by K A Belle
“Wow. You didn’t want to stay in New York? I figure there're more opportunities to act there.”
“I learned I wasn’t a fan of the cold. As much as I hate the heat, east coast winters suck far worse. So, when I started searching for a job just before I graduated, I heard through the grapevine that my old drama teacher was retiring. I applied and got the job.”
“Which high school?”
“Milton. Mr. Hawthorne’s shoes weren’t easy to fill, but I managed. I’m part of the Phoenix Theatre Company. When the acting bug hits me, I audition. Just so you know, the theatre company is awesome. You should give one of the shows a try sometime.”
I glanced at the time on my phone. Holy shit. Three in the morning. Time flew talking to Jacob. He was fun and interesting. “I should go and let you get out of here.”
“We should probably exchange numbers.”
“Good point.” Jacob recited his number. I put it in my phone and sent him a text, so he’d have mine.
He pulled his phone from his shirt pocket. “Sammy spelled your name with only a K. Is that right?”
“Yep. Short for Nikolas.” I spelled it out for him. “I was named after my maternal grandfather.”
“I’ll text you tomorrow with a schedule for the rest of the wedding stuff. Are you sure you’re okay with playing this out? The wedding isn’t until next weekend.”
Ten days of faking it. Yay, me.
“If you want to call the whole thing off, I’ll understand,” he offered once more.
“I wouldn’t do that to you. It’s a great test of my acting skills. Right?”
“Yeah.” Jacob’s expression turned a little sad making me feel like shit for my poor choice of words. He came around from behind the bar. “I’ll walk you out.”
Chapter 5
jacob
I couldn’t stop thinking about Nik. Not only was he a walking wet dream, he was a nice guy. Unfortunately, he wasn’t my guy. At least for the next week and a half I would be able to enjoy his company.
I’d shot Nik a text first thing after I woke up. When he didn’t respond immediately, I assumed he was in class. At least I hoped so. It would suck if he decided to blow me off, and not only because I desperately needed a plus one. I genuinely wanted to know Nikolas Russo. He was the total package. Good-looking, smart, funny, and genuine. The way we’d talked last night was nothing short of amazing. Nik hadn’t faked his interest. He honestly wanted to know about me and hear what I had to say. Working the bar, I had plenty of experience listening to other people’s tales of woe and hearing them bitch about everything. It was a rare occasion when I was actually able to talk to someone outside of my family and have them give a shit. Hazards of the job, I guess.
I didn’t need to be at the bar until two for my shift. I dressed and headed to the gym. Working out was a more constructive use of my time than sitting around my apartment wondering if Nik would respond to my text.
A little after noon, Nik finally replied to my text. I grinned at his two-word response. I wanted to see if I could coax the guy from last night out a bit and replied with an invitation to join me at the bar later that night.
Me: I know you might not want to go anywhere considering how upset you were about where your sisters would be tonight, but… if you feel up to it stop by the bar. I’ll buy you a drink and cheer you up.
Nik: I was having an okay day until you brought that up. Bad Jacob.
I laughed out loud at his response. I couldn’t stop myself from messing with him a little. Nik had a good sense of humor and a quick wit. I wasn’t concerned he’d take my teasing the wrong way.
Me: Sorry? ;-) Guess I will have to buy you two drinks to make up for my carelessness.
Nik: Perhaps you will. I’ll consider your offer.
Me: Would knowing we have the entire Pink collection on our digital jukebox get me a definite “yes, I’ll see you tonight”?
Nik: Do you?
I parked behind the bar and pulled up the music app on my phone. I searched for Pink and sent Nik a screen shot as proof, then headed inside.
“What has you smiling so big? Thinking about your man?” Ethan punctuated his inquiry with a taunting grin he’d perfected by the time he was five, or so I’d been told. At thirty-six, Ethan was a decade older than me. Still, out of all my brothers, I was closest to him.
“I’m just so happy to see you, old man. I couldn’t contain my glee when I spied your ugly mug sitting at the bar.” I punched his shoulder as I passed by. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be off until after the honeymoon.”
Ethan winced. “Avoiding mom and Groomzilla.”
Rory and I shared a look then burst into laughter.
“I swear to Christ, Jacob. You and I are rock, paper, scissoring who gets to tell Ryan he said that.” Rory stopped laughing long enough to fix Ethan with a calculating look. “Unless you can convince us otherwise. The price for our silence is hefty.”
“I hate both of you. I knew Ryan was a perfectionist, but damn.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What did you do?”
“Nothing on purpose.” He held his hands out and shrugged. “The centerpieces looked fine to me. Which was obviously the wrong observation to make. How was I supposed to know the ribbon was the wrong shade of blue? Blue is blue, right?”
Rory scoffed. His expression basically called our brother stupid. “Dude. There are like a hundred shades of blue. Your blue shirt is completely different from the blue on that sign.” He pointed to the PBR advertisement on the wall. “You know, I have to wonder. Is Ryan really a Groomzilla because he’s a perfectionist or is he acting out because you’re a moron?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. “This is going to come as a shock, but I agree with Rory.”
My pain-in-the-ass middle brother gasped dramatically and pressed a palm over his heart. “Where’s my phone?” He patted his pockets. “I must record this moment in the annals of our history. You finally admitted I’m right.”
“No, I didn’t.” I shoved him out of the way so I could grab Ethan another beer. “I said I agreed with you. I never said anything about you being right.”
“Subtext.” Rory smirked.
I pinned him with a glare. “Subtext? Are you sure you want to go there?”
Rory’s eyes widened and he vehemently shook his head. “I’m good.”
I set Ethan’s beer in front of him. His eyes filled with suspicion and bounced from me to Rory then back again. “You know what? I don’t even want to know. I have enough problems.”
“I’m going to run upstairs and change. Are you sticking around a while, Ethan?”
“Yep. I figure Ryan will let me know when it’s safe to go home.” His smile told me he wasn’t worried about whether Ryan would forgive his ignorance.
I wasn’t either. Those two were meant for each other. As soon as I thought those words, I couldn’t help but think about Nik. I knew better than to make the arrangement we had into something real, but it didn’t stop my heart from yearning for more. Nik was the type of person I could imagine myself with forever. I shook my head and sighed. I was so screwed.
It wasn’t until later that evening when Nik walked into the bar and my heart skipped a beat at the mere sight of him, that I realized how truly fucked I was.
Chapter 6
nik
I took out my phone and noticed I had a text from Jacob. I kept my phone locked in my desk when I was teaching. I had a strict no phones policy in my classes. I felt I needed to set a good example for my kids. I didn’t ask them to do things I wasn’t willing to do or hadn’t already done myself. It was one of the reasons they respected me. I demanded common courtesy, but I’d earned their respect.
I read the message and noted the schedule of events he’d listed before adding them to my Google calendar. I set reminders―not that I would forget I had several dates with a hot, kilt-wearing, ginger god.
I typed ‘Sounds good’ then hit send. I rolled
my eyes at the eloquent and enthusiastic reply. I honestly didn’t know what else to say. I can’t wait to see you again and find out what you wear under your kilt seemed a bit desperate.
He replied with an invitation to come to the bar. I couldn’t help but give him hell for bringing up my recent tragedy. He gave as good as he got.
I headed straight for the refrigerator when I entered the teachers’ lounge. I pulled out my insulated lunch bag. I nodded at Ms. Harper, our guidance counselor. Ms. Harper had worked at Milton when I attended as a student. She didn’t seem inclined to retire anytime soon.
“How has your day been so far, Nik?”
“Pretty good, actually. How about you, Ms. Harper?”
“How many times do I need to tell you to call me Mary? We’re colleagues, Nikolas Russo.”
“The number is infinite,” I responded with a straight face. “Calling you by your first name is too weird for me. I was still getting carded for PG-13 movies when we first met.”
Ms. Harper cackled. “I’d forgotten what a baby face you had at fourteen.”
“Plus, every time you call me Nikolas you make me feel as if you caught me skipping class.”
My words set her off on another round of laughter. I opened my bag and breathed in deep, savoring the scent of peanut butter and grape jelly. Smelled like the lunch boxes of my youth. My phone vibrated, and the screen lit up. Jacob sent another text. I couldn’t help but smile at the photo attachment. It was a screenshot proving they did in fact have the entire Pink collection at the bar.
Me: Fine. I’ll be there but only if I can play ALL the songs.
Jacob: Done!
I took a bite of my sandwich and couldn’t help but moan. The perfect ratio of PB to J was music to my taste buds.
“You still eat like you’re twelve.”
I glanced up and stuck my tongue out at Jay Morrison. He’d worked at the high school as long as I had and was a close friend.
Jay snorted. “And act like you’re five.”
“Don’t hate me because I have an awesome lunch and you’re stuck with whatever frozen shit you stored in there this morning.” I nodded at the refrigerator. “Everyone knows PB&J with a side of sour cream and onion potato chips is the lunch of kings.”
“I’ll have you know my lunch is leftovers from dinner at Mason’s last night.” He pulled a takeout container from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. He leaned his hip against the counter and grinned at us, looking awfully proud of himself.
Jay was a serial dater and never had a free weekend. I’d say the guy had all the luck, but honestly it sounded exhausting. A different man every weekend, sometimes every other day. To me that meant a new set of idiosyncrasies to learn. A new set of annoying habits to ignore. Fending off constant advances from practical strangers trying to get into your pants. No fucking thank you.
“Who did you con into taking you to the hottest restaurant in Glendale?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he shot back.
“Yes. It’s why I asked.” I frowned at Jay and shook my head. “Don’t be an ass. Give up the deets.”
Ms. Harper leaned on her elbows and tucked her clasped hands under her chin. “Yes, do tell, Jay.” She fluttered her lashes playfully. Did I mention she was a crazy old lady?
“Only if Nik here tells us why he was grinning at his phone.”
Ms. Harper whipped her head around so fast I was surprised she didn’t break her neck. “You were? I didn’t notice. What’s going on, Nik?”
I looked over at Jay. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t. I am impossible to hate.”
“That’s what you think.” Of course, I was full of shit. Jay and Sammy were my best friends.
“Seriously. What’s going on with you, Nik? You’re acting weird.”
“Have you ever been to The Tilted Kilt?”
“No. However, if the name implies what I think, I will correct my oversight immediately. Hot men in kilts. Yum!”
Ms. Harper nodded. “I’ve been there. Charlie Campbell owned The Tilted Kilt until he retired a few years ago. I think his sons took it over. That man was a looker.” She sighed, making me feel amused and dirty at the same time.
“Three of his sons run the bar, Ethan, Rory, and Jacob. Liam is a veterinarian and Callum builds custom motorcycles,” I said as I fished a few potato chips out of the single serving bag.
I looked up and found them gaping at me. “What?”
“How the hell do you know?” Jay asked.
I opened my mouth, and the story poured out of me starting with my sisters’ betrayal.
“Holy shit, Nik.” Jay shook his head. “How could you let Sammy talk you into something like this? I mean, you’re a good actor and everything, but…”
“I know. At least, Jacob is a nice guy.”
“Oh, I get it. He’s hot.”
“That, too. However, if he was an asshole, I would have called the whole thing off no matter how good looking he was. His ex is a piece of work. She actually asked my orientation.”
“Oh, shit.”
“It was bad enough she thought it was okay to ask.”
“But?”
“She did it in front of everyone.”
“I get it now. You couldn’t leave Nice Guy Jacob alone with what sounds like a total cunt cake.”
I shook my head. He was right. I couldn’t have left Jacob at her mercy. She was the type of person who would have rubbed in the fact that Jacob was alone. “His family is cool. It’s only a week and a half of my life, right?”
Ms. Harper reached over and patted my hand. She offered a supportive smile.
Jay rubbed my shoulders. “It will all work out if nobody finds out you two are lying and if you don’t get attached.”
I wasn’t worried about the former. The latter? Unfortunately, it was probably already too late.
****
The middle brother, Rory was working alongside Jacob when I entered the bar. Jacob looked up to check who had walked in and smiled. He waved me over, pointing at an empty stood at the end of the bar. It was the same one I’d sat on the night before.
“Hey, Sammy,” Rory walked over and shook my hand. “What can I get you?”
“Hatchers.”
“We got in a couple of cases of their special fall cider in this morning. You want to try that or would you prefer the original?”
“I think I’ll give the fall cider a try.”
“Coming right up. Oh, and it’s on the house, because your sisters suck.” He tapped the bar before turning to fill my order. That’s when I noticed Rory wore a kilt. He and Jacob were dressed alike. Midnight blue button-up, black waistcoat, black kilt, and steel-toed boots. Rory was a handsome man, but he didn’t have the same effect on me his youngest brother had.
Jacob came around the bar, hugged me, then kissed my cheek. He smelled so good. I had to remind myself it was all for show. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. Not as depressed as I thought I would be.” Because I got to come here and stare at you in a kilt.
“I hope you don’t mind me telling Rory about your sisters. I think we should stick to the truth as much as possible.”
“Of course.” I patted his shoulder. “It wasn’t a state secret or anything.” The relief in Jacob’s eyes made me smile.
“Okay, good,” he said then shot me a crocked grin. “I’m glad you came in. Here.” Jacob held out his phone. I took it. The jukebox app was already open. “You can play Pink to your heart’s content.”
I shook my head and tried to give him back the phone. “I can download the app, Jacob. I don’t mind paying.”
“Nope. My treat.” I could tell by his stubborn expression and the tilt of his chin that I wouldn’t win.
“Thank you, Jacob.”
He returned to work. The bar was packed, which meant Jacob was too busy to visit with me. I didn’t mind. I had hard cider, Pink, and an excellent view. Jacob didn’t join me again until
his break.
“I noticed only you and your brother are wearing kilts.”
“Only the bartenders wear the kilts. We don’t allow the other employees to wear them. For the kitchen staff it’s a safety issue, obviously.”
“And the servers?”
“We didn’t want some asshole customer thinking it was okay to try and sneak a hand up. You know? We don’t allow patrons to abuse the staff. However, shit happens. It was Dad’s rule when he ran the bar. Most of the servers at the time were female relatives, one of whom was my mom. I think he made the rule so he wouldn’t wind up in jail because some asshole got handsy with Alana Campbell. We kept the rule, not because we’re sexist. Our servers prefer to wear pants or jeans. They say it’s easier to maneuver through the crowd when you don’t need to worry about accidentally flashing someone.”
“Most people would want their female waitstaff to wear the skimpiest uniforms possible.”
“Yeah, well. This isn’t Vegas. We sell drinks and bar food. If our customers want tits and ass, they can go to an establishment that has adapted tits and ass as its business model. Like I said we asked our employees what they preferred to wear.” Jacob nodded at Maggie. “Tilted Kilt polos and t-shirts with jeans or pants won by a unanimous vote.”
Seriously? Why couldn’t this whole relationship thing be real? Not only was Jacob the total package: tall, built, sexy, with a side of sweet. He cared more about his employees than the bottom line. Damn Sammy and her need for assistance. This favor was leading toward the most unpleasant outcome of all time. A broken heart.
Chapter 7
jacob
Nik offered to meet me at the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner was being held, but I'd insisted on us arriving together. First, because we were supposed to be boyfriends. Second, because Nik was doing me a favor. The least I could do was expend a little gas money on his behalf.