by Wilder, L.
“Well, if it was a little bigger, Eric and I might’ve been able to stay with you.” With the fakest smile, she shrugged and said, “But it’s just as well. Eric got us a room at the Omni. You should see it, Marlie. It’s just beautiful.”
“The Omni is really something. I’m sure you both will enjoy it there.”
“You know, I’ve been planning to make the trip up to see you for months, but I’ve just been so busy. You know how hard it can be to get away.” She slipped her hand through her boyfriend’s arm, pulling him close. Kate had always gone for the preppy, rich-boy type with trendy hair and the most fashionable clothes. While Eric was well-dressed in his expensive black Armani suit, he was far from preppy. His dark hair was brushed back with thick gel, and with the slight crow’s feet in the corners of his eyes, he looked to be at least ten years older than her or me. “When Eric mentioned he had business to take care of in Nashville, I insisted I come along so I could come by and spend some time with you.”
“That’s great.” I walked over to the refrigerator and took out a diet soda. “How long will you be in town?”
“Just a few days.” Kate looked up at Eric with starry eyes as she told me, “It just depends on how long it takes Eric to close this deal he’s been working on.”
“Sounds important.”
“Because it is. That’s why Eric came here to handle it himself,” she answered proudly. “Everything has to be done right.”
“I see.” I looked over to Eric and asked, “So, what kind of business are you in, Eric.”
“I buy and sell real estate,” Eric answered coldly.
“Yes, he has a real knack for finding places for a steal, then after a few renovations, he turns around and sells them for three times the buying price.” Kate was practically beaming as she asked, “Isn’t that amazing?”
“It sure is.” I could see by the way she clung to his arm, Kate was really into this guy. I wanted to share in her enthusiasm, but I couldn’t find it in me to care what her fabulous new boyfriend did for a living. Hoping to change the subject, I asked, “How are things with you and school?”
“They couldn’t be better. I’m set to graduate next month, and then I’ll start my internship at Daddy’s firm.” She released her hold on Eric’s arm as she went over and looked out my window. There wasn’t much to the view, just a busy street and a rundown gas station, so I wasn’t surprised when she asked, “What about you? Did you ever graduate?”
“No, but I’m working on it.”
“That’s good to hear. I was a little worried you’d be stuck bartending for the rest of your life, and well ... that would be disappointing.”
“Actually, I do pretty well with it.”
“Um-hmm. Clearly.” She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth with sass, then sauntered back over to Eric. “So, what about dinner? Eric and I were thinking we could take you out to eat and maybe have a few drinks.”
“That would be great, but I have to work.”
“What time do you get off?”
“It’ll be after one, so we’ll have to do it another time.”
“We could always stop by your work and spend some time with you there.”
I couldn’t believe it. For the first time since they’d arrived, Eric had something to say. Unfortunately, his idea about them coming to the club wasn’t a good one. I could only imagine how Kate would react to being at a strip club. Hoping to quickly squash the idea, I shook my head and replied, “That’s probably not a good idea. It gets a little hectic around there. Might make it difficult to talk.”
“I’m sure we can manage,” Kate sassed.
“Yeah, but I’ve only been working there a few days.” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to upset anyone by having friends stop by.”
“I’m sure they would understand. I’m your sister, after all.” Kate rolled her eyes as she murmured, “It’s not like we’re talking about some five-star restaurant here. It’s a bar.”
“Yes, but...” I started to argue but quickly decided against it. “You know what? You’re right. If you two want to stop by for a bit, you should. It would be fun.”
“Great.” Eric smiled, then slipped his arm around Kate’s waist as he said, “I really need to get to my meeting. Would you like me to drop you off at the hotel, or would you rather stay here and visit with your sister for a while?”
Kate’s eyes skirted over to me as she answered, “I think I’ll just go to the hotel. I could really use a shower.”
“Whatever you think, sweetheart.”
“That’s okay with you, isn’t it, Marlie?”
“Of course it is.” I was actually relieved. I needed some time to put my walls back up and guard myself from the onslaught of Kate and her condescending bullshit. “Go take a break, and I’ll see you both later tonight at the club.”
“Okay, that sounds good.”
As they started towards the door, I giggled as I teased them. “Be sure you come with a pocket full of singles.”
“Ugh, Marlie!” Kate gasped with repugnance. “Like we’d ever.”
“You never know.” I wiggled my eyes with a mocking smile. “You might get caught up in the moment.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
With that, they both left, and for the first time since Kate called me, I felt like I could actually breathe. I hated that I’d let myself get so wound up, especially after all this time. I wanted to believe I’d put all the hurt and rejection behind me. I’d come so far. I’d built a new life for myself. I had my own place, my own friends and family, and for the first time, I had a man in my life—a good man. It should’ve been enough, but it was clear from my ever-so-brief visit with Kate those old wounds from my childhood still hadn’t healed. In fact, they seemed just as fresh as the day I left San Antonio.
As I got ready for work, I tried not to think about the knot that was growing in the pit of my stomach. It wasn’t like I didn’t know why it was there. I knew all too well. I could almost feel myself withdrawing as I started getting ready for work. I painted my nails and put on makeup, and if that wasn’t enough, I even curled my hair. I wore my favorite black miniskirt and heels, then grabbed my things and left for Stilettos. Into the darkness I went, and there was no one there to stop me.
When I got to the club, I sat in my car for a minute and took a few deep breaths. After I pulled myself together, I put on a brave face and headed inside. I was just about to step behind the counter when Country called out to me. “Holy Batman, woman. You got somebody you’re trying to impress?”
“What?”
His eyes skirted over me playfully as he teased. “You’re looking fifty shades of fucking hot.”
“I look the same as I always do, Country.”
“Bullshit.” He cocked his eyebrow as he continued, “You’re all dolled up like it’s fucking prom night. There’s gotta be a reason, so spill it. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing. I just decided to fix up a little. That’s all.”
“You did more than fix up a little. Damn, that ass-hugging skirt you got on there is definitely gonna turn some heads.” His eyes slowly skirted over me as he pressed, “Fuck, I’m not even sure that little thing right there counts as a skirt. Looks more like a tube sock if you ask me.”
“Well, no one asked you, so just drop it.”
“Hmm...You and I both know that’s not gonna happen.” A mischievous smirk crossed his face as he said, “Damn, just wait until Rafe gets a look at you. Poor guy’s not gonna know what hit him.”
“What-ever. He’s not a complete perv like you, so I doubt he’ll even notice.”
“Oh, he’ll fucking notice. You just wait and see.”
I rolled my eyes and tried to redirect his thoughts. “Don’t you have some work you need to be doing or something?”
“Nah, I’m all caught up.” He sat down on one of the empty stools as he announced, “Don’t know if you heard, but we got Gladys moved into her new place.”
“Yeah, Rafe told me.” I started prepping for the night ahead as I asked him, “How’s she liking being at Ada’s place?”
“From the sounds of it, she’s liking it a lot. They’ve really been hitting it off.”
“That’s great. I’m really glad to hear it.” I took a beer out of the cooler and placed it on the counter in front of him. “I’ll have to get Rafe to take me over there and see her soon.”
“She’d really like that.”
I turned my back just long enough to start filling the garnish tray, and when I turned back around, I was surprised to find Rafe standing there staring at me like I had three heads. Normally, he’d greet me with a playful smile or wink and ask me how it was going, but today there was no playful greeting. Instead, I was welcomed with the scowl of a lifetime. Remembering his earlier warning, I glanced over at Country and wasn’t surprised to see that his eyes were wide and his cheeks were beet red. The guy looked like he was about to explode into laughter as he mouthed, “I told you.”
“Ummm ... Hey, Rafe.”
“Hey, Marlowe.” Rafe studied me for a moment, then asked, “Something going on that I’m not aware of?”
“Not sure what you mean.”
“Hmm, pretty sure that you do.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Country leaned over and snickered. “I tried to tell her.”
“I don’t have time for this. The doors open in ten.” I huffed. “So, if you two don’t mind, I have things I need to do.”
Pretending that Rafe wasn’t glaring a hole through me, I turned and went back to filling the prep trays. I was sorting the plastic toothpicks when I felt the heat of Rafe’s breath on my neck. “I don’t know what’s going on here with you, but I don’t like it. I don’t like it one fucking bit.”
“Nothing, Rafe. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. Seriously.”
“I don’t think so.” He stood there waiting for me to open up, but I remained silent. After several minutes, he finally said, “Come on, Marlowe. Just tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
There was something about his tone that made the knot in my stomach grow even tighter. I didn’t want him to be angry with me. I just wanted to get through my visit with Kate without my heart shattering into a million pieces. I didn’t know how to explain to him my appearance was just my crazy way of shielding myself from all the hurt and pain I knew was coming. It was just too absurd to put into words, so I did the only thing I knew. I turned the tables on him. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing, Rafe. It’s giving me a damn complex, so can you please just drop it?”
I was worried he was going to keep pushing, but he didn’t. Instead, he simply kissed me on the forehead and walked away, leaving me alone with that ever-growing knot in my damn stomach. Thankfully, it was a Thursday night, so things were starting to pick up for the weekend ahead, and I was able to keep myself distracted—until Kate and Eric showed up. The second they walked in it was like a dark, heavy cloud fell over me, and it was all I could do to force a smile as they started towards me. Kate looked incredible as always. She was wearing a short gold sequin dress that hugged every curve and made her perky breasts look even more perfect, and her long blonde hair was flowing down around her shoulders. Eric was wearing a freshly ironed, white button-down with a pair of black slacks. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, but purposefully so.
As they approached the counter, Kate’s eyes were like saucers and her mouth was wide open, reminding me slightly of myself when I first walked into the club. “Hey, Sis.”
“Hey, Kate. Hi, Eric.”
“Hi, Marlowe. You having a good night?”
“So far so good. How about you?”
“We’re doing just great,” Kate answered. “We had a lovely dinner downtown. Had a few glasses of wine, then walked down the strip. And now, we’re here seeing you.”
“That does sound like a wonderful night.”
“It really was.”
“Can I get you two a drink?”
“We’ll both have a vodka martini on the rocks,” Eric answered.
“Sure thing.” I made their drinks, then brought them back over and placed them on the counter. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, doll.” Kate snatched up her drink and took a quick sip. “Not bad.”
“I try.”
“You know, Nashville is really an amazing city. There’s so many great places here.” Kate peered over shoulder with a grimace. “It makes me wonder why you’d choose to work in a place like this.”
“Not sure what you mean. I like it here.”
“Oh, come on, Marlie. You have to be kidding.” Kate rolled her eyes as she shuddered. “Surrounded by stripper trash all night long? How can you like it?”
“Because the ‘stripper trash,’ as you call them, are actually really nice girls. Most of them are working their way through school or doing whatever it takes to provide for their families.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Kate grumbled. “You sound like a spokesperson for strippers everywhere.”
“I find it quite admirable that your sister has such an open perspective for these women.” Eric’s eyes met mine as he said, “Most would simply judge them for selling their bodies for money without considering the fact they are simply doing what they have to in order to survive.”
“Exactly.”
I couldn’t believe Kate’s ever-so-perfect boyfriend had actually agreed with me. Neither could Kate. In fact, she seemed quite shocked and appalled by the fact, which was made evident when she gave him an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Well, I could never work in a place like this.”
“No, of course you couldn’t, sweetheart.” Eric slipped his arm around her waist as he whispered, “I wouldn’t have it.”
“That’s because you’re amazing like that.” Kate leaned into him and purred. “You take such good care of me.”
“That’s because you make it so easy to do so.”
I almost lost my lunch as I watched him lean in and give her a kiss. The whole display seemed so fake. I would’ve thought they were just putting on a show for me, but the starry-eyed way Kate was looking at him told a different story. By the looks of it, she was actually in love with him, which made me ask, “So, how long have you two been dating?”
“A month or so, but it seems like I’ve known Eric forever,” Kate answered as she wound her arms around his neck. “He’s my soulmate.”
I was about to ask where they’d met when Rafe walked up to the counter. We hadn’t spoken since our earlier altercation, so I was feeling a little apprehensive as I motioned my hand in his direction. “Kate, Eric, this is ... R-Rafe.”
“Hmm.” Kate batted her long eyelashes flirtatiously. “Hi, Rafe. Nice to meet you.”
Rafe shook both of their hands and said, “It’s nice to meet you too. Marlowe mentioned you might be stopping by to see her.”
“She did, did she?” She cocked her eyebrow as she inquired, “Does that mean you two are seeing each other or something?”
“You could say that.”
I missed Kate’s reaction to his answer. I was too busy studying the expression on Rafe’s face to even notice—or care. He was completely void of emotion. No smile. No kindness in his voice. Just a blank, empty glare. I could practically feel the tension radiating off him, leaving no question he was pissed, and for good reason. He’d tried to be there for me, encouraged me to open up and trust him, and I just couldn’t do it. I’d tried, but I let my fear of rejection or hurt get in the way. If I hadn’t already lost him, I was well on my way. I was fucking it all up, and I knew it. I should’ve said something to him and tried to smooth things over, but I didn’t. Instead, I just stood there like an idiot. After several long agonizing moments, I looked over to the waitresses gathered at the counter and said, “I better get caught up on some of these orders.”
“You want me to get Lisa to give you a hand?” Rafe offered.
“No, I’ve got it.” I motioned over to Kate. �
�I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time. It’ll give us a chance to get to know this handsome boyfriend of yours.”
And just like that, I was yanked back in time to that young girl who watched everything she ever cared about get stolen from her. I wanted to believe Kate didn’t have that kind of power anymore, that Rafe really was a man I could trust with my heart, but as I watched Kate work her magic with Rafe and the brothers who stopped by to meet her, I started to have my doubts. With every drink I made, I’d glance over in their direction, cringing internally as Kate laid her hand on Rafe’s arm or laugh in that flirtatious way she did. After a few more stolen glances, I couldn’t take it anymore and stopped looking altogether. I kept my focus on the orders, and after a while, the knot in my stomach started to fade and was replaced with a numb, empty feeling by the time I finished up the last drink order and placed it on the counter. I’d hoped another waitress would come along, but when no one did, I had no other choice but to go back over to Kate and Rafe.
“We were beginning to think you forgot about us.” Kate looked over to Rafe. “Thankfully, we had Rafe here to keep us company. I wish we could stay longer and catch up, but it’s time for us to call it a night.”
“Really? So soon?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of late, and Eric has a meeting in the morning.”
“Okay, well...I guess we can get together another time.”
“Of course.” She and Eric both stood. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow, and we’ll set something up.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
Before they started to leave, Rafe shook both of their hands and said a quick goodbye, then we each watched silently as they headed for the door. As soon as they were gone, Rafe turned his attention to me. His green eyes were filled with an intensity like I’d never seen as he stepped over to me and said, “You and I need to have a talk.”
Chapter 13
Rafe
I knew things with Marlowe’s family were fucked up. I just didn’t know how fucked up they really were until Kate came into town. From the minute I laid eyes on her, I knew I wasn’t going to like her. Sure, she was attractive. One of those pretty blonde types, but there was something about the dissatisfied furrow of her brow and critical curl of her lip that screamed pretentious, self-absorbed brat. I hoped I’d just read her wrong, but the second she opened her mouth, it was clear I was right. Hell, the girl took being a condescending bitch to a whole new level. All it took was our brief encounter for me to understand why Marlowe wasn’t looking forward to her visit, but what it didn’t explain was the sudden change in her behavior. While I was a little surprised to find her so dolled up for work, it didn’t bother me nearly as much as the distant look in her eyes. It was like she’d withdrawn into a place that was a million miles away where I had no chance of reaching her. There was no way in hell I was going to let that happen. I had every intention of making her mine, and it was time she knew it.