“As Lark pointed out, small business owners don’t get vacations in their first year,” Mickayla said.
Alexandra tilted her head. “But not evenoneday off?”
“His terms,” Ryan said, looking between the two of us. “I’ll see you when you leave. Have a good time.”
Alexandra and I sat at the bar, and between serving customers Mickayla gabbed with Alexandra about the things going on in Gainesville. We stayed through the first set of live music. During the break, the crowd had grown and it felt like they were going to get rowdy… or rowdier.
“You look like you’re ready to roll out of here,” Lark said, from behind the bar, strolling toward us.
He had his steel-wool colored hair pulled back into a low pony-tail and his octagonal shaped glasses perched on his nose, magnifying his sharp, blue eyes; a shade of blue that bordered on being violet, depending on the lighting.
I reached out to shake his hand. “You’re right. The crowd’s changing.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” he muttered.
“No, there isn’t, but I’ve got to be at the clubhouse early in the morning.”
He looked at Alexandra, who stared at him with an expression I hadn’t seen before. A blend of respect and reluctance in her eyes.
“Are you going to the clubhouse with him?” he asked Lex.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I doubt it. He was pretty busy while I was there today.”
He nodded. “You should find a way to get back here in the morning. Brunch is being served, but only to brothers and their families. I want honest feedback about whether the food’s good enough, and then I’ll look at whether it’ll make sense to offer that on Sundays to the after-church crowds.”
“All right,” Alexandra said.
Lark pointed at me. “I’m pretty sure his sister’s comin’, maybe catch a ride with her.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Alexandra said.
Lark nodded. “Y’all better go. The crew in the corner are wild cards, and the loudest assholes I’ve had to deal with in this town.”
“Are they from a rival MC?” I asked.
Lark blew out air through his nose. “No. Not sure they’d cut it with an MC. Hell, maybe that’s the problem. They need to prospect and have their asses kicked for a few weeks…or months. Take the piss and vinegar out of them.”
“Thanks for the heads up, man. I’ll see you at the clubhouse.”
“I need to use the bathroom,” Alexandra said.
I eyed the group of men. They were at a table near the hallway to the bathroom. “Be careful of those assholes.”
She grinned at me. “Always.”
Chapter nineteen
We Don't Do Drama
Alexandra
RaffertyandIhada great time at On a Lark Bar and Grille, but after we got home, every so often I’d catch a whiff of the smoke in my hair from being in the bar, so a shower was a must. Rafferty was at one with my plan, and made the most of demonstrating how much fun shower sex could be.
Afterward, we got dressed for bed - pajamas for me, boxer briefs for Raff.
Rafferty stood watching me pull on my sleep shorts. “Is there a reason Lark makes you uncomfortable?”
I let my head tilt side to side ever so slowly. “I don’t know if I’d put it like that—”
