenly spiked at the mention of the Sith, her curiosity reemerging. Just like that, the man before her became somewhat useful.
"Well, you better watch yourself. I can't save you from Darth Vader every time you get into trouble with him," Padmé replied, trying to keep the conversation about Darth Vader flowing. " I don't need my head in his hands."
"Please," Rush replied angrily, filling Padmé with pride as she realized she had pressed the right button within him. "I can take that fucking piece of junk any day, anywhere."
"Really?" Padmé asked, arching an eyebrow as she took a sip of her wine. "It didn't appear that way to me."
He frowned. "What did it look like to you, exactly?"
"Like you got your ass kicked," Padmé replied, surprising herself. It wasn't her usual response, but it felt good. Really good. "Well, yeah," Rush said, leaning back in the booth and attempting to play off his statement as he rested his arms behind his head casually. "Anyone would. It's impossible to beat a machine, but that doesn't make me scared of him."
The single word caught Padmé's attention, suddenly igniting her curiosity. "A machine?" she echoed, filled with astonishment. "You believe Vader is a machine?"
Rush nodded and took another sip of his wine, hoping his silence would convey his lack of interest in the direction of the conversation. Padmé noticed but chose to press on; she needed answers. For some reason, she had become curious about the mysterious Dark Lord, a feeling she couldn't quite explain. It was strange, yet she wanted to know everything about him and was determined to uncover his secrets.
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