“Superb.” She threw me a small wink and continued with whatever task she was working on while I sat.
It was impossible to not think about tonight, though, or the reality of my finances. “Carla,” I said as nonchalantly as possible.
“Yeah?” She glanced my way.
“I was thinking about heading in to watch the show tonight,” I said.
“I think that’s a brilliant idea,” she said keenly. “Lady Bra Ga’s shows are a blast.”
I grinned. “That’s what I’ve heard.” I picked up my pen, simply for something to do as I asked, “Remind me what the door charge is?”
She tilted her head a little before she answered, “It’s fifteen dollars.”
I bobbed my head, throwing her a smile while figuring out how much cash I had in my wallet. I did have an emergency twenty-dollar note I kept hidden away for bills or food, but I didn’t think this constituted as that. But with Elijah the one to have asked me…. I sighed. I was such a sucker.
“You know,” Carla said, “employees don’t have to pay a cover charge to get in for the events held here.”
Surprise hit me, warring with embarrassment. Was I so easy to read? “Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
Her kind eyes were directed my way as she nodded. It seemed as though she wanted to say something else, as a quiet contemplation drifted over her. Not wanting to get into anything with her, as there was not a chance in hell I’d be getting personal with anyone about my finances, I quickly said, “After these few orders I have to make, I have some time. You need me on anything for you?”
She shook her head. “I’m all good, thanks.”
I offered a chin lift and set about sorting my orders.
The rest of my shift flew by. With only working part-time, I was out of here by four and not due back till Tuesday. It was only the exception of me offering to come in on Sunday for the fire inspection that meant I’d be getting some extra hours in. I’d volunteered, not expecting to get paid, but Carla telling me that I would definitely be paid for the few extra hours I worked was a relief.
I had an ad-hoc job delivering store leaflets once a month for some extra cash. The extra money helped me stay afloat. It was easy work, which I didn’t mind one bit. My next drop wasn’t until the following Friday, and I’d have the whole weekend to deliver seven hundred leaflets.
With the few hours extra I’d be paid on Sunday, it would mean I could buy a couple of beers at least. And with Elijah being there tonight, those would be helpful to get me to relax so I wouldn’t ramble and make a spectacle of myself.
Smooth was not my forte.
Once home, fed, and getting ready, I tugged on the nicest jeans I had. They were old and well-loved but fit well. They also hadn’t faded too much, so the dark blue made them look decent. The one purchase I’d allowed myself over the past six weeks, a pale blue Superdry tee I’d spotted on sale, clung to my chest. The luxury of surfing being free, beyond the bars of wax I splurged on, meant I was in good shape and had strong arms. It set my guns off pretty damn well, and I allowed myself a small smile in the mirror in my room.
With the fairly regular bus service, as in one running every hour out here, I could get to the bar with ease. I’d just have to make sure I was on the five past ten bus back. It would mean an early night, but it would be worth it.
After the short journey, my stomach dipped and dived. It wasn’t like it was unusual for me to be by myself, and while at least tonight I would know most of the staff, or at least recognise their faces, it didn’t stop my nerves from making themselves known.
I considered all I knew about Elijah. It had been impossible to not listen to the gossip. While there’d been nothing too recent about his exploits, he had a reputation of hooking up and seemed to have a steady flow of broken hearts in his wake.
His conquests didn’t bother me. We all had histories, and who didn’t like getting off? But the thought that I may see him in action tonight made me queasy.
I shook the feeling aside as I made my way to the bar, relieved to see Mitchell on the door.
“Hey, Seb,” he greeted, offering me a wide smile. “How are you doing tonight?”
My smile mirrored his. “Good, thanks. Excited about out the show.”
He bobbed his head. “Lady Bra Ga is pretty great. Be careful though…” His brow lifted. “She has a reputation for eating pretty boys up, especially fresh faces.”
I laughed, appreciating the humour in his voice. “Noted, thanks. I’ll be sure to hide at the bar. Not sure I can handle a man-eater,” I jested.
He chuckled as he opened the door for me. “Have a good night.” A wink followed his words as I stepped into the bar.
The room was cast in dim light, the small stage to the left lit in twinkling lights. A range of bodies littered the space—small groups, a few couples, and mainly men, with what looked to be some clusters of women. A happy mumble of voices, punctuated with laughter, filtered through the space, and immediately I relaxed, loving the vibe.
I’d never not been comfortable at Bar QK, but with this busy crowd and the energy floating around the place, ease settled through me. Walking through the crowd, I returned a few smiles sent my way, not recognising anyone. I didn’t know who was a regular or who was here just for the show, but the head dips and friendly faces were a welcome sight.
As I neared the bar, I angled to the right, towards the end of the bar, when I heard my name. Lenny waved, and I gladly made my way over.
“The boss man asked for me to make sure you had a stool.” He dipped his head at the empty stool and threw me a wink.
“Oh, thanks.” Heat touched my cheeks, as not only had I forgotten to ask for myself on my way out this afternoon, but Elijah had remembered and taken care of it for me.
“What’ll it be?”
I only had just over an hour to enjoy the show before I’d have to dash out to catch the last bus, so it wasn’t like I had to pace myself. I’d also figured it was cheaper to go for a spirit simply on the grounds it would make me feel buzzed. “Vodka soda, please.”
Lenny bobbed his head and went to the shelf displaying the liquor. He grabbed the more expensive bottle, and I cringed. “Actually, the Trivoski will do, thanks.”
He glanced over at me, hand still on the Chopin. Making his way back towards me, picking up a glass en route, he said, “Boss man’s got this covered, so let’s not drink the stuff that’s going to destroy your head.”
I froze at that, the heat already in my cheeks beginning to burn. I shook my head. “Honestly, it’s fine. Even more so if he’s paying for it.”
Lenny’s gaze flicked behind me and slightly to the right before he returned his attention to making me a drink. A moment later, warmth hit my back and I stilled, knowing the presence belonged to Elijah.
“There’s no way you’re drinking that shit,” he said low, next to my ear. “My treat.”
Angling to look at him, I was immediately ensnared in his deep gaze. I didn’t even eye him up and down to see what he was wearing, too caught up in the look in his eyes.
“You sure?” I asked, not wanting to insult the guy, nor wanting to take the piss either.
“I’m positive.”
I nodded, my lips curving up. “Thank you.”
He took the empty stool next to me, angling a little in my direction. “Anytime. I’m just pleased you made it.”
“You are?” I asked, not holding back my widening grin.
“I am. The last time we had a drink together was when we met.”
I scrunched my nose at that, saying, “I remember. I kind of accosted you, huh. Chatted your head off a bit. Sorry about that.”
“I’m not. I’m pleased you came that night.”
Oh, how I wish I had. I snorted at the thought, the sound causing Elijah to quirk both his brow and his lips at me, and I kinda figured he knew what I was snorting at.
“Well, you did offer me a job, which I’m so grateful for. Seriously, than
k you.”
“You’re good at organising the place. I think it was a good choice.”
Warmth spread over me at his compliment. They were few and far between in my life, and getting one from Elijah was crazy dangerous for my heart.
Movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention, and my gut clenched as I recognised the hot blond who sometimes came in for lunch. One of the bar staff had told me he’d hooked up with Elijah a time or two.
The blond and I were polar opposites. He had a good five inches on me, was broad-shouldered, and while not overly muscular, he clearly took care of himself.
He stepped into our space, focus solely on Elijah. “Hey, E.” The shortening of Elijah’s name had me bristling at the familiarity and sent my discomfort into overdrive. “I didn’t see you back here.”
I pulled my eyes away from the two men, clamping down on my drink and taking a sip.
“Kirk,” Elijah said, his voice polite. “You here for the show?”
“And hopefully some time with you,” Kirk said, and that was my cue.
“Uhm, I’ll see you later. Thanks for the drink.” I downed the contents and all but threw myself off my stool. I eased through the crowd of bodies, not having realised it had filled up so quickly. But that was the thing with Elijah. He captured my attention completely. Dangerous and so not good for my heart or survival.
I shook my head as I headed towards the back room, needing fresh air but not wanting to face Mitchell or anyone else. As I opened the rear exit, the cooler air hit me. I inhaled deeply, mentally shaking myself.
Elijah had been nothing but kind and generous to me. With so little good in my life, it was no wonder I read his invitation as being something more. That was completely on me. And regardless of what I’d heard when I’d been outside of his office, I could only assume he’d said what he had to get that guy gone.
A humourless laugh escaped me. I was a dick at times. What I needed was to shake this off, remind myself that it was okay to crush on a guy from afar, and give myself a reality check about anything more happening.
Kirk had been the reminder I’d needed for that.
Tilting my head back, I couldn’t see any stars, the rear entrance too enclosed for a good view, and with just a little too much light pollution. I jerked my head down when I heard movement. Eyes focussed and narrowed, I couldn’t work out what was in the distance.
Only two businesses led to this rear exit, and I couldn’t imagine the neighbouring store needing to be here at this time of night.
A small light flickered. A cigarette. Sharp laughter followed hard, mumbled words. Unable to see what was going on, I angled away from the door a little. There was a streetlight at the very end of the narrow entryway, and once whoever it was walked in that direction, I’d probably see who it was.
With no idea why my curiosity was piqued, I continued to look in that direction. The sound of scuffing shoes letting me know at least one person was moving. A few moments later, I saw a man. He turned in the direction of the person he’d walked away from, saying something I couldn’t hear. Though the snarl in the tone was crystal clear. And even though he was cast in shadow, I recognised his face immediately. It was the guy from the other day. The dude with the paint.
Edging back to the door, my heart beating loudly and verging on frantic, I reached out and grabbed the handle. I eased the door open and stepped back into the safety of the rear entryway. Moving out of the direct way of the door, I hovered, wondering what to do, and considered I should have perhaps hung back to see who was outside with the paint guy.
The rear door opening had me freezing and flicking my eyes in its direction.
Tom stood in the doorway, surprise registering on his face as he stepped fully inside.
“Hey, Seb. All okay back here?”
I didn’t know this bartender well and had only met him a couple of times, as he tended to work night shifts after I’d left for the day. A tightness around his eyes and the smile that didn’t quite sit naturally made him appear far more uncomfortable than I was.
“Yep. Just taking a breather from the crowds,” I said, my lips flipping up in a practiced smile.
He nodded, something like relief passing through his eyes. “Yeah, it can get crazy on these nights.” He indicated over his shoulder towards the exit. “I was just taking a breather while I can, you know?”
My smile remained the same. “Best get back to it.”
“Yep.” He walked past me, leaving me questioning what I should do.
That Tom had been speaking to the guy didn’t look great, but it didn’t mean Tom was involved necessarily. Whatever had been said outside didn’t sound pleasant from the tones I’d heard. I could have easily asked Tom who the man was and what they’d been speaking about, but the possibility of stepping in the middle of something sent my gut twisting with unease. Trusting Elijah to know what was best and how to handle this, I’d pass on the info and follow his lead.
The thought sent a blast of shock through me.
I trusted Elijah, yet I’d just run away from him, my feelings far too bloody sensitive for my own good. But I supposed that was why I’d run. It was rare I let people in at all, and the few times I had and was then burnt, recovery was unsurprisingly shit.
Resolve calmed my racing heart. If Tom was involved somehow with those guys, and even worse, bringing them in to Bar QK somehow, that had to stop. Fast.
I headed back to the main bar, immediately hit by the crowd and the wall of heat and noise. Not sure where Elijah would be, I angled straight towards the oak bar, seeing Lenny. Sometimes being a little more compact had its benefits, and slipping around the bodies to make my way to Lenny was exactly that.
Hands on the wooden surface, I stood up on my tiptoes, trying to see better around the area, looking first in the direction of where I’d been sitting. Elijah wasn’t there, nor was the blond. I swallowed back my reaction to the thought that they may have gone somewhere together and refocussed.
“Lenny,” I called. He was just passing over three bottles of beer to a customer when his eyes landed on me. A quick lift of his head in acknowledgment, and he finished serving before heading in my direction.
“Okay, Seb?” Concern shone in his eyes. “Boss man was looking for you. He seemed worried.”
I bobbed my head. “Know where he is?” As I spoke, out the corner of my eye, I saw Tom serving a customer and side-eyed him as I waited for Lenny to answer me.
“Not sure. He headed towards the front.”
“Okay, thanks.” If I hadn’t been looking carefully, I would have missed Tom dipping his hand in his pocket before returning what I assumed was change, in the same hand he’d dipped into his pocket, to a guy at the bar. Wide-eyed, I looked on in horror. I needed to pull away before he saw me. Subtlety was never my strong suit.
“Hey, you sure you’re all right?” Lenny’s brows were dipped low.
“Yeah. Thanks. If you see Elijah, let him know I need to talk to him, yeah?”
He bobbed his head, already reaching towards the fridge as a woman next to me called her order over the loud voices.
Turning, I angled in the direction of the front entrance. This was so bad. Maybe. Possibly. What had Tom passed to the guy? There was the possibility I was wrong and that Tom wasn’t linked to the dick who’d attacked me, but I’d prefer to humiliate myself and be mistaken, rather than keeping my mouth shut and this impacting on Elijah’s business.
Nine
Elijah
As soon as Seb had left, I’d understood why. He’d already told me my staff gossiped, and with Kirk appearing at my side and offering himself up on a platter, it took but a second for the reason to be clear.
It both pissed me off and made my cock twinge at the same time.
I hated that Seb thought Kirk would be the focus of my attention rather than him. Truth be told, since Seb had started, I’d hadn’t accepted a single blow job or quick screw. With Seb constantly on my mind, it made it impossib
le to want anyone else’s mouth on me, and I certainly didn’t want to be buried deep inside anyone but him.
Years of meaningless sex had finally run its course, and all because of a cute guy who didn’t know his own worth.
And my cock twitching? That’d be my ego recognising that Seb was jealous.
A few minutes after disentangling myself from Kirk and then getting sidetracked by the lighting guy for the show who had questions, I was able to go and look for him. I figured he’d wanted some air so headed towards the main entrance. Mitchell was at the front. He worked for Cole and my brother-in-law’s security firm and was the regular here on our more popular drag nights.
He was great with the customers, took no shit, nor did he get involved in anyone’s drama.
“Elijah,” he greeted when I stepped outside, my gaze scanning the pavement and across the road.
“Hey, Mitchell. You know Seb, right?”
I looked in his direction and caught his smile at the mention of Seb’s name, bristling a little at the interest I thought I saw there. “Yeah. He’s got a hell of a lot of awkward personality, right?” His grin stretched wide. “It’s sweet as hell.”
My brows raised high at that. It didn’t matter that he was absolutely right. Seb was a good guy and a gorgeous man. That other guys were noticing the latter didn’t sit well. A flush of heat spread through me. Not exactly in anger, but since I didn’t want anyone else noticing just how much of a catch Seb was, a flare of jealousy spiked in my chest, unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
“He is that,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. “He’s unavailable though, yeah?” Apparently, my aim for neutral hit the ground with a thud, my instruction sounding a lot like interest. Who was I trying to kid? I wanted Seb so damn badly, I had barely slept since he’d started. And especially after I’d been such a cockhead to him, and my sister had put me in my place, my already poor sleep was weighed down with both guilt and regret.
I should have hauled his arse on my bike, taken him home, and made sure he was okay. And at least been there when he’d given his police statement. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t sure if he’d ever allow me to do that, as he’d made it clear he could take care of himself. Of that I had no doubt.
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