by Haley Travis
I shouldn’t be speaking to her. I shouldn’t be growing attached. But damn if I didn’t need her, to be holding every inch of her sweetness against me. I felt my mouth fall open to speak, then snapped it shut again.
“Please,” she whispered. “I know you don’t talk much, but I’d like to hear everything you have to say.”
I reached out to tighten the knot at her waist and tuck the extra fabric under, and didn’t even realize it. “I’m sorry,” I muttered.
“It’s okay.” Her eyes sparkled, looking so sweet and innocent that the urge to kiss her was almost too much to take.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“I just turned twenty-two.”
I almost breathed a sigh of relief. I was much too old for her, and that was that.
“How old are you?” she nearly whispered. Her pretty eyes looked tense, as if she was forcing herself to ask the question.
“Thirty-eight,” I said, hearing how gruff my voice sounded and trying to soften it.
Lorena nodded, smiling sweetly. “That’s a good age,” she said thoughtfully. “Young enough to be tough and strong, but old enough to know what you want, and how to get it.”
Was she flirting with me? It had been so damn long that I actually wasn’t sure. But then she gripped my arm. “Thank you for saving me,” she said. Her sneakers shuffled forward a bit, as if she was trying to decide what to do.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to stay cool headed. “You should feel safe here, Lorena. Those guys were from out of town. No good man would behave like that.”
Instinctively holding out my arms, she stepped in for a warm, tender hug. I had meant it to be a comforting gesture, but it instantly became much more. It was too hard not to nuzzle her sweet, soft hair, so I gave in. Lorena made the softest murmur as she snuggled tightly against me.
Then her head tipped up, bringing her lips just inches from mine. My shoulders twitched from the effort as I tried not to lean in, and failed. She paused, then her eyes closed gently as she stretched up to meet me. I kissed her softly, afraid to be anything other than gentle with this precious girl.
Her lips parted as the kiss deepened, and I swear I heard a soft moan. We fused together, my hands gripping her full hips, her perfect ass. She kissed just like she did in my dreams. Then I heard a hard-soled boot tapping on the concrete beside us.
We jumped apart, spinning around to see Iris looking at us with a delighted smirk. “For the record, I saw nothin’. I keep things to myself. But I see you’ve found a dry shirt, missy, so maybe you could get back to work.”
Lorena’s fingertips brushed my hand before she murmured, “Thank you, Cody.” She followed Iris inside, leaving me to stare out at the streaks of sunset overtaking the sky, trying to figure out what the hell just took place.
She kissed me. Or I kissed her. I couldn’t believe it actually happened. Looking down to see my hands slightly trembling, I almost laughed at myself. I’d worked with huge animals, rough men, extreme equipment in dangerous conditions, and nothing ever rattled me. But one kiss from the girl I’d been crushing on hard, and I felt like I’d been struck by lightning.
Chapter Three
~ Lorena ~
I’d always known that the world was a strange and wondrous place. But to go from admiring my crush to kissing him out in the parking lot was a bit much to take. I felt like I’d be blushing for the rest of the night, but I knew that nobody else saw us. Iris tended to gossip about positive things, never personal things.
“Are you all right?” Iris asked, looking worried. “I heard that some guy grabbed you, but Cody took out the trash.”
“I’m okay,” I said, my voice sounding tiny. “It happened more than once when I worked in the city.”
She turned to face me, her long beaded earrings swinging. “I’m sorry that’s ever happened to you, but it should never happen here,” she said sternly. “If we weren’t so slammed tonight, I’d tell you to go home and shake it off.”
My hands flew up in protest. “No, really, I’m fine. Thank goodness Cody had an extra shirt, so I don’t have to entertain everyone with a peep show.”
She handed me a fresh apron, laughing lightly. “I like your attitude, Lorena. It should be a good weekend for tips, so let’s all just hustle hard.” She patted me on the shoulder as I went back out to the main room.
I caught a few glances of sympathy from the women, but the men didn’t look at me unless I was directly asking them about their order. Maybe they were embarrassed that they had gotten an eyeful of my lace-covered boobs. I certainly tried not to think about it, rushing around, pouring beer and smiling as if nothing had happened. Cody was back at his favorite spot, flashing me sneaky smiles now and then.
Even though the bar was extremely busy, the vibe stayed fun and friendly. Iris had everything in this place down to a science. I swear, she must have been studying bar psychology for years, or maybe it was just in her blood. Everything she did, there was a reason for it.
I knew that today’s special was chosen because it was everyone’s favorite. She often did this to get some food into people so they didn’t just drink.
There was a small window near the front that was open, and one directly across from it at the back. This created a cross breeze to keep the air fresh. Apparently, if some people overheated, it got them feeling antsy and riled up.
There was one thing that we never wanted in a bar full of rough cowboy types – a fight. It scared the women off, and usually ended up breaking something expensive. There had been no fights since I’d been working here, but Alice, one of the cooks, told me that there had been a few doozies now and then in the past.
The sound system was playing mellow country music, mostly oldies. Iris was the only one allowed to touch the volume. If it was too quiet in the room, everyone could hear everyone’s conversation, and she said that just triggered bad vibes. But if the music was too loud, people had to raise their voices to talk to their friends. This created aggression, she claimed.
I enjoyed a wide variety of music, but my voice was particularly suited to country. My biggest dream was to sing with a country band, and now that I was actually living in the country, I was going to find a way to make it happen.
There was no sense in me ever dreaming of becoming some sort of pop star with a big record contract. They tended to look like fashion dolls who lived in pink Malibu beach houses, not clay fertility dolls with big breasts and wide hips. Whatever – we can’t help the way we’re born.
But my voice was a gift. Every music teacher and vocal coach I’d ever studied with had told me that. All I had to do was ditch the stage fright and get out there to find a band who needed me.
Running around the bar, I often found myself singing along to various songs as I approached people’s tables with their drinks and food. I found it was a great way to break the ice, and they would often sing along for a moment with me.
It finally seemed that everyone in the room had everything they needed for a minute, so I dashed back to the bar where Cody sat. He watched me pouring myself some ice water and dropping lime slices into it.
He smiled as I took a few sips. “Drinking on the job?” His deep voice was too sexy for his own good.
“Yes, the lime makes me tipsy, so look out.” I stopped myself from clapping a hand over my mouth. Was I actually flirting with him? What on earth was wrong with me today? Or was I still high from that incredible kiss?
He seemed to like it, nodding and chuckling. “Can I get you another beer?” I asked.
“Actually, I’ll take a coffee, thanks.”
Pouring quickly, I brought it over, as he waved away the cream and sugar. With a tilt of his head, he urged me to come closer. “I was wondering if maybe I could give you a ride home tonight,” he asked softly.
Maybe he knew that I usually got a ride home with the kitchen staff. Come to think of it, he always sat right in front of the phone and the schedule. “ I’ll be here pretty late,” I said, �
��But if you don’t mind waiting...”
“I don’t mind at all,” he said quickly. “I’d like to make sure that you get home safe, especially with so many strangers in town this weekend.”
My gigantic grin seemed to amuse him. As I tried to think of something saucy to say, there was a tiny buzz, and the music stopped.
Glancing up, I saw that Iris was already pushing buttons on the sound system, giving her head a shake. She grabbed her phone from her pocket, and I assumed that she was calling her son Gary, who had set up the system for her.
I instantly whipped around the room, checking on everyone, pretending that everything was perfectly normal. After fetching a few more desserts and drinks, I saw that Iris was waving to me.
“It’s a blown fuse,” she said the second I was close. “Gary said the sound system was on its own circuit, and since that’s the only thing that’s down, it must be it.” I nodded, knowing that in this ancient building, things were bound to be unstable.
Iris was giving me a very strange look. “How do you feel about grabbing your guitar and playing some old favorites for twenty minutes until he gets here?”
The air in my lungs suddenly felt stuck. “You…you said you don’t have live music in here because it’s too loud. Because it makes other people raise their voices, and get all aggressive…”
She stepped closer, patting my shoulder gently. “That’s with a full band, with drums. Your pretty voice and quiet guitar in the corner will keep everything light and airy. You can play anything you like. All of your favorites.”
“I can’t…I mean, what if people don’t like it?”
Iris put her hands on her hips far too high, as she did when she was laying down the law. “My customers will like what I damn well tell them to like,” she laughed. “It’s just for twenty minutes or so. Half an hour, tops. Will you be my little superstar?”
My chin dipped up and down, as I realized that I really had no choice. This was one of those trial by fire situations, and I could either step up to the occasion or hide like a scared child.
Looking around the room, the only empty place where I could really set up was at the end of the bar between Cody and the window.
“You’re right,” she said, following my gaze. “You can sit on a stool so you’re raised up a bit, and the lighting is nicer by the window, since the patio lights are beaming in.” She raised her perfectly arched eyebrow and leaned in to whisper. “And your fan club is right there for you.”
I nodded again, taking a deep breath. “I’ll go get my guitar,” I said quickly, marching down to the stock room before I could change my mind.
As soon as I was safely hidden, I did a couple of quick throat opening exercises. I didn’t have time to do a full vocal warm-up, but since I’d be singing quietly, hopefully I could just wing it.
As I tuned my guitar, I tried frantically to think of all the compliments I’d ever received from vocal coaches, my guitar teacher, and my family. My mom loved the way I sang men’s country songs, putting a softer angle on them. I could get through this. It would be good for me, I tried to tell myself.
Walking back into the bar, I forced myself to smile. Iris already had a stool in the corner for me, and had placed my water glass at the end of the bar.
As I passed Cody, he took my hand, pulling me close to murmur, “I can’t wait to hear you sing, gorgeous.”
Nobody has ever said anything like that to me before. I tried to smile, but I’m sure he could see my eyes were dazed. It was also such a tiny thing, but he sort of held my hand in front of everyone. My stomach was flipping out for a whole new reason now.
This was a job, I told myself as I sat down. Happy customers, mellow customers. Maybe nobody would even realize that it wasn’t the sound system, since they were all more interested in their own conversations.
My hands were shaking as I took a slow, deep breath. Looking up into Cody’s deep, soulful eyes, I could see that he was rooting for me. He could easily see that I was nervous, but he was going to stay there and smile at me, making sure that I was calm.
No man had ever taken care of me before, and suddenly it seemed like his only focus was me. It was strange, but made me feel a tingle of happiness deep inside.
Strumming quietly to start, I kept my volume very low, so the music sort of snuck up on people gently. As I began to sing, I noticed people looking around the room, as if wondering where the sound was coming from. Eventually, most of the eyes landed on me. A few of them looked absolutely shocked. I guess nobody expected the shy new girl to be a performer.
As I sang a bit louder at the chorus, I snuck a look in Cody’s direction. His mouth was actually hanging open in surprise.
When I finished the song, I intended to go straight into the next one, but was interrupted by a boisterous round of applause.
My cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Thank you, folks.” I began another tune that I knew was a favorite with the ladies in the bar. I’d heard most of them quietly singing along here and there.
Just before the chorus, I called out, “Sing along if you know it,” as if I were accustomed to this sort of thing. To my absolute delight, they did. If I hadn’t been singing, I would have choked up. A room full of people were singing along with me and my guitar. It was the warmest, most beautiful feeling I’d never experienced with a huge group of people. Their smiles would have knocked me over if I weren’t so focused on the task at hand.
This time the round of applause was even more enthusiastic. I glanced quickly to Iris, but she was grinning and nodding, so I assumed a little bit of rowdy behavior was acceptable. I also noticed that Esther looked perplexed, and had actually stopped texting for a moment.
A few songs later, I saw Gary rushing in to speak with Iris, then run downstairs to the fuse box. I almost didn’t want to stop, especially since Cody was positively beaming at me from just four feet away. I’d never seen him smile so much. I couldn’t believe that he was so fixated on me, in front of everyone.
My stomach fluttered again, but I forced myself to keep going. “This might be my last song,” I said, “So sing along and think of someone you love.”
I broke into a good old heartbreaker, one that I knew showcased my voice to the fullest. But this time nobody sang along. I saw that men were grabbing their sweetheart’s hand across the table, and girlfriends were murmuring quietly to each other. The single men were staring at me as if I were telling them the secrets of the universe.
Cody’s eyes blazed. He was staring at me with a strange intensity that I could only describe as hunger.
As I finished the song, the applause almost made my ears ring. Iris gave me a little wave and shrug, but I wasn’t sure what she meant.
“Is it fixed?” I asked.
“Yes, but you can keep going if you like.”
I shook my head quickly, and she nodded, putting the sound system back on. I actually heard a few people in the back call out, “Aww,” as if they were disappointed that I was finished. But my hands were starting to seriously shake, and I didn’t want to push my luck.
Sliding off the stool, Cody took my arm. “Wow. I had no idea.”
I felt myself blushing furiously. “Yeah, well…surprise! I’m a singer.”
“You have the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard,” he said quietly. “Honestly, Lorena, I’m stunned.” His hand flashed out to give mine a squeeze.
We just stood together for a moment in our own imaginary bubble. “I have to put the guitar away and get back to work,” I said quickly.
“Of course,” he smiled, as I rushed away.
Chapter Four
~ Cody ~
I was already shaken to the core just at the thought of asking such a sweet girl out someday. Now I was actually nervous about being alone with her.
I’d never felt comfortable with women. They seemed to want so many detailed things, and I just didn’t have a clue. I didn’t go out dancing, or know a damn thing about pop culture nonsense. The thou
ght that I’d never find a woman had crossed my mind quite often.
Then I met Lorena. There was something peaceful about her – an elegant stillness. She might actually be content with a quiet man, who stood back to let her shine. A man who didn’t want anything fancy, just her.
Lorena’s talent was as remarkable as her beauty, but her sweet demeanor was the thing that made me need her the most. My gaze followed her around the tavern as she checked in with customers, always taking a moment for a friendly comment or a joke. She complimented women on their earrings and men on their whiskey choices. She always found something nice to say to everyone. Quite frankly, she was a little sweetie pie.
As she sashayed back to the kitchen, my eyes locked onto those full, round hips. God, how I needed to take her in my arms, caress that soft skin, make her mine. It was an urge so intense that it was a bit unsettling.