The Lonely Hearts 06 The Grunt 2

by Latrivia S. Nelson

  “Cut me off for what? I don’t even have a buzz yet,” the young college guy lied as his friends laughed and bunched around him. They all gawked at her like she was a piece of fresh meat.

  “Oh, you’ve got a buzz,” she said, rolling her eyes. Pausing as she counted the money, she looked up at him after realizing he had left a very large tip.

  The patron smiled sheepishly. He knew that would get her attention. “Just keep them coming, Daisy, and we’ll keep taking care of you.”

  Daisy needed that tip. Tuition was coming due and rent. And if more tips came from where that last tip came from, then all she had to do was make sure that someone who was less drunk was going to drive the little asshole home.

  “Just…” She clenched the money in her hand and denied herself the feelings of guilt or responsibility. “Just slow it down a little okay.” She looked around to make sure that no one of importance heard her. She could get yanked for overserving this little shit, but her boss had never called her on it before. All he cared about was how much money she made at the end of the night.

  The patron winked at her. “Slowing it down,” he said, picking up the shot and downing it as quickly as he could. Hitting the table, he screamed out. “Bros before hoes!” His friends loudly repeated, holding up their drinks.

  She rolled her eyes and walked away.

  Walking over to Gavin, she threw her towel over her shoulder and pushed up on the bar in front of him. “First time here?” she asked, voice raised to fight the booming music that tried to drown her out. Her eyes traveled the length of his mountainous frame.

  “Is it that obvious?” Gavin asked, giving her his charming smile. He saw her breasts before he saw her face, and getting a closer look, he knew that it was one of her better selling points in this place. “Do I stick out or something?”

  “No, I just would have remembered your face,” Daisy said, flirting. But he did sort of stick out. It was that masculine sensuality that permeated from him like visible pheromones.

  “Really?” Gavin leaned forward too, muscles bulging in his arms as she did. His tattoos immediately caught her attention. After working here for a while, she knew military tats when she saw them. His looked bad ass. That only made the tall man sexier.

  “Marine?” she asked. “Camp Lejeune?”

  Gavin frowned. “I get that all the time. No, I’m actually a priest,” he said, seriously. His eyes glinted with pure sex appeal.

  Daisy laughed. “A priest?”

  “Yeah,” he nodded, licking his deep red lips. “Want to confess something? You look like you’ve been a very naughty bartender.” He refused to look at her breasts. She’d be expecting that. Instead, he kept his gaze at eye level.

  Daisy laughed again, turned on by the lusty arrogance of the man. “Maybe I’ll confess later, Marine.”

  Gavin sat back on the bar stool. “So you don’t like Marines?”

  “I didn’t say that.” She wiped off the table. Running a finger behind her ear to push her hair out of the way, she grinned at him. “What are you having tonight?”

  Gavin scanned the bottles behind her on the bar. “How about a shot of scotch.” He watched her as she reached for the shot glasses. Nice ass. A bit young for him though. He liked his women a little more experienced than his kid sister.

  She came back and poured the shot. “This one’s on me.” Smiling as she walked away, she helped another patron. Standing there with him gazing at her was starting to make her suddenly self-aware.

  Gavin knew that he was in. Tomorrow when he showed up again, if he had to, it would be obvious that he was interested in her and not so obvious that he was actually looking for Leo.

  Just as he downed the shot, he saw Leo come busting out of the bathroom near the back end of the bar and head his way. Jack pot. Gavin looked away from Leo quickly and signaled at Daisy for another one. “Hey, sweetheart, can I get another shot?”

  “That quick?” she said, bending over behind the bar. She liked that he called her sweetheart. Southern charm always got points in her book. Just maybe, she’d leave him with her number at the end of the night.

  “Yeah, I’m going to need another one. Funny thing. I get nervous when I talk to pretty girls,” Gavin lied.

  Another man approached the bar and was about to sit in the chair beside him, so he quickly pulled it toward him. Giving the guy a look to go away before Leo approached, he held on to the space territorially until Leo approached. “Make this one a double,” he said as Leo walked up to the bar. He pushed the stool away from him.

  “Anyone sitting here?” Leo asked Gavin, standing behind the stool.

  Gavin looked at the chair and shrugged. “No dude. You’re good.” He turned his attention back to Daisy, making sure to show special interest now.

  Leo sat down on the seat and followed Gavin’s gaze to the bartender. “She’s hot, right?” he said it like he had already had a piece of her.

  Gavin shook his head. “Oh yeah. Smoking.”

  “Yeah, in this club, they all are.” Leo tapped the bar. “Hook me up, Daisy,” he said, looking over at Gavin’s tats. The one that drew the most attention was the jump wings with an elaborate skull and cross KA-BARs. There were only a few men in the world who could boast that tattoo and unless this guy was a poser, he was a part of a very elite group of Marines. “So you’re Force Recon, huh?” He wondered if he was sent by Brett Black to spy on him. Wouldn’t surprise him. Marines stuck together like flies on shit.

  Gavin took his eyes off of Daisy nonchalantly, barely glancing Leo’s way. “Used to be. Way back. Got put out for a bum leg before most of these boys in here started puberty.” He locked eyes on Leo. “You military? Have to be if you recognize the tats.” He smacked his lips. “Unless you’re a fuck boy. And let me just say, I’m honored, but not interested.”

  Leo laughed, knowing that the guy was kidding about the gay joke. “Was Navy. I’m out now,” Leo said as Daisy came back to pour both of their drinks. She made them quickly and then moved on to another group of men waiting on the other end of the bar.

  Gavin gave a bleak pause and cleared his throat. Leaning into Gavin, he narrowed his cold gaze on the man as if he were going to say something very serious. “Hey. Seriously. You think she has a boyfriend? I mean, she’s probably got a boyfriend or something right? Girls like that don’t normally just stay single a long time.” He looked back over at Daisy and shook his head. “I mean, she can’t be single.”

  Leo was thrown off by the stranger’s disinterest in him. He didn’t even ask about his MOS, which most guys did. He didn’t ask if he was an officer, which most people did. He didn’t seem to care about him at all. Maybe he was being a bit paranoid. “Not that I know of. Daisy tends to keep to herself.”

  Gavin knocked down another shot and growled. The spirits burned as they went down his throat. Slamming the shot glass down on the table, he grinned. “Well, I’m definitely interested in her. Just a little hard to get her attention with all these other fuckers in here vying for her attention at every turn.”

  “It’s normally a much better atmosphere for talking if you come back during the day. Plus, they have a buffet,” Leo said, relaxing his shoulders. Casually, he sipped his drink and watched as his girlfriend came out on stage.

  “Well then, I’ll come back again tomorrow,” Gavin said following Leo’s stare to the main stage.

  The DJ reminded the crowd to tip their waitresses before he went into the spiel about the next dancer. Her short, energetic intro made her sound like she was going to come out on the stage to perform a heart transplant.

  The blonde busty woman pranced out on stage in gold high heels and a gold metallic T-strap bodysuit. Wiping the pole with a towel before she began, she bent over with her rear end facing the audience and dropped to the floor in a split as her song began.

  “Damn,” Gavin said, loud enough to get Leo’s attention. “Who the fuck is that?” His faux interest came across genuine, but in truth, she wasn’
t his type. He didn’t really do blow up dolls.

  Leo felt a tinge of pride by the man’s reaction. “That’s Amber.”

  “Does Amber have a fucking boyfriend,” Gavin asked with a chuckle. “Shit, I’d like to power drive that.”

  “She’s got a boyfriend, alright,” Leo said, smiling at Gavin. “And to power drive that pussy will cost you more than a Marine’s salary.” Just in case Gavin was a cop, he added a little something extra. “Trust me. I know. She’s breaking my bank.”

  “You’re the boyfriend?” Gavin asked, seeming surprised. He bucked his eyes. “Damn dude.”

  “I’m the boyfriend,” Leo confirmed. He pulled at his perfectly slashed nose as he inhaled and rose up on his seat. His eyes watered. “Trust me. That is grade A ass. She does everything too. Everything.” His brow rose suggestively.

  It was then, as Leo’s eyes appeared dilated, that Gavin realized that the Navy boy might also have a little nose candy problem. Taking it down a notch, he threw up his hands. “Hey, man. I ain’t got that kind of money. Upscale escorts? Shit, I blew most of my stash on an eight ball before I got here.” He watched Leo’s face. Would he be shocked by the omission of drug use or interested in partaking?

  Leo’s smile was wide. “Well, trust me. I understand that. Shit, when a man needs a fix,” he picked up his glass and saluted Gavin, “he needs a fucking fix.”

  “Amen to that,” Gavin said, giving him a fist bump. Great, now he’d have to figure out how to score some smack just in case this douche bag came asking for some. Inside, he was ready to just follow this Leo character to the bathroom the next time he went and snap his neck in urinal, but he made Brett a promise. No murder. However, he knew some real live dedicated Navy men who might have volunteered to do it. This guy was an embarrassment.

  “I think I’m going to like you,” Leo said, eyes greedy at the prospect of getting high for free. “What’s your name again?”

  “Jake,” Gavin said, offering his head. He was certain the guy would look him up in the upcoming days, but by then, he’d have what he needed, and it would be too late.

  “I’m Leo,” Leo said, offering his hand. “Nice to meet you. Let’s get another drink.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Gavin said, hitting the bar with his balled up fist. “Hey, Daisy. Get your pretty ass over here and get us another round!”

  ***

  Mid-afternoon the next day, Gavin rolled over in his hotel bed completely naked with a raging hard on and an insatiable need to drink a gallon of water. Flashes of the night before flooded his memory. So many shots. So many girls. So much bullshit. Strip clubs were all the same, and so was everyone in them. Everyone was either there to get laid, get paid or get away from someone at home.

  While Gavin had not had that many shots since his last night as a Recon Marine many years ago, the key to the previous evening had been all about alcohol. In order to get close to Leo, Gavin had to first get him drunk and loose so he’d be willing to talk more about his private life. That didn’t take long.

  The next step was to establish his story as a retired Marine with a disgruntled ex-wife and a small son in the nearby area. A few years back, his team had set up a series of private Facebook and Twitter pages that they maintained on weekly basis. They were so detailed with pictures, places and events until anyone who didn’t know him intimately, would never know that the profile was a fake. After going through picture after picture with Leo of his children, his renovations of his house in Denver and Christmas parties at his job, Leo was not only convinced but tired of delving into Gavin’s fake life.

  After all, the man was a narcissist. He relished in talking about himself, not learning about others.

  About an hour into drinks at the bar, Gavin made a quick run out to the strip club parking lot to score cocaine off a yuppie banker getting ready to get a blow job from one of the dancers in his Porsche. He came back in and went with Leo to the bathroom several times. The greedy fucker was so geeked about getting high; he hadn’t noticed that he was doing so alone. Sure Gavin pretended, but he had never done drugs a day in his life and didn’t plan on breaking his streak for Leo.

  Two hours into a full cocaine and booze bender courtesy of Gavin, Leo was his new best friend. He was blabbing like a baby – not about Cameron or Amy- but about his bitchy ex-wife. Gavin made sure to make plenty of mental notes, especially about the woman’s name, job, where she lived and what she did in her free time.

  On top of that, the sexy little bartender Daisy was eating right out of the palm of his hand bringing him drink after drink and only charging him half, in hopes that he’d come see her again. He flirted with her all night and as the drinks continued to flow, so did the prospect of seeing past her young age.

  However, the true wild card had been Amber who came into the mix three hours into the night. After finishing for the night, she came over to the bar in a scantily clad dress and hoe heels and drank with them, shot for shot. Everything about her screamed gold digger from her acrylic nails to her blinding bleach blonde hair and oversized boobs. However, what was most obvious was Leo’s ability to control her. It was obvious to Gavin that she was his present meal ticket, but what wasn’t obvious was how he planned to ditch her.

  At the end of the night, Leo was high as a kite and wanted to keep the party going, especially the coke. So, he invited Gavin over to their condo for a nightcap, but Gavin was a man of habit and preparation. He had prepared for the meeting with Leo. He had used old habits of collecting information on his mark, but he had done all of that because he was in a controlled environment. Leo’s house was out of his territory, and based on how Amber was looking at him by the end of the night, he was certain that Leo was prepared to give him that “free taste” he had suggested earlier.

  Instead after giving Leo the last of the coke as a parting gift, he headed back to his hotel. After all, he had a camera attached to his baseball cap that had to be downloaded to his computer and sent over to Brett’s lawyer, and there were still a few more things that he needed to do before he headed back to Jacksonville.

  The door to the bathroom came open and filled the room with steam. Sitting up in the bed, he watched as Daisy came out with her hair wrapped in a towel and her naked body shimmering with water. She was beautiful naked. Young and flawless, her natural curves looked even better when he wasn’t drunk. She kept a little brunette patch of hair on the landing strip between her legs nearly hidden by wide hips. Her large breasts bobbed as she walked and her back naturally arched in before leading out to a wide full ass.

  Gavin had enjoyed her last night, all of her, several times. It was evident by his hand print still stamped on her left buttock. But that was nothing in comparison to the scratches he still felt down his back. Showering later would be a bitch.

  She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. His brown eyes were locked on her like a predator on his prey. Sandy brown hair sat atop his head all disheveled and his tan long body rippled with taut muscle basking in the sunlight coming from the window. With a knowing smile, she pulled the towel off of her damp hair and threw it in the corner. “You’re awake,” she said, walking over to the chair to retrieve her clothes.

  “Yeah,” Gavin said, wiping a hand over his face. “I didn’t realize that I’d slept so late.” He looked at his watch on his wrist and realized he had missed check out. Not to mention, if he didn’t get a move on, he’d miss his other appointment in less than an hour.

  Daisy eyed his erection with new interest. “Well, it was a long night.” Her insinuation was more so about their time together after they arrived back from the hotel. He had fucked her mercilessly, something she hadn’t been prepared for even as he entered her.

  “Too long,” Gavin said gruffly of Leo. He hadn’t realized her meaning or that he had offended her with his statement.

  Daisy sighed to herself. Last night he had been charming but today he seemed like a different man. The lust had gone from his eyes and his demeanor had chan
ged. As a sheer defense mechanism, her attitude instantly hardened as she realized what was going on. She had just been a booty call and now it was time for her to go. “It’s 12:30. I have to head back to the bar and get ready for the night. So, I’ll be out of your hair in a minute.” Without meaning to, her attention focused on his prosthetic leg. Turning uncomfortably away, she slipped her black tank top over her head and pulled it down over her breasts.

  Gavin looked at his leg and frowned. “Sorry that I didn’t mention my leg before.” He pushed to the end of the bed and stood up. Stretching his arms out, he popped his neck.

  “It’s okay,” Daisy said quickly.

  But it wasn’t. In truth, seeing the prosthetics he got out of his clothes the night before had scared her but not nearly as much as the two Glocks on the nightstand or the two laptops on the desk. She got the feeling that maybe this guy wasn’t who he said he was. Computer techs didn’t carry guns. Still, despite her reservations, she had slept with him. And that had been her fault.

  Gavin walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hard body pushed up against her igniting heated arousal. His heart beat against her back, letting her know that whatever he wasn’t, he was at least human.

  “You don’t have to lie about the leg. I’m used to it, so I tend to forget,” he said, kissing her shoulder. He looked at her through the reflection of the mirror in front of them. His brown eyes seared through her reservations about having sex with him again. “I should have said something to you beforehand. I’m sure it took you by surprise.”

  Daisy blinked hard. His voice vibrating against her turned her on more than she cared to say and his hands on her skin clouded all sensibility. She moved her neck for him to kiss her again. He did so immediately. Slowly, he kissed her shoulder until she burned inside for him.