by Tess Oliver
“Think again, my oversized Adonis. The other servers have been talking about you all week. And after tomorrow’s airing of the two hour show, when you save a girl on a runaway horse and then play strip Marco Polo with eight women in a lake, there will be no living with any of my coworkers. You won’t be able to stand inside that bachelor house and sneeze without a million women answering back Gesundheit.”
“Great. Another thing I never signed on for.” He picked up the napkin and spun it around in his fingers. “A beer would be nice. Guess you’re here until closing?”
“Yep. I’m going to get the beer and sneak a shot of tequila for my nerves. Then you can explain to me how I am standing in Sparky’s and talking to the man who is supposed to be sequestered up in the hills above Hollywood in a house purchased especially for its secure location and camera system.”
He pointed at me. “Did you notice that when you’re nervous or upset you get this little kink or dimple in your cheek and your sentences get really long?”
“Maybe two shots of tequila.” I spun around and made a beeline for the bar counter. Somewhere in the midst of the conversations, music and pulse pounding in my ears, I heard hair gel call me honey bunch and ask for his beer. I didn’t bother to look his direction. It only encouraged leering and lip licking.
I ducked behind the counter and stared down at my shaky hands. I had no real explanation as to why they were trembling, but I decided to blame it on the shock. I would have been less stunned if Edgar Allen Poe’s ghost had floated in and sat at the back table than having Rafe show up.
I took a quick look around and tossed back that much needed shot of tequila. I winced as it burned on the way down like flaming gasoline. My gaze rounded to the back of the room. Rafe was still cloistered under hood and sunglasses, but I could tell he was watching me. I decided to forgo the second shot of tequila. I needed my head and wits about me. Technically, I was in charge of the man. Even though I was not working for the studio at the moment and even though this went way beyond my job description, I had to make sure he got back to the house unseen. And soon.
I filled a mug with beer and grabbed a second mug for hair gel.
Simone snuck up behind me as I filled the glasses. “Hey.”
Cold beer sloshed over my hand. “Shit, Simone, why are you creeping up like that? Tonight isn’t a night for creeping up.”
“I had to find out about the mysterious man in sunglasses. Is he a friend of yours?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Just a guy wanting a beer.” I shot a glance at the clock on the wall. “Damn, this last hour is crawling. Closing can’t come soon enough.”
“Yeah, for you,” she huffed. “You’re not on clean up tonight. I absolutely hate wiping down tables.” She held up her hand with five perfectly painted fingernails. “And I just got a manicure.” A spark twinkled in her eye, and I recognized the look she was giving me. “Hey, Eli, since I already owe you anyhow—”
“Forget it. There’s nothing you can say or offer in trade. I’m not taking your clean up duty tonight.”
Simone sighed dejectedly. “Figured it was worth a try.”
I picked up the beers and headed to the corner table. Hair gel patted the seat next to him. “Sit that fine ass right here.”
“I can’t. It’s against the rules.”
“Bullshit. I just saw you sit at the table in the back.” He reached for my wrist, but his movements had been slowed by the three pitchers of beer. I easily avoided his grasp.
“Do you have a ride home or should we get you one? The owner has one of those safe ride services on speed dial for just such an occasion.”
“Nope, honey bunch. Why don’t you give me a ride and then we could get to know each other.”
“No, I’ll just deliver this beer to the other table and then let the owner know she needs to make the call.” I walked away. He let loose with, considering his drunken state, an impressive whistle.
The shrieking whistle had snapped Rafe’s attention to the corner table again. I placed the beer in front of him.
“Someone should send that jerk on his way,” Rafe growled.
I glanced back at hair gel. “He’s a lonely drunk guy. A jerky one, for sure, but it’s hard not to feel a little sorry for someone who spends Friday night getting drunk completely alone in the middle of a crowded bar.”
My phone rang in my pocket. “Who could that be?” I pulled it out. “Oh shit.” I sat on the edge of the bench. “Mom? What’s wrong? Is Georgie all right?”
“Eliot, it’s so noisy. Are you still at work?”
“Yes, we close in a half hour. What’s wrong?” My heart was sputtering in my chest. “Mom?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you too well. Georgie has a headache and we’re out of aspirin. I’m worried it will grow into one of those terrible migraines if she doesn’t take something.”
“Absolutely. She needs the aspirin. That pharmacy by your house is twenty-four hours.”
“My car has a flat tire.”
“Crap.” I looked again at the clock. “I’ll bring you the aspirin just as soon as I’m off.” Somehow the rush of angst that had come with a late night call from home had made me nearly forget the problem I had sitting next to me. The very large problem. I needed to make sure he got back to the house. “See you in about an hour. Put a cool cloth on Georgie’s head and tell her to keep the room dark and quiet. I’ve got to finish up here. Bye.”
“Everything all right?” In one short week, Rafe’s deep voice had grown familiar to me and I found it soothing. I had no idea why, but when he spoke it seemed like everything in my life was a little less frantic and crummy.
“My sister needs aspirin.” Realizing how silly that sounded as a reason for a middle of the night call, I decided to add to it. “She suffers from debilitating migraines and they are out of aspirin. My mom’s car has a flat tire.” I patted my apron pocket. “After tonight, I should have enough to buy her new tires.” It suddenly occurred to me that my mom’s house and the bachelor house were in opposite directions. I was finally off work after a long week and it seemed I was going to be traveling from one side of the city to the other to do errands.
“Seems like my surprise visit was a good thing. You can’t go running around at two in the morning by yourself.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “I do quite well on my own, thank you. And this surprise visit is not a good thing. What if someone notices you missing?” I turned to face him. “How the heck did you get out of there unseen anyhow?”
“Now what kind of army ranger would I be if I couldn’t sneak past a two-bit security system?”
“But you had no car.”
He laughed. “You spoiled Los Angeles people. It is possible to travel without a personal car. It’s a little invention known to civilization as a bus.”
“You walked four miles through the hills and another three down to the road and nearest bus stop and then traveled in that same stinky, shambling public bus all the way to Sparky’s for a beer at closing?”
“Seems that way. Besides, it wasn’t just for a beer. I knew for a fact that my favorite server would be here wearing her cute Sparky’s uniform.” He lifted his glasses again and scrutinized my face. “But it seems my visit wasn’t a good thing. I was kind of hoping you would be happy to see me. Guess I misjudged my likability factor.”
I stood up from the bench. “No there’s plenty of likability, and it’s always nice to see you. It’s just you aren’t supposed to be off the grounds. There’s that whole silly legal contract and the studio’s rabid team of lawyers. I sometimes think they pick rich bachelors not because they’re more interesting to the women but because they’re easier to sue if something goes wrong. And if Doug found out you were here . . . and with me—”
“He won’t, and if he does,
I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” He lifted the glasses away from his eyes and looked at me in a way that unexpectedly made my throat tighten. “I’d never let anything happen to you, Eliot,” he repeated quietly, almost as if he had only meant to think it. But I couldn’t think of one other person in my life, other than my dad, who had made me that promise, and he’d said it in a way that sounded so profoundly genuine, it nearly brought me to tears.
“I’ll get you another beer.” I walked away quickly, needing a few seconds to regain the composure I’d lost with his last words. Rafe was only a very temporary person in my life and that notion was hard to face. It was strange, but the idea of him walking completely out of my life once the show was over seemed impossible. Jackson had been teasing me about my supposed crush on the bachelor, and I had steadily denied it both to him and to myself. Had he been right all along? Curse you, Jackson.
I filled another mug with beer and took surreptitious glances in the direction of the back table. Holy hell was he a sight to see. Even under dim lights and a pathetic disguise attempt, he was breathtaking. I could easily have allowed myself to read more into Rafe’s unexpected visit, nice things, unimaginable things like that he’d actually made the complex trip because he missed seeing me tonight. But that idea was so laughable, I decided to enjoy it for a second and then push it from my mind forever. Rafe was bored, and something told me, the lure of doing something difficult and completely against the rules was what had drawn him out of the house and down the mountain.
My composure regained and flighty, dreamy thoughts out of my head, I carried the second beer to his table. I placed it down in front of him.
“Look, El, you don’t have to worry about giving me a ride back. It’s late. Since it’s way past midnight and the hour when the true weirdos come out, I’ll just ride along with you to the pharmacy and your mom’s house. Then you can drop me at the nearest bus stop.”
His offer was tempting. I didn’t relish a long night of driving, but I wouldn’t get any sleep wondering whether or not Rafe got back to the house without notice. “I have to give you a ride back. At the rate the public buses travel this late at night, and with the long uphill hike to the house, you wouldn’t make it back before sun up. You’ll have a much greater chance of being caught.”
He pointed at himself. “Army ranger, remember?”
“How could I forget, Outlaw. Maybe you could add a little more adventure to your night and steal a car.” I winked at the tattoo on his arm. “I’ll take you home. Otherwise, I won’t stop worrying. Let me just hand out final tabs and get my inebriated customer at the other table a ride home.” I put on my stern teacher expression. “Stay here and try not to be noticed.”
The bar patrons were slowly finishing their last sips and making their way toward the exit. The last quarter had been spent on the jukebox, and Simone had gotten a head start on the clean up. I started toward Ursula’s office to let her know she needed to call the safe ride service.
I picked up my pace as I rounded the corner hoping hair gel wouldn’t notice me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough.
“Hey, one more beer, eh?” he called.
“Sorry, last call was five minutes ago. I’m going to have that ride arranged for you.” I continued at a mouse scurrying pace across the floor. It seemed the gallons of beer had not slowed the man down. He shot out off the bench, and his heavy, determined footsteps pounded the wood floor behind me.
“I said one more beer, honey.” His clammy fingers wrapped tightly around my arm.
Before I had time to react or make a plan or even yell for Ursula, the cold fingers fell away. A shocked string of slurred cuss words followed. Everyone’s attention had been drawn behind me. I turned around slowly, not really wanting to know what the hell was going on over my shoulder.
Rafe had the man, who now looked as pale as the napkins on the table, pressed up against the edge of the bar. Rafe was an intimidating looking man in general, but with waves of anger rolling off of him, he was downright scary. The man in his grasp seemed to have the same opinion. His hands were up in the air in surrender, and he looked close to throwing up.
It had all been so unexpected and fast, it took me a second to gather my wits. I stepped toward Rafe. “It’s fine. Let him go. He just needs to sober up.” I looked pointedly at the jerk. “Right?”
“Yep, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m drunk.” Even his conciliatory smile was creepy.
Rafe released him, and the guy nearly collapsed into a quivering puddle. The commotion followed by the stunned silence in the room had drawn Ursula out of her office. She was carrying her sidekick, a sawed off baseball bat, in one hand and her phone in the other. Her sharp green gaze landed on Rafe. For a brief second I worried that she recognized him.
Then she looked at me. “Everything all right, Eliot?”
“Yes, everything is fine. This gentleman needs a ride home.”
“I’ve already got a car coming around for several other patrons. There’s room for one more.” She looked at hair gel. “Pay your tab and go outside to wait for the ride.” Her scowl circled the room, and she took an extra long look at Rafe. “That goes for all of you. It’s two minutes from closing so head on out. My servers are tired and they want to get home to their beds.” With that proclamation she spun around and went back to her office.
Hair gel fished in his pocket, pulled out some money and slapped it on the bar counter. Then he shuffled quickly out the door without a look back at the glowering giant behind him.
I had a scowl of my own for Rafe. In the scuffle, his hood had been slightly dislodged, but his hair was still hidden and his glasses were still in place. “Way to stay invisible, buddy.”
His massive shoulders bounced with an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, I saw him grab your arm and that was all I needed. Anonymity went straight out the fucking window.” The place was basically empty, but I knew Simone and Suzy, the other girl on shift, were watching us over their buckets of sanitizer.
“I’m almost finished and then we can get out of here. Why don’t you wait outside by the ugly yellow car that’s just one step above the golf cart. I’ll be out in a few.”
Rafe nodded and looked a little sheepish, or at least sheepish for a man his size. I felt kind of guilty about being so short with him. He had stepped in to defend me. I couldn’t think of the last time any man had made an effort to do that.
“Hey, Outlaw,” I teased, “try and stay out of trouble. At least until I get you safely back to your prison.”
“I’ll try.”
Chapter 23
Rafe
I leaned gently against Eliot’s shabby little car, worried that if I put all my weight on it, I would dent it. The half moon sprayed a good amount of light over Sparky’s parking lot, but it was hardly enough for safety. And suddenly my mind was back on Eliot. I hated the idea of her walking out to her car alone after a late night shift. The incident inside had been a kick in the pants. When that slimy jerk put his hands on Eliot, I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to tear his greasy little head off just for daring to touch her. It was a completely unexpected reaction. The instinct to step in and help someone in trouble was natural for me. The jealous, fiery rage that had come with it wasn’t. I had no idea when it had happened, but somehow, my sweet, funny, always hurried assistant had become something much more than an assistant.
The exit door opened, and Eliot stepped out into the soft glow of the moon. She was also not a wingman. There was nothing about the girl that said wingman. Her hand reached up and brushed her forehead. The long, sleek legs she had so wrongly labeled as standard looked extra silky as she walked across the lot to her car. Instantly, I had a vision of those beautiful legs being wrapped around me. I shook the erotic thought from my head, but something told me now that I’d imagined it, I wasn’t going to forget it easily.
“What a night,” she said as she circled around to the driver’s side. “At least the tip money made up for it.” I watched her lips as she spoke. They were lips that badly needed to be kissed. She continued talking. I worked hard to cool the blood pumping through my veins.
Eliot absently brushed the curl off her forehead. She shook her hand and pills rattled in a bottle. “And my roommate, who now owes me big time, had a bottle of aspirin in her purse.” She slid into the driver’s seat.
I took a long, steadying breath and quickly reminded myself that she worked for the studio. I had no right to be thinking dirty thoughts about her. I also knew that I wasn’t all that great at listening to myself when I really wanted something.
I sat in the passenger seat and quickly came up with a topic to get my mind off the kiss.
“I didn’t leave you a tip yet.”
“Uh, I think that little scene at the end of the night made up for it.” Like her lips, the smooth olive skin on her shoulders was just begging to be kissed. And then there was the lavender smell of her hair, a shampoo that was apparently created by the sex gods, because it was a fucking aphrodisiac.
Eliot flashed me that tilted smile that could never be matched or outshone by any symmetrical smile. “Are you all right?” she asked. “You look a little dazed. Or maybe you are rethinking this whole escapade.”
“Not rethinking it at all. I’m glad I came tonight.” I took another steadying breath. In the army, I’d learned to slow my pulse and smooth my nerves whenever a situation grew tense or dangerous. My ability to stay cool in a bad situation had been the reason I was picked to go undercover and chase down black market weapons. But sitting inside the small car with Eliot was taking all my skills. The shot of adrenaline I’d experienced when I saw that asshole grab her arm had started a rush of feelings. I had to regain control. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her off or put her job in jeopardy.
