Enjoying Trouble (Trouble #3)

by Dee Bridle

  I nodded with confirmation and said, “Understood.”

  I saw her again at a club a week later. I didn’t do the club scene but I went along on the off-chance that I would bump into her. Having just come from a metal gig, the thumping club music jarred my brain, but I pushed on and headed to the bar. Zac had found a girl at the metal gig and had already gone home with her, leaving just Noah and I to deal with the clubbers around us. We eyed them as we made our way through, knowing that this crowd was always ready to fight. Give a wrong look and it was on. I put it down to the repetitive, shit dance music that was frying their brain. I wasn’t a lover of it, never would be and it was one of the reasons we never relaxed at these places. We always got into trouble. Noah ordered two beers as I took a casual look around the place. Yes, I was looking for one girl in particular, but no-one needed to know that. Noah passed me a cold beer and I took a grateful sip. It was hot as fuck in there.

  “Ten minutes and then we’re out of here,” I shouted over to Noah, who nodded and continued to scan the club. It took another ten minutes, with us moving through the club to finally find her. She was past the main dance floor, in a section with red couches against the walls. She was with a group of friends but clearly dancing with herself, her eyes closed and her supple body moving to the beat. Every guy within a few feet of her was clearly eyeing her over and enjoying the sight.

  I deliberately played it cool, staying back and watching her from afar for a while. I could tell she was enjoying the dancing, but I could also see she was clearly off her head on something. I leaned against a pillar with my beer and watched alone, having lost Noah to a female somewhere behind me. I tempered down the sudden urge to shove everyone away from her because as far as I was concerned, they were enjoying the sight of her a little too much. I had no right to be so possessive, but I hated the fact that she was making herself vulnerable with drugs. Counting in my head slowly to calm down, like my trainer taught me, my eyes focused on only her. A new song started and she smiled to herself, before opening her eyes. I didn’t believe in connections until then, because somehow across the dance floor, her eyes opened and landed directly on me.

  Two beautiful eyes took me in and I was sucker punched. I knew she remembered me, even through her drug haze because her small sexy smirk gave it away. She continued to dance, but this time it was just for me. I casually sipped my beer, pretending that I wasn’t turned on at the sight of her. I watched her hips gyrate to the beat, her long blonde hair flick over her shoulders as she moved. She mouthed the words to the song; her full red lips making my mind go instantly dirty. She smirked at me again and I couldn’t hide a slight grin as I tipped the bottle to my lips. She laughed, the sound silenced with the music, but the action making her look even more beautiful. I thought of moving over to her, but knew that she would expect me to dance with her, and I didn’t dance - for anybody.

  Then a guy appeared behind her and started to dance against her. She continued to dance, moving her body against his, her eyes not moving from mine the entire time. I knew she was teasing me but I wasn’t in the mood for games that night. I wouldn’t be teased into a fight with the guy who was unknowingly pissing me off right now. I had already come to a club I hated and I wasn’t going to stand around like a schmuck and get jealous. I took the last sip of my beer, looked at her one last time, then turned and walked away. I made my way through the bodies, scanning for Noah. A hand suddenly grabbed my arm from behind and I turned to look at its owner. Big beautiful eyes met mine in question.

  “Are you leaving?” she asked.

  “Yep,” I said, secretly happy that she was now in front of me but I refused to show it.

  “Why?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as if trying to work me out. I had obviously not done what she had expected. I put my beer bottle up between us and said, “Beers finished - time to go.”

  Her eyes narrowed at me and she crossed her arms. “You came here for one beer?”

  She now looked completely focused and no longer high, making me wonder if she had taken anything at all. I leaned over into her ear and said, “How do you know I haven’t been here all night? I might really enjoy making my ears bleed with this god awful music.”

  She leaned up into my ear and said, “You seemed to be enjoying it a moment ago.”

  “Was I?” I asked, my cheek deliberately brushing against hers. She pulled back, her eyes narrowing on me again. She was still trying to work me out and I hid a smile. Unsure, she then folded her arms in front of her. The girl was a walking contradiction and I loved it.

  “Why are you here then, if you hate this music?” she shouted over the music. I shrugged and leaned into her again, taking my time at her ear before I said, “There was something that I had to see in here tonight.”

  “And did you see what you wanted to see?” she asked into my ear, her cheek now against mine.

  I grinned and said, “Yeah, I did.”

  She pulled back slightly, her eyes on mine.

  “Was it worth the awful music?”

  “Too early to tell,” I said with a shrug. She smirked and shook her head, before putting her body up against mine.

  “Every second you were here watching me was worth it and you know it,” she stated with fire in her eyes. I totally agreed, but she didn’t need to know that just yet. I looked down at her hands, now trawling their way over my chest, feeling every muscled crevice that I had worked hard to get. I wasn’t playing her the way she expected tonight and she suddenly looked unsure. Her hands stopped and she took them off me like I had burnt her. I moved to put my empty beer bottle on the nearest flat surface and then turned back to her. She was standing there with her arms folded again, the fire in her eyes still burning. I wanted to pick her up, throw her over my shoulder and take her home.

  “I’m going to grab some food somewhere; you want to come with me?”

  “As in a date?” she asked with a frown.

  “No, as in two friends getting something to eat. I don’t date.”

  “I don’t date either.”

  “Well we have something in common then,” I returned. She paused for a moment and I saw the change in her; the fire in her eyes now competed with the fear that she buried down in the dark depths, where no one could easily see. Except for me. I knew she was scared of feeling. She didn’t date and she didn’t get close to people because she had been hurt too much to do either. If I wanted to pursue this broken angel, I would have to be one step in front of her at all times.

  “Janey, come back and dance,” said a girl, putting her arms around her neck before settling her eyes on me. “Well hello, you.”

  My eyes didn’t move from Janey’s as I waited. She didn’t answer me but didn’t move away with her friend either.

  “Hey Mr Muscles, how about getting us a drink?” said her friend with a sexy smile. My eyes didn’t move from hers.

  “I’ll be outside if you want to join me. I’ll give you five minutes and then I’m gone,” I said.

  “Where are we going?” asked her annoying friend with a drunken laugh. I turned to go and then stopped and turned back to her. I took her arm and pulled her closer to me.

  “Every second was definitely worth it, just so you know,” I said into her ear. I then turned and moved away without another glance. I made my way through the hot club and headed to the entrance. I had taken a risk by letting her go. In five minutes I’d know where I stood with this new friendship. I texted Noah.

  Will - I’m outside, gone in 5

  Noah - Meet up later

  I smiled and slid my phone back in my pocket. He had clearly found a girl inside and was enjoying himself. I nodded to the security guys and waited.

  And waited.

  I even waited another two minutes after the five minutes were up. She wasn’t coming out. I had to admit I was disappointed but I was also suddenly starving and that got me walking away from the club. I headed down the street with my hands in my pockets and let out a sigh. I had
taken a risk and it hadn’t paid off tonight but I was still glad I had done it. I didn’t want to be like every other guy in her world; wanting a piece of her to satisfy myself. I could have stayed in the club tonight, danced with her, fed her more drinks and had my wicked way with her but I didn’t want that. I wanted to be different.

  “I think Franco’s is still open and they do a mad pizza.”

  I stopped and turned to see her walking towards me, her arms crossed over to keep herself warm. I hid my excitement as I took her in. I waited for her to catch up to me and didn’t miss the sudden vulnerability in her eyes. She had left the club to be with me.

  “Cool. I’m starving,” I said, starting to walk again. She fell into step beside me and was silent.

  “So your friends were cool with you leaving?” I asked.

  “They’re not friends. Just people I party with,” she said concentrating on the pavement in front of her.

  “Fair enough.”

  “Friends are overrated. So are people,” she added.

  “Well I’m not overrated. Remember everything you hear about me is true, including my sexual prowess, stamina and size.”

  She suddenly smiled and all felt right in the world again.

  “That’s right, I remember now - it’s the size of a thumb,” she laughed wiggling her thumb at me. I laughed and replied, “A thumb of a fucking huge giant maybe.”

  She laughed heartily and we headed to Franco’s.

  As each day passed after that, she became more important to me. Over the next few months, I lusted after her but also respected her as a friend and enjoyed hanging around with her. Zac never became an overbearing brother with me because deep down, I think he knew that I would never fully have his sister. She kept her heart at a great distance where no one could have access. I knew her history and knew it was for protection, but I always aimed to be the one that got to her heart in the end. The one that could break through those thick-walled defences and see the real girl inside.

  Chapter Seven

  Present

  Janey

  Standing at the bar, I looked around the empty club and waited for Jake to appear from the back. It hadn’t opened as yet and one of the beefy security men had let me in with a grin and wink. Even though I was as nervous as hell and felt like I was going to vomit, I took a deep breath and waited. The concept of being behind a bar and not in front of it drinking myself to oblivion was weird. I had no idea how Will could even think this was going to work. I wasn’t trustworthy enough to hold down a job; these people had no idea who they were signing up to work here.

  “Who are you?”

  I turned to see a girl step past me, her head down looking at her phone as she went behind the bar. She shoved her bag under the bar while reading something on her phone and then messaged someone back.

  “I’m Janey.”

  Her head whipped up in what looked like surprise for a second before she masked it and narrowed her eyes.

  “I’m starting here tonight. I’m waiting for Jake?”

  She looked me up and down for a moment longer and then huffed out a breath before muttering, “Aren’t we all?”

  She started to prepare the bar for the night, our short conversation apparently over. I steeled myself and took a breath.

  “And you are..?”

  She opened the fridge and paused, looking over to me.

  “Tilly,” she said coolly. I stared back at her, masking the anxiety that was crushing me inside. I may be lost in my pathetic life right now, but I wouldn’t let this girl get the better of me. Even if it felt like I was suffocating inside, I was a tough girl and she needed to know it.

  “So how do you know Jake?” asked Tilly, loading bottles into the fridge.

  “I don’t know him,” I said coolly. She closed the fridge door and started to flatten the empty beer box with her hands.

  “I didn’t realise he was hiring,” she said next, looking me up and down again. Before I could respond, I heard my name called out and turned to see a guy walking towards me with a smile. This was obviously Jake - a six foot god-like specimen with a body you could spend days discovering.

  “Don’t even think about it,” muttered Tilly. “He’s well and truly taken.”

  So Tilly was with Jake and he was off-limits; I had found her weak spot. Noted.

  “Nice to meet you, Janey. I’m Jake. I’ve heard great things about you,” he said whilst shaking my hand. I had no idea what great things he had heard. Was an abused runaway girl with a history of really fucking up and spending time in rehab considered great?

  “They’re all lies,” I said with a smile. He laughed and motioned for me to come behind the bar.

  “So you’ve met Tilly, I take it? She’s been here for a while now so if you have any questions through the night, just ask her. I’ll be around as well.”

  “Okay,” I said, eyeing Tilly. She took her eyes off Jake for a moment to look at me. It could go either way with her - friends or enemies. I didn’t need any more enemies and this was also my chance to prove to myself that I could be capable at life. I would make this work, even if it killed me.

  “Any customers that tell you to keep the change, the cash goes under the bar. Then we split it all up at the end of the night,” said Jake. I nodded, wondering how I would break it to him that this was my first time being on the other side of the bar. I wouldn’t last the night.

  “Don’t move from the bar area unless you are on break, and don’t drink anything from the bar. That’s it.”

  That was it? What about making drinks? Jake obviously saw the panic in my eyes and smiled, trying to reassure me.

  “Tilly will do the hard drinks like cocktails. If you stick to straight spirits and beers tonight, you should be fine.”

  His phone went off and he glanced at the screen. “I’ve got to take this, so I’ll leave you in Tilly’s capable hands,” he said, walking away to the front entrance. “Oh and just one more thing,” he called out. I turned back to him.

  “Always stay on this level; never downstairs.”

  “Okay,” I said, a little confused. He turned back around and continued on to the entrance, now talking to his caller.

  “What’s downstairs?” I asked Tilly.

  “It’s on a need-to-know basis,” she said, continuing to work while looking across the club to a large metal door. A bodyguard stood at the door, packed with an ear piece and gun holster.

  “Right,” I said, feeling anything but. “So do you actually know what’s down there?”

  “Maybe...,” she replied, enjoying that she had one up on me.

  “What if someone asks me about it tonight?” I asked.

  “They won’t,” she said. I let out a frustrated sigh, every muscle in my body wanting to me walk over there and ask the bodyguard to let me in.

  “The water bottles need to be stacked in the fridge,” she said pointing to a box. I stepped over and opened the fridge, starting to load it with the bottles.

  “So you and Jake, huh?” I said next.

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, not looking at me. I hid my smile and continued to load the bottles.

  “I don’t have eyes for him; I’m here to work and get my life sorted. Nothing else,” I added.

  “Best you remember that.”

  “I don’t forget anything,” I said coolly. She stopped to take me in again, assessing the situation between us, then she decided to play nice. “If someone tips you, you keep it in your own pocket, not under the bar. Don’t get under my feet, work as fast and hard as you can and we’ll get along fine.”

  “Deal,” I said.

  “And don’t take shit from anyone tonight. They smell fear a mile away.” I took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Import beer bottles are here, beer on tap is over there, glasses under the bar. Spirits are behind us with the glasses under them. Put this card around your wrist and use it to activate the register. All drinks are listed on the screen
for you to choose from. It’s pretty simple.”

  “Sounds anything but simple, but hey, I like a challenge.”

  “What the fuck?” I looked up to see a guy with wet, dark hair that sat just above his shoulders, standing at the bar, holding his keys and phone in his hands. He was staring at me in disbelief. I quickly looked down at my top and then back at him, wondering what was wrong. I wasn’t flashing anyone. I wiped at my nose, just in case there were any hanging bats in the cave.

  “Sebastian, meet Janey. Janey, meet Sebastian, our other bartender,” said Tilly. Sebastian tilted his head in question at Tilly, who shrugged and went back to work. Sebastian went back to looking at me. I couldn’t fathom as to why he was looking at me like I was some insect to be studied but I didn’t like it.

  “Take a picture,” I said, motioning to the phone in his hand. “It will last longer.”

  Tilly laughed and Sebastian started to grin. He swung his phone up and took a picture of me.

  “Is that for the spank bank later?” asked Tilly.

  “You know it,” he said, winking at me as he came behind the bar. I watched him tie his hair back, getting ready for his shift. He was hot, but I would try my hardest to not even go there.

  I was here to get my life on track.

  Two hours later I was rethinking my “getting my life on track” plan. I hadn’t stopped to breathe from the moment the doors opened. I had managed to grasp the process of pulling beers from a tap; I had managed to work out the register. The rest I was still floundering with.

  There was a constant barrage of people with the bar mostly four bodies deep at any given time. The speed of Tilly and Sebastian at the bar compared to me was in fact, hilarious if I had a sense of humour about it. They had finished two complete orders while I was still pouring one beer. Once things started to slow for a while, Sebastian pulled me away from the bar and showed me the back room where we could take our breaks. It wasn’t anything special, other than a room with a couch and some coffee-making facilities. He went on further to a door and went through so I followed him. It led to outside and the narrow side alley along the club. I watched him light a cigarette and then pass it to me.