I laughed. "Really? Wow, what happened?"
"Nothing worth telling. It didn't last long. My brother plays guitar really well. He performs at a few places around town. Have you ever sung in public?"
"No." I shook my head. "I'm not really about all that shit. I just like to sing because it makes me feel good."
"What kind of music do you like?" he asked.
"Anything with decent vocals. I listen to a lot of indie music; undiscovered bands, and all that. I write my own songs too," I added shyly.
"Wow, really? That's impressive," he said. And he did look impressed.
I blushed. "It's kind of my release. My way of trying to deal with my feelings. I can lose myself in music and forget who I am, if that makes sense. It’s like reading a book, but requires no energy. I can just immerse myself in the beat and the lyrics, and be someone else.”
“What is it about yourself that you don't like?” Alex's voice cut through my daydream.
What didn't I like about myself? Where did I start?
“I don't know. I have trouble expressing myself. I don't even understand myself sometimes, and that scares me.” And it did. Sometimes the thoughts that came out of my head petrified me, and even more terrifying were the times I acted on those thoughts. Asking Jack out was my way of trying to push through that fear. Only I didn’t know if that was going to work.
Chapter Nine
Jack
Opening night. It had come around so quickly. Nerves, excitement, anxiety . . . hell, I was feeling it all.
I'd been up since four in the morning, making sure everything was set, and the only thing keeping me awake at that point was the adrenaline. Well, that and the endless supply of coffee. This had to go well. I was smart enough to know that I couldn't plan for everything, and that was honestly part of the excitement: not knowing how things were going to go, or how I'd be feeling in five hours’ time.
I walked over to the spirits and grabbed a bottle of Scotch; just to take the edge off. I poured it into a glass, and tossed in a few ice cubes. Hell, I was shaking. I took a deep breath and stared at the drink sitting in front of me.
Three years. That was a long time between drinks. I wasn't sure I wanted to go back to that place. The old Jack? He would've knocked back this Scotch without a second thought then gone for another.
Now? Well, now I was thinking before I acted. Before I did anything these days I thought about the consequences. This whole thing with Harmony . . . and Rose . . . it had made me realize just how far I had come, and how easy it would be to slip backwards.
Fuck. I threw the shot, glass and all, into the sink, wincing as the glass shattered on impact with the harsh steel of the basin. I'd worked so hard for tonight and I wanted to be able to enjoy it. And more than that, I'd worked so hard to improve myself.
It didn't take long until the bar was crowded with people. The deejay was pouring music out over the speakers and everyone was drinking, talking and dancing. People looked as though they were having fun. The atmosphere was great, and the place looked fantastic. Things were going really well and I was beginning to relax.
My eye caught Rose as she swayed through the crowd with her tray of food balancing delicately on her hand, chatting to people—smiling, flirting. Her hair was wrapped up in a bun with loose strands falling around her face, curling slightly at the ends. She looked so pretty in her black skirt and black shirt with the words “The Chill Bar” embroidered across her breast.
My chest tightened as I watched her laugh at something some asshole in a suit muttered to her. Was he trying to pick her up?
I watched her react to his attention, anger boiling up inside of me. A pretty woman came up to him and threaded her arms around his waist, smiling at Rose. The three of them laughed while I stood back watching, feeling like an idiot for the way I’d reacted.
"Hey, baby."
I turned around, my mouth dropping open at the sound of her voice. What the fuck was she doing here? Harmony was dressed in a sheer black lace dress that left little to the imagination. She let out a giggle as she stuck her chest out a little more. Like it needed it. You couldn't help but stare at her breasts. Christ, you could even make out her nipples.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"What, you didn't think I'd miss your big night, did you?" She giggled, and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Um, yeah. I kind of did think that. From where I was standing, it seemed pretty clear the other night that we were over," I said curtly. Her expression didn't falter.
"Come on, Jack, surely you didn't think I'd miss this? I was angry, but it's all good now." She grabbed a glass of champagne from off the bar and took a sip, her eyes scanning the room. They narrowed as they locked on Rose.
All good? Somehow, I doubted it. I sighed. I didn't have time for this now.
"Look, I don’t have time for this now. I have to go and speak to some people. Just stay out of trouble please?" I shot her a look. Her eyes widened as she stared back at me innocently. Yeah, little Miss Innocent, I'm talking to you.
I walked toward the stage where the band was setting up.
"Jack, hey! Thanks again for having us." Mike, the lead singer, jumped down to greet me. "Good turnout, huh? You must be happy,” he said, shaking my hand.
"I'll be happy when it’s over and done with," I chuckled. "Are you guys ready to kick off in fifteen?"
"Sure are," he grinned. "Looking forward to it."
#
The band kicked off their first set, setting off a cheer from the crowd. I walked back over to the bar, where Ash was struggling to serve a sudden influx of people.
“Hey darling, what can I get you?” I asked a pretty brunette. She looked at me in surprise and giggled. I chuckled; the accent. American women loved the British accent.
“I'll have a white wine, thanks. And your number if you want to give it to me,” she flirted. I winked at her, and filled a glass with a dry white.
"Is every woman in this place standing at the bar right now?" Rose mumbled next to me as she refilled her tray with finger food. She was right. It seemed Ash and I were causing quite a stir amongst the ladies.
I chuckled and gave her a wink.
"Even you, hey?" I teased.
She blushed and stuck her tongue out at me. "Don't flatter yourself," she said, biting back a smile. "I'm here for the food only."
She took off into the crowd before I could respond. I turned to the next person in line, another woman, another adoring smile.
"What can I get you, Darlin?" I asked, giving her a wink. She giggled to her friend and stumbled. I laughed. Now I had them falling at my feet. "You right there?"
"I'm sorry, can I have a red wine please? I love your accent, where are you from?"
A voice next to me piped up, "London. It's cute, isn't it? I keep telling him how sexy it makes him."
Fucking Harmony. I turned to see her flash a huge, forced smile at the two women.
"How's it going honey?" she asked me. If her voice oozed any more sweetness, her teeth would fall out.
"Thanks Harmony. I'm capable of answering for myself though. Shouldn't you be going?" I growled at her as I poured the drinks.
She sniffed, and flounced off in a huff. Turning back to the women, I smiled.
"Sorry about her. Two red wines for two beautiful women." I placed the drinks on the counter. We’d already gone through four kegs and twenty cases of wine. It seemed people liked their free alcohol. "Enjoy your night, ladies." They giggled as they disappeared back into the crowd.
As soon as things began to slow down at the bar, I went to mingle. There were lots of people there that night whom I needed to meet; people who could make or break the success of my bar. People, including Louis Cane, critic and reviewer for the NY Tribune's Get Out section. I spied him sitting near the front with two other men, listening to the band. I grabbed hold of Rose's arm, as she sauntered over to me.
She looked at me; first
in surprise, then that sexy, sexy smile began to appear.
"Over there, those men, can you grab three Scotches, please? I need them to enjoy themselves tonight," I whispered. She nodded, and walked over to the bar.
I stood back and watched as she carried the drinks over to them. She said something and they all laughed as she placed the drinks on the coffee table in front of them. My pulse increased as one of them checked out her ass as she bent over. God, could I blame him? I'd be doing the same fucking thing if I were in his shoes.
She looked fucking hot tonight. That skirt hugged the curves of her ass like it was afraid of falling off. Fuck, how I'd love to be the one to tug that skirt off, throw her down on the table and ram my—.
"Jack. This place is going off."
I tore my eyes away from her and focused on Alex. I breathed out suddenly, unaware that I had even been holding my breath. I reached out and grabbed hold of the doorframe in front of me, trying to steady myself. I felt dizzy, like all the blood had rushed from my head. Alex pulled a chair around toward me and pushed me onto it.
"Are you okay?"
He followed my gaze over to Rose, and then looked back at me. My jaw clenched as she continued to laugh at whatever shit Louis was whispering in her ear. What was wrong with me? She was doing what I'd told her to do, making sure they had a good time. Anything to secure a positive review, right?
Only their review was the furthest thing from my mind right now. All I cared about was the way he was touching her cheek. The way her lips parted into a smile when he spoke. And this fuckhead was married. What the hell did he think he was doing? I was fucking minutes away from pulling out my phone, taking some pictures and sending them to the newspaper.
I stood up, my hands clenching into fists beside me.
"Jack, wait." Alex moved in front of me. "What the hell is wrong with you? You look like you're ready to beat the shit out of someone."
"I . . . I don't know what the fuck’s wrong with me," I growled. I turned away. Alex grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the crowd.
“Jack, calm the fuck down,” he ordered. “Whatever the problem is, deal with it later.”
He was right. I nodded, and patted his arm, before leaving him to join Rose.
I walked up behind her, my arm touching the curve of her back. She jumped and turned to me, eyes wide with surprise and excitement. I forced myself to focus on Louis and the guys, and not how my hand tingled against her back; or the way my cock was beginning to throb in my pants. If I kept thinking about her then I'd start thinking about other things, which would leave me with a rather “obvious” problem that I really didn't want to have to explain to a room full of people.
“Louis, glad you could make it. You've met Rose, I see?” I said smoothly, reaching my free hand out to meet his. We shook firmly and he smiled, his eyes then turning to linger over Rose.
“Yes, you certainly do have some definite . . . attractions other bars don’t have. Not a bad launch, Jack.” His eyes didn’t leave her. My chest tightened as I again resisted the urge to punch the guy. I took a step back, confused by the anger that was raging inside of me. Where the hell had that come from? The fact that it bothered me so much that guys were paying her attention bothered me.
“Thanks, but this is just the beginning,” I said confidently, forcing my feelings aside. We’d been chatting for a few more minutes when Harmony appeared by my side, her eyes narrowing in on Rose. Oh god, here we go.
Without thinking, I snaked my arm around Rose's waist and pulled her close to me, kissing her neck, the smell of her perfume driving me insane. She tensed in my arms as Harmony's jaw dropped so far open it almost hit the floor. Luis frowned.
“Luis, this is Harmony, a friend of mine,” I announced.
Luis turned his gaze to Harmony's breasts, then managed a smile. He even managed to lift his gaze to her face. She narrowed her eyes at me, then turned to Rose. Fuck. The way she was glaring at Rose was even scaring me. I braced myself, waiting for her to say something—or maybe tackle Rose to the ground—but instead she tossed her hair and smiled at Luis.
“Hi there, Luis,” she purred. I sighed, relieved that she had taken the bait. She moved closer to him, giggling at every inane thing that came out of his mouth.
“Why don't you get to know each other and I'll send over a bottle of champagne?” I suggested. I glared at Harmony. I wanted her to think I was pissed off, just so she would keep playing along. It worked like a charm.
I ushered Rose away. “Sorry about that,” I murmured, once we were out of earshot. “That fucking girl won't take a hint. And he was all over you like a rash,” I added, with more heat in my voice that I'd intended.
“He was a little on the slimy side,” she admitted. “I'm glad you rescued me, though for a second I thought Harmony was going to actually kill me.” She laughed. My hand was still on the arch of her back, my fingers stroking her shirt. I flushed and dropped my hand, which made her blush and look away.
Could I have made things any more awkward?
Chapter Ten
Jack
As two in the morning neared, the place began to clear out. Everyone thanked me as they left, the majority saying they loved it, they would be back soon, and they’d be telling all their friends about this place. A few very drunk women even commented on my ‘sexy’ accent.
As the last few left, I finally let myself relax. It was nearing twenty-four hours that I'd been awake, but I was so buzzed I felt like I could go another. The staff was chatting amongst themselves, and Alex had hung around to help me clean up. The only other person still there was Harmony. I shook my head and stormed over to her. This chick needed to get a clue. I wasn’t sure how much clearer I could be.
“Leave,” I said simply.
She looked at me in surprise. “We need to talk.”
“No, Harmony, we don't. You and me? There is no you and me. It's over. If I never see you again, that will be too soon.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “You don't mean that—”
“The hell I don't. I'm sick of it, Harmony. The drama, the whining . . . I'd rather be alone than be in a relationship that’s this much work.” I felt bad. I was being harsh, but she just wasn’t getting the message and it was beginning to piss me off. Being rude seemed like the only way she was going to get it through her head.
Her lips curled up as she searched the room, her eyes finally locking on Rose. “It's because of her, isn't it?” she hissed. “Have you fucked her yet, Jack?” she spat, her voice raising.
I groaned. Not again. Why did it always come back to Rose? “Harmony, get the hell out of my bar before I call the cops. It's over. Move on. I can't be any clearer than that.”
She grabbed her purse and shot me a look cold enough to freeze running water. “This isn't the end, Jack. You better watch your back.” She stormed off, slamming the door behind her. The guys looked at me sympathetically.
“Do you think she gets it now?” I joked weakly. I walked over to the bar where Benj flashed me a sympathetic smile.
“Whether she gets it and whether she accepts it are two different things, man,” he said, patting my back. I groaned again.
Just what I need right now.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were going to get dirty. I grabbed a handful of shot glasses and filled them with vodka. After I had handed them around, I grabbed myself a beer and held it up.
“I just want to thank you all for making this come to life. Without all of you, this dream never would have turned into a reality. So thanks to all of you, and go home and get some sleep.”
“We can't leave you to clean all this up,” Darcy protested.
“I'll stay,” Alex offered, and I shot him a grateful look. In all the planning of opening night, the one thing that had slipped my mind was organizing a cleaning crew for the morning.
“See? I won’t be alone. Go home guys.” With little more encouragement, they all left, leaving me and Alex alone in
a very messy bar.
“You get on the dishwasher, I'll bring everything over,” Alex ordered.
I nodded. Thank fucking god for the dishwasher. Hand washing all these glasses would have been a nightmare.
Alex began to bring over tray-full after tray-full of empty glasses, dumping them on the bar counter. I loaded them into the dishwasher, waited the five minutes it took to cycle, then placed them on the shelf above the bar.
An hour later, just before three, we had finished the vacuuming and the bar was looking clean. The first thing I was going to do in the morning was hire a cleaning team. Fucked if I would be doing this every night.
“Want to crash here?” I asked him.
He nodded, obviously exhausted. We both trudged up the stairs. Walking over to the TV, I switched it on. I was so overtired it wasn’t funny.
“I'm too worked up to sleep now.” I chuckled, flicking through the infomercials. This was why I needed cable.
“Me too. How about a drink?” he asked and I nodded, sinking into the sofa as Alex grabbed two beers from the fridge. He handed me one, the top already popped open.
“So, how are you?” he asked. I shot him a look. Was this Alex my brother, or Alex the psychologist talking?
“Yeah good. It was a great turn out. Couldn't have gone better . . . oh,” I said, catching his expression, “you mean Harmony?”
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