Swiping my hand over the puddle of beer faster, I glanced up at the intensity of someone else’s gaze locked on me. Across the sticky bar, a man sat watching me.
Unlike my boss, he wasn’t judging. If anything, an empty vacancy shone from his blue eyes. Like he, too, was done with this night, existing and unsure why. As I lowered my gaze from him and checked that I was wiping all of the mess I’d made, I was drawn back to glance at the rugged man with short blond hair. The short beard on his face reduced the effect of his flat-lipped expression, but now, I detected something like reluctant sympathy in his stare. Like he understood how little I wanted to be here.
Long, hard day of work for you, too?
I didn’t ask. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t dare. Striking up conversations or even testing out some small talk would likely aid my goal to get tips.
But that wasn’t who I was.
That wasn’t how I behaved.
Fitz was gone, but I still didn’t know how to see myself as anyone other than his wife.
Hell, if he knew I was working in a dump like this, being a bartender for creepy drunks and demanding women…
I focused on taking and delivering orders, shoving away the thoughts of what my late husband’s opinions would’ve been.
It didn’t matter, anyway. Whether or not Fitz approved of my working here was not relevant. I was doing my best, taking any job I could and trying to handle it well.
Turning to get a glass out of the rack, I stopped short at the obstacle in my way. My breath hitched at the two men who’d snuck back to the end of the bar. The other way was closed with the bar curving toward the wall. That was where Peter sat like a useless spectator. But a quick look back proved he wasn’t on his stool anymore. He’d retreated to his office, the door right there and now closed.
Rosa was busy shaking two drinks, her back to me and too far for me to snag the back of her shirt and get her attention.
One man stepped closer, putting his hand on my hip to pull me in.
They’d snuck back here so quickly, so suddenly, that I was lagging to react. To call for help from Rosa. To even tell them off. Licking my lips and hating how fear clawed up my throat at the idea of danger in my face, I blinked and backed up to put distance between us.
Both of them were tall, lanky, and reeking of weed and alcohol. Holding my breath as they stepped into my space and forced me to back up to the wall, I craned my neck to keep my face away from them.
“You can’t be back here,” I said, finally gaining my voice. It was too weak, shaky, and clearly conveying all the fear I couldn’t hide. “You can’t be behind here,” I said again, glad I was as stern as I could be for one week into the job.
“I can do whatever I want,” the bald one said, sneering as he again tried to put his hand on my hip.
“No. You need to back off?—”
He did the opposite. Looming over me and trying to grab me to hold me close, he smiled like his idea of fun was only beginning.
“You can’t tell us what to do, lil’ lady,” his friend said as he snatched a beer bottle off the lower shelf of the bar. I’d just put the bottle there to give to a customer who’d ordered it, but now, he was in the process of helping himself to it, raising the bottle to his mouth.
I cringed, cowering back as the bald guy once more tried to get handsy, practically shoving me toward the wall and cornering me away from dodging him.
I stressed about being forced to give that first belligerent drunk a free drink he didn’t deserve, and now, I had to fear Peter finding out that I was letting some stranger get back here and help himself to more free booze.
“Stop,” I shouted, desperate to escape this madness.
The man chuckled, bringing the bottle up higher.
Before he could get it to his lips, someone shot their hand out and yanked it away.
Staring at the stranger with an icy-cold blue glare, the blond man seated in front of me took the bottle and set it out of the guy’s reach. “Didn’t you hear her?” he growled.
Baldie and his buddy faced him, scowling and immediately pissed off.
“She told you to stop,” he stated, matter-of-fact with a seriousness no one would ignore.
Oh, shit.
He looked murderous, standing and revealing the bulk of his strength with the muscles stretching his suit.
