[ WP ] Unbeknownst to you , you meet Medusa at a bar . Luckily you have extreme social anxiety and hate eye contact .

Mark sat at the bar, staring at the swirls on the rugged wooden counter-top. He took a sip of his beer as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. His stomach twinged a bit and he drew his arms in. 
 
 `` Hello,'' a woman said in a confident, slightly raspy voice. It reminded Mark of Kathleen Turner's voice in *Who Framed Roger Rabbit. * She pulled out a stool to his left and sat down. 
 
 Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the woman sitting next to him. She had an olive complexion, as if she were Greek. Her hair was hidden by a black hairnet. Full red lips curled deviously as she ordered a martini from the bartender. Mark wondered why, but did n't say much. 
 
 `` Hello,'' he mumbled weakly, taking a large swig of his beer. He could have sworn he heard a faint hiss. He stared at her neck, his eyes slowly tracing their way down. Her breasts were full and round, nearly popping out of the shimmering green dress she wore. With a shake of his head, and turned away, blushing. *Goddamit, Mark, * he cursed to himself. *Why do you always have to look at the boobs? * 
 
 Her hand brushed his hand and he quickly jerked his arm back. Knowing her gaze was focused on him, he averted his eyes to the single pianist playing in the corner. Besides the bartender and two old men near the door, no one else was in the bar. There was no one Mark could pretend to watch to avoid speaking to this woman. 
 
 Most guys would have been thrilled to have a sexy, clearly eager woman sit down next to them at a bar, but Mark was less than thrilled. Confident, pushy women like this one had a tendency to throw him off. So did most people, truthfully, but good-looking women were his ultimate weakness. He could barely stand to meet their gaze, much less hold up their conversation. 
 
 `` I'm Meddie,'' she said, tapping her fingers just beside Mark's arm. He slid it a few inches to the right. Panicked, he took a huge gulp of his beer, slopping some down his chest. His face grew hot and he grabbed a napkin from the dispense, sopping up the brew. 
 
 `` Do you like my eyeliner?'' Meddie asked teasingly. While Mark was n't looking at her face, he could tell she was fluttering her eyelashes. What an odd question to ask. 
 
 `` It's... cute,'' Mark squeezed out, mentally punching himself in the face. 
 
 She hmphed and stirred her martini with a long fingernail. `` How about my eye shadow? Do you like it?'' 
 
 `` Better than the eyeliner!'' huffed Mark, his heart pounding so fast he was sure it was audible. Yet through the blood coursing in his ears, he thought he heard another faint, aggravated hiss. What the hell was up with this woman? 
 
 `` You do n't seem to be looking at my eyes,'' she stated, feigning devastation. `` Come, just a quick glance.'' Meddie grabbed Mark's chin and tilted it upward, as to meet their gazes. 
 
 Mark leaped out of his stool, knocked over his beer, and slapped Meddie's hand out of his face. `` What is wrong with you, woman?'' he exclaimed, gesturing around. `` I-I do n't want to look in your eyes! Stop throwing yourself at me and let me enjoy my beer in peace.'' His voice faded out as he realized he was drawing attention to himself and he gaped around, his eyes wide. 
 
 Meddie stood as well and held up her martini. `` Fair enough,'' she replied coyly. `` Perhaps I'll see you around.'' 
 
 She brought her face closer to Mark's and, completely on accident, he met eyes with her. He barely had time to process what color they were before he tried to flicker away, but by then it was too late. 
 
 Meddie pulled the olive out of her martini and slid it into her mouth, licking her lips as she stared at a stone replica of Mark. She shook her hairnet off and revealed dozens of snakes writhing about her skull. 
 
 `` Well, honeys, let's get the rest of these sorry old men.'' 
 
 Her snakes hissed approvingly, baring their fangs as the bartender's scream was swallowed by stone. 
 
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 *Read more at /r/penofigilix/. * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

