by E. E. Marino
“Dude, she’s a bitch, and you’re still young,” Aaron said as he laid out the money for their meal. “Besides, this means I got my wingman back. The Samuels brothers are back together.”
When Gavin smiled, Aaron knew he would be okay. Gavin was the kind of man women wanted, successful, kind, and generous. Not like me, he thought as his thoughts turned to Keela once more. I’m broken, and I doubt any woman wants to fix this broken toy.
* * * *
The next day, Aaron got to Gypsy’s at noon, right when it opened, and lucky for him, it wasn’t too crowded. Gypsy’s was a small bar located off the main road in the Town of Brookhaven. Aaron took off his helmet and hung it on the side of his bike. His motorcycle was his pride and joy. Having assembled it and maintained it all on his own, Aaron felt like bikes and cars were his calling and were involved in his big, lofty dreams. Aaron yawned loudly and covered his mouth with his hand; he was shot. Last night had been another night of night terrors. Every time he fell back to sleep, he’d been okay for maybe an hour, when the terrors would start again. Johnson’s death plagued his mind, and the guilt plagued his heart. So a job would be a great distraction, he mused. Looking up at Gypsy’s Bar & Grill, Aaron hoped this would be the distraction he so desperately needed.
At first glance, Gypsy’s was a simple brick building with an outdoor patio overlooking the beach. It was a simple, laid-back kind of place that Aaron decided he would have checked out had he known about it beforehand.
Going inside, Aaron continued to warm up to the place. A long bar was set up in the back right wall while a small stage countered it on the opposing wall. Small wooden tables were scattered around the place. It looked cozy.
“Can I help you, sir?”
Aaron turned around to see a man about three inches shorter than himself, but equally built, standing before him with a dark tan and floppy blond hair. He looked around Aaron’s age.
“Yeah, hi, I’m here to inquire about the bouncer job you had posted online?” Aaron saw him look him over, and then the man extended his hand with a smile.
“I’m Nick Lacomo, the owner here, but you can call me Nicky.” Taking his hand and shaking it, Aaron proceeded to tell him his name. “So, Aaron, can I get you a drink?”
When Aaron cocked an eyebrow at him, Nicky had to laugh. “We like our drinks here, and I hate the formality of interviews, so having a drink makes it just a conversation, ya know?”
Nicky saw Aaron relax then and smirked. “Well, when you put it that way, you have Sam Adams Summer Blend?”
Pulling out two beers, he popped them open and placed Aaron’s on the bar while he took a swig from his. “So tell me a little bit about yourself, Aaron.”
After taking a long swig, Aaron turned his gaze to Nicky and began. “I just got out of the Army after being in it for twelve years. Served time overseas but decided that I’m done with it now. I’m not sure what my next step is, to be honest, but I saw someone wearing one of your shirts at the airport, and after doing some research, I saw you were hiring.”
Nick nodded. “Well, thank you for your service, Aaron. My dad was a military guy, so I have a lot of respect for the military. Where you living now?”
“I’m living with brother for now in Miller Place. We grew up there, but now it’s just him and me, so we decided to stay there.” Aaron felt surprisingly comfortable with this guy, as though he was a buddy instead of a potential boss.
“Very nice, so a little bit of a trip but not too bad, huh? You don’t mind a forty-minute ride in the summer? The traffic here can get pretty gnarly.” Aaron almost spit beer when Nicky said “gnarly” and proceeded to crack up. When Nicky quirked an eyebrow at him, Aaron apologized.
“I’m sorry, Nicky. I have never heard anyone say ‘gnarly’ in real life before.” Aaron apologized, hoping he hadn’t just ruined his chances.
Surprising Aaron, Nicky laughed and waved his hand. “Oh, don’t worry about that. My manager, Kee Kee, says it a lot, and she and I are roommates, so I think she’s starting to rub off on me. That’s something you should know about this place. We’re family, so everyone has to get along. We spend long days together and sometimes longer nights. We have frequent bonfires at Kee Kee’s house, and we like to have fun, even though sometimes it gets crazy here, especially in the summer. People can get sloppy and nutty here, which is why we need a bouncer. I have a lot of female employees here, and I can’t have any of them getting hurt. Think that’s something you can do?”
Aaron nodded, already liking the idea of this job. Nick smirked and jetted his hand out, and Aaron shook it. “Welcome to Gypsy’s Bar & Grill. Let me show you around, go over some paperwork, and negotiate pay with you. Plus, you need to get some shirts. I don’t really care how you dress here, but you have to wear a Gypsy’s Bar & Grill shirt. You get two fifteen-minute breaks and a half-hour lunch.”
Aaron followed Nicky around the restaurant as he pointed out various spots and where the employees could go to relax, including his loft, which had a couch and TV. “Not sure if you’re a smoker, but you can smoke in the loft, something Kee Kee takes advantage of all the time. I only ask that you don’t smoke weed up here. You can also smoke outside if you want.”
“Well, I only smoke cigars,” Aaron said smiling as Nicky gave him a thumbs-up. The two men filled out some forms and settled on a very nice pay of fifteen dollars an hour cash to start, with room to grow later on.
“Okay, let’s introduce you around and get you some shirts. If I’d have to guess, you’re probably an extra-large, judging on those muscles.” The two walked down into the kitchen, where a woman and a man stood, putting together lunch for the two tables outside. “This is Natalie, our head chef, and Louis, our sous chef. Nat, Lou, this is Aaron, our new bouncer.”
Natalie was an African-American woman in her early forties with a round figure and her curly black hair tucked into a Yankees baseball cap. Louis was a slim but toned man of around twenty-seven, who wore a Red Sox hat on backwards and nodded hello to Aaron as he flipped what looked like a Philly cheese steak on the grill. Natalie was a little more vocal.
“Nice to meet you, hun. It’s nice to have some fresh meat around here. I don’t know if Nicky told you yet, but my kitchen is your kitchen. If it’s slow and you want to get some food, you can help yourself or ask anyone of us to cook you something, okay?” She smiled warmly while looking him up and down.
“What kind of food do you guys serve here?” Aaron asked as he felt his mouth start to water at the smell of burgers and cheese steak.
“Oh, we serve pub food and barbeque here,” said Nick as he took the order papers out of the printer and handed them to Natalie. “We are known for our cheese steaks, burger selection, and wings.”
Leaving the kitchen to let them cook, Nick walked over to a young girl in her early twenties. “Aaron, this is Shannon, one of our servers here. She’s been here longest, since we opened six years ago. Shannon, this is Aaron, our new bouncer.”
Shannon was a tiny, dark-headed girl, with a lip piercing and bright red streaks in her hair and a face full of freckles.
“Hiya,” she said, blushing slightly. “Welcome aboard. Enjoy the calm before the storm.” She quickly excused herself when she heard the bell ding from within the kitchen.
“We have a small server staff and just me, Laura, and Kee Kee on the bar. I can’t introduce you to Laura because she’s on vacation for the next two weeks, but Kee Kee should be in any minute now.”
As if he’d made her magically appear, they heard a voice call out from behind them. “Actually, Kee Kee is right here with your coffee.”
When Aaron turned around, his jaw dropped. When she saw him, she froze.
“You!” she said with a gasp but then smiled.
Before him was “Kee Kee,” who he had met two days ago at the airport as Keela. Aaron couldn’t help the grin on his face.
Chapter 4
WALKING up to Gypsy’s that morning with the crew’s usual morning
coffees, Keela saw Nicky with his back to her standing next to a guy, with an ass that made Keela do a double-take. They had recently put out an ad for a new bouncer and based on the size of the guy, Keela had assumed he was an applicant that Nicky hired. Nearing her boss, she heard Nicky say to the newbie, “but Kee Kee should be in any minute now.” After she’d made her presence known to Nicky, the two men turned around, and Keela had nearly dropped the coffee and doughnuts in her hand. She was speechless and couldn’t believe her luck, as Nicky was standing next to the subject of her dreams the previous night. Aaron, the guy from the airport.
Aaron Samuels was her new co-worker, and both of them had been surprised to say the least. Nicky made awkward introductions, with Nicky and the rest of the crew chuckling at Keela’s nervous stuttering as she shook Aaron’s hand. Afterward, Keela went about readying the bar while Nicky went over the schedule and duties Aaron could look forward to.
Keela watched Aaron from the corner of her eye. If I thought he was hot that day in the airport, then now he’s smokin’ hot, she thought as he looked up and held her in an intense stare, which made her shiver all the way down her spine.
To Keela, he was almost God-like. His intense blue eyes almost seemed to penetrate straight into her. She had never seen eyes so beautiful. Today, Aaron seemed so different from the weary soldier she had met at the airport. He wore a pair of dark tight jeans and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Between the muscles underneath, which pressed under his form-fitting shirt, his stubbly face, and the way those jeans hugged his tight ass, Keela had to force her eyes away and get to work.
* * * *
Once Nicky was done with him, they ordered some food and chatted. The whole time Aaron was at the table, his eyes were fixated on her with a heated stare that made her blush. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by his new boss.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Nicky jabbed Aaron in the ribs, which made him laugh.
“Busted.” Aaron held up his hands in mock defeat. “I met her briefly at the airport, which is how I knew about your bar. She was wearing a shirt like that in a different color. So I looked it up and here I am.” He saw Nicky chuckle as he dipped his one of his fries into barbeque sauce. “So what’s her deal? Does she have a boyfriend?”
“Keela? Oh, no. She had one a few years back, but he was a royal asshole, so she’s very single and very guarded.”
Before Aaron could indulge any further, the two men heard a yell from across the bar.
“Motherfucker!” Keela screamed as she cradled her fingers in her hand. Aaron watched as the blood dripped down her hand.
* * * *
Keela chastised herself in her head. Great job, dummy! You were so preoccupied with the sex on legs that you weren’t paying attention to what you were doing.
She had slipped while cutting up strawberries and cut her finger deep.
“Keela. Oh, my God, are you okay?” squealed Shannon as she ran over to the bar. Her face went pale when she saw, and she looked as though she was going to be sick. She wasn’t good with blood.
“Just a cut, but all those strawberries need to be thrown out, the knife needs to be sterilized, and the counter cleaned now.” Aaron watched as she spat out orders, with a smirk, as he neared the bar.
Keela looked down to see crimson red ooze out of her finger. With her eyes on her finger, she began to walk towards the sink when something hard stopped her. Keela looked up to see blue eyes looking down at her. “Oh, Aaron, I’m sorry. Be careful. I don’t want to get blood on your shirt.” Keela stopped when rough, yet gentle hands cradled hers and pushed them under the cold water. She hissed, as the water caused a throbbing pain. Seeing this, Aaron gave her a gentle squeeze.
“I’m not concerned about my shirt; I’m concerned about your finger. Keep it there for a second.” He then began unbuttoning his shirt and took it off. The sight made Keela lick her lips in desire. He was wearing only a tight wife beater tee underneath that showed off all his muscle glory. The throbbing in the finger was forgotten, as Keela now had an ache and a throbbing coming from her now-wet panties. He was so hot he made her wobbly on her legs. Just when she would have fallen, a strong arm braced her and wrapped around her waist.
Keela looked up to see deep blue eyes staring at her with worry in them. She could feel the heat creep to her cheeks.
“Whoa there, cowgirl. Don’t go fainting on me now. Let me see that finger.”
Aaron had a clean paper towel in his hand and dried the hand while looking at the finger. He squeezed it a little and then smiled at her. “You got it pretty bad there, Keela. I don’t think you need stitches, but you do need to wrap it up.”
*
Aaron tried to ignore how good her body felt against his and how the tight material of her shirt showed off her round breasts and flat stomach. She was in a simple white Gypsy’s tank top with a black push-up bra underneath and a very tight pair of purple jeans. Once again, she was wearing her purple eyeshadow that made her emerald eyes stand out even more. She made it impossible to hide the growing erection of his jeans.
Aaron looked away and called over to Nicky. “Hey, Nicky, do you have a first aid kit?”
Nicky, who at this point was cleaning up the mess, pointed to the loft, and the two walked up there, where he sat her down and got to work on her finger.
*
Keela felt they were too quiet, so she broke the tension. “Years of culinary school and I cut myself over a silly strawberry.”
He chuckled as he began to wrap a Band-Aid on.
“Thank you for helping me. I’m usually not so klutzy.”
He finished wrapping the Band-Aid but didn’t let go of her hand. Frankly, Keela didn’t want him to.
“Well, it was no problem at all to help such a beautiful woman.” Keela felt herself blush again, but this time, he tilted her chin up when she tried to look down. “Besides, I feel kind of responsible since you were staring at me.”
Keela’s mouth dropped open, and she felt her cheeks flush a warm red. But before she could say anything, Aaron put his finger to her lips to quiet her and leaned in.
“Don’t try to deny it because, as much as you were looking at me, I was looking at you twice as much.”
Then he kissed her, gently but passionately, and Keela felt the fireworks exploding like never before. When he pulled away, she looked into his eyes and saw desire and want flash in them. Keela wanted to reciprocate, but Nicky came bounding up the stairs to inquire about her cut.
For the rest of his time there, they proceeded as if nothing had happened, but Keela had felt that spark, which felt more like a forest fire, and suspected Aaron had too. When he left, it was back to work for her, but her heart and her mind were in a tailspin.
Now home, lying in bed, Keela looked down at her bandaged finger, and even though it stung like a mother, it made her smile. Keela leaned against the pillows on her bed as she reflected on the events of the day. It had been a long one, but not because of a crowd. Today had felt so long because of Gypsy’s sexy new employee.
What’s wrong with me? she thought, rolling onto her back. She wasn’t one to be completely gaga over a man, but with Aaron, she couldn’t contain the arousal.
When she had gotten home that night, she hadn’t even eaten. Spending an hour with her vibrator to try and lessen the need for Aaron only increased it. Every time she came, Keela saw Aaron’s eyes. She saw his soft lips, his rock-hard body, his bare ass with scratches all over it from her nails. Keela wanted him. No, she needed him. Even with Ryan, there had never been such want as she had now.
She barely knew Aaron Samuels, but one thing she did know for sure. He wasn’t going to be a one-time thing like all the others, and that worried her. Because, after years of denying herself the care of a man, she was finally thirsting for one. And Aaron was a tall glass of scotch waiting to be drunk.
Groaning in frustration, Keela grabbed her vibrator and got to work again. She had it bad, and what that meant
scared her more than anything on this earth.
* * * *
Keela Harper was going to be the death of him. Aaron was sure of it. He had already come twice, and an hour later, visions of the dark-haired vixen still made his cock hard as he jerked with desperation.
Keela’s lips wrapped around my throbbing cock as she takes me all the way in. I can feel my cock hitting the back of her throat, and I come as she slurps me up greedily.
He came hard right into his hand as the image on Keela on all fours with his cum dripping down her chin flashed into his mind. After yesterday’s incident at the bar, Aaron knew that Keela was something special. He had never meant to kiss her, but being so close to her, he felt as though he was being drawn in.
Kissing her made him forget his own name. Her taste was sweet from the strawberries she had been nibbling on at the bar and so soft; just a kiss from her made him hard.
Aaron originally had no idea she was an employee at Gypsy’s, but now he was one too, which meant he would see her every day. Aaron’s boring, mundane job as a bouncer was just that, a job, but Keela there with him was a definitely an added perk.
After they’d kissed, Aaron had seen lust in her eyes, but he’d also seen something else. Fear. She was afraid. Of what he wasn’t sure, but if he had to guess, from what Nicky had told him, someone had hurt her. The very thought that someone had been so cruel to such a beautiful angel made him angry and unusually possessive. Aaron could tell she wanted him. Aaron knew he had to have her, or else he would go insane. One taste of Keela, and now he thirsted for her like a man stranded in the desert.
