by Ethan Egorov
I salivate at the simple thought of tasting her, of feeling her soft full lips against mine.
My breath falls short and only one thing will steady it. My lips on hers, so I do. I kiss her like the fucking ship is going down and I have never even been on a boat. Her lips are as soft and pliable as I imagined, I coax them open and suckle her lips before I deepen the kiss. It’s just my lips moving against hers, but it’s all I need. Otherwise I’ll get carried away. All the blood in my body is already trailing to one place and I need to not lose my shit in here. Her soft hands come up and cradle my face, her palms against my jaw. Something about that gesture feels too sweet to me, it tightens my chest and I deepen the kiss in response. I move my hands from her legs to her face, feeling her softness under my rough hands for the first time. A kiss has never been like this to me, never felt like this. I would just take it further if I don’t stop, so I do.
We pull apart and I catch my breath as she does. She touches her fingers to her lips, looking at me in shock. Like it wasn’t obvious that all I want to do is kiss her.
“Sorry, I had to. I would have waited until at least the first date.” I smile, tucking her curly hair behind her ear. I’m pretty sure I almost tangled it at the back but there is nothing I can do about that.
“Date?” her smile is sheepish. I nod and laugh at her once.
“Yeah, date.”
She giggles softly, “We should finish up work before we get too distracted.”
I am starting to like the sound of her giggling too much, but I agree with her anyway. She stands and sways a bit before I rise and catch her. I grip her waist and watch her blink rapidly.
“Wow,” I chuckle, “I guess I’m not as out of practice as I thought I was.” I smile when she looks at me.
She swats at my chest but doesn’t really make an attempt to move. I realize how close we are, how good it feels to hold her.
Her breasts press against my chest for a second and I tense up, really needing to get out of here before I lose all self-control.
“Nice try. I forgot to eat breakfast, I’m just a little lightheaded.” She says.
I nod in understanding and smile, “Good thing I always bring snacks.” I take my hands from her waist, dragging around her stomach just to hold on a bit longer. It’s nice to not feel too much bone when I do that, she flinches but I don’t say anything.
I lead her out of the room, surprised there are customers. I don’t at all feel bad about it because Darius used to hook up with girls back there anyway. Maybe that’s where all the sexual energy in the room came from.
“Go recharge, I got these people.” I hand her my candy bar, not even caring about looking forward to it.
“Thanks.” She smiles, heading to the back.
I take care of the customers and they leave right after. I take the opportunity to balance out the drawer and what not so we can just get out of here soon. We close at five every day, which is the perfect time, because that’s when I go crazy at being here alone.
Since Jeannine is here though, I plan on heading back to talk to her again before my phone buzzes.
Asshat brother: We need you to man the bar tonight.
I roll my eyes and groan. I had a date with takeout and my bed.
Me: Yeah okay.
He texts me again but I ignore it. I walk to the back, and Jeannine is staring at the inventory sheets again.
“Is that your favorite thing to do or something?” I announce myself and walk around the desk to her.
She looks up at me and smiles. “No I was just bored. You can go if you have plans. I told my dad I would close up.”
I shake my head. “I don’t have plans. Even if I did, I wouldn’t leave you here alone.” I smile.
She blushes and looks away. I wish it wasn’t so surprising to her that she could be chosen.
“Well, it’s about time anyway.”
“I do have to go to the club though. If you want to come.” I tell her.
She laughs, “I already told my dad I would come anyway.”
I nod, “cool then. Let’s get the hell out of this place.”
About an hour later, she is locking the front door and we’re leaving. I try not to stare at her too much, but somehow the sunset made her even more beautiful. I realize her hair has some hazel to it, making this muddle curly hair falling down her back. My eyes drift to her ass in those jeans again and I already know that I am done for.
“You want to take the bike?” I ask her.
She eyes it funny, but not like she is afraid of it, which makes sense considering who she is.
I watch her bite down on her lip and stare me in the eye.
“We’re going to the club, Spencer.”
I smile and step in front of her, “Hm, say my name like that again.”
She laughs, pressing her hands to my chest. “I mean it. That won’t look very good.”
I shrug, “We’ll just say we were at the shop. Which we were.” I lick my lips and she still seems cautious.
“Come on, if we are going to do this, we have to try and be normal about it in front of them.” I tell her. And it’s true. We can’t be suspicious in public and only hide out together, it would look way too obvious.
“Yeah. Okay.” She shrugs, following me over.
Cars whip past on the street and the only thing I focus on is her. I start up my bike, for the first time actually glad that I have it, because her body presses to mine and I feel like a new man. Her arms come around my front, and I cover them with mine for a sec, before I peel off and head to the club.
8
Spencer
I didn’t fully appreciate this bike until Jeannine was on the back of it, wrapped around me the way she was. I see why the guys like them so much, and I guess why women liked them so much too.
I park out to the side of the club where I usually do, with the other guys that work inside. When we have certain club nights, it’s really packed and some of the other regular club members help out with orders, which just means that I have as much work to do as the bar regardless. I’m still fairly certain about showing up with her, making it look normal, but I am going to have to try even harder not to look like I am completely into her. Other guys can tell, and I’ll stick out like a sore thumb if I keep looking at her like I want to fuck her, which is becoming an increasing problem.
“Are you sure about this? Maybe you should go in the back.” Jeannine says, after getting off the bike.
I laugh at her and put the extra helmet back into the seat cover.
“So I have to go in the back?” I walk closer to her, standing against the brick wall on the side. There is no one around right now, the side entrance to the garage is closed off too.
“Well it wouldn’t make sense for me to go in the back. Since… I’m me.” She smirks, and I find her absolutely adorable in this moment.
I grin and lean down to kiss her, she tenses up at first before kissing me back. I swipe my tongue against her lips, she opens up and swirls her tongue around mine. The nerves in my body come to life and I know I need to stop before I lose myself.
“No one is going in the back. Fix your lip gloss, let’s go.” I step away from her, needing the air to breathe and calm myself. She grins and reapplies her gloss, I watch entrapped with her as she does.
“Good?”
“Yep.”
We start walking around the corner, two other guys are walking in at the same time and it’s not missed, the way they look at both of us.
“Hey,” I greet them, how I always do, and whatever tension was there quickly passes and we keep walking.
I glance down at Jeannine, who frowns up at me, since I was right, I suppose.
The round tables are somewhat full, music and clinking glasses fill the room, along with obnoxious laughter from the guys.
“Spence!” Logan waves me over from behind the bar, grinning.
I look down at Jeannine, “See? Told you it would be fine.” I nudge her arm and
then walk off to the bar. I take my cut off and stuff it in the drawer under the register.
“What’s up?” I shake Logan hello and grin back.
“Why are you walking in with Tank’s daughter?” he pulls me aside and talks low.
I frown, “She has a name, you know.”
He laughs once, “See it’s stuff like that that has me worried.”
I chuckle, “Nothing to worry about, man. Thanks though.” I cross my arms and lean against the counter. He still gives me an off look. It kind of pisses me off how no one here sees her as a person, only someone they don’t want to bother talking to because they’re scared shitless. It really isn’t fair to her, even if I wasn’t into her, it wouldn’t be fair to anyone.
“You didn’t answer my question.” He says.
I sigh, “We were at the shop together. Her dad asked her to come and I figured we’d save time just coming together. Besides, I didn’t want to leave her in the dark alone. Pretty sure Tank wouldn’t want her to be either.”
“Ah, so you’re the good guy?” he starts laughing.
“Pretty much. We need to restock?” I ask, moving the conversation along. I turn to see Jeannine moving through the back of the bar with Jack and Al, she must be on her way to see her dad. She disappears around the corner where his office is and confirms that.
“Beers. There’s some liquor out back too.”
“Oh I’ll get that, no probs.” I reply with sarcasm.
He shakes his head at me and laughs, I head off in that direction, kind of glad I don’t have to deal with customers right now. The back entrance opens up to the garbage area and such, I smell kitchen oil and trash, I grab the two boxes and get out of there fast.
When I walk back in, carrying two huge white boxes of liquor, I see Jeannine sitting with her dad, Jack, and Al, picking at a huge bowl of fries. I grin to myself, but it’s funny how she looks completely off limits at that time. She doesn’t notice me staring when I do, and I just keep walking, going about my work.
It feels weird with her here, knowing we just made out at the shop and right by the club, but I am committed to being as normal about this as possible.
“Has Rafe talked to you?” Logan asks me after a while. The bar has calmed down and I refill a draft beer every few minutes instead of seconds.
I wipe at my forehead, slick with sweat, almost forgetting Rafe is my brother’s club name.
“About?”
He gives me a look, “Club needs someone to gather some intel.”
“Intel? God, I knew this place was a cult.” I chuckle.
Logan shakes his head, they’ve all heard me say that before and it gets funnier every time, because it just starts sounding truer.
“We’re not. But there are some issues with the other clubs, we figured you would be good at it.”
“We? Who is we?” I laugh.
He shrugs, “The execs. Why do you think Tank was okay with even letting you in the club? I mean sure, he took your bro’s word for it. But it’s because of what you used to do as much as anything.”
“What I used to do?” I make myself a strawberry lemonade and make the sugar calm me down.
“Breaking and entering. Not getting caught doing it.”
I laugh then, because he is right. I was never caught, just sold out. But that was a long time ago. I’m half mad at Roland for telling my life story, letting everyone at the club, or I guess just the execs, know what I used to occupy myself with. It’s none of their business now, since I don’t do it anymore, but they seem to think that it is.
“I’m tabling this conversation.” I clap his shoulder and walk to the end of the bar, sipping my drink.
My eyes roam around to find Jeannine again, playing darts with Al. I try to look elsewhere every few seconds so I don’t look obvious, but most of the time I am just staring at Jeannine. She really does look damn good in those jeans, and when I glance at the other guys, none of them are looking at her.
How are they so good at pretending she doesn’t exist? It’s weird.
“You look ridiculous.” Roland comes up on the side where I didn’t see him.
I flip him off, “It’s a balanced drink.”
“I’m headed out. See you at home.” He swirls his finger around in my drink and I try and grab him from over the bar but he moved too fast.
“Fuck off, and I’m still pissed at you.”
He just chuckles at me and frowns, “Old news.” He walks out and talks to some of the guys on the way.
I frown at my ruined drink and end up pouring it out. Since it’s almost closing time, for the bar at least, I drain the sinks and scrub the brushes against each other with hot water. It’s easy work, I just don’t like doing it sometimes. Like tonight when I would rather be with Jeannine, anywhere else but here.
“Was that strawberry lemonade?”
I think I am imagining her voice when I hear it, but I turn and find it is her. She leans on the bar, holding her chin on her hand with a sly smile.
I grin when I see her.
“Yeah. You want one?” I ask. Even though I put everything in the fridge and took down the drink machine.
She sits on the bar stool, “sure.”
I can’t help but glance around for her subtle bodyguards, but I don’t see them. The only other people in here are two older guys at the pool table. I make her drink and set it in front of her.
“Thanks,” she sips at it and I watch her lips curl around the straw like a man possessed.
“Where are your henchmen?” I ask.
She giggles, “What?” looking up at me with her bright eyes.
I lean over the bar, throwing my towel over my shoulder.
“Your follow guards or whatever.”
“Oh. Jack took some girl home. Al went home to his wife I think.”
“And your old man?”
“In the office.”
I nod once. She drinks more lemonade and then checks her phone, texting someone. I watch her like she’s a show and don’t get bored at all. When I look around at the bar for a second, I feel her staring at me and I let her for a while. That’s before a flash goes off right in my face.
“What was that?” I laugh.
She looks absolutely mortified instead, her eyes are wide and she turns her phone face down instead.
“Oh my—I was… never mind.”
I grin, “You were taking a picture of me.”
Her cheeks blush that beautiful crimson color and I lick my lips at wanting to taste her, every time she does that.
“I wasn’t… I was just—”
“You’re a crappy liar, angel. But I appreciate the effort. As long as you got my good side.”
She leans back and clears her throat, crossing her arms. “What’s that?” I watch her chest push against the shirt and ignore my twitching cock.
“Every side is my good side.” I steal her drink and take a sip, “Wow I’m good at that.” I hand it back to her.
“Who’s the picture for?” I ask.
She stutters over her words, trying to lie again until she takes out her phone and distracts herself with the screen again.
“My friend.”
“Wow, I’m in with your friends now too.” I laugh.
She rolls her eyes at me, “I have one friend, it’s not plural.”
I nod in response. When Darius walks out of the back I pretend to be wiping at the counter. He nods to me as he leaves and I do the same.
“Doesn’t it bother you that everyone around here pretends like you don’t exist?”
Her expression falls and then she looks back at me.
“Not really. I’m used to it.”
“Here?” I ask.
“Yeah, here. Everywhere mostly. Especially high school. I’m pretty sure college won’t be any different.”
I frown at her and look confused. She raises her brow in question.
“But… why?”
“Why?”
“Yeah,” I laugh
once, “I mean you’re sexy as hell. Funny. Why would anyone not see you?”
She smiles sadly. “I guess we went to a different kind of high school. And I wasn’t like the other girls that walked around half dressed and threw themselves all over guys. So, I was practically invisible. It was easier that way anyway, no one bothered me.” She giggles, and even though that sucks, I don’t feel bad for her, because she doesn’t feel bad for herself at all.
“Hm. Well, I see you. And I’d like to see more of you.” I lean closer to her on the bar, crossing my arms.
She tenses up but then leans in too, “Is that how you ask me for a naked picture?” she jokes.
I laugh aloud, “No. How about a real date? Tomorrow.”
She blinks as she thinks it over and I wait for her.
“I suppose that would be okay.”
“Good.”
“Good.” she smiles. I wish I could kiss her right now, but I don’t really have a death wish. And I’m getting better at controlling my impulses.
“Do you want to get out of here?” I ask her.
“I don’t know. I’d have to tell my dad and then I will have to tell him who I am leaving with—”
* * *
“You’re rambling. Just tell him the truth. I’m driving you back to your car.”
She swallows, “But—”
“I’d tell him, but that wouldn’t make much sense now would it?”
She sighs, “Yeah…okay.” She still looks apprehensive about it as she walks off and I shamelessly watch her.
I smirk to myself and then wash her glass, clean up the rest of the bar and shut off the lights. I’m prepared to wait as long as I have to, at this point, I’m pretty sure I’ll always be happy to wait for Jeannine.
9
Jeannine
The only reason I wasn’t going out of my mind was because the burgers at the club were really good. There was like a mini restaurant inside that had those and fries and that was it. Half their money here came from that. But Dad made me talk to Jack and Al like the whole time, which was fine, I always caught them up on my life and such. But Dad was being increasingly weird about it.
