“Am I wrong?”
“When it comes to dating, not at all.”
“Thank you.”
“I have no doubts you’ll be just fine. You always are, Rae. Besides, you can’t fall in love. We have to live together forever, remember?” Trish smiled cheekily, reminding me of our silly promise we made back when we were girls. If we weren’t married by forty, we’d live together as single cat ladies.
Speaking of cats, my black kitty, Peanut, jumped into my lap and rubbed his head against my arm. He hated when I smelled like the cat at work and often rubbed himself all over me until he was sure the other cat’s scent was gone. Jealous of a cat he never met.
“Now, let’s see who this bitch decides to kick off tonight. It better be Teddy.”
“No, John. It needs to be John.”
CHAPTER THREE
Gunner
I saunteredinto the bar five minutes before noon and greeted my father at the door. “Morning, dad.”
“Morning.” He grumbled. He stood behind the bar in front of the coffeepot, pouring himself a mug. “Want a cup?”
“No thanks. I only like it iced.”
Dad cocked an eyebrow at me. “Only iced? Must be a New England thing.”
“Probably. Can’t have it any other way.”
After a long sip, he set his mug down on the bar. “Let’s get down to business. I need you to fill in as a bar back on the nights we don’t have one. That means running the dishes to and from the bar, stocking the supply fridges, checking inventory, and keeping the place clean. You’ll also do some prep work like slicing fruit, cutting up fresh herbs, and anything else we might need for drinks. On the nights a bar back is on the schedule, I have a few odds and ends I need help with, like a deep clean of the cooler and a few various other tasks.”
“Sounds easy enough. I’m good at fixing things up, too. I noticed the door handle gets stuck on your front door and?—”
“No, that’s okay. I can take care of it.” Grizz cut me off, his voice stern. “I’ll show you around and introduce you to a few others you’ll be working with.”
I followed my father around the bar as he ran me through a list of to-dos, showed me where everything was, and left me slicing fruit at the end of it all.
The hours ticked by and around quarter past four, I headed outside for some fresh air and a quick break. As I walked towards my truck, the scent of fresh cut roses wafted past my nose. A scent I recognized.
From where?
My head jerked up and I came face to face with Raemina. That’swhere.
“Hi.”
“Oh, hey. Gunner, right?” Raemina paused, hoisting her purse up higher on her shoulder.
“The one and only.”
“Grizz said you’d be starting today. Going okay?”
“Yeah, if you call almost slicing your thumb off okay, then sure.”
Raemina chuckled. “Good ole’ fruit slicing, hm? They’ll get you every time.”
“Tell me about it. Well, I don’t want the boss coming after us. See you around.” I winked, knowing her cheeks would redden. I fucking loved it.
Seeing how she reacted to me and knowing it felt like the same way when my own body reacted, drove me crazy. In all the best possible ways.
“Yes, I’m running a bit late, so I need to get in there. See you.” She said before tucking her hair behind her hair and taking off towards the door. I couldn’t help but watch her walk away, hercurvy hips swaying with each step she took. She had curves for days and I wanted to sink my teeth into them, drag my tongue across every inch of her skin, and push my way inside her, feeling her insides squeeze against my hard cock.
