Martinis After Dark (Bernadette's Book 1)

by Gina Drayer

  Lee took the tray from Sarah with an apologetic shrug and carried it to the table, forcing a smile onto her face and a pleasant tone into her voice as she put the beers in front of the men and the Tom Collins in front of the woman sitting between them. The three of them were from one of the nearby offices. She’d seen them a time or two, usually after work.

  The man closest to her, a handsome guy in his early thirties, looked up at her with a smile. “How about a little breakfast when you get off work?”

  She felt the brush of his knee casually touching her thigh, and she frowned. The last thing she needed was another drunk asshat coming on to her.

  She took a step back and shot him a cutting glance. “I don’t like breakfast, and I don’t date customers.” Her voice had been sharper than she’d intended, but it got the point across.

  “Fine,” he said, wincing.

  His friend laughed and mimed pouring a glass. “Apply cold water directly to burn.”

  “Sorry. It’s been kind of a shitty day.” She smiled at the group and just for good measure added, “The answer is still no, but I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”

  The woman reached for her drink. “Trust me, there’s no harm done as you only hurt his ego. It’s a rather big target, but pretty much bulletproof.”

  The man put his hand over his heart and gave them a wounded look. “My ego might be bulletproof, but my heart and soul are not,” the man protested. “Such castigations leave me mortally wounded.”

  “Don’t be fooled,” the woman said in a stage whisper. “He doesn’t have a heart. He’s a lawyer.”

  “And that means he doesn’t have a soul, either,” the other man said. “You, Randall, are a soulless heathen. That’s why you get along so well with us.”

  “Totally soulless, heartless, and vain,” the woman agreed, putting her hand on his arm. “And those, my dear are your best qualities.” She looked up at Lee. “We will render first aid, tend to his wounds, and then force him to buy another round for being such trouble.”

  “Guilty as charged. Soulless, heathen mercenary,” Randall said sheepishly with a hint of a smile. “If your rules change and you ever decide to eat breakfast or date customers, will you let me know? It would give me a crumb of hope, a reason to go on with my empty life.”

  “I’ll keep your offer in mind in case I find myself in the mood for soulless company and breakfast.” She found herself liking this group. The teasing, the banter lightened her mood, and she laughed. “But tell me, is this an exclusive offer for me, or is it open to any waitress that happens by your table?”

  “He’s an equal opportunity lecher,” the woman said. “I’m sure he’d make the offer available to any waitresses who would have him.”

  “I’m sure I don’t know what she’s talking about.” The man pretended to be embarrassed. “I swear, I only have eyes for you. So if not breakfast, how about a little dessert?”

  A loud, eardrum-rattling thunk sounded from behind them. Everyone turned around to the source of the noise. Dylon was standing behind her with a block of wood the size of a toaster. The words COCK BLOCK were written out in bold black lettering.

  “I believe the woman said no,” he said, tapping his fingers on the top of the wood block.

  “Dylon,” she said under her breath. “I have this handled.”

  “You have other tables,” he said and lifted the block off the empty table. “Anything else I can get you, folks?”

  Lee huffed and left the table. If he wanted to drive all the customers away, then so be it. She wasn’t his keeper.

  The night dragged on and by closing, Sarah was ready to kill them both. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I’m tired of playing the go-between. I’m going to leave and let you two sort things out.”

  Without any further fanfare, she grabbed her purse and jacket and left. Dylon just stared at the closed door as if he was expecting the spitball of a woman to slink back in and apologize. But Lee knew she was right, and decided to be direct.

  “I’m fine if last night was a one-time thing.” She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to create not only a physical barrier between them but also an emotional one.

  “Is that what you were looking for? A quick fuck?” His words were coarse and cutting, and Lee had to fight the urge to take a step back.

  “I wasn’t looking for anything,” she said, feeling defensive. “As I recall, you’re the one that followed me to my apartment.”

  “Well, you didn’t exactly turn me away.”

  She grabbed the broom from the closet and started sweeping, taking out her anger on the floor. How dare he? She swallowed back the sting of tears and continued to clean in silence. A few seconds later she heard an expletive and the heavy shuffle of Dylon’s gait.

  “Lee,” he said, softly. “I didn’t mean it like that. Fuck. Would you just look at me?”

  “Then what did you mean?” She turned around and saw the desperation in his eyes. She loosened her grip on the broom and sighed. “I didn’t want to fight with you. I knew exactly who you were when I let you in. I was trying to give you an easy out, that all.”

  “What if I don’t want an out?” he said, pulling her into his arms, letting the broom fall with a clatter. “What if this is exactly where I want to be?”

  “You have a funny way of—”

  She didn’t get a chance to finish her thought because he cut her off with a kiss. Lee reached up and tangled her hands in his messy locks, knocking the hat he always wore to the floor. And when he finally pulled away, they were both breathless.

  “Don’t ever talk about this being a one-night thing again. I don’t know what it is about you, but I’m hooked.” He swung her up onto one of the tables and settled himself between her legs. “As far as I’m concerned we’re going to ride this out to the very end, wherever that takes us.”

  Hooked? It wasn’t exactly an admission of love, but her heart still raced at the thought. He was hooked. On her. And wanted to see where things went.

  “Wherever it takes us?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Are you up for the challenge? If you haven’t noticed, I don’t have any experience with the relationship thing.”

  “Come on. Not even a high-school sweetheart?” Lee asked, amazed that a guy who was almost thirty could have gotten this far and never have had a girlfriend.

  “Nope. Not a single long-term relationship,” he said and inched his hands up her skirt. “I’m not always going to make the best decisions and sometimes I’m going to screw up. But Roxie assures me that as long as we’re both honest with each other, we’ll be okay.”

  Honest. It was the one thing Lee couldn’t promise, at least not yet. She pushed down her guilt and shook her head in agreement. “Roxie is a smart woman. So in the name of open and honest communication, why were you so pissed at me tonight?”

  He stopped the progression of his hands and frowned. “I don’t like all this secrecy. After Abbie told me your meeting was with a lawyer, I spent all afternoon worrying about you. I promised not to pry into your past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t tell me.”

  Lee let out a deep breath. She wanted to tell him everything, especially after his quasi-admission of love. Although she couldn’t tell him the whole truth, she could give him some details.

  “I turned my ex-boyfriend in for breaking the law, and I had to finish up with the DA’s office today.”

  Dylon leaned back and looked at her. “Ex-boyfriend? Abbie said it was your boss.”

  “Evidently, I have a type,” she said, trying to joke. “Yes, he was also my boss.”

  “What exactly was he doing? Is that why you came here looking for a place to live? Are you hiding from him? Is he the one who hurt you?”

  The questions came so fast she almost didn’t catch them all. This was what she’d been worried about. She’d told him a little bit, and now he’d want to know all the sordid details. But it was too soo
n. Even though she wasn’t going to testify, Lee couldn’t be sure that the danger was over. She couldn’t tell him the truth, but she didn’t want to abuse Dylon’s trust.

  “It’s over. I’m done with it all, so you don’t have to worry about any of that,” she said, trying to reassure herself as well.

  “That’s not enough,” he said, pulling away. “I need to know. Open, honest. Remember?”

  “I want to tell you everything, but I’m not ready to talk about it,” she said, scooting back on the table. She’d hoped the distance would help, but all it did was make her feel cold. “It’s over now, and I’ll never have to deal with him or the case again.”

  He grabbed her hips and pulled her back close. “Just promise me you’re safe.”

  “I promise.” The sour taste of the lie sat heavy in her mouth as he bent to kiss her again. His warm, strong hands slipped under her sweater. Soon she’d be able to tell him the whole truth, but for now, she’d just have to embrace the lie.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Days turned into weeks without incident. Lee was starting to relax. It seemed like Janet’s threat of arresting her was no more than that, a threat. That reinforced her resolve and tamped down the remaining guilt. The DA didn’t need her to testify. They were going to use the new evidence to flip Christian and then they’d be able to go after the man they really wanted.

  But even with the trial no longer her concern, Lee still had to clean up all her lies. Things with Dylon were going well. So well, in fact, she knew they were fast approaching a tipping point. She had to come clean about everything.

  Concern over how to handle telling him had caused more than a few sleepless nights. She just needed to tell him, like ripping off a Band-Aid. But she knew it would disturb the precious peace she’d finally found after months of turmoil. It was selfish, she knew, but Lee wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

  Tired of staring at the ceiling, she carefully inched out from under Dylon’s arm. The clock in the kitchen read seven in the morning. That was the equivalent to the middle of the night for a shift worker, and he wouldn’t be up for several more hours. But Lee couldn’t spend another second restlessly dozing beside him. She padded over to his fridge, hoping to find something to nosh on, but it was just as empty as before.

  “Found you,” a soft voice whispered just as a hand slipped around her waist. With her heart racing out of control, Lee tried to scramble away, smacking her head on the open door.

  “Oh, baby. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Dylon said, releasing her.

  Still in fight or flight mode, she pulled away, lost her balance, and fell to the floor. From her vantage point on the linoleum, Lee looked up and shook her head. If this had been an attack, she’d be dead or worse.

  “You caught me off guard,” she said, accepting his outstretched hand. “What are you doing up?”

  “I woke up, and you were gone. I can’t seem to sleep without you now,” he said and shot her that killer smile. He pulled her up against his hard chest. “Besides, how can I ravage you if you’re all the way in the kitchen?”

  Still shaken by the encounter, Lee stepped back. “I was looking for something to eat. If we’re going to stay in your apartment, at least stock the fridge.”

  “Move in with me,” Dylon said, blindsiding her.

  “What?”

  “You heard me.” He hooked her around the waist, pulled her back into his embrace, and kissed the top of her head. “Lee Taylor, will you please cohabitate with me?”

  “I think we should wait.” At least until she confessed her real name. This was all moving too fast, but fast seemed to be his only speed.

  “Why wait?” he asked, tugging her back to the bedroom. “We already spend every night together. And I just admitted I can’t sleep without you by my side. Just move in and then you can stock the fridge with whatever you need.”

  “I just think we’re moving too fast. What if—”

  “No what ifs,” he said and fell back onto the bed, pulling her down with him. “I’ve made up my mind about you, and once I make up my mind about someone, they’re stuck with me.”

  He slipped off her T-shirt and started kissing her bare chest. Time was running out. She closed her eyes and let his touch carry her away.

  Wrapped up in the post-coital bliss of the late morning, Lee went over her confession. She had to do it and do it today. She couldn’t deny her feelings about Dylon anymore. She loved him, and nothing else mattered. This was the life she wanted to be living. It was real and honest. She was the only thing that wasn’t, and that was going to change.

  “You’re thinking awfully hard over there,” Dylon said as he rolled onto his side. “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “Have you ever thought about reinventing yourself? Leaving your old life behind and starting fresh.”

  “No,” he said, propping up on his elbows. “I am who I am, and I like my life.”

  Lee sat up in bed and pulled the covers around her. This conversation was going to be serious, and she needed to feel less exposed. “But what if you didn’t? What if you didn’t like the person you’d become, or if things happened in your life that were out of your control? What if you had the opportunity to start fresh? Become a different person? Would you?”

  “No.” Frowning, Dylon sat up too and leaned back against the headboard. “That’s exactly what my mother did all her life. My mother used to change who she was to suit the men she was dating. But the second things got tough, or she felt like things weren’t working out, she’d leave. She’d start over with a new life, a new story, and leave behind everyone that didn’t fit, including those who counted on her most. Only a truly selfish person would leave behind everything in their life to start over.”

  The air in the room hung heavy with Dylon’s words. He’d never talked about his mother. She’d known his uncle had raised him, but never knew why. Lee couldn’t finish her confession now. She didn’t know what to say after he’d opened up like that. After he unknowingly compared what she was doing with the actions of a person who’d hurt him deeply. How could she make him see that what she’d done wasn’t selfish, but survival?

  As if sensing her turmoil, Dylon pulled her into his arms. “Leaving that job isn’t the same. It was brave and honest, what you did.”

  Lee nodded and tucked her head under his chin so he couldn’t see the tears that threatened. Brave and honest. Those were the last things she felt at that moment. She hadn’t been honest with him at all and certainly wasn’t brave enough to tell him the truth.

  It was a slow Tuesday afternoon. The day started out unusually quiet, and it gave Dylon far too much time to think about where things were headed with Lee. He felt they were making progress. She’d shared some details of her past and every day she opened up a little more, even though there was still a lot she held close to her chest. He tried not to dwell on that particular fact, but on slow days it was hard to not let his mind wander.

  By early evening the crowds started to filter in, not overly busy, but enough to keep Sarah and Abbie occupied. An hour or so before closing, a petite, well-dressed blonde in her early forties came in and headed for the bar. She wore a pantsuit and walked with a purposeful stride. She sat down and struck up a conversation. “A busy night for you?”

  “I’d like to be busier,” he said with a shrug. “It’s Tuesday. You never know how they’ll go. But it’s been pretty steady.”

  “Then I doubt my vodka tonic is going to be the highlight of your night.”

  “I’ll take it. It’s far better than not getting you one.” Something about the woman seemed wrong. She was making chitchat, but even that was off. It felt like she was trying hard to establish a connection. At her age, nice-looking and alone, it was possible that she was on the prowl, looking for a little action—maybe a cougar hunting young guys, but he didn’t think so. Her manner was more … businesslike. Still, he felt like she had some sort of agenda, a reason for being there.

  As he put th
e glass in front of her, setting it neatly on a napkin, he caught her eye. It was time to test his theory. ”I’ve never seen you in here before." He said it in his chatting-up voice, giving her an opening.

  She picked up the glass, sipped the drink. ”That's probably because I've never been in here before."

  “That solves that riddle. And what brings you to my cozy little place tonight?”

  “The truth is that I came in looking for a friend. Her name is Lee O'Brien. Do you know her?”

  When she said the name, Dylon got a bad feeling. He shook his head. “No. The name doesn’t sound familiar."

  “No?” She reached into the side pocket of her jacket and took out a photo, putting it on the bar. Dylon looked and saw Lee, looking like she’d posed for a boardroom photo—very businesslike, very professional. “This is her.”

  “Nice-looking lady.” He kept it noncommittal.

  “The thing is, she’s dropped out of sight, but a mutual friend told me he saw her come in here yesterday morning."

  “He must be mistaken. We aren’t even open until noon.”

  The woman considered that. “Odd, because he was certain it was her.”

  “If it was later in the day, well, lots of people come and go. The last few nights it’s been crowded, so if she was here I might not have seen her.”

  She tapped the picture with her finger. “You’re telling me you wouldn’t have noticed this woman. You seem the type that would notice all the pretty women that came through the door.”

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “Well, you’re right about that. I’m here almost every night, so unless she wandered in and out again while my back was turned, I would have noticed.”

  “He said she stayed.”

  “I think your friend must’ve made a mistake.”