by Amelia Shea
She leaned over. She was inches away from his face. She lifted her eyebrows and smirked. “Just trying to earn a good tip, babe!” Her sassy tone, followed by yanking her hand from his grip, sent him an obvious message. Fuck you!
She rose to full standing position and Bogs raised his hand to her. “Hey can you show me where the specials are, too?”
She flipped her hair over shoulder and said firmly, “No.” His smile faltered and he looked disappointed.
“I’ll track down your waitress, Melinda. Have a wonderful night!”
She was done!
Sadie had Brenna bring over their drink order. She grabbed her stuff from the break room. She could not wait to get out of there. She entered the dining area from the kitchen and headed straight to the bathroom. She intentionally ignored Stone’s table, and didn’t glance their way. She just wanted to go home but she really had to pee. She walked past the counter and down the hall to the customer washrooms and went in.
“Yeah, just like that. Suck me.” A deep male voice groaned.
She froze.
“Take it deep.”
Oh My God!
She heard a gagging sound and then a slurp. “Like that, baby?” a female purred.
She stared at the stall door. Was someone really having sex in there?
“Fuck! Just like that. Suck me dry.” He groaned louder and let out a long sexy grunt.
She was torn between making herself known or turning around and leaving but she really had to pee. She looked around when she heard more panting coming from the stall. She should just go. She turned around but stopped when the guy spoke again, “Fuck yeah.” Sadie knew he came when the female moaned.
Sadie stood frozen in her spot having just eavesdropped on a stranger getting a blowjob. It was insane but a little erotic.
The door opened. Stone walked in with a scowl on his face. Sadie backed up to the stall door just as its occupants were exiting. Her feet slipped and she started to fall back. She tried to grab onto the sidewall but it was too late. She was going to land on her ass. She braced herself. But her ass never hit the floor, instead big hands gripped her ribs and she slammed into a wall. It was not a wall, though, but a body with a familiar voice.
“You’re a little late for the party. Hell, if I knew you offered threesomes as an appetizer, I would have ordered that. Maybe next time….” T laughed sarcastically in Sadie’s ear.
Scrambling out of his hands, she rushed toward the sinks and whipped around.
“You’re disgusting!” Sadie shouted.
He chuckled and came out of the stall zipping up his pants. He headed for the door, said something to Stone, and walked out. What Sadie saw next had her eyes bugging out. Melinda. Her curly hair was sticking out in all directions. Her lips were puffy and her face was bright red. Her embarrassment kept her from looking at Sadie as she slid past Stone and rushed out the door.
What was she thinking? Melinda was a wild girl but even this was a lot for her. Giving blow jobs in the bathroom? And to that guy of all people!
A snap of his fingers made Sadie quickly remember she was not alone. She looked over at Stone, who was leaning against the opposite sink with his arms crossed. His eyes were fixed on her with an expression she couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“I have to go.” She attempted to pass him but he stepped in front of her and blocked her path.
“We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t.” Her tone was defeated. She needed this night to end.
“Yeah, we do.”
She crossed her arms and gave him a bored stare. His hands landed on his hips.
“What the fuck do you think you were doing out there?”
She continued to stare and not say anything.
“Answer me!” His eyes were blazing. Sadie knew her silence was aggravating him. So what? She didn’t care, why should she? In a matter of a week, Stone had gone from a fantasy to a nightmare. He scared her, yelled at her, threatened her, and humiliated her. The very idea that Stone now stood in front of her demanding anything infuriated her.
She released an angry breath. “I was just doing my job, Stone.” She cocked her brow and glared at him. “You had no problem pointing out my pitiful tips a week ago, surely you can understand me wanting to go the extra mile.” Her anger escalated. “I mean, my place is shit right? That’s what you said.” Saying it out loud sounded like an admission on her part.
Her eyes teared up but not from sadness. She was incensed. She waited, hoping he’d move but he didn’t. She refused to look at him and stepped around. He didn’t touch her but she could hear his low heated snarl. “Wait.”
“For what? So you can insult me again.”
Sadie shook her head and started to sob. She quickly brought up her sleeve and wiped her tears. She was so frustrated and just completely beat down. She walked out the door and surprisingly, he let her.
She hurried down the hall to the dining room not looking back.
“Good night, honey. Drive safe,” Brenna said as Sadie walked past the counter.
Sadie gave a halfhearted wave to Brenna and Melinda as she walked to the door. Her head was bowed and she didn’t bother making eye contact. She didn’t want them to see her like this.
Sadie stepped to the side of the door to let an older couple pass through. She looked over to find Stone back at his table with the others. He was standing by the table, eyes set on her. His face was hard with an expression she hadn’t seen before. He looked sad and regretful. Sadie knew what he saw in her. GQ was seated with his head arched in her direction but eyes on Stone. The girls at the table were also looking at Stone. Bogs and T faced Sadie and stared. She must look like a mess. Her tears had stopped but her eyes were red rimmed and glassy. She rushed out the door to her car and drove home. Her mind should have been racing with all that just happened but it wasn’t. She was completely consumed with one thought only. She never got to pee.
****
Stone watched Sadie walk out. Her eyes were sad and her lashes damp. That’s what tears did. Tears he caused. His gaze followed her through the front of the diner until she disappeared on the side of the building.
“Fuck!” he said in a hushed tone. He settled back into his seat at the table next to Krista.
“You okay, Stone?” Krista asked in a sugary tone that made him want to puke. This chick was grating on his last nerve. Bogs had a crazy ability of attracting the most annoying women in a thirty-mile radius. She put her hand on Stone’s thigh and caressed slowly. This was not the hand of the woman he wanted touching him. That woman had just left upset and angry.
Stone lifted her hand off his knee and glared at Krista. “I’m fine.” She put her hand on the table and they all sat in silence. Stone’s mind was on Sadie and how he fucked up again. He needed this girl to get out of his head.
The waitress whose name tag read Brenna came over to their table. “Are you guys all set to order or do you need more time?” She asked with a pleasant smile.
Ethan raised his hand. “If we could have just another minute please?” He smiled his charming Ethan smile and the waitress nodded and blushed. Ethan had that effect on all women. Stone watched the waitress walk away before turning his attention to Ethan. Ethan looked over to Stone, shrugged, and smirked.
Stone stood up. “I’m outta here. Call me if ya hear anything.”
He walked through the diner and out into the parking lot. It was dark and cold. The diner was set in an isolated area off the highway. There were a lot of tractor trailers parked for the night. It would be hard to see if someone was grabbed in between the trucks. Hard to hear someone scream with the noise from the highway.
Sadie shouldn’t be walking out here at night by herself, she could be hurt or robbed or worse. The thought had Stone balling his fists. What kind of asshole boss didn’t walk the girls out to their cars at night? Stone immediately surveyed the lot again. He noticed Ethan grabbing something from his car and T walking to Stone’s truck. Stone ca
me up to the front of the hood to meet T.
“What’s up? You hear something already?” Stone asked.
“No, E wanted to give you something and I needed some air. That fucking Krista girl won’t shut the fuck up.” T scowled, shaking his head.
Stone raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Then why did you bring her?”
T shrugged. “She’s a good lay.”
Ethan walked over to them as Stone laughed. “And the waitress in the bathroom?”
“That girl practically swallowed my dick. No lie,” T said in complete seriousness.
Ethan and Stone shook their heads simultaneously and laughed. Typical T. The guy was born without a filter, and didn’t care what anyone else thought. He would be an asshole if not for his fierce loyalty to his family and those he cared about. Stone knew no better guy than T.
Ethan reached out to hand a folder to Stone. “Here’s Sadie’s file. I forgot to get it to you before you left for Houston last week.”
Stone grabbed the folder and opened it. It wasn’t thick. He sifted through quickly. There were no police reports or arrest records. There was one page that caught his eye. Stone read briefly and looked up to Ethan who had a sympathetic look. He nodded toward the file. “She’s a good girl who was dealt a shitty hand.”
Stone remained quiet. He’d read through it all when he got home. He had a feeling Sadie’s file was going to break his heart.
“Look, Stone, I think you need to talk to her…” Ethan calmly said.
Stone shook his head. “I won’t lie to her.”
“I get that you’re into this girl. I get it. She’s sweet and innocent in all this, but we have to think…”
“I won’t lie to her.” Stone’s voice was firm.
They were at a stalemate. They all stood in silence.
“Let Ethan talk to her then. He’ll smooth shit over, make her understand,” T reasoned with him. Stone met T’s eyes and nodded his head. They had to deal with the situation. Ethan would be the best to explain what needed to be said and ease Sadie’s mind.
Ethan smiled and bundled up his expensive coat around him. “Let’s get back in, it’s frigid as a bitch out here.” Ethan and T started back through the parking lot.
“E, man,” Stone called out.
Ethan and T both stopped and turned around.
“You ever check out her tits again, you and me are gonna have a problem.”
Ethan sneered. “Noted.”
“C’mon, Stone, cut E some slack here. I mean, she’s got a great pair of tits!” T laughed and Stone glared at him.
Fucking brothers, Stone thought, while he watched them walk back to the diner. He smiled and unlocked his door to head home. He had some reading to do.
Chapter Six
As a child, Sadie never played sports. The recreational teams through the town weren’t free. Her mom always came up with an excuse as to why she couldn’t play. She would say Sadie was too short for basketball, not peppy enough for cheerleading, not aggressive enough for soccer. Her excuse for softball was simple, easy, and had no reflection on Sadie. She wasn’t going to sit in the stands, sweat her ass off from the heat, and be forced to watch the most boring game in the world.
While she played with some kids in the trailer park, she never made any lasting friendships. Most families moved after a couple of years. Some bought homes in Cedar Bluff. Other families just left never to be heard from again. However, there were a few people that had been there since her mom and her arrived sixteen years ago.
Two trailers down was Miss Trudy, a southern sweetheart originally from Georgia with the accent to prove it. She was probably in her fifties. Through the years many men had come in and out her door. Some for a night, some stayed longer. There were rumors of prostitution but Sadie never bought into it. Even if the rumors were true, she wouldn’t have cared. Miss Trudy had always been nice to her. She took Sadie in a few times and fed her when her mom forgot to leave the key for Sadie. She baked cookies at Christmas and dropped them off every Christmas Eve. She even made a special cake for Sadie on her ninth birthday.
Her mom didn’t like Miss Trudy and that was being kind. Truthfully, her mom hated her, said she was trash. She would be pleasant enough to Miss Trudy in public but as soon as they were alone, she would go on a rant. She hated when Sadie spent any time with her. She would say, “You stay away from that woman, Sadie. She’s no good, whoring herself for any man that gives her a bit of attention. I don’t need her teaching you any of her tricks.” Her mom didn’t like Miss Trudy because deep down inside she knew she was just like her. Although, Sadie’s mom wasn’t nearly as nice as Miss Trudy.
Sadie was reading her newest “dirty girl” book when Miss Trudy walked over. She was bundled up with a scarf and winter coat. It was cold and the weather people were calling for snow in the next few days. November in Nebraska was usually too cold to be sitting outside but they were experiencing record breaking temperatures. It hadn’t been that warm in Nebraska during November in sixty-two years. It was about forty-five degrees but the sun made it feel warmer.
Sadie was bundled up on the Adirondack chair in her yard. The two chairs she had were in good condition. They were Lenny’s, her old neighbor. When he moved, he put them in the trash. Sadie swiped them, cleaned them up, and set up a little sitting area in her fifteen-by-fifteen-foot yard. She also had a small plastic table separating the chairs.
She waved at Miss Trudy as she entered.
“Hi, Miss Trudy! How about this weather, it’s a Nebraska Indian summer!”
She laughed as she made her way toward Sadie. For an older woman, she was very attractive. Bleach blonde hair to her shoulders, full face of makeup, and heels. She was the only woman Sadie knew who could pull off that look.
“Warm as it may be, it’s still too cold for this Georgia peach, Miss Sadie!”
She’d always called her Miss Sadie. When Sadie was younger, she called her Little Miss Sadie. She dropped the “little” a few years back.
Miss Trudy took a seat in the empty chair next to the table. Sadie dropped her book on the table and bundled up tighter under the blanket as a cool gust of wind blew in. Although it was unseasonably warm, it was definitely getting too cold for more than an hour of reading outside.
“How’s it going?” Sadie asked.
Miss Trudy sniffed. “It’s all right. Damn this weather, my nose always runs.” She proceeded to blow her nose.
“You want some coffee; it’s fresh, just brewed it.”
“No, thanks, sweetheart, I just came over for a favor.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“Can you bring me home some Danish from your next shift?” she said with a disgusted look on her face. This made Sadie laugh. She started laughing, too.
“Harry?” Sadie asked, although she already knew the answer. Harry, her new man, loved the Danish at Bernie’s. Miss Trudy, being an amazing baker, was slightly offended by this.
“Yeah. Men are stupid creatures, Sadie. My goods are better than any diner Danish. But Harry wants some for when he comes home. The things we do to keep our men happy.” She sighed as she adjusted her jacket.
“No problem. I’m working tonight; I’ll drop them on your porch when I get home.” Sadie smiled.
She smiled back as a gust of wind blew her hair in her face. She moved the hair behind her ear and opened her mouth to speak but stopped. Something beyond had her attention. Sadie looked over her shoulder and watched a sleek shiny Porsche drive down the road. It was a beautiful champagne color. It slowed down and finally stopped in front of her trailer. The driver was probably lost.
“Oh my Lord!” Miss Trudy whistled.
They watched as the driver got out of the car. He was tall with dark hair. He had a pair of expensive looking sunglasses on so she couldn’t really see his face. He looked down the road from where he came in and down to the other end. Yeah, he was lost. It happened a lot. People thought there was a cut-through to the other side of town
but there wasn’t. There was only one way in and one way out.
He’d checked out his surroundings. Sadie would too she thought, if she was driving a car like that through a trailer park. He didn’t look worried though. He looked confident, like he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Silently, Miss Trudy and Sadie were still watching him. He glanced across the street and turned fully around to them. He stopped moving when he realized he was being watched.
He moved around the front of his car and it beeped. He must have locked it, smart man. He was walking over to them. Sadie wondered why he didn’t just roll down his window and ask for directions. They could have heard him from where they were. He stopped at the front of her car to his left. He had on a black pea coat with black slacks and a gray collared shirt. This man was definitely lost.
“You lost, sugar?” Miss Trudy sweetly and a little seductively asked. Sadie smothered a giggle with her hand. Miss Trudy loved men, of all ages.
He smiled at her and began to remove his sunglasses. He propped them onto his head and Sadie’s jaw dropped.
“No ma’am. I’ve just found what I was looking for.”
GQ looked down at Sadie and smiled.
GQ introduced himself to Miss Trudy. Ethan Barrett. She immediately got up when he extended his hand for a shake. This man had manners. She was completely taken with him and began to bombard him with questions. She told him they thought he was lost since they never saw those kinds of fancy cars around. She let out a thunderous laugh that he matched with his own reserved chuckle. She continued with her questions which led to her bragging about Harry’s old Mustang that he had overhauled. In truth, the car was junk and held no comparison to Ethan’s Porsche. Nonetheless, Ethan had the decency to appear interested in Miss Trudy’s bragging.
All the while, Sadie said nothing. She just watched him. After about five minutes, Miss Trudy insisted he sit down and gestured toward the seat she vacated. She said her goodbyes, thanked Sadie for the Danish, and strolled back to her trailer. Once she passed the car’s back end, she turned and winked at Sadie with a mischievous grin.
