“I’m not late. I’m not late!” I rushed into the staff room with snowflakes flying off my parka. The snow had started a few hours ago, and I miscalculated how hard it was coming down when I left home. As a result, I’d spent the whole drive stressing about making it to work on time.
Oliver, a go-go dancer who only worked at Top Shelf on Wednesday nights, smirked from where he stood, adjusting his chest harness. “I don’t know, man. I think you were due in about twenty seconds ago. Better watch it, or Park will dock your pay.”
“Stuff it, smartass.”
Oliver grabbed his junk, prominently displayed in his shimmery black jock. “No stuffing necessary. Something you’d know if you took me up on my weekly offer for a fun time in BJ Alley.”
I snorted. “Never gonna happen, Ollie. Time to move on.” Oliver didn’t really want me. The over-the-top flirting was nothing more than a fun game between us. He tended to go for the big, burly types who could throw him around. While I could get on board with a bit of rough handling, I didn’t have what it took to manhandle the six-foot-two weightlifter. Apparently, not many did if his constant complaining about not finding someone who could hold him down and rail his ass like he deserved meant anything.
I preferred someone more my equal. A dude I could fight for dominance and sometimes come out on top.
And other times on the bottom.
Damn, it’d been a while since another man had touched my dick. Too long.
The door flew open, and Trevor burst in, looking like a furry marshmallow in a long white coat with a fur-trimmed hood, white snow boots, and an equally white fluffy scarf hiding everything but his eyes. “I refuse to serve drinks in my damn underwear tonight,” he grumbled as he stomped toward his locker. “I don’t care if I lose tips. It’s too damn cold to be running around damn near naked. If I accidentally brush a bottle against my nips, it’ll shatter.”
“Buck up, princess.” Oliver shut his locker and smeared body oil across his ripped torso. “You know you’ll be sweating your scrawny little ass off in five minutes.”
Trevor whipped around and gasped. “How dare you!” The swish of his puffy coat took some of the ferocity out of his complaint. “My ass is not scrawny. It may be tiny, but it is a firm, round work of art, you big lug.” He yanked his scarf from his face and shoved off his hood. “Take it back!”
I shook my head, pressing my lips together to hide my snicker, but Oliver let his fly free.
“I’m sorry, Trev,” he said as he walked over and then kissed Trevor on the cheek. “I take it back. Your ass is spectacular.” He slapped said ass, then turned my way, rolling his eyes, and I couldn’t contain my snort of laughter any longer.
“Heard that,” Trevor grumbled. “But it is spectacular, so I’ll let it slide.” He sniffed, then began working on the buttons of his long coat.
“All right, I’m heading out before Parker sends a search party. See you boys in the trenches.”
“Bye, babe,” Trevor said.
I made some noise of farewell.
“Work it for those tips,” Trevor added.
“Always do.” Waving over his shoulder, Oliver disappeared through the door while giving us a prime view of his muscular ass cheeks displayed by the jock. “You can only stare if you tip, boys,” he yelled right before the door hid the impressive sight from view.
I grunted. If I didn’t get moving myself, I’d be late, but Trevor had a point. Taking my clothes off on nights like this felt like torture until I got into the swing of serving and worked up a sweat.
“Hey, Alex, I need to talk to you about something.”
“What’s up?” I shed my coat and then turned to Trevor, who had a worried expression. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. It’s not about me.” He sat on the bench in front of the lockers and then stood straight up again. “Um, I should have texted you this, but I thought it’d be better to tell you in person. Now I’m wondering if I should have given you more of a heads-up.”
I frowned. “Okay…”
“Parker hired someone to replace Lars,” he said of the BSB who’d resigned last week.
“Wow, that was fast.” What was the problem? “Isn’t this a good thing? Less work for us. We were going to have to cover extra tables until he hired someone.”
“Yeah…” Trevor shuffled in place. “It’s just that he doesn’t have any experience, and you’re going to be training him.”
“Oh.” I huffed out my relief. Trev knew training new employees wasn’t my favorite task, but I’d done it in the past and knew it would happen again. “That’s no big deal. As long as he’s not a bumbling idiot, it should be fine. We’re not exactly doing rocket science here, Trev. I can suck it up for a few weeks.” I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and tossed it into my locker.
“Sure, I know. It’s not about training someone. It’s more who you’ll be training,” Trevor said as I drew my T-shirt off. “Try to keep this newfound positive attitude you seem to have developed.”
I flipped him off, which made him laugh.
