“This is Rom—" Rita says, and I shake my head, cutting her off. “It’s okay, girl. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Lulu’s mouth opens, and she licks her lips.
I shake my head once, losing my patience. “How. Did you get. The bruises?”
“I was mugged this morning,” she replies, her voice full of disdain. “Got a little roughed up, but I’m okay.”
“Are you in pain?”
“No, I?—”
“Don’t lie to me.”
She blinks at my hard tone but then offers me a small smile and reaches out to touch my arm. Rita’s eyeswiden because she knows I don’t like to be touched, but Lulu’s touch—somehow—calms my rage-fueled heart. “I mean, I’m sore, but I’ve had worse. Really, it’s okay. Take a seat, and I’ll make your drink.”
When she pulls her hand away, it’s like the sun going behind a cloud, leaving a chill behind, but rather than reach for her and pull her against me, I return to my seat, watching her with a more critical eye.
She’s cheerful, smiling, and hasn’t slowed down in the few hours she’s been behind the bar, but I can see fatigue in her eyes. And I fucking hate that someone bruised her. That someone had the audacity to lay a hand on her.
My firefly resumes making the drink and slides it over to me with her confident smile back in place.
“Here you go,” she says.
“How long have you been a bartender?” I ask her.
“If I’m being honest?”
“Always.”
She chews that plump bottom lip, and my cock stirs. “Not long. But I took a mixology class for almost a year and loved every second of it. There’s a lot of science that goes into a good drink.”
“So you enjoy science, then?”
“Not really.”
She blinks in surprise when my lips kick up in a grin.
“I mean, I never liked science in school, but I like unexpected things, and it surprised me that alcohol isn’t just beer and frat parties, you know?”
I tip my head to the side, watching her. “Fascinating.”
“Exactly.” She twists to take an order, and she must move too fast because I catch the wince from the pain in her ribs. I don’t like that.
I don’t like it one fucking bit.
Seven
LULU
My ribs arekilling me.I would give all of tonight’s pay for some painkillers. I don’t have any in my purse. Hell, I don’t even have any at the motel, and unless they let me leave here with tips tonight, I won’t be able to stop by the pharmacy on my way back either.
“Lulu,” Rita says as she joins me, “why don’t you go home for the night? It’s slowing down, so Max and I have this covered.”
“Oh, did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all. In fact, you’re great, and I’m happy to have you on board. I’m hoping you can come back tomorrow night. Well, tonight now, since it’s well past midnight.”
I sag with relief. “Yes, I’d love that. Thank you. I’m assuming I have to fill out paperwork, and I don’t even know what my salary is?—”
