Gigi glanced over at me, her eyes looking like they were going to pop out of her head. I knew her mind must be reeling with questions about how Lucas knew so much about me. He was much more observant than I ever would have imagined.
“Oh, I... I told you. It’s not really my thing anymore.” I looked down at the table to avoid Gigi’s gaze. She knew violin was my life, and there was no way I’d just give up on it.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to her,” Milo responded before winking at me. “You can come in tonight if you want, see how you like it. It mostly would be cleaning and things like that, and as you learn to make some drinks, I can put you behind the bar.”
“Oh,” I bit the inside of my cheek as I thought of my nineteenth birthday coming in a few weeks. “Don’t you have to be twenty-one to serve alcohol?” I could feel my cheeks burning red as Milo realized he’d served me under age.
“It’s only eighteen in Georgia.”
“So... what time should I come?” I asked as I picked up my soda, taking a sip from the straw.
“Let’s try next Thursday. I’ll put you on the schedule for seven to midnight tonight so you can get a feel for the crowds and see if it’s something you like.”
“Perfect.”
Chapter Eighteen
LUCAS
I held up my bottle to gesture to the waitress that I needed another beer. I’d need ten more fucking beers to deal with this tool and his obnoxious facial hair.
“Isn’t there some kind of law about dating coworkers?” I thought aloud. Henley’s eyes practically bugged out of her head, and I would have laughed if I wasn’t certain she wanted to strangle me.
“One of the perks of being the boss. I get to –” Milo began to explain.
“Fuck the help?” I finished. This time, Henley didn’t hold back. Reaching under the table she grabbed my thigh, gripping it tightly. “Little to the left, love,” I joked, winking at her and causing her cheeks to turn ten shades darker.
“I’m going to go to the bathroom and freshen up,” Gigi called out. “Henley?”
“Oh, uh... fine,” she conceded, releasing her death grip on my leg. Milo slid out of the bench seat, and Henley scooted out after him, following Gigi to the restroom. When Milo sat down, his playful demeanor had vanished.
“Listen here, you asshole. I don’t know what thing you have going on with her, but she isn’t interested. So back the fuck off,” he warned.
“If she weren't interested she wouldn’t have spent the night with me last night.” It was a low fucking blow and not entirely truthful since our night together was completely platonic, but I couldn’t help myself. This twonk had no right to say what the hell Henley wanted.
“Bullshit.” His eyes narrowed challenging me. “She’s not your type.”
“What type is that?”
“Barely conscious,” he snorted.
“Says the daft cunt trolling the school yard for dates. Ask her.” I shrugged as I took the last drink of my beer before picking up the next that the waitress had left. “If Henley didn’t want me here, I wouldn’t be here, and we both know it. So I suggest you back the fuck off, old man.”
“Or what?” He asked, his eyebrows pulled together as he leaned closer.
“What? You want to fight me? You might break a hip.”
He laughed, shaking his head as he ran his hand against his beard. “I might break your fucking –”
“Everything okay?” Henley asked.
Both our eyes snapped to the other side of the table where she stood, tucking her hair nervously behind her ear, her friend, Gigi behind her with a mile wide smile.
“Brilliant,” I smirked as I relaxed back in my seat. “Just getting to know your new boss.”
Milo stood, gesturing for Henley to slide in. She did with a mumbled thanks. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, fishing out forty dollars cash and dropping it on the table.
“You’re leaving?” Henley asked as she glanced back at me, her eyes narrowed as If I’d done something wrong.
“I have to get back to the bar. I have a shipment of beer coming in. That should cover the pizza.”
“I don’t need you to pay for my food, mate,” I replied.
“Speak for yourself,” Gigi snapped, grabbing the money off the table.
“I’ll see you at seven on Thursday?” Milo asked, trying his best to hide his anger toward me.
“Sure,” Henley replied as she sank back in her seat, her smile quickly fading as Milo left.
“Well, that was awkward,” Gigi called out in a sing-song voice as she grabbed another slice of pizza.
“What did you say?” Henley turned to me.
“Nothing I swear. I didn’t even tell him that his beard makes his mouth look like an unkempt fanny.”
Gigi gagged on a sip of her drink, gathering napkins to catch the dribble that ran down her chin.
“Lucas,” her eyes cut to Gigi. “It’s not funny. He is a nice guy, and he’s about to be my boss. I need this job, okay. I promised my dad,” I lied again.
“Sorry,” Gigi mumbled.
“And you,” she sneered at me. “Why are you even still here?”
“You invited me,” I shrugged causing Gigi to giggle again before clearing her throat to cover it up.
“No. No I didn’t. You are both a bunch of freaking jerks,” Henley snapped, her eyes welling up with tears as she stood, pointing to Gigi. “This is exactly why I don’t tell you about what is going on with my life.”
Pushing from the booth, she stormed out of the restaurant.
“What is going on with her life?” Gigi asked, her mouth agape. “Daddy take away her credit card or something?”
Her tone wasn’t vicious, but it made me question why someone like Henley hung around her if she couldn’t even confide in her.
I shook my head as I slid from the booth. “I’ll go after her. Finish eating,” I said as I hurried toward the door, nearly knocking over a waitress as I slipped outside. Scanning the street, I spotted Henley walking down the sidewalk almost a block away. I chased after her, calling her name, but she pretended not to hear me.
“I know you can hear me.”
“No I can’t,” she called back, and I couldn’t help but smile as I jogged up behind her.
“Henley, will you just wait,” I said as I grabbed her arm and spun her around to face me. My heart sank when I saw the streaks of tears down her cheeks that still clung to her trembling chin.
“Leave me alone,” she yelled, earning worried glares from a passerby who thought I may be attacking her.
“No. Look, I’m sorry okay. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“What did you mean to happen, Lucas? Get me fired from a job before I even have a chance to start? What was it you meant to do?”
I threw my hands in the air before letting them fall to my sides as I shook my head. “I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Yeah, you weren’t thinking about anybody but yourself.”
“Henley, If you need something... Just let me help you out. You don’t have to take the first shite job that comes along, and you don’t have to date that overgrown walking gash just because he gave you attention.”
“First of all, I don’t need your help. I told you, I’m doing this for experience, not because I’m broke or something. Second of all, Gave me attention?” her eyes went wild, and I could see I clearly said something wrong.
“That’s not what I – ”
“You think I just fall all over any guy who smiles my way? Milo is a good man with a good job, and he doesn’t screw everything that walks.”
“How do you know?” I yelled back.
“I don’t,” she conceded, shaking her head as fresh tears filled her eyes. “I’m not even looking for a boyfriend, okay? But if dating him, or anyone for that matter, is a mistake, it is my mistake to make. You don’t see me judging you for sleeping with Payton.”
I laughed humorlessly before biting the
inside of my cheek to keep from lashing out. I had no right to be mad at Henley at all. I damn sure didn’t have a right to be screwing with her life. But that didn’t mean her jabs didn’t hurt.
“I didn’t sleep with Payton the other night, Henley. Okay? She was just trying to get a rise out of you. That’s what she does.”
“Bullshit.” She folded her arms across her chest.
I narrowed my eyes, stepping closer. “Why do you care?”
“I don’t,” she bit back, looking offended.
“Good.”
“This is stupid. You wanted me to get to know you. I think I know enough. We can stop this dumb life lesson right now.” She turned, walking back toward her dorm. I waited until she got a few steps ahead and followed behind her.
“Maybe I’m not done getting to know you,” I called out.
“Go away, Lucas,” she called over her shoulder, but there was no anger left in her voice, only exhaustion.
“I’m just making sure you get home safely.”
She didn’t say anything, but I was sure she had rolled her eyes as she stepped off the curb and crossed the street. I stepped into the street, causing a car to honk their horn and slam on their brakes. I held up my hand, nodding in thanks that they didn’t run me the hell over because I’d been looking right instead of left.
We continued on, not walking together until we made it to the outside of her dorm. After she had slipped inside, not looking back, I continued to the door, sliding in behind a girl with wildfire red hair after she swiped her keycard.
I took the stairs, two at a time to the fourth floor, banging hard against Payton’s door. She pulled it open, smiling when she saw it was me.
“Hey, Lucas,” she purred, placing her hand on my chest. “Decided to come by for another show?”
I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand from my chest. “I came for my necklace.”
“Oh,” she said as she took a step back, waving her hand to gesture for me to enter.
“Henley said you told her I’d left it here.” I picked up the necklace, draping the chain over my head and tucking the cross beneath my t-shirt.
“Oh, right, that church-looking girl. I ran into her at the Green Bean.”
I groaned as I turned to face her, shoving my hands into my jean pockets. “You didn’t happen to make it seem like we’d slept together, did you?”
The corner of her mouth is twisted up in a wicked grin. “I never kiss and tell,” she reassured me as she stepped closer, the palm of her hand rubbing against the crotch of my jeans. I took a step back, and her arm fell to her side, and her smile faded.
“That was a long time ago, and as I recall, you did tell.”
“Oh my God. You don’t like that little do-gooder do you?” She asked, smacking her tongue off the roof of her mouth in disgust before laughing. “Aww... That’s kind of pathetic, Luc. Even for you.”
I closed the gap between us causing her to crane her neck to look me in the eye. “Stay the fuck away from Henley. She isn’t playing any of your little games.”
I left her room, slamming the door behind me, anxious to get home and shower in damn near boiling water until I can no longer feel the ghosting of her fingertips on my body.
Chapter Nineteen
HENLEY
It had been a week since I’d stormed out of the pizza shop. Lucas hasn’t spoken to me since that night, not that I could blame him. I was lucky that Gigi didn’t pressure me into explaining why I’d left so upset because it was getting harder to hide my growing frustration with life back home. But today was a fresh start, and with an income, at least now I could worry a little less and refocus my attention on school.
I showed up to the bar before seven, my fingers shaking. As soon as I walked through the door, my eyes cut to Lucas who was sitting in a booth with Noah as they picked at a plate full of mozzarella sticks and sipped at bottles of beer.
Lucas nodded in my direction, and I smiled nervously as Noah glanced at me over his shoulder, shaking his head before taking a sip of his drink. I had no idea why that guy didn’t like me, but it was beginning to get under my skin.
Swallowing back my jitters, I made a beeline for their table. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Came to wish you luck on your first day,” Lucas replied, but his eyes were still on his bottle. “I’ll be on my best behavior,” he promised, finally glancing up at me with red-rimmed eyes that made the blue pop even more than usual. He’d clearly been over served and the night was just beginning.
“Thanks. I should get back there, so Milo doesn’t think I’m late.” I hurried toward the bar, hesitating before I stepped behind the wooden top into the forbidden area that patrons were not allowed to go.
Milo came out through a swinging door and smiled broadly when he noticed me, but his face quickly became unreadable.
“I didn’t think you were going to show,” he quipped as he grabbed a small black apron and tossed it to me. I quickly looped the strings around my waist, tying it off in the front with a bow.
“I told you I needed this job,” I added before pushing a few flyaway hairs from my face. “I forgot to ask what to wear.” I looked down at my basic white t-shirt and dark wash jeans.
“You look fine,” he replied with a clipped tone, his southern drawl even more prominent. Great, he’s mad at me too.
“So what do you need me to do?” I asked as I looked out over the small crowd in the bar. It wasn’t as packed as Filly’s, but there were more locals mixed in with the students.
“Tonight will probably be slow since it’s a Thursday. So we are going to restock the fridges from the walk-in cooler and try to wipe down anything that looks sticky. Sound good?” His eyebrow rose as he rubbed his palm against the stubble of his jaw.
“I can do that. Just point me in the right direction.”
***
Three hours into my shift, Payton and her merry band of bitches walked into the bar. It sounded like the beginning of a bad joke, but the only thing being laughed at was me. I ignored their snickers and ignorant jabs, but I was beginning to lose my cool. The fact that Lucas was here, refusing to leave, made it all that much worse. On top of it all, Milo was giving me the cold shoulder. I couldn’t wait to get back to my room and cry into my pillow, but something told me getting away from this mess would be anything but easy.
***
“You ready?” Lucas asked as I took off my black apron and placed it on the bar before stretching my neck from side to side. I was exhausted, and it would be nearly impossible for me to make it to my morning class, but I needed to try to make this work.
“You’re not going to stay and hang out with your friends?” I asked, glancing around him to the group of girls he’d been talking to all evening, still huddled around the pool table. I rolled my eyes, wishing they all would have gone to a different bar to socialize. Lucas included.
Lucas had looked over his shoulder before his gaze settled back on me. “You’re my friend, remember? And I want to make sure you get home safely.”
Payton’s eyes were narrowed, and her smirk had flattened out into a scowl. As much as I wanted to slap Lucas across the face and tell him to fuck off, walking out the door with him in front of her would feel even better.
“Fine,” I agreed. “Let me say goodbye to Milo.”
“Why?”
“He’s my boss, Lucas. I kind of have to clock out.”
Lucas clenched his jaw, the muscles under his taunt skin jumping below the surface as he nodded once. “I’ll be by the door.”
I hurried back behind the bar and into the small stock room where Milo was sorting through cases of beer and checking the inventory.
“It’s after midnight,” I called out before he spun around, rubbing his palm against his left eye.
“What did you think?”
I shrugged but quickly plastered a smile on my face. “I had fun.”
Milo had rolled his eyes before his grin wide
ned. “It’s work. It’s not supposed to be fun, but it’ll get easier. You’re welcome to come back tomorrow night. Same hours.”
“Okay. Yeah. Thanks. I’ll see you then.”
I turned to leave when he called after me. “Henley, that friend of yours isn’t going to keep coming by every night is he?”
I sighed, turning back to him with the most convincing smile I could manage. “I sure hope not.”
Milo smiled and nodded his head once before he turned back to continue working. I made my way back out the bar. I scanned the crowd for Lucas who was leaning against the side of a booth with his cell against his ear as he spoke, drumming his fingers on the vinyl. When his eyes met mine, he smiled and ended the call, but I could tell he was exhausted. I hurried across the floor to him, anxious to get outside into the cooler night air.
“Trying to get ahold of Beef?” I asked, assuming he was trying to get a ride back to his apartment so he wouldn’t need to walk.
“My sister Amelia. It’s five in the morning back in London, and she is up for work.”
“Oh,” I replied. It was sweet that he looked after his family, even from this side of the world. It made me think of my father and how his calls have been coming less frequently.
Lucas pushed open the door and waited for me to walk through before following behind me. “You know if you need some extra cash I could help you,” he said as we began to make our way across the lot in the direction of campus. “You don’t have to work these kinds of hours. It’s inhumane,” he said through a yawn.
“I prefer to earn honest money the old fashion way, and I don’t want to have to owe anyone,” I replied shaking my head, my nerves still raw from our argument last week.
“The old fashion way? What does that mean? You don’t think I work hard for what I have?”
I looked up at him as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “If you’re dealing drugs or something, I don’t want to know about it.”
“You think I’m a drug dealer?” he laughed, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.
“It’s none of my business,” I replied, shaking my head before pulling the hair tie from my hair and running my fingers through the strands.
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