by T. T. Kove
“So what’s up?”
“Just wanted to see the new schedule. Making many changes?”
"Nah. No one's requested anything, so I'm keeping it mostly like it was last year."
Good. “I need Kasey to have time off next weekend.”
He glanced up at me then back at the screen. “That’s his weekend off anyway.”
“Good. I’ll be off then too.”
“Yeah, I figured,” he chuckled. “Off on a romantic getaway?”
“Something like that, yeah.” I hoped it would be a welcome surprise to him. I thought it would be, but who knew. “Anyway, keep him working with Adam and Cooper as much as it’s possible. He gets along well with those two.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He waved that away. “He’s already got every other weekend with them. Weekdays are a bit more of a mix, but Adam works almost every single day. He’s the one, besides you and me, who’s got the most hours around here. Cooper—well, he’s Cooper.”
Yeah, isn’t that right? Cooper was good behind the bar, but he much rather preferred to be on the other side of it. He did his hours, but nothing more. He hardly ever said yes to extra shifts. Adam, on the other hand, took all the shifts he could. He was extremely hardworking.
“Speaking of, I got to work tonight,” Graeme said then. “Gary had some family emergency, so he can’t make it back to the city in time for his shift.”
“I can take it,” I offered. “I don’t have anything better to do anyway.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girl finally raise her head. She was looking expectantly towards Graeme. He, on the other hand, looked at me. “You sure about that?”
"Yeah." A night at the bar would go by in a flash, then a few hours’ sleep and Kasey would be home. "But tomorrow I'm not available for anything."
He chuckled. “Okay then.”
With the prospect of something to do for the rest of the day—besides sit at home and feel sorry for myself—I headed out to get some dinner.
“Wynn, what’re we supposed to do with her?” Adam asked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the girl slumped on the counter.
I sighed, recognising the tangled blonde hair from earlier. Graeme’s girl. Why was she here at the bar? And why was she passed out drunk? Where was he? “Has Graeme been drinking here tonight?” He’d left with her after I’d arrived back in the office with my kebab and she’d seemed in higher spirits then, chattering away at him as they left.
“Graeme? No. Haven’t seen him.”
I walked over to her—what was her name again?—and poked her gently. She groaned but otherwise didn't move. "She's Graeme's girl. Sister. Or whatever."
“Good thing she’s passed out in a gay bar,” he commented drily. “Who knows, maybe someone would’ve taken advantage of her if anyone who comes here were interested in fanny.”
Now that was something. Our clientele was not interested in tits and vagina.
"I'll ring Graeme up. He can come get her." He better get her. Adam and I were the only ones left, and we were closing up like now, just as soon as we were done cleaning up.
“Didn’t know Graeme had a sister.” Adam wiped a rag over the counter, forced to clean around her as she wasn’t moving. “I’ve never seen her before. She’s not bad-looking though.”
I glanced at him as I searched through my contacts for Graeme. "You like girls?" I thought he was gay. He worked in a gay bar after all. Then again, so did Graeme and he was straight. But Adam wasn't just a bartender here; he was often on the other side of the bar when he had a night off too.
“I swing both ways.” Adam grinned. “Prefer guys though. At least when it comes to relationships.”
I never would've pegged him as bisexual. Then again, I only knew Adam from work, and he was a bit of a flirt. Considering it was a gay club, guys pulling girls wasn't something that happened around here.
Graeme’s phone rang and rang… and rang. And then it went to voicemail. “Fucking hell.”
“Not answering?”
"No." Bloody hell. I couldn't leave the girl here, and we were going home. "Guess I'll have to take her with me then." And I'd ring him again and again until he answered his damn phone. This girl wasn't my responsibility.
“You sure?”
“Do you want to take her home with you?”
Adam let out a laugh. “Hah, no. No can do.”
"Then I have to. Hey." I poked her again. She groaned. "You're coming with me. Can you move?" Why was she so drunk? Who'd served her? I couldn't remember serving her a single drink—I hadn't even known she was here until Adam pointed her out just now.
“Leave me alone,” she slurred, slapping at me weakly.
“No can do. We’re closing the club, so unless you want to spend the night here, you’ve got to move.”
She pushed away from the bar and lifted her head to glare at me. There wasn’t exactly much glare behind those blue eyes though, as she was too drunk and unfocused and out of it to put much force behind it.
"Come on." I helped her to her feet but otherwise planned to have her walk on her own. When she immediately stumbled though, I had to rethink that, and now I had to help her walk.
Why do I have to deal with this? Really… Couldn't she have gone home before she got this drunk? Couldn't she have gone with whoever she’d come with? If she'd come with anyone, anyway. Still, why did I have to deal with a drunk girl I didn't even know? And I couldn't just leave her either because she was related to Graeme and he was my employee and sort-of friend and just… I was fucked.
“See you tomorrow then?” Adam looked at her, a bit worriedly, as we stood facing each other out on the pavement after locking the door.
“No, you won’t. Kasey comes home tomorrow, so I won’t be around.”
“Oh, right.” He grinned.
“Don’t contact him,” I warned. “He’ll be busy.”
He laughed. “I won’t. Promise.” He threw his arm up in parting and headed off the opposite way I was going.
"All right, come on, you." I dragged her with me towards my flat. It wasn't far off. Graeme lived a lot further away, and I was not following her home. He could get her himself. I'd start ringing him again as soon as we got to my flat. "What's your name again?"
“Noelle,” she murmured.
“So why were you at my club getting smashed tonight exactly?”
She muttered something I didn’t catch.
“Where’s Graeme?” I’d left her with him earlier. Had they parted ways then? Why’d she even accompanied him to work just to sit on the floor and sulk? Because that’s what she’d been doing, right? She’d been chipper when I left.
“Don’t know. Home, or… out shagging someone who isn’t me, I reckon.” That was one bitter statement.
What the hell? “Aren’t you his sister?”
“Stepsister.” She swayed against me, head dropping to my shoulder. “We’re not related.”
“Right.”
“He rejected me again. He always does.” Now that came out more tearful than bitter.
Don’t fucking cry! I didn’t need a crying girl on my hands—I had more than enough with the drunk part. Not to mention crying reminded me of the first night I’d brought Kasey home—he’d been crying outside the club. I’d comforted him… and then fucked him. Not that that would happen with this girl, but still. I was weak to Kasey’s tears. Kasey was emotional, sensitive, kind… I wasn’t. Not really. But somehow I found myself in a situation that made me look a lot better than I was.
If this girl—Noelle—hadn’t been related to Graeme, I would’ve thrown her out and left her there. I couldn’t be arsed with other people. Yet here I was, dragging her home with me. As long as she didn’t try anything we were good though—and considering how she seemed to pine after Graeme, I reckoned she wouldn’t.
She stopped, hand shooting to her mouth.
“Oh for fuck’s sake.” I shoved her over to the kerb, where she immediately bent over and v
omited into the street.
I held her hair away from her face, simply because I was not going to wash it for her if she got vomit in it. She retched, chest heaving as she struggled for breath. I clapped her on the back. I’m turning into a right gentleman here. Bloody hell.
“I’m f-fine now.” She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her baggy jumper.
“Come on. I live right around the corner.” I got her into my flat without further disruption, and without her being sick again. I pushed her into the bathroom, told her to strip out of that jumper—because I wasn’t going to have her on my sofa in a jumper where the sleeve was full of vomit—and went to find something of my own for her to wear.
She sat slumped on the floor when I came back, jumper still on.
“Do you need help undressing?” I asked sharply.
“No.” She hung her head. “But…”
"But?" Why was I pushing for answers? I didn't care.
“But you might not want me when you see me without this,” she mumbled.
"Trust me, girl, I don't want you anyway," I assured her, dropping a hooded jumper down next to her. "I'm gay. I've got a boyfriend. You haven't got anything I'm interested in." I left her in the bathroom to change. Whatever it was she worried about, I didn't want to see it.
I rang Graeme again, but this time it didn’t even ring. He’d shut his damn phone off the bastard.
“Fuck.” That meant I was stuck with Noelle. Dammit, all to hell. This was not how my last hours before Kasey came home were supposed to turn out.
“I’m sorry.” She came shuffling out of the bathroom, almost drowning in my jumper. I should’ve got her one of Kasey’s, but I didn’t want to take any of his stuff without him knowing. “For all the trouble.”
“You can go home. I’ll wash the jumper for you and give it to Graeme at work.” Please go home.
“I can’t go home.” Her gaze flicked around, never settling. “I’m staying with Graeme and after he…” She drew in a shaky breath. “I can’t go back there right now.” Her blue eyes had turned decidedly glassy.
Oh, fuck me. “I guess you can stay. This once.”
"Thanks." She bowed her head, in thanks, it seemed like, then she doubled over, folding one arm around her stomach and the other flew to her mouth again.
“Don’t get sick on my floor,” I growled.
She dashed back into the bathroom, and I heard her being sick into the toilet.
I groaned but went to get a glass of water and two painkillers. She was slumped in front of the toilet when I entered. "Here. See if you can keep these down." I thrust the pills out to her, and she stretched a trembling arm out to them. My jumper, already loose on her, fell to reveal her forearm—and all the scars crisscrossed on the skin.
"Thanks." She hadn't even looked up, seemingly completely unaware of what had been revealed. She popped the pills in her mouth, took the glass I held out and swallowed them. "I never should've pressed him. That way he couldn't have rejected me. But—" She sniffled. "He slept with me once, you know. Years ago now, but he did! And then he ran off and never looked back and left me there."
Left you where? No. I shook my head. I didn’t care. This wasn’t any of my business.
"You can have my bed; I'll sleep on the sofa." And fuck it that wasn't fucked up. But she was drunk and sick, and I didn't want her puking on the carpet in the living room. So sofa it was for me. It wasn't that big a deal; I'd have to get up soon anyway to meet Kasey, but still… I liked my bed.
Kasey… I missed him. But in only a few hours he'd finally be home. Back at my side. I couldn't wait. And I couldn't wait to get rid of Noelle, so I could give Kasey a proper welcome home, Happy Christmas, and New Year all in one.
Chapter 3
I leant against the wall as the passengers exited the train, looking for the only person who mattered. I spotted him after a few minutes, exiting from one of the carriages further back. I pushed away from the wall and made my way through the throng of people towards him.
Someone slammed into him, making him lose his bag. “I’m sorry,” he said, obviously flustered, while the man who’d walked into him didn’t so much as bother with that.
I stepped in front of the guy, forcing him to stop, and narrowed my eyes into a glare. He visibly started, muttered something, and then walked around me—making sure not to slam his shoulder into me like he’d done to Kasey.
“You all right?”
“Ah, yeah.” He bent to pick up his bag, then smiled at me. “Hey.”
"Hey." I leant down for a quick, chaste peck on his lips and at the same time plucked the strap of the bag off his shoulder.
“I can carry my own bag,” he said. “It’s not that heavy.”
"I know you can." But I hoisted it over my shoulder anyway and wrapped my free arm around his shoulders. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“I’m glad to be back.” He snaked an arm around my waist hesitantly.
Even after almost two months, he was hesitant with public displays of affection. If I could get my fist to his ex-boyfriend's face again, I wouldn't stop at a possibly broken nose. No, I would've got rid of all his teeth too for what he'd put Kasey through—and the aftereffects.
“Did you have a nice holiday?”
“Yeah.” His smile was wide and honest. “I did. Would’ve been better if you’d come along with me though. Mum and Dad are curious about you.”
I couldn't quite contain the grimace. "Maybe next Christmas." Though I wouldn't hold my breath. I wasn’t a people person—and especially not when it came to people important to someone I cared about. I knew I wasn’t likeable, and what would happen if they didn’t like me? That would be awkward for Kasey.
“We get to spend time together next weekend. We’re going on a trip, just the two of us.” I squeezed his shoulders. “Think of it as your Christmas gift.”
“Wha—Wynn! You said we shouldn’t be arsed buying gifts for each other since we weren’t celebrating together.” His smile was gone, replaced by a frown. “You said that.”
Well, yes I had.
"So I haven't bought you anything." His arm fell from around my waist, and he twined his fingers anxiously together.
“I know I said that.” I grabbed his hand, tangling our fingers instead. “But I’ve missed you. I want to go on a trip, just the two of us, where we can enjoy ourselves.”
He visibly calmed down and a small smile spread on his lips. “You missed me?”
“A lot." That might even be an understatement. "These last two weeks have been lonely without you. I'm used to having you around, after all."
A slight flush crept over his cheeks. I wanted to kiss him senseless, to get him out of his clothes and on my bed. But we were out in public—and my bed was still occupied. Speaking of which… “I’ve got a visitor back home I’ve got to get rid of.”
“A visitor?” He looked at me curiously.
"Graeme's sister." I'd tried ringing him again this morning, but his phone had still been off. What was the point of having employees if they didn't even answer when their boss called? I'd tell him exactly what I thought about him shutting his phone off on me when I got hold of him. "She got smashed at the club last night, and I had to take her home since she refused to go back to Graeme's."
“Oh.”
I cast a wry look at him. “Does that bother you?”
“Bother me?”
“That she’s spent the night at my flat?”
He blinked. "Well, no. You're gay, so… by definition, there shouldn't be anything to bother me. Right?"
His ex hadn’t just been an abusive arsehole—he’d been a cheating one as well. “Right. Girls don’t do anything for me.”
“Good.” And his smile was back. It didn’t take much to please him.
I stopped and leant in to speak into his ear. "Once I get rid of her, I'm gonna give you a proper welcome home."
He drew in a sharp breath. "I'm looking forward to that." He turned his head, so quick
ly I didn't have time to pull back, and our noses bumped. He chuckled, but there was a slight flush on his cheeks. "It's been lonely without you."
“Yeah?” I rubbed our noses together deliberately, free hand cupping his face. “Did you wank off thinking about me?”
The flush deepened. I knew it. “Well—yeah.”
It shouldn’t make me as happy as it did. But it damn well did. Sometimes I felt like I hadn't given him much of a choice in this relationship. I'd taken him home, fucked him, and then offered to let him live with me when I found out about his abusive boyfriend. He'd been with me since, and we were great together, but there were these niggling thoughts from time to time.
Hearing this, though, put them to rest. For now.
I turned him properly towards me, pulled him in close by our tangled hands, and kissed him softly. Fuck the fact we were in public—he'd been gone for two weeks, and I'd bloody missed him.
“Should we do this here?” he asked, breath ghosting over my lips.
“We live in London. No one cares.” I dove in for another kiss, this one deeper, slipping in a little tongue. I didn't make it last all that long, however because if I got started, I wouldn't be able to stop. "Welcome home, Kasey."
He licked his lips, eyes darker than normal as he gazed up at me. “It’s good to be home.”
“Didn’t you come with your brother?” I started to walk again, pulling him along next to me.
“Ah, no, he wanted to stay another day. Since I’d already bought my ticket, I left ahead of him. I wanted to get back to you.”
My stomach did funny somersaults at that. "I'm glad." I didn't get along all that well with his brother anyway, so not having to make pleasantries was all fine with me. His brother, and his boyfriend had been at my flat one time—and we'd been out for dinner twice. That was the extent of my relationship with them.
So far anyway. I’d have to make more of an effort if I wanted to be with Kasey—which I did—but for now, I'd managed to stay out of their paths. Kasey never pushed either, so… I took advantage of that. I wasn't half as kind as he thought, not really.
