Meat Market Anthology

by S. Van Horne

  “I was hoping to get a piece of the KC Strip I’ve heard so much about. Did anyone ever tell you that you have the sexiest pair of blue bedroom eyes?”

  Fucking figures.

  “Never by someone as beautiful as you. As for KC Strip, you have to go through the boss man. Call Jason, sweetheart, and I’ll see if I can get you that taste you’re desperately wanting.” I give my signature smirk again and wink before I turn and walk toward the rear of the store, praying once more I can get away from her. Again, fate fucks me over. Right before I enter the back to get some more orders, I hear her voice.

  “You can bet your ass I will, and just wait, you won’t ever want to get rid of me.” Her footsteps signal her departure, and I let out a long, drawn-out sigh while running my fingers through my short hair.

  “What was that about, Somers?” Damian, our other butcher, asks with a smirk while wrapping up some chops. After two years of working for us, he knows I hate it when he calls me by just my last name. I flip him off before walking back to my station, causing his laughter to fill the room at my loving gesture to him.

  “Ugh…someone wanting to catch and keep KC Strip. Dude, I’m glad it’s Monday because I’m beat. Last night, I didn’t get in until three in the morning.” I’m sure the look on my face shows just how sick I am of this work. I don’t know how many more nights I can take. I know men would kill to be in my shoes, but it gets old quick.

  Shaking his head with a grin on his face, he turns back to his job.

  I meant what I said. Mondays are my favorite time of the week. Every Monday is meeting day for The Meat Market boys, and the ten of us get together at The Bottle. We talk about business along with life in general. It’s our men time. And with a week full of dealing with women…we desperately need that time together. It also helps that Dylan, one of the men in our group, not only owns it, but also buys his meat from our shop.

  The Brown Bottle Bar and Restaurant is a five-star establishment that Jason stumbled upon with his buddies after he returned from New York a decade ago. We took to calling it The Bottle, and even though it’s known for its gourmet burgers and wings, it has the perfect dive bar atmosphere that most men love. It’s perfect for our group.

  “Finally, closing time. Jax and Damian, let’s get the fuck out of here,” Jason yells out as he walks by.

  Shit…lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize I just went through the motions these past fifteen minutes.

  “You good, man? You were pretty deep in thought,” Damian asks while he cleans up his station.

  “Like I said earlier, I’m just ready for a beer and some wings. Let’s hurry up and get this place scrubbed down so we can get the fuck out of here.”

  LILLY

  Jesus, it’s hot, and my feet are killing me.

  Thoughts of dropping in my bed race through my mind, but I’m not sure what waits for me behind the door of my two-bedroom apartment. Glancing down at the watch on my wrist, I notice it’s a quarter to ten. I lean my forehead on the door and say a quick prayer that he isn’t awake because the past sixteen hours were busy for the emergency room. Again, for the hundredth time tonight, I curse the full moon that always seems to bring out the craziness who end up filling the ER.

  The door opens, and I start to tumble forward, but hands grab and help steady me before I fall face first on the floor.

  “Shit, Lillian Marie Knight, what are you doing leaning on the door?”

  “Please, not the three names,” I groan out as I start to right myself. “Es, thanks for saving me from having a swollen face.” I glance up at one of my dearest friends and I give her my tired smile. After standing up as straight as my exhausted body will let me, I move through the door. “Please tell me he’s asleep and I can go and crawl into bed.” The groan that leaves me at the thought of my bed is something that has been happening lately. I’ve been working too much.

  “Yeah, he knocked out about two hours ago, which you know, means he’ll be up early. Do you still need me to watch him tomorrow night?”

  I nod and give her a brief hug before heading down the hallway, tugging my long hair out of its ponytail. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Es, I need sleep.”

  “I’ll lock up. Maybe you should jump in the shower first, babe. You smell like piss and puke.” The chuckle that follows my growl at her comment makes me shake my head. She’s right, though, I really need to shower first. However, instead of immediately taking her advice, I poke my head into the bedroom that’s right next to mine.

  Moving into the room, I smile as I reach out and gently brush the blond hair back from his forehead. I didn’t think I could ever love someone as much as I love Kasey. My surprise, my love, my baby boy. He’s my miracle I wasn’t expecting, and I’m forever grateful I have him. I bend and give him a kiss, breathing in his baby scent before quietly walking back out of his bedroom. My next stop is the master bathroom to take a quick shower.

  Two years ago, I lost the one family member I had left in my life. My Pee Paw was the best man I’ve ever known. He lost his daughter, son-in-law, and wife in a tragic accident, and almost lost his only grandchild. But I pulled through, and he took to raising me with open arms, never showing any of the grief he felt daily since losing them. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago, and my world crumbled. Since I’m a registered nurse, it was a no-brainer that I would be his in-home caretaker.

  When he finally passed, I was a twenty-four-year-old virgin who just wanted to forget the crappy cards I’d been dealt in life. I ended up at The Bottle getting ready to drink my worries away when I overheard the table beside me talking about male escorts and what they would offer. Saying fuck it, I wrote down what I heard and made a date with KC Strip for the following week. Which is how I found myself with a little KC Strip of my own. The problem is, he has no idea, not one clue he has a son. However, tomorrow, I’ll be facing him and finally telling him what our night ended up creating. He doesn’t even know it’s me he’s escorting. It’s time to face the music, a decision I can’t go back on after what I did during my lunch break.

  My hands are shaking as I look at my phone with my thumb hovering over the send button. I know I need to make this call, but the fear of the unknown is stopping me from doing it.

  Flashbacks of the little boy dying on the table just a month ago overtake me, and it gives me the push I need to initiate the call.

  “Meat Market,” the deep voice answers on the second ring.

  “Yes, I need to speak to Jason, please.”

  “Speaking. How can I help you?”

  “I need to order a special cut of meat for tomorrow night, if he’s open.” I squeeze my eyes shut at the sound of my voice quivering.

  The chuckling in my ear tells me he hears it, too. “Which cut would you like? I think there’s only two choices open for tomorrow. Tenderloin and KC Strip. If you’re wanting one of the others, it’ll have to be for a later time.”

  Hearing that KC is still there, and has the night open, has my heart pounding. “KC is the one I was thinking,” I murmur quietly, hoping he can hear me.

  “Okay, sweetheart. Let’s work out the details. First, what will you be wearing so he knows who you are? And what are you wanting? We need your contact info and a credit card to put on file in case of any changes that may arise.”

  I think back to two years ago when I did this and don’t remember it being this invasive. I remember just walking in, placing the order, and paying KC at the end of the night with cash…well, I left it on the table in the hotel when I ran from it. Regret causes my gut to twist again at the thought of what I’ve done. The secret I’ve kept. Pushing it away, I give Jason the information he requested.

  “Last, where do you want to meet?”

  “The Bottle.”

  “I’m sorry, but he doesn’t meet anyone at The Bottle. Can it be somewhere else?” Jason’s comment has me confused. It’s the place I met him last time.

  Before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “No, it h
as to be the first place we met. It’s very important that it’s at The Bottle.” I cringe at the desperation I hear in my tone.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you what…give me fifteen minutes to talk with him. I’ll text you a confirmation if he’s willing to do it. If not, I can hook you up with Tenderloin.”

  “No!” Shit, I didn’t mean to yell that. “It has to be KC, please. It’s important to me, and I really need to speak with him.” The last part is whispered out.

  After a few moments of silence, I think he’s going to deny my request. It almost sounds like I’m stalkerish. If this doesn’t work, then my next step is going to have to be going into the shop.

  “Okay, sweetheart, I will make sure KC is there tomorrow.”

  After dropping my head on the table, I take a deep breath and thank him before hanging up. Shit, the next twenty-four hours are going to be the slowest ever. The beeping on my watch tells me my break is over, and it’s time to get back on the floor.

  “Lord, please don’t let him hate me,” is the prayer I whisper while I clean up from my lunch.

  “Lillian, ambulance is coming in. Shooting. Patient in critical condition and had to be bagged. We’re getting triage two ready. ETA fifteen minutes.” I turn and nod at Sam and start heading out of the break room. This is just what I need to keep my mind from thinking of tomorrow night.

  I slowly come back to the present as the hot water starts to cool off. After taking a deep breath, I quickly wash my body before it gets too cold. I say another quick prayer that KC won’t hate me and will want to have a part in Kasey’s life.

  CHAPTER TWO

  JAXSON

  LEANING MY HEAD ON THE headrest of my seat, I take a deep breath, trying to talk myself into walking into The Bottle and meeting my date for the evening. After that one night two years ago, I told Jason I didn’t want to meet dates here. So, when he told me the location my date requested, I told him to fuck off. It wasn’t happening. Then he told me something that had me stopping dead in my tracks. My date had said she needed to meet me where we had first met, and hope hit me in the chest it was the girl who got away. I had no choice but to accept.

  Now, I’m second-guessing my decision. What if it isn’t her? Lil was my first date as an escort and shaped what I did from there on out. When I walked up to the table two years ago and called her name, the moment her blue eyes met mine…I knew I was a goner. Then finding out she was a virgin…let’s say the caveman in me realized that this woman was it for me. I knew the next conversation I would have with Jason would be how my first date was my last. I was ready to walk away from escorting and help Jason differently with the business. That night was more than I could have ever imagined, but waking up alone, without any way of finding her, broke me.

  I hired a private investigator to track her down, but due to the fact we didn’t get information like we do now back then, he came up empty-handed. All we had to go off of was the name Lil and a disconnected phone number in the name of some guy who had passed away. Since then, we changed how we take orders. I also decided to never use the name KC again and started using the name Jax on dates.

  “Body Like a Back Road” by Sam Hunt starts playing on the radio, and it has me glancing back down at my phone. My finger hovers over the gallery, desperately wanting to pull up the pictures I snapped when she fell asleep on my chest that night. Fuck it…I need this date done now because I really don’t want to keep thinking about her.

  I make my way into the restaurant and smile at the hostess.

  “Hey, Jax, what brings you here tonight?” she purrs at me.

  “Hey, sweetheart, I have a date tonight. Anyone come in with a blue jacket?” That was the only thing I was given on how to find her.

  “Yep, she’s in the back corner.” The look on her face tells me she really wishes it was her instead.

  “Thanks, I’ll walk myself.” Turning, I hightail it away from her before she can say another word.

  I spot the deep blue wrap hanging off the back of the chair. My eyes travel up the length of the blonde it belongs to, and my steps falter. The feeling of recognition starts to fill my chest. Taking in a deep breath, a familiar scent I haven’t been able to get out of my head since the day she left invades my nostrils. The shoulders of the woman tense as if she knows I’m close. When she turns slowly toward me, my whole world shifts. Staring right at me are the blue eyes that have haunted my dreams from the moment I woke up alone in the hotel room. My feet are no longer moving toward her while my brain is trying to come to terms that this is real and not a dream.

  “Hey, KC.” Hearing that name on her lips is the wakeup call I need to pull my shit together.

  “Where in the fuck have you been for two years? And the name isn’t KC, it’s Jax. I never want to be called KC again because it reminds me of what happened that night.” I cringe at the sound of my voice.

  Fuck, this isn’t going the way I always imagined it would when I found her again. Her face pales slightly and the thought that I fucked up my chance of being with her has me throwing my head back and squeezing my eyes shut tight waiting for her to speak.

  LILLY

  Oh, fuck me. Please tell me I heard him wrong. Did he really say he changed his name because of our night together? Shit.

  I realize this is a mistake as the night two years ago flashes through my mind…

  Taking a seat, I smile at the hostess before she walks away. I replay the description that was given to me…

  Age twenty-six, brown hair, and bright blue eyes. The life of the party. Loves to be the center of attention and will bring smiles to anyone he’s around. If you’re seeking someone to change your outlook on life…then KC is the one for you.

  That’s what I need, to have fun and change my outlook on life. Because right now, life is not what I want it to be.

  “Lil?” a deep voice has me snapping my eyes in his direction. Holy shit, he’s fucking breathtaking, and my panties I picked out just for tonight are now officially ruined. I’ve never reacted to a guy like this before.

  “Yes, are you KC?” I realize my voice doesn’t sound like it normally does, which makes me groan in embarrassment.

  He chuckles, and I blush because it makes me even wetter. Jesus, who knew a chuckle could be sexy.

  “Want to get out of here?” Snapping my eyes back up to his, I smile and nod. I just want to forget I’m alone for one night, and his blue eyes are promising to do just that.

  And he did make me forget. We ended up at the hotel room I rented for the night, and he showed me what I was missing when it came to sex. What I’ve been missing since that amazing night, as well. I haven’t been able to even look at another guy since then.

  “I’ve been working…wait, you’ve been looking for me?” It takes me a second to comprehend his words.

  “Lil, you have no clue what I went through trying to find you.” Without another word, he grabs me, and next thing I know, his lips are on mine, demanding entrance. This kiss is different from the last time our lips met. It’s claiming, dominating, branding…he’s making a statement not only to me, but to everyone else around us. A statement that has my body melting against his and my brain in a fog.

  “Jax, you might want to take this outside, bud. You’re giving my customers a show that they didn’t pay for,” a voice from behind him slowly enters my brain as KC…no Jax, ends the kiss.

  “Sorry, Dylan. I’ll be back tomorrow to close the tab Lil created.” Suddenly, he throws me over his shoulder and carries me out of the restaurant. And, oddly enough, I find I don’t mind it. I just hold on.

  CHAPTER THREE

  JAXSON

  THE DRIVE TO MY HOUSE is silent other than the radio playing softly in the truck. And for once, I’m grateful for it. I know we need to talk, but right now, all I can think of is tossing her on my bed and fucking her until she understands that I’m all she needs. “Craving You” by Thomas Rhett comes on and causes me to smirk because I’m craving her like a junkie jonesing
for his next fix.

  I try to control the raging desire to reach out and hold her hand and never let it go. For two years, I’ve wanted to find her and demand answers. Now that she’s here, sitting beside me, I feel like I’m finally complete. There are so many questions I need to ask her, but for the life of me, I can’t think of a single one, other than needing to know what perfume she’s wearing because it’s driving me crazy.

  “What perfume are you wearing?”

  “Egyptian Musk. Why do you ask?”

  The sound of a phone buzzing stops me from telling her.

  Movement catches my eye, and I see she’s typing on her phone. Peering over her shoulder, anger surges through me at the thought of her messaging another man. I catch the words, be back home later tonight, and the spark of jealously hits me like a punch.

  “Are you texting another man while hiring me for a date, Lil?” At the sound of my voice, her head jerks up.

  “No, I wouldn’t do that, K…Jax. I was messaging Essex that I would be later than I intended. And everyone calls me Lilly, not Lil.” I tilt my head at her; curious. I want to know who Essex is.

  “Essex?”

  “I met Essex about a little over a year ago. She was brought into the emergency room after her ex-husband, beat her almost to death. He ended up killing himself, which if you ask me was a blessing to the world. We clicked and formed a friendship while she has worked on getting over what happened to her. She now helps me out when I need her from time to time and recently got a job at the hospital with me.” Her voice trails off, and I get the feeling she’s hiding something.