“Hmm. So you don’t help him with anything else, if you know what I mean?” Sonny nudges my shoulder.
“Nope. It’s not like that,” I say, fighting to keep my face straight and my blush to a minimum as last night flashes into my head.
“Okay, well, I wanted to check. Jack gets a lot of attention from the women here, and rightfully so. Look at him. If anything was going on, I would set people straight.”
I halt, stiffening with agitation at the idea of Jack with other women. Natasha pops into my head and I shove her away. “Like I said, we’re not like that.” I glance toward Jack and jump. He’s staring at me, his eyes boring into me with concern. “Everything okay?” he mouths.
I give him a thumbs-up.
I didn’t think it through when I asked about a job here. If I have to watch Jack flirt with other women or worse every day, I might puke.
Too late now.
The rest of the evening goes well. I catch on quickly. Sonny teaches me all she knows, and I spend most of my free time getting up to speed on the members’ habits.
For starters, every member carries a gun. Whether they need it to look tough or for protection, I don’t know, but a small part of me bristles every time I see one. Jack hasn’t brought his out since he threatened Austin with it, but I know he keeps it close.
Once in a while, a member will leave the back room after talking with Mike and Jack and take off. When they return a while later, they head straight to the back again and toss an envelope on the table before the door shuts. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that the envelope has money. The members who don’t return with an envelope usually have busted knuckles—or worse. My eyes don’t want to confirm what I’m seeing, though my heart knows what goes on here is darker than Jack lets on. Maybe not Tim’s MC-level of bad, but not saintly either.
At six, Jack sits at the bar having a beer while waiting for my shift to end. Sonny wasn’t joking. All the girls flash him flirty smiles and find reasons to brush up against him. He doesn’treact, though, thank my lucky stars. My heart survives another day.
He finishes his beer as I approach, the leftover foam clinging to his lip. “Ready?” He swipes the foam away.
A few eyes swivel toward us, but I ignore them. It’s no one’s business what we do.
“Yep,” I reply with some pep in my step. After brief goodbyes to Sonny and Mike, we head out and I climb on his bike.
We have yet another routine, I realize as he snaps the buckle of my helmet under my chin. He always checks that I’m safe and secure before he focuses on himself. It’s a nice pattern to have.
He nods once, then lifts himself onto the bike too. I become giddy when the engine purrs to life. Riding with Jack is one of my favorite things.
Before we take off, he yells over his shoulder, “Let’s stop and get food.”
I lean closer so he can hear me. “I already left meat out to make steaks. I don’t want it to go bad.” He keeps going, not acknowledging what I’ve said.
Less than ten minutes later, we turn into a cute restaurant. I’ve seen pictures of it but haven’t eaten here. White chairs and tables form the outdoor seating. The patio is surrounded by ornamental trees, white lights coil around the branches, and tabletop lamps create a romantic vibe. I sense it’s way out of Jack’s comfort zone.
“Jack, I told you I have meat out,” I say as we park. “We’ll have to toss it.”
“It’ll be worth it,” he says. He leads me into the waiting area, his hand on the small of my back. Zaps of electricity shoot up my spine with each touch. The hostess takes us to a table near the back of the patio, away from everyone else.
Jack slides my chair out and whispers in my ear as I take a seat, “It isn’t every day that you get to celebrate your first day of work. Sit.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I swoon over the beauty of the restaurant and Jack’s chivalry.
“This place is so nice,” I tell him. “I’ve always wanted to try it. Have you been here before?”
Jack sits and shakes his head, his eyes perusing the menu. “Nope. I haven’t really had any reason to.”
I smile ear to ear, my heart warming. “Thank you, Jack. For the job and making me feel special.”
Jack steeples his fingers against his chin as his green gaze pierces me. “You got yourself the job. Mike’s very strict about who he lets into the club and who works there. He wouldn’t have hired you if he didn’t think you would be a good fit. Jessi, you are special and deserve to be celebrated. Not just when something big happens, but every day.”
Once home,I go straight to the kitchen and toss the unused steaks. I frown. “I feel bad. I hate wasting money and food.”
He lifts my chin with his index finger. “It was for a good reason.” He flashes his sexy wink before going upstairs to shower.
I’m so tired, but I need to toss this work shirt into the laundry, so I follow him and ask, “Do you have any laundry? I need to do a load and wash my new work shirt. It smells.” I dangle it between my thumb and forefinger like it’s diseased.
