Holding a Hero

by Layne, Lyssa

  My heart was pounding in my chest. Had he really said that, or did I make it all up? If it was, in fact, my overactive imagination, I would still take it.

  Needless to say, it was the longest afternoon of my life! I kept scanning the store for Tristan, searching for him in the sea of customers jamming every corner of the store. We made eye contact a few times, he had an uncanny ability of finding my eyes amongst the throngs of people. As he adjusted his name tag, I reminded myself I had to be careful about how much I focused on him - I was at work after all. There was a very strict policy about dating or flirting with co-workers or customers, which had been ingrained in our heads since orientation. Our boss had lost one too many employees from this very thing, and he had since installed a no nonsense policy about the very thing I was engaging in. Not that I really cared – I definitely needed Tristan more than I needed this job. The club paid a lot more and it was by far the more pleasant place to work.

  My shift finally ended, after a day which had felt endless. Waiting for Tristan in the storeroom, I nervously sorted through the contents of my purse, looking for the lip gloss I’d dropped in there before leaving the house. The glowing light on my phone caught my attention, informing me I’d missed two calls from the club and one voicemail. I had a bad feeling about this.

  I listened to the message and my heart sank. My manager, Tyler, had called twice to let me know I was needed at work tonight. I glanced at my watch in desperation, I couldn't cancel my date, I'd dreamed about it for so long. We still had time for dinner, but it couldn't extend beyond that. I was disappointed I would have to put a time limit on my night with Tristan, but any time was better than none.

  ''Ready?'' he asked, his abrupt appearance taking me by surprise.

  Lost in thought, I tried to hide the disappointment I felt. ''Yeah, but I just found out I have to work tonight. I’ll still have time for dinner, but unfortunately I’ll need to head out after that. Is that okay?''

  Please say it’s okay! Please say it’s okay!

  ''Not a problem. We’ll just have to do something else another time, so you can make it up to me.'' He winked.

  ''Sure, I'd love to.'' The permanent smile on my face was making my cheeks flush with color. It was almost embarrassing how giddy I was. Almost. I tried not to stare at him, but I just couldn’t stop myself. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to have a panic attack.

  Sure, I’d daydreamed many times about being in his car. But I never actually thought I would sit in it one day – it seemed like a fantasy. But here I was, perched in the shiny black BMW. The seats were covered with some of the smoothest black leather in existence and the music playing added soothing sounds in the background. I’d always wondered why he was working at the music store, if he could afford a car like this at twenty one. We probably made the same hourly rate and there was no way I would be able to pay for this car on the wages I got from the music store.

  We went to a Lebanese restaurant and the food was delicious. Candles were lit on each table and slow Arabic music was playing in the background, making the ambiance of the place even more romantic. Despite the beautiful setting, and the gorgeous man, I was a bundle of nervous energy. I was edgy at first - I had been dreaming about this moment for months. Apparently my skittishness was quite obvious. Reaching across the table, Tristan took my shaking hands in his and kissed my knuckles. He looked at me through his eyelashes and said, ''Don’t be nervous, beautiful. We’re going to do this again. Get used to it.'' My heart melted and my insides turned to goo. In that instant, my feelings for him tripled.

  The waiters brought our dishes to the table, filled with delicious food. My nerves died down as the evening progressed, while we talked, laughed, and ate far too much. Toward the end of our meal, a beautiful young woman approached our table, performing a stunning belly dance routine. She was wearing a bra which accentuated her breasts and a burgundy skirt with a deep purple, pearl-like fringe. We were amazed by the rhythmic movement of her hips, she made it seem so easy. Tristan’s eyes were glued on her, with a mix of both desire and curiosity. At first, his ogling her made my blood boil, but then I figured she was not only stunning, but she was amazingly limber. I was sure Tristan wasn’t the only man in the restaurant who was mesmerized by her. The performance lasted for twenty minutes and I was blown away by her talent and raw sensuality.

  She received a multitude of compliments—Tristan even gave her a tip—and once she was gone, I sat back in my chair and tried to appreciate the moment. It was my first date in quite some time and I thought it was going very well. Better than I’d ever imagined, really. Some girls sitting at other tables stared at Tristan during our meal, with envy in their eyes and I felt lucky to be the one sitting with him. A smile crossed my face when I recalled his promise to ‘do this again’.

  ''So, I heard you also work in a club?''

  ''Yeah, I'm a waitress at Black Shakers. Have you ever been there?'' I asked curiously. I wondered what he thought of the club, although I didn’t think it would be his type of place.

  ''No, I've never been there, but maybe I'll stop by.''

  Yeah, that would be great. It would be fun to have you come visit when I’m working.''

  After paying the tab and leading me out of the restaurant, Tristan dropped me off at the club.

  Disappointment swept over me when we arrived. I wished we could’ve gone to a movie or something – I didn’t want this magical night to end. He kissed my cheek sweetly when we said goodbye and I couldn’t get over how perfect he was turning out to be.

  I arrived at work in less than amazing spirits. My mind kept going back to the past few hours and all I could think about was his grin, and the sound of his laughter. I had it bad for him; he was definitely my type of guy. Trying to keep my mind busy, I hurried to get my station ready, but I was tired from the excitement of the day and really didn't feel like working.

  ''Hey, Nix! Ready for tonight?'' Tyler asked. He was the owner of Black Shakers and he was always around the place somewhere. He wasn't much older than me – I didn’t think he couldn’t be more than thirty.

  ''Almost ready,'' I yawned.

  ''It’s supposed to be a big night. All the students are done with school and they want to party! Which is why I asked you to come in. If anyone can handle the crazy crowd and give them a show, it is my Terrific Trio.” He winked. “Enjoy the night.''

  ''Sure, we will.''

  Val and Bekka had already arrived and were busy preparing their stations. We started working here not even a month ago, and Tyler had fired most of his other staff to keep us together. He said we were ‘magical’ and brought something different to the club. To be honest, I didn't really want to know what he meant by ‘different’. We were very comfortable together and we were able to cheer the customers up and bring a good vibe to the bar. Maybe it was our enthusiasm.

  Bekka had it bad for Tyler and I’m pretty sure we all knew it, including him. She had a thing for bad boys and Tyler definitely had the look and the attitude down - no doubt about it. Every night he wore a black t-shirt with dark blue jeans, and I’ve never seen him without his signature black Doc Martens. He had dark brown hair and grey eyes and the man was certainly good looking. His looks alone were enough reason to have women flocking to the club.

  Tyler didn’t care about the barflies, he only had eyes for Bekka, never letting her out of his sight. He protected her from the drunken idiots who overstepped their boundaries and I wished she could recognize his attraction to her. It was clear to everyone - he liked her as much as she liked him. The female patrons in the club were always trying to flirt with him, but he seemed bored out of his mind with their pathetic attempts to capture his attention. Bekka could be so blind sometimes, I was starting to think that I was going to have to intervene. The club was perpetually darkened, all the walls painted in black, with only the wall behind the bar painted red. The dance floor took up half of the space, even though the majority of the customers were always sitti
ng at tables.

  At one point in the evening, I noticed Tyler talking to a guy I hadn’t seen before. The two were ecstatic to see one another, greeting each other with the universally recognized man hug and laughing together. Tyler looked surprised to see the other guy, but by the familiarity between them – they must have been old friends. I’d never met one of Tyler’s friends outside of the bar group and it was refreshing to see him with someone new.

  ''BODY SHOT!'' I turned around to glance at Val’s area, from where the sound of a bunch of guys shouting made me roll my eyes. Most of them were already drunk and would remember none of this in the morning.

  Val was standing on the bar with a bottle of Tequila and the guys were all at her feet. Val knew how to flutter her eyelashes and get the attention of the drunkards, but it was all an act to bring home more tips. Val was madly in love with her high school sweetheart, and despite their long distance relationship—John was worth it.

  He was away at the University for summer school, taking extra classes to get more credits. Val had requested a transfer to Boston to be with him, but was still waiting for an answer. Val was convinced she wasn’t going to get the transfer but I had a feeling conviction had more to do with her fear of being turned down than any academic concerns. Seeing John only on rare occasions was starting to take its toll on her, and I didn’t know if she could handle not getting into the school in Boston.

  Despite her commitment to John, Val did like being the centre of attention - she loved having men in the palm of her hand and these desperate guys gave it to her. She was a beautiful blonde girl, with perfect sleek hair and pale green eyes. She had the body shape of Britney Spears, back in her ‘Slave’ days. Quite frankly, she drove the male customers wild.

  The entire mass of guys sitting around my station flocked to Val’s, giving me some time to clean up. I looked up to find only one left, and he was watching me intently. It was the same guy Ty had greeted so enthusiastically earlier.

  ''Can I get you anything?'' I asked, taking empty glasses off the counter.

  ''A smile. Give me one and I guarantee you’ll get the biggest tip tonight.'' The slow seductive tone rolling from his shapely lips told me he wasn’t just fooling around. His green eyes stared at me like I was dessert. This guy was hot and he knew it. He was looking me up and down, biting on his lips. He was clearly not afraid to show me how much he liked what he saw. Me. His confidence and determination were fierce. The way his tousled light brown hair went every which way, hanging down across his forehead, told me right away he didn’t care about his looks. He didn’t have to.

  He wanted a smile? I shook my head. ''You don’t want a drink? Just water, maybe?''

  ''No, just a smile. You're the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and it's just a smile I want.'' He brushed his hand through his hair, making it even more tousled.

  I knew I was blushing and bit my lip in embarrassment. His eyes refused to stray from mine, pinning me in place. I smiled, but not because he’d asked. No, this smile was solely because this random man had pulled it out of me. I saw the humour in his eyes as he slid fifty bucks out of his pocket and onto the counter. ''Thank you, Princess. You just made my night.''

  He got up and walked away. I could see the hint of tattoos peeking out around his neckline and beneath his rolled up sleeves. His black Converse high tops were worn out, giving him a laid back look, and his perfectly fitted, washed-out jeans fell low on his hips, accentuating what looked to be the most perfect ass I’d ever seen. The black, long sleeve Henley he wore was tight in all the right places. There was something about his mysterious and inscrutable demeanor which made me wonder about him. He’d wanted to get my attention and, well – he’d gotten it.

  Who the hell is he? I knew he was the guy Tyler had been excited to see, but I’d never seen him around the club before. I knew I’d have remembered that tantalizingly gorgeous mystery man.

  He didn't give me his name and I didn't give him mine. Not that he had to ask - I wore a name tag with my name engraved on it. It was the strangest thing which had ever happened to me. My eyes continued to focus on him until he opened the door of the club and left. I found myself still watching the door, even after it was closed, as though I wanted to chase after him – which was insane. I shook my head, willing myself to move on.

  I began wiping down the counters, pausing to watch Val entertain her groupies at the station next to mine. As I turned to grab more lemons, my eyes were drawn again to the door. Tristan sauntered in with a few of his friends hanging around him, laughing at something one of them had said. Tristan had admitted to never having visited Black Shakers before and, even after our dinner date tonight, I still hadn’t expected to see him turn up so soon. I couldn’t seem to figure out if I was excited by his surprise visit, or nervous about it. It felt like he was parading a bunch of his buddies around my bedroom, looking through my dirty laundry. This was my home away from home and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let him in—yet. Not to mention I was still shaken up by the strange interaction with Mr. Mysterious.

  Shouts from Val’s station caught my attention again. Val was lying on the counter and Bekka was squeezing some lime juice onto Val’s stomach. I wasn’t sure who was supposed to get the next shot, but right now, I needed it to be me. I made my way around the bar with determination as I kept the drink in my sights. Tipping my head back, I drained the liquor from the glass, and licked the lime juice and salt from Val’s belly. All eyes were on me now, as if I was some sort of prize. It was just a shot for heaven’s sake. The customers were used to this performance, most of the girls behind the bar were doing body shots throughout the night. The first time I visited Black Shakers to hang out, the waitresses did at least two shots each. As far as I was concerned, it really was no big deal.

  I walked back to my section and was immediately surrounded by applauding and drunken guys, asking for my phone number. I laughed it off as I always did - none of them would get it. It was just one aspect of working in a club, dealing with the slobbering, horny drunks. At least I could handle their testosterone-fuelled innuendo now, and if anyone ever got out of hand, there were always bodyguards standing by to watch our backs.

  Tristan walked directly up to the counter where I stood, his eyes unnaturally wide. ''That was different...'' He smiled a seductive smile, but I saw the intimidation on his face. ''I was in the area and I just wanted to drop by.''

  ''Thanks for stopping in, I'm happy you did.'' Hearing his voice and seeing that smile sent my pulse racing. ''Do you want something to drink?'' I watched him carefully, unsure if he had planned on sticking around for the night.

  ''No, thanks. I'm driving.''

  ''Of course. Well, how about a kiddie cocktail then? I make a mean virgin,'' I said, with a playful wink. My sudden confident demeanour surprised me, but I silently thanked the tequila for increasing my bravery.

  He let out a deep laugh which lit up my soul. The beautiful sound made me smile so widely, my cheeks began to ache.

  "I have no doubt, but maybe a little later." He paused for a short moment. ''I had a good time with you earlier. I hope we can do it again.''

  I did, too, and I was hoping it would be soon. Tristan was smart, fun and everything I’d imagined. Our conversation at dinner had been exciting and rewarding - there was so much I could learn from him. He’d travelled to all seven continents and his grades were so good, he already had a guaranteed job when he was done with Law School. He was obviously born to succeed.

  ''Sure. I, uh, I’d love to. I work here most of the time, but we can arrange something on my next day off.'' My mind was racing faster than my tongue was moving. I had to stop before something fell out of my mouth and humiliated me.

  ''That's great!'' He took my hand and kissed the back of it. ''I have to go now, the textbooks are calling my name. I just had to see you one more time before I dive into my political science paper.''

  “I’m glad you did. I’ll let you know when my day off is.''

>   He released my hand and nodded. ''Drive safe.'' He motioned for his friends and just as suddenly as they’d arrived, they were gone.

  Bekka and Val were watching me and once more I found myself staring at the door, wondering about the man who’d just strode through it. First, the sexy-as-hell tattoo guy came out of nowhere and asked for a smile, and then Tristan’s surprise visit, asking me for another date. What a night!

  Val and Bekka strolled across from their stations, both taking a brief break to come and interrogate me

  ''That was Tristan, right? Val asked.

  I nodded, still struggling to process the last thirty minutes of my life.

  ''Well, now I understand why you keep the music store job! He is such a babe,'' Bekka said. ''What was he doing here?''

  ''He kind of asked me on a date... well, not exactly. But he wants to see me again,'' I squealed, trying to keep myself from jumping up and down in front of a league of frat boys.

  The girls hugged me and squealed, and the night seemed to fly from that moment on. We danced, we sang, we talked and served the customers. It was why I liked this job so much - it was more of a party with my best friends each night, and it was an absolute blast.

  The next morning I woke up on top of the comforter - still wearing the club uniform and with makeup smeared messily across my face. I hated mornings like this. The only cure for a hangover like this was a lukewarm bath, and with the scent of vanilla filling the steamy room, my mind wandered to Tristan. His smile, his kiss, his laugh. And then, without warning, my thoughts drifted until they were focused on the sexy stranger. He appeared to be a rebel, full of temptation and my ‘bad boy’ alert was screaming out warnings. I didn’t know who he was, or if I would ever see him again, but if I knew one thing for certain, it was that bad boys couldn’t be trusted. If our paths did cross ever again, I would be wise to keep a lid on my curiosity and stay away.