by Gina Drayer
To be honest, it was embarrassing that she’d seldom even noticed the people serving the drinks much less what they did between taking the orders, appearing with drinks, and then bringing the check. Now that she was on the other side of the counter, she had to learn quickly because there was never a dull moment at Bernadette's.
The work wasn’t complex or mentally challenging, but there were a lot of details to get it right so that things hummed along smoothly. Just all the steps involved in opening or closing a place like this were mind boggling. There was very little use for her skills outside of handling the money, but even that felt foreign. To her, accounting was all numbers in a computerized ledger. Now she was counting out wrinkled bills and adding up credit card receipts.
This was all work that had been invisible to her.
Thankfully, the learning process was simple enough. She followed in Abbie’s footsteps, asking questions, paying attention to the shortcuts and tricks the woman passed along like breadcrumbs.
By the end of the second week, Lee was getting the hang of how things worked. And with Abbie’s cheerful attitude, even the dirtier jobs seemed more tolerable. Abbie might only have a high-school education, but she was in charge of her life. Which was more than Lee could say about herself. Abbie was good at her job and liked it. She had a knack for doing figures in her head that even Lee found enviable.
In another time and place she’d consider hiring Abbie and teaching her financial analysis, but in this world, Abbie was her boss, and she was the student.
On the weekend, a live band played and things got really busy. Lee had already met the other staff, but there was a new face in the mix on Saturday night.
“Roxie will be covering the upstairs,” Abbie explained. “She comes in every now and then and slums it with the rest of us. Especially when we have a band in.”
“Roxanne, as in Dylon’s sister?” Lee said, checking the other woman out.
“Call me Roxie,” the other woman said as she walked into the breakroom. “Roxanne is someone in her early thirties who wears a suit and sells real estate. Anytime I’m here, I’m Roxie.”
Roxie was nothing like Lee imagined. Like her brother, she was tall and fit. She also sported some impressive ink across her back and upper arms. And even though her hair was a natural brunette, the rest of her style screamed punk.
And she was a hard worker. Roxie mixed drinks behind the bar with Dylon, and when she wasn’t busy upstairs, she ventured onto the floor and cleaned tables. Lee could tell that she was far more than just a silent partner. She loved this place as much as Dylon did.
The week went fast. Lee was even starting to recognize the regulars. One thing she had noticed about the clientele of Bernadette's was that they weren’t just the after-work nine-to-five crowd. The bar teemed with young artists, musicians, and other creative types. Even the less eclectic of the patrons seemed to come for the atmosphere.
That was another difference between Bernadette’s and the places Lee had gone to with her friends: the customers here took a personal interest in the staff. The regulars would often ask Abbie about her mom or ask after Roxie when she hadn’t been in for a while. It was a unique experience for Lee to have virtual strangers ask about her life.
But it presented a problem for her. She couldn’t share anything about her life before she came here. She knew her tendency to brush off questions about her personal life made her seem aloof, but there wasn’t much she could do about that other than make up a story about a fake family and previous jobs, but she’d probably make a fool of herself that way. She’d always been a terrible liar. Better to be as friendly as she could and let things evolve as they did.
And then there was Dylon. He was like a force of nature unto himself. People were drawn to him. He was energetic and fun to watch as he mixed drinks behind the bar. As expected, he drew a fair number of women, but the men were equally taken with his charms. And he had an entourage of personal friends that stopped by all the time.
Most notable was Lance, the tattooed, pierced drummer of a popular local band. Whenever he was in, the ratio of women to men shifted. He’d been in twice that week. And Lee was beginning to think that there was a network of female fans that kept each other informed as to his whereabouts. But the second Roxie hit the floor, Lance became a lot less interested in his fans.
The fast pace of the job kept Lee’s mind off two issues that she really didn’t want to dwell on. The first, the most obvious, was wondering what would happen with Christian—his trial and, even more to the point, his threat. She realized she hadn’t known the man the way she thought she had, and that hurt. She considered herself a good judge of character and Christian had blindsided her, first by being such a crook, and then intimidated her, perhaps even to the point of hurting her. While they were together, she’d dreamed of a future with him that led to marriage. She never expected their relationship to end with trials and threats. Lesson learned.
Her second and newer concern was her subtle but persistent and unwelcome attraction toward Dylon. She knew it was only because she felt isolated, and he was naturally warm and outgoing, not to mention sexy in that rough, alpha-male way. He appealed to some part of her that she hadn’t known about before. Perhaps it was part of adapting to this new place. She was trying to fit into his world of bars and small run-down apartments. Or it could just be an effect of the hustle and bustle of crowds out to have a good time.
Whatever was causing this crazy attraction, she wanted to squash it. Even if she could see herself having a good time with Dylon, she certainly couldn’t imagine building a life with a man like him. She doubted that anything he might feel for her would extend past the physical.
“The women love him,” Abbie had said. It was a warning. “He doesn’t mind that in the least, either. But you should know he plays the field.”
Embarrassed to have been caught staring once again, Lee retorted, “I guess you know from experience?”
Abbie looked shocked. “I have a boyfriend. There’s never been anything between me and Dylon. My taste runs a different direction. Don’t get me wrong,” she added, “I love him dearly. But a hug and a goodnight kiss is my limit with the Dylons of this world.”
“And what about Claudia? Does he make a habit of sleeping with his staff?”
“They had a thing before he hired her. She thought their relationship was more than it was, and he didn’t catch on to that or the fact that her drinking was getting out of hand. A bad combo all around. I think it might have taught him to keep it in his pants at work.” She glanced at Lee to see her reaction. “But then again …” She let the thought fade away, but Lee caught her meaning.
If Claudia and Dylon had been a bad combination, Lee was certain that she and Dylon would be a worse one. She wasn’t looking, anyway. This wasn’t the time for her to be thinking past the immediate future. She was building walls around herself, protective walls, and you couldn’t do that and develop new relationships at the same time, even if that’s what you wanted.
No, she had to survive the next days, months, however long it took for the government to deal with Christian. Only then would she know where she stood. Only then could she even begin to imagine her future. She’d finally found a place to feel safe, and she didn’t want to complicate that by getting involved with her boss—not even for a one-night stand.
She was simply going to have to figure out how to be around him all the time and not let it get to her. Because despite all the arguments she could muster to remind herself that Dylon Knightly was just not her type, the truth was the man turned her on. And he wasn’t even trying.
And what would happen if he used that charm on her?
She shook off the thought and focused on the task at hand. “Abbie, can you run me through the procedure for closing time again?”
Other than her stupid lust, this place, these people were good for her. She felt safe, more in control of her life. And now she needed to let Janet know how to get ahold of her.
Chapter Six
Monday was Lee’s first day off. She wasn’t used to this much physical work and the temptation to stay in bed and read all day was strong. But her to-do list was pressing. There were still several items she needed to buy for the apartment: curtains being the most urgent, followed closely by some groceries. She couldn’t keep eating the bar food. And she still needed to check in with Janet.
The call to the DA’s office was supposed to be a quick and easy item on her list. It should have been a simple matter of touching base so Janet would know that Lee was still alive, ready to testify, and available when she was needed. But like everything else that involved Christian, it turned into a much bigger issue.
“Things are a little more complicated than we originally thought," Janet said.
Lee’s heart sank at hearing those words. Complicated. That could only mean that the mess of a case was going to drag out.
“Just how complicated are they?”
“Mr. Evans has a gaggle of lawyers on his payroll with nothing to do but crank out motions.” Janet sounded tired and worn down. “They are demanding all kinds of ridiculous things as part of discovery. In short, they are doing everything they can to stall things.”
“They can’t keep that up forever. Eventually, it’s going to have to go to trial. Right?”
“These things happen. Judge Fritz, who has to read all these and decide if she grants each motion or not, won’t let it go on for long. She is throwing most of them out and has already given the other lawyers a warning.”
The news was disappointing and infuriating. The wheels of justice ground slowly, but they were supposed to grind Christian up. So far the only things that had actually happened to him were his arrest and then his joke of a bail hearing. “Why? I mean what are they stalling for? What's the point? I’d think they’d want this sorted out as much as I do.”
“If I were to guess, I’d bet they are trying to build a case against you.”
“Me? Why?”
“To discredit you. Make it seem like you have a reason to hurt Mr. Evans. The judge granted their request for you to be deposed. You’re going to need to come in.”
“You told me the only thing I would have to do was testify in court. You said my name wasn’t even on any of the documents.”
“Some questions have been brought up about the authenticity of the evidence you provided. They’ve produced counter-evidence to the paperwork. We’re having our team analyze them, but until then, the judge thinks that’s enough reason to question our documents. The files you provided are the cornerstone of our case. They tell a rather damning story. Your statement is the key to getting them admitted, so the defense wants to find a hole in your version.”
“I thought the whole point was to get Christian to flip on Del Rossi. Now it sounds like you think we’re going to trial.”
“Flipping him is the goal. But we always need to plan for a trial.” Janet sighed over the phone, frustrated by Lee’s questions. “Even if they don’t succeed in keeping the documents out, they know you are key to linking Evans to Del Rossi. They are going to use this deposition to find out how much you know, and likely they’ll try to discredit you.”
“They won’t find anything to use against me.”
“That’s good to hear, but be prepared for personal attacks,” Janet said. “They’re doing this to rattle you. Sometimes witnesses change their mind or even disappear.”
“I don’t like the sound of that last one.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. We’ve been monitoring Evans’s movements. He’s been complying with his house arrest. This deposition is a good thing. I really think that once the defense realizes your testimony is solid and you provide a solid link between the money laundering and Del Rossi, they’ll be ready to deal.”
“You keep saying that, but you don’t know Christian like I do. I don’t think he’ll ever admit to doing anything wrong.”
“I know men like him. When it comes down to the choice between saving his own skin or flipping on his partners, he’ll flip,” Janet said, with so much conviction Lee was starting to believe her. “But just to be safe, we should go over your testimony. Over time, memories become clouded, stories change, and people forget things.”
"I’m off today. I can stop by the office."
“I’ll clear my schedule,” Janet said. “And Lee, don’t worry. This is all going to work out.”
Lee really wanted to believe that, but when she hung up her stomach was knotted and her head was pounding. These stall tactics pissed her off. Christian had the resources to continue playing the system for a long time. It was the legal equivalent of a siege. He was trying to wait her out.
So maybe it was time to start fighting back. If she could find more evidence, something really significant that connected Christian with Del Rossi, she wouldn’t be the only link. There had to be something in the documents that proved the two worked together. If she could find a paper trail, it would give Janet the leverage she needed.
There were forensic accountants working on the case, but Lee knew how Christian kept his files. It's part of the reason why she’d discovered what he was up to. There were clients that didn’t follow his usual record keeping. Acronyms in the books that didn’t fit the patterns. Once she knew what she’d found, Lee had stopped digging. Maybe there was more there for her to find.
Luckily, she’d made copies of all the documents and kept them for herself. She’d study them until she found enough damning evidence to nail his ass.
Feeling like she had regained some control over her fate, Lee headed downtown to go over her testimony. The afternoon passed quickly and by the time she left the DA’s office, Lee was even more convinced that they needed more evidence. The entire case seemed to revolve around Lee’s relationship with Christian. That meant if anything happened to Lee, they had no case.
While downtown, she stopped off at the bank and withdrew fifteen thousand dollars from her savings. She didn’t trust using her debit card. The electronic trail was too easy to follow. As a backup measure, Lee wired the remaining ten thousand dollars to her parents and closed her account. If anything should happen that meant she’d need quick and anonymous access to that money, her parents would be able to help.
As she exited the bank, the sun was low on the horizon. The day was pretty much shot, and she wasn’t really in the mood to shop, so she turned toward the subway, lost in her own thoughts. The day had not turned out as planned. But then again, nothing was turning out like she planned. This was just another stumbling block. She’d either let it trip her up, or she’d navigate past it. There was no other choice.
“Lee,” a voice called from behind her. “Lee O’Brien. Wait up!” Lee turned around to find a man in a suit coming down the sidewalk, waving something. “You forgot to sign these papers. Even though you withdrew all your money, I can’t close out your account without your signature.”
“Sorry. I was kind of in a hurry to leave,” she said, signing the documents the banker held.
He glanced over to the subway entrance that was just feet away and frowned. “Do you want me to call you a car? It’s not exactly safe to be walking around the city with that much money.”
He had a point, but a car service left a paper trail. She clutched the bag tighter and shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”
And she was confident that was true until she got off the train in Brooklyn. A man that she didn’t know was following her. At least, she thought he was. He’d gotten on at the same stop she had, and now he was a few feet behind her. She sped up her pace. It was only two blocks to the bar. Once there, she’d be safe again.
A taxi on the street laid into his horn, and she took that opportunity to glance over her shoulder. The man from the subway was gone. She felt a little silly. The stress of the day was getting to her. Once she got home, she’d feel better. The claw foot tub and a martini were just what she needed. Access to good drinks was one of the
advantages of living over a bar.
“Hey, lady. Spare some change?”
The man from the subway stepped out of the alley in front of her. Lee looked around and noticed that the street was ominously empty.
“I think I’ve got a dollar or two,” she said reaching into her pocket.
“I think you have a lot more,” he said, eyeing the bag. “I know you have a lot more. Come on, Lee, open the bag.”
The fact that he knew her name sent chills down her spine. Had he overheard her talking to the banker, or had he been sent by someone else? She stepped away from him and assessed the situation. He didn’t look like a homeless person. He was too clean. But the hard, hungry look in his eyes told her he wasn’t kidding around.
She should just hand over the bag, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t about the money. What if he was hired to make it look like a mugging gone bad? She tightened her grip on the bag and took another step back.
Before she could make another move, the man’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm. “Where you going, sweetheart?” His fingers tightened around her arm as he tried to pull her down the alley. “Give me the bag, and I’ll let you go.”
He may have said he’d let her go, but he kept pulling her toward the alley. There was no way she was going down there with him. She moved like she was going to hand over the bag and the second he loosened his grip, she swung it at his head. Leveraging her body weight to free her arm, she twisted out of his grip and ran into the street. A few cars buzzed past, but no one stopped. And the man she’d just escaped hadn’t left, either. He was watching her. Luckily a flash of yellow caught her eye, and she waved frantically. The taxi pulled over on the other side of the street, and she got in the back.
