by E. E. Marino
Keela wasn’t a one-night stand for him. No, she couldn’t be. She had an aura about her and a spirit that made Aaron feel warm and hopeful for the first time in a very long time. She was like a favorite beer. To be enjoyed, savored, and had often.
Aaron had come to Long Island to settle down and make a life here. While his job wasn’t anything special, he knew that there was only one thing he wanted more than anything now that he was home. And that one thing was Keela.
Chapter 5
One Week Later
AFTER working at Gypsy’s for a week, Aaron quickly learned the flow of the small bar. He was quickly becoming endeared to the crew, Nicky, and a certain brunette bartender with his sense of humor and hard work ethic. On top of protecting the bar and its patrons, Aaron also found himself helping to stock and unload orders at the bar. Gypsy’s now was much more than just a mundane job. He found out within his first week what Nicky had meant when he said that Gypsy’s was one big family. Getting to Gypsy’s early for his three o’clock shift by getting there at two thirty was partly because he still wanted to make a good impression, but mostly because he wanted to see Keela.
Pulling up to the bar, he saw Shannon kicking her old Passat in fury. Getting off of his bike, Aaron made his way over to the tiny girl, who was yelling curse after curse at the top of her lungs.
“Trouble with the Passat?” he asked as he walked up to her.
Shannon turned and began to blush at being caught cursing like a sailor. “Yeah, this old hunk of junk won’t turn over, and I cannot afford to take it to the mechanic right now.” When Aaron saw her lip quiver slightly, he walked to the front of the car.
“Pop the hood, okay? Let me take a look. Maybe I can fix it for you.” Shannon was understandably taken aback by his request, but nevertheless, she slid into the driver’s side and popped the hood.
Aaron’s head disappeared beneath the hood, and about five minutes later, he called out to her. “Okay, Shannon, try to start her up.”
Nodding, Shannon turned the key. After a few initial sputters, the engine soon purred to life, and Shannon all but jumped out of her seat. “Oh, my God, Aaron, thank you so much. What was it?”
“You have a dirty battery. I wiped off what I could for now, but next time I come in, I’ll bring in my wire brush and give it a good solid cleaning for you. You may need to replace it eventually, but for now, we can salvage what you have.”
Giving him a huge hug, Shannon thanked Aaron before getting back into her car and driving away while Aaron walked into Gypsy’s to begin his shift.
* * * *
When Keela saw Aaron, she couldn’t stop the smile and blush before turning her attention back to the bar.
Unbeknownst to the two, Nicky and Natalie had watched the smiles exchanged with comic lightheartedness. Nicky rolled his eyes as he leaned on the hot shelf separating him and Natalie. “These two are pathetic, Nat. They need to get together already.”
Natalie chuckled as she pulled some chicken fingers from the fryer. “Oh, shoot, Nicky, let them be. You know Keela doesn’t date, and this is the first boy she’s crushing on since Ryan. All they need is a little push, baby. That’s all.”
Nicky reached under the hot shelf to grab one of Natalie’s jalapeno poppers and threw it into his mouth as she swatted his hand with her spatula. “A push, Nat? No, what they need is a damn semi to drag them together. I’ll do something; subtle, but I’ll do something.”
Natalie rolled her eyes as she swung and successfully smacked Nicky’s hand away from her poppers. “Nicholas, I swear to God the Almighty, if you don’t stop eatin’ this damn food that don’t belong to you, I’m going to cut your damn finger off and throw it into the fryer. Now get out of my kitchen!”
Nicky ducked and ran out of the kitchen, very ungracefully, running into Aaron.
“Natalie threatening you with maiming again, boss?”
“Hey, Aaron, nice and early, I see.” Nicky smirked at him before slapping Aaron on the back, a custom that they had established since Aaron began working at Gypsy’s.
“Yes, sir, just trying to start off on the right foot. I really appreciate you giving me the job,” Aaron said as they walked past the bar on their way to the loft. Keela looked him up and down before she shot him a look of want as she licked her lips absentmindedly.
“Well, first off, please don’t call me sir. You’re not in the military anymore, dude. I’ve told you that.” Nicky saw Aaron smirk. “And secondly, I don’t think it’s just the job you appreciate. I think it’s my feisty bartender.”
Aaron waved him off, laughing nervously and went about working his shift, unaware of the emerald green eyes that followed him.
* * * *
Damn, he looks good in blue, Keela thought as she followed Aaron around the bar while he swept up. He was in his Levi’s again, wearing a sky blue Gypsy’s tee that clung tightly to every single muscle. The sight made her so horny. Unaware of her surroundings, Keela had let her mind wander to Aaron shirtless and hovering over her when she felt something hit her in the head, followed by a loud shout. “Keela!”
Keela looked to see the beer glass she was pouring from the tap was overflowing and running down the counter. “Crap.” She quickly transferred the beer into a clean glass and put it before the man at the bar, who chuckled. Shrugging at the man, embarrassed, she grabbed a rag and began wiping up her mess.
Nicky walked over the bar with a look of confusion on his face. “Sorry about the ball of paper to the head, Kee Kee, but you were completely zoned out. You okay?”
Keela smiled. “Yeah, just tired a little and let my mind wander.” She smiled as Nicky smiled and walked to go greet the people around the bar. Looking out at the restaurant, Keela saw Aaron staring at her with a heated gaze, and she did something out of character for her with men. She smiled at him and nodded toward him, which caused him to smile back.
She returned to her work then, completely unable to focus because of the fire Aaron lit within her, all from one smile.
* * * *
It wasn’t hard to see why Gypsy’s needed a bouncer; the past week hadn’t been too crazy, but Friday night was a whole other animal. Aaron had been working at Gypsy’s a whole six hours tonight, and already he had a headache. One drunken asshole after another would begin causing problems. He and Nicky had already thrown out three guys and a girl, and it was only eight-thirty. It was so busy tonight that Louis was acting as server tonight, running food out to the patrons, while Nicky was helping Keela out with the bar. Nicky had made a call to his friend Mitch to come in and help out with bussing the tables since Shannon had a gig tonight and Laura was still in Jamaica.
Seeing Keela smile at him before had made Aaron think of all the naughty, dirty dreams he’d had the previous night, and how she was looking today didn’t help much. She was in a pair of denim shorts that showed off her strong, tanned legs with a black Gypsy’s shirt on top, but what made her really look hot was the straw cowboy hat and loose pigtails she sported. She looked like a sexy little cowgirl, which, of course, had him thinking of her riding him wearing that damn hat. Seeing that it was time for a break, Aaron signaled to the bar he was taking a fifteen-minute break, rushed past the bar in an attempt to conceal his hard-on and went up to the loft, where Nicky was watching the cameras and having a scotch.
“Hey, Aaron. How’s your night going?”
Aaron took the beer Nicky offered and plopped down on the chair in front of his desk while observing the camera in case anything happened.
“It’s crazy down there. I can’t believe how some of those kids are acting,” he said while Nicky downed his scotch.
“Yeah, I never understood it, but they’re young and they want to have fun.” Nicky paused before leaning his elbows on the desk and focusing his gaze on him. “So when are you going to ask Keela out?”
Aaron nearly choked on his beer, his mouth hanging open at the statement, but before he could defend himself, Nicky’s hand shot up to silenc
e him. “Listen, I’m not against it. I can see how you look at her and how she looks at you. Kee Kee and I have been friends since she was seventeen, so I’ve known her a long time. Her ex really messed her up, and since then, she hasn’t really connected with anyone for more than a night.”
A surge of jealously swept through Aaron at the thought of Keela sleeping with another man. Nicky must have seen it because he cleared his throat and continued. “But last week, when you helped her and all, I saw something in her. It was almost a longing. She couldn’t stop staring at you the whole time, and then that night she came home and went straight to bed. I think she likes you, but Kee Kee being Kee Kee, she’ll try and fight it because she’s afraid. None of us want to see her hurt.” When Nicky stared at him, Aaron finally got why he was telling him all of this.
“I would never hurt her, Nicky,” Aaron said in earnest. “I know you are looking out for her and wondering if I’m just looking for a good time, but I assure you that I like Keela, and I want to get to know her if she’ll let me.”
When Nicky relaxed and smiled, Aaron knew he said the right thing.
“I’ve got to warn you, man. Her scars run very deep. Her ex really did a number on her, and she has worked so hard to be strong after that, so I’m just asking you to be patient with her.”
Aaron nodded and finished his beer before heading downstairs to finish his shift. Looking over at the bar, he saw Keela and his mouth went dry. She was bent over getting something out of the fridge. Her round, tight ass was pressing against the denim and was high in the air. Oh, yeah, I’m going to totally ask her out. He marched over to the bar.
Righting herself up in a standing position, she handed two longnecks to a couple of Jersey Shore-looking guys, who smirked and left her a twenty on the bar. Aaron went behind the bar, and she smiled at him as she made her way to him.
“How’s it going over here, cowgirl?” Aaron teased and tugged lightly on her right pigtail. God, you are pathetic, Samuels.
Surprisingly, she smiled and blushed and playfully twisted the rag in her hand. “Well, besides the countless drunken dorks hitting on me every ten minutes and the crazy amount of noise in here today, I’m good. How’s your night?”
Aaron smiled as his eyes tried and failed to not look at the round curve of her breasts under her tee. To him, everything about this girl was sexy, including her snarky, no-nonsense attitude. “I had to throw out a few people, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.” When she laughed, her eyes lit up, making her even more beautiful. “So, Keela, do you have a minute to chat?”
“Um, yeah, a quick minute. What’s up?” She leaned again the sink lip, and Aaron saw her eyes look him up and down.
“Well, I was wondering if I could take you out?” he asked, sounding way more nervous than he had wanted to. Her eyes got wide, and she began to chew on her lip while twirling one of her pigtails. Aaron pressed on. “Nicky told me a little about your ex, and I totally get it, but you don’t have to worry with me. I’ll go at your pace, and trust me when I say that, in this bar full of women, there is only one that has kept my attention all night. So what do you say?”
Still chewing on her lip, she looked up at him, contemplating, before she shot him a small smile. “Okay. I’ll go out with you.”
“Hey, bartender.” The two looked up to see a blond guy with a fake tan and too-tight shirt waving Keela over.
“Can we talk later?” she shouted over the noise, making her way to the group. Aaron nodded, and she smiled before turning to the obnoxious guy.
Aaron went back to his post by the door, unable to wipe the smile off his face. The rest of the night was crazy, but for the rest of the night, he didn’t have a headache anymore. That was until he saw Keela come out from behind the bar.
* * * *
To say she was emotionally all over the place was an understatement. She was aroused. She was anxious. She was giddy. She was frightened. Aaron Samuels, the too-sexy man of her desires, had asked her out, and she had said yes. Keela had wanted to say yes, but she was also having doubt.
I barely know this guy, but he makes my heart soar and my panties wet, she thought to herself as she turned down a shot from the Jersey Shore knock-off in front of her.
Keela hadn’t been able to get their kiss from a week ago out of her head, and now she had just said yes to a date with a way-too-sexy guy who could just make her heart melt with a smile. Keela gulped, knowing she was in serious trouble.
“Sure you can’t have a drink with us, cowgirl?” Keela grimaced at the drunken moron in front of her with traces of puke on his shirt.
“No, thanks, buddy. I still have a bar to run, but you enjoy, okay?” Keela went to turn, but she felt someone grab the hat off her head. She spun around to see said drunken moron smirking with her hat in his hand.
“Ha, ha, very funny.” She reached for the hat, but he decided to play Keep Away with it. Keela sighed as she came from behind the bar to collect her hat. “May I please have my hat back, jerk?” She was too tired for games.
“Jerk, huh? Well, if you weren’t such a cold bitch, I wouldn’t have taken your hat,” he smirked as he put it on his head. “If you really want it back, how about a kiss?”
Too grossed out for words, Keela decided to cut her losses and turned to go back to the bar but found herself being blocked by his equally large friends.
“What’s a matter, girly? Don’t think you can handle us?” He leaned in and tried to touch her, but Keela slapped his hand away.
“Um, gross, no thank you. Not into douchebag drunks who throw up on themselves like idiots,” Keela snapped as he squared up and took a menacing step toward her, causing Keela to step back and collide with his friends.
“Think you’re so superior, huh? Well, news flash, sweetheart. You’re a bartender. Nothing special. All we wanted was to have a drink with you.” He paused and looked at his drink just as Keela saw Aaron close in on them. “Well, little miss bitch, how about that drink, huh?” He tried to dump his beer over her head but found himself being lifted off the ground by his neck by Aaron. The beer was knocked out of his hand as the hat fell from his head, and his friends backed away from her.
“You have a problem here, Keela?” Aaron asked as he stared at the guy with contempt.
“Keela?” The guy snorted, trying to sound tough while Aaron held him in a hold. “What kind of stupid name is that?”
Keela watched as, in a matter of moments, Aaron stomped over to the door and hurled the guy out the door, where he hit the dirt parking lot with a thud. Watching Aaron get rid of the guy, with little effort on his part, seriously made Keela want to dip her fingers into her panties and come with a vengeance.
“You son of a bitch. You can’t do that to me.” The guy was being held back by his friends as Aaron stood at the door and laughed.
“I can actually; you were intimidating my bartender in an aggressive manner which made her feel threatened. Now, you are no longer welcome here, so don’t you dare come back and harass my bartender.”
Aaron stared down the drunk, which made him look even hotter, if that was even possible. Keela couldn’t fathom why Aaron calling her his bartender made her heart do a somersault, but it did. That was when Keela knew she was hooked.
Leaving the drunk to his cursing and ranting, Aaron made a beeline to Keela, scooped the hat off the floor, and handed it to her. She looked into his eyes and saw what could only be described as longing and want.
“Keela, sweetie, are you okay?” When he gently brushed the hair from her eyes, Keela felt her cheeks warm and her voice suddenly go missing, so she nodded like an idiot.
Aaron cupped her face and brushed his thumb over her cheek as he stared into her eyes. He ghosted his hand down her face and let it rest under her chin, tilting it up.
Oh, yeah, definitely not a mistake saying yes, Keela thought as he started to pull away. But before he could, she grasped his shirt and, in one quick and possibly foolish move, pulled him down
to her level and crushed his mouth to hers in a deep, knee-weakening kiss.
Hesitating for only a second from the shock, Aaron pulled her into an embrace and deepened the kiss by gently probing his tongue into her mouth.
He tasted like beer and something else distinctly Aaron, and Keela wanted more. Had it not been for the fact that they were at work, and she was needed at the bar, Keela would have gladly dropped to her knees and sucked him dry.
Pulling back, Keela saw his darkened eyes as he looked down at her before looking up again to see Nicky calling her over. Aaron gently put her hat back on as she stared at him, feeling as though her heart might explode out of her chest. Giving her brim a gentle flick, he leaned down to her ear and gave it a small nip.
“Go get ’em, cowgirl.”
Aaron gave her a wink and went back to his post at the door as Keela stumbled back to the bar, having difficulty regaining her footing after Aaron had left her weak in the knees. Keela quickly got back to the orders as Nicky smirked at her knowingly.
“Well, it’s nice of you to join us,” he said as Keela felt her face start to get hot.
She flipped him off as her eyes locked with Aaron’s from across the bar.
Oh, yeah, big, big trouble.
Chapter 6
MISTAKE number one was accepting this date with Aaron. Mistake number two was kissing him at the bar. But mistake number three was probably the worst, and that was telling Kristi about her date. So here she stood now, in nothing but her bra and thong smoking a cigarette as Kristi went through her closet for the perfect date outfit. Keela sighed as she watched her overly excited friend fling clothes out of the closet. “Please tell me you’re going to hang these back up in order?”
Kristi stopped her assault on the closet to turn to Keela and give her an exasperated look. “Seriously? You have a date with a handsome guy tonight and you’ve been giddy and happier than you’ve been in a long time and you’re concerned about your closet?”