I don’t know why, but the question brings a smile to my face. “Yes,” I laugh before he pushes the shot glass back and allows me to down the shot with ease. I pull a face as the vodka burns its way down my throat.
“Right,” the man says, pulling my attention back to him. “Start from the beginning.”
I’m not particularly proud to tell him my story but it’s the least I can do for the man who’s just saved me from the ugliness of the past few hours. “Well, it sounds really childish, but I sort of ran away from home tonight. I just couldn’t stay there any longer. It wasn’t safe. I waited for my step mom to pass out and I packed a suitcase and left. It’s just my luck that it’s pissing down with rain right now.”
I see his eyes narrowing on me, filled with a million questions, but he lets me continue. “I, ah, walked for maybe three hours until I made it into the city and thought I could find a motel or a shelter or something like that, but there’s nothing, so I stopped to rest on this storefront that offered a little shelter and that’s when this man just… appeared. I don’t know, there was something really off about him, like I knew what he wanted straight away, so I nailed him in the junk and ran, and now… I’m here.”
“Well, shit,” he murmurs, grabbing my empty shot glass and filling it up once again. I nod in agreement as I down the vodka. “First of all. You’re a damn fool for leaving in the middle of the night during a storm without a ride or a place to stay. I’m also betting that you have no money. I’m not going to pretend like I know why you did it, but I’m sure you have perfectly good reasons for that,” he says, sounding like a disappointed father scolding a daughter.
I don’t know why but the thought of disappointing this man does weird things to me. My head hangs, ashamed of how I’ve handled myself tonight. “Alright, darlin’, what’s your name?”
My eyes come back up to meet his. “I’m Charli,” I tell him.
“Nice to meet you, Charli. I’m Micky and this is my bar.”
I nod my head as I take the chance to have a quick look around and realize, even in the low lighting that the place is pretty damn awesome. There are big tables up the back for big groups, little single tables for intimate dates, a dance floor for the girls to shake their asses while their boyfriends drink beer and talk shit. The place looks well worn like it could be a popular hangout spot. “I like it,” I tell him honestly.
“Thanks,” he says with sincerity. “Now, down to business. You got any friends or family you can stay with or even a plan on what you’re going to do now?”
I cringe, knowing he may not like my answer. “No. I have no one. No job, no money, no car, nothing,” I sigh. “I thought I had a suitcase filled with clothes until I left it on that storefront with that man.”
He considers me for a moment before coming to some sort of decision. “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do,” he starts. “I have an apartment upstairs that I crash in every now and then. Consider it yours. You’ll work in the bar each night and you can start paying rent in a few weeks when you’re back on your feet.”
“What?” I gasp, “I couldn’t possibly put you out like that,” I say, desperately wanting to take him up on the offer, but it’s too kind. I couldn’t take advantage of his hospitality like that.
“You can and you will,” he demands. “Now, shut up and listen to what’s going to happen.”
I swallow my refusals and nod my head as Micky continues. “For the next week, I’ll get my daughter to come in and train you on everything you need to know about being behind a bar. Layla is a star, she’ll have you owning this place in no time, but I’m assuming serving drinks for the rest of your life isn’t particularly your dream?” he asks.
“Well, no,” I admit. “I’ve always dreamed of owning my own hair salon,” I tell him bashfully, never having actually said those words out loud.
“Hmm, that’s manageable,” he says. “Have you started studying for that?”
“No,” I say with a shake of my head, “I’ve never had the chance to study. I was pulled out of school when I turned fifteen to work for my step mom’s cleaning business so she could stay home and drink.”
Micky let’s out a sympathetic sigh then reaches out a hand and gently squeezes my shoulder. “That’s going to change real soon, Charli,” he tells me. “We’ll get you enrolled in classes in the morning.”
“That sounds great and all but how the hell am I going to afford beauty school?”
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll sort it out. You can pay me back through your wages,” Micky suggests.
“I can’t,” I say with a shake of my head. “It’s too much.”
Micky is thoughtful for a moment when he gets this look on his face, almost as if a lightbulb has gone off in his head. “Have you ever heard of a traineeship?” he asks.
I look at him blankly, completely confused. “Um… no,” I admit.
He lets out a small chuckle. “I had a feeling,” he says with a smirk. “It’s where you would go to work in a hair salon every day and the senior hairdresser will teach you everything you need to know. So, you basically get paid to learn.”
“Seriously?” I ask in shock. I’ve never heard of such a thing.
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s a little more technical than that, but leave it with me. I’ll look into it in the morning. For now, you should get upstairs and get settled. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
What the hell? Is this man an angel sent to earth to rescue me? “Why are you doing all this for me? You barely know me.”
“One day, when you have kids, you’ll understand,” he explains. “And I hope to God, if my daughter was ever in this situation, there would be someone out there who would look out for her.”
“Thank you, Micky,” I say.
“Alright,” he says. “Enough of that. I’ll show you upstairs. I think Layla has some clothes up there you could borrow until you can get some of your own,” he adds as he walks out from behind the bar and gestures for me to follow him. “I’ll show you the way.”
I follow him out a side door which leads up some stairs, thankful that he flicks on a light at the bottom, showing me exactly where we’re going. We reach a door at the top and he pulls out a bunch of keys from his pocket before fiddling around with them for a while and releasing one silver key from the keychain.
He slides the key into the lock and opens it before handing the key to me.
He pushes his way through and I follow behind. Micky flicks on a light which brightens up the whole room. It’s a small one bedroom apartment, which surprisingly, is actually quite nice and modern.
He leads me around the apartment showing me where everything is and explains that there should be enough food and water in the fridge to last a few days, but then I’ll need to go shopping. Tears begin to prick my eyes for the millionth time tonight and he takes that as his cue to get going.
“Alright, Charli. I’ll leave you to it. There are clothes in the drawers in the bedroom and towels are in the linen cupboard. I’ll meet you downstairs at about eleven to introduce you to Layla and get you started on your training.”
“Ok, thank you so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for your generosity,” I tell him, wiping away another stray tear.
He gives me a tight smile and a small nod of his head. “You’re going to be ok, kid,” he tells me before backing out of the room and pulling the door closed behind him. “Don’t forget to lock the door,” he adds moments before the door closes, leaving me in the safety of a new home.
I immediately rush over to the door and flick the lock before turning around and taking in the apartment before me. Wow, I can’t believe how amazing Micky has been. A complete stranger has just given me a job, a place to live, and is going to help me achieve my goal of becoming a hairdresser. I swear the worst day of my life has just become one of the best.
I search out the linen cupboard and grab a towel before desperately heading to the bathroom. I strip off my wet clothes
and climb straight into the shower, welcoming the hot water that flows over my chilled, damp hair. I’m pleased to find the bathroom is fully stocked with shampoo and conditioner and I get straight to work.
Exhaustion takes over, but I force myself to stay up and dry my hair in fears of becoming sick after being in wet clothes for the past four or five hours. I head into the bedroom to search out some clothes and find some pajamas, I also come across the underwear drawer, but I just can’t bring myself to wear someone else’s knickers.
I quickly change the sheets on the bed, I do a piss poor job of it but I can fix it in the morning. I rush into the kitchen and search through every cupboard looking for a glass when I come across a washing machine and dryer hidden behind a door. Score.
I grab my wet clothes from the bathroom and throw them in the wash before finally finding that cup and getting myself a glass of water.
I lay down in bed moments later and find myself drifting into a deep sleep, as for the first time in years, I finally feel safe.
Chapter 3
Xander
The hockey season has finally started and I stand in the locker room, waiting patiently as Coach Harris gives his fist pep talk of the year. Blah, blah, blah. Once you’ve heard one from one coach they all seem to blend together. ‘Go out there and show them who’s boss’, ‘Own the ice, make them your bitches’, “Clean the ice with those sorry assholes’. Yep, they’re all the same, though, I have to give credit to Coach Harris, he seems to put a lot of dedication in his speeches. I mean, his whole face turns red. Quite impressive.
The team gets out on the ice and I look over to Jaxon, who I notice has some sort of intrigued scowl pointed up at the audience. I follow his eye line and notice he’s staring at some chick. How strange, I’ve only known the guy for a little while but so far, I’m yet to see him be affected by some girl. But man, she is smoking hot, same as her friend beside her. Though, I’m pretty sure the friend is Bobby’s twin sister, Brianna.
I skate past Bobby who looks over at Jaxon with a strange look in his eye. “What’s up with Jax?” I ask.
Bobby lets out a small laugh. “Fucker’s got his balls tangled, that’s what,” he grunts with a knowing smirk.
“Right,” I murmur, completely confused about who this chick could be.
“Just be ready,” Bobby warns me. “With Cass here, I have a feeling Jax is going to be on fire.”
“Got it, man,” I say with a nod as I push on down the ice to continue my warm up. Well, at least it’s going to be an interesting game, maybe a fast one.
I skate over to the side and squirt some water into my mouth which is when I notice them. Sitting up in the grandstand, acting like a bunch of supportive as fuck parents. Give me a fucking break. I nod my head to acknowledge them and get a beaming proud smile in return from my mother. My father simply nods back with his ever present scowl on his face, though, that will change. The second the game starts, he’ll be on his feet, probably down in Coach’s ear, hollering at every call the referee makes tonight. It’s going to be fan-fucking-tastic.
I ignore them as I get into position and wait for the rest of the boys to fall in line. The whistle is blown and the game is on. Just as Bobby had predicted, Jax is on fire. He steals the puck from the opposition and we follow him down the ice, ready to defend him if need be. The game must only be thirty seconds in when he scores the first goal.
Awesome. I can’t say I don’t love the game. It’s fast and exciting. Not the same sort of adrenaline that I get from being in the ring, but still exciting all the same.
I’m on fire tonight and I must admit, it probably has something to do with Cole’s training. The dude is a legend and knows exactly what he’s doing. I feel faster and stronger, and I’ve only been training with him for two weeks. I’ve given him my training requirements for the team and he has managed to slip that shit into my training, so I’m not wearing myself out.
His friends are pretty cool too, Caden, Luke, and Jace. I’ve met them a few times and so far, they all seem pretty pumped about me getting into the Underground, and even think with Cole’s training, I could take it out, which also means a shit load of money and getting out from under my parents hold. Though, each and every one of them has come to me and made sure I fully understand the dangers of it. Which, I certainly do. If I fuck up, I’m screwed. It’s as simple as that.
After one of the most exciting games of Hockey I’ve ever been a part of, the game comes to a close, and just as I had expected, we’re declared the winners.
We line up and shake the opposition’s hands before getting off the ice and heading into the locker room. I have a feeling this season is going to be awesome. It will be hard and exhausting, but I have no doubt this team will take out the championship. The only question is, if I will be here to do it with them.
I strip off my hockey gear and head straight for the showers. Five minutes later, I’m dressed and ready.
The boys start discussing what we’re going to do to celebrate as apparently heading to Micky’s bar after a home game win is some sort of tradition, so I guess that’s what we’re doing.
I grab my shit out of my locker and head out with Shorty and Aaron. My phone comes to life in my pocket as we walk out to my truck and I dig it out.
Mom – Great game, love. Your father and I are heading home.
Thank fuck. That’s one awkward conversation I can avoid tonight. I slip my phone back into my pocket and we throw our shit in the back of my truck. Shorty climbs in the front seat beside me and raves about my truck as he directs me to Micky’s pub, but to be honest, I’m not really listening. This truck isn’t exactly something I take pride in. It’s just one of the million things my parents gave me to buy me off.
We get to the bar five minutes later and the moment we step through the door, it’s like we’re the local celebrities.
Shorty looks over to me and gives me a knowing smile as he leads us to a table in the back. “What did I tell you, man? We’re the fucking Kings of Denver,” he declares.
I can’t help but smirk at his attitude as we join the other guys from the team. Drinks are thrust in our direction and chicks begin throwing themselves at us, but to be honest, most the guys are more interested in discussing how good the game was. They don’t need to cater to these girl’s desires, all they need to do is pick one as they leave and she will follow. Sounds bad, but that’s just the way it is.
Some guys from last year, Miller and Tank have shown up with their girlfriends, Dani and Sophie. Miller and Tank were apparently some sort of ‘dream team’ and made it into the NHL, but to tell the truth, I haven’t really been following it lately, but so far, they seem like cool guys.
Jaxon shows up with Bobby and the two chicks from the grandstand. Jaxon doesn’t look impressed, while Bobby looks like he is ready to party hard. So, I settle back in my chair and watch the show unfold.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed how the boys seem to be a family. They always have each other’s backs and are constantly encouraging each other to be better. As the newbie to the group, I feel like I haven’t really broken through that wall yet. Don’t get me wrong, the guys are awesome and have been extremely welcoming, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m the black sheep of the group.
I feel like they can tell something is up with me, that something’s holding me back from truly being a part of their family, but they have no proof to pull me up on it. After all, I have attended every single training session and am always giving my all to my training.
Maybe it’s just me because I’m feeling more and more at home at Rebels Advocate rather than in an ice rink. I guess I’ve always enjoyed being in a ring more than I have the ice. Maybe the guys can sense it, that I don’t share that same love for the game that they do. Who knows?
An hour later, after an extremely revealing game of ‘never have I ever’, the whole table is sloshed, especially the girls.
The girls disappear to the dancefloor and the bo
ys get comfortable. I try to signal to the waiter for another drink but the place is packed. I get up from my spot and start heading for the bar only to realize Shorty and Aaron are right there beside me.
We line up like the rest of the people and wait patiently until we make it to the front of the queue.
“Ooh, fresh meat,” Aaron comments as he looks at some chick behind the bar.
My eyes turn in her direction only to see her back as she fills up some glasses. She has dark straight hair that has been pulled back into a ponytail, a black shirt, and tight black jeans that hug her perfect little ass. My eyes are busy roaming up and down her body when she turns around and graces me with the front view and wow, just wow. She must have the hottest body I have ever seen. I mean, she is smoking hot. Her black tank stretches over her tits which I can already tell are perky and full, just how I like them.
My eyes travel back up her body and land on her face, only to be blown away by the soft blue eyes that stare back at me. I don’t know if it’s the dark hair that makes her eyes stand out so much, but there’s definitely something about them that’s pulling me in.
A shy smile graces her lips as she rips her eyes away from mine and focuses on Shorty. “What can I get you boys?” she asks with a velvety voice.
“How’s about your name, sweetheart?” Shorty asks with a flirty wink.
She gives a playful smile and I realize it’s all for show. She would be used to guys hitting on her working in a place like this, and I’m sure it works in her favor with getting tips and all. “I’m Charli,” she informs us as a slight blush creeps across her cheeks. “What would you like?”
Shorty orders us all a round of beers and I can’t help but notice the way those baby blues keep coming back to me. “So, you guys are hockey players?” she asks as she pours our drinks.
Aaron puts on his panty dropping grin, “Sure are, did you catch the game?”
“No,” she laughs then indicates around her to prove her point. “I’ve sort of been working tonight.”
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