by K. M. Scott
He turned around and shot me a glance that told me my questions surprised him. “Is something wrong, Shay?”
I shook my head and walked up behind him to wrap my arms around his naked waist. Pressing my cheek to his back, I said, “No. There’s nothing wrong. Just idle curiosity.”
Elliot turned in my hold and kissed the top of my head. “Ask me anything. I’m an open book. You know that, baby.”
Looking up into his hazel eyes, I saw the same gentle gaze as always. Nothing bothered him, not even my residual bitchiness from meeting Stefan March. “It’s okay. I know we aren’t all about answers.”
He moved the pan off the burner and turned the heat off. I stepped away to let him lift the bacon out of the grease, but he pulled me back against him, ignoring his breakfast. “Shay, you’re the one who doesn’t want that. I’ve been about all you since the moment I saw you on the beach that day. This thing between us is like it is because you want it this way. I’d be more than happy to answer anything you want to ask.”
“No, it’s okay. I like you being a mystery, El.”
The truth was I didn’t want to know all about him. If I did, I might want to send him packing right then and there. Or worse, I might want to stay with him forever, and that couldn’t happen. I had plans for my future, and unfortunately, they didn’t include him or any man, for that matter.
“Ah, mystery. That’s what we’re calling what I am?”
He bent down and kissed me gently, like he adored me. Tapping him on the nose, I smiled and backed away. “I have to head down to talk to Dr. Taduch. I’ll be back later, though, so we can grab a bite to eat before I head off to work.”
“Sounds great. As for me, I’m going to devour this pound of bacon.”
I left him standing there with his greasy breakfast, and although I knew it was wrong, a tiny part of me couldn’t help but judge him. While I spent my days buzzing around town trying to make money, he spent his time overdosing on the flesh of farm animals.
My phone rang as I slid behind the wheel of my barely running 2005 Taurus. Swiping the screen, I expected to hear Carrie’s voice but heard a man’s instead.
“Hello, Shay Callahan?”
“Yes?” The man’s voice flowed over me like silk and sounded vaguely familiar.
“It’s Cassian March. I spoke to my brother and he believes you’d be a valuable addition to the club.”
Unable to contain my happiness at the news that I’d gotten the bartender job at Club X, I squealed, “That’s great! When do you want me to start?”
“As soon as you fill out the required paperwork, you can start whenever Stefan needs you. Feel free to stop in anytime today. If I’m not around, you can speak to my assistant, Olivia, and she can help you.”
“Thanks so much, Cassian. I appreciate this.”
“I think you’ll like working with us, Shay. We look forward to seeing you.”
I thanked him again and ended the call, thrilled at the chance to begin making some real money for Copenhagen. As I drove toward school, I couldn’t help but wish Stefan March was as professional as Cassian March. How interesting that one brother could possess such wonderful manners while the other one acted like some frat boy on a quest to fuck as many co-eds as possible. I had no idea how old Stefan was, but even Elliot and his twenty years acted more maturely.
Dr. Taduch had been called away to a department meeting, but he’d left the information I needed to finalize my trip to Copenhagen. Since I had some extra time on my hands, I stopped by Carrie’s boutique to share my good news.
I found her standing behind the counter, her eyebrows knitted as she hunched over a spreadsheet. She looked like she desperately needed a break.
“Hey you! Guess who’s the newest bartender at Club X!”
She lifted her head to look at me and smiled broadly. “I knew you’d get it!”
“What’s with the sour puss face you were wearing when I walked in?”
She pushed aside the stack of papers and shook her head. “Same old accounting and inventory shit. I think one of my girls is stealing from me. God, I wish you were still working for me, Shay. Those were the good old days.”
“Good old days indeed. When I wasn’t in class or in lab, I was here or behind the bar at Danton’s. I don’t think I got more than four hours of sleep that entire year.”
“Well, it was good for me. Now all I have are wannabes and what I think might be a thief. Tell me something to make my day better. Anything to get my mind off my troubles. Tell me all about the new job.”
“There’s not much to tell, to be honest. The one owner called me a little while ago to let me know the job is mine. That’s the owner I like. The other one isn’t too bad either. He doesn’t say much, but he’s okay. The one I have to work with, Stefan March, is a complete and utter jackass, though. Just my luck.”
“Why? What happened?” Carrie asked as she began to fold a pile of pashminas.
“The man is perfectly Cro-Magnon. I swear he borderline sexually harassed me within the first five minutes of meeting me.”
Carrie rolled her eyes. “So the player sexually harassed you? Big surprise. Is he hot?”
“Your way of excusing the bad habits of bad men really isn’t one of your best qualities, you know that?”
“I have no problem with bad men, Shay. They’re fun. And players are the best. You know how I love the game.”
“Well, I don’t. Players can go play with other women. I don’t have time for games.”
“So is he good looking?”
I couldn’t deny Stefan March was hot. Tall, with light brown hair and brown eyes, he had a body that would make most women bow down and worship him. And between the tats and tongue piercing, he definitely had a bad boy vibe to him. In fact, the only real problem with him became clear when he opened his mouth to speak, and then the man became a total zero.
“He’s not as great as I thought he’d be. Lots of muscles and tats, but he’s a Grade A jackass. I didn’t get a player vibe. Just an asshole vibe.”
“So you’re not seeing why women love him?”
I shook my head and scrunched my nose up. “No. I won’t have any problem not loving Stefan March. Trust me.”
“Well, then working at Club X should be a walk in the park for you. No temptation. Nothing to take your eye off the prize.”
I picked up a pink pashmina and held it up to my neck to check how it looked in the mirror. “I’m there for the cash, Carrie. Period. End of sentence. If that ass Stefan March has any other ideas, he better go find someone who gives a damn. This girl is disinterested.”
“That’s good for Elliot,” she said in a singsong voice.
Throwing the scarf on the counter, I held up my hand. “Stop it with the Elliot bashing, for God’s sake. What did he ever do to you?”
Her mouth turned down into a frown. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m out of line. Forget I said anything.”
“I know you mean well, Carrie. I do.”
“It’s not even that I have anything against Elliot, Shay. I really don’t. I guess I’m just worried you’re going to miss out on something great because you’re settling for something meaningless. And before you say I’m bashing him again, meaningless is how you described what you two are, not me.”
That had been how I described my relationship with him. I couldn’t deny it. No matter how much he wanted us to be more, I’d made sure no meaning had snuck into what we were. Nothing serious. Just great sex and a good time.
“I can’t do any more than meaningless right now, Carrie. If there’s anyone to feel bad for, it’s Elliot, though. He’d like us to be more than just sex and hanging out. It’s me who doesn’t.”
Carrie held up her hands as if in surrender. “Okay, I get it. You’re content to play. Play on playette.”
Her words hit me like a slap to my face. “I’m not a player. Elliot knows exactly how I feel. He went into this thing with his eyes wide open, and even though he’d like us to
be more, he’s okay with how things are.”
“Spoken like a true player. Maybe that’s why you don’t like your new boss. Perhaps you see something in him that you see in yourself.”
I scoffed at the idea that there was anything similar between Stefan March and me. The man was a base animal without even the finesse of a twenty-year-old. Guys like him used women for sex, and they deserved whatever misery they got in return.
But Carrie’s comment sparked something inside me, and as I moved to walk out of her shop, I stopped. “Player, huh? Well, if anyone can outplay Mr. Stefan March, it’s another player, right?”
She narrowed her eyes to suspicious slits. “Where are you going with this, Shay?”
“That man needs to be taught a lesson. He seems to think he’s God’s gift to women. I think it’s time he learns just how common he really is.”
“So you plan on doing what exactly?”
“I’m going to outplay the player. He thinks we’re just toys for his amusement? Well, I bet I can get him to fall for me. Then he’ll see how it feels when the shoe is on the other foot.”
“What about poor, dear Elliot?”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Now you care about him?”
“No, not really. I’m just trying to cover all the bases. Isn’t your seducing Stefan March going to get in the way of whatever you and Elliot have?” she asked with a sly grin.
“Elliot knows what we are. This isn’t going to change how I feel about him, and anyway, whatever we’re doing has to end when I leave for Copenhagen in a few months.”
“I think you’re playing with fire, girlfriend. Stefan March isn’t a twenty-year-old boy. He might just be out of your league.”
My mouth hung open in shock. “I can’t believe you don’t think I can outplay that frat boy wannabe. You watch. Stefan March has met his match.”
“Okay, but I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I turned on my heels and headed out the door. “I’m off to my new job to fill out some papers before I go to my old job. I’ll talk to you later!”
“Call me and try to stay out of trouble!” she yelled as I left.
As if some guy could ever be trouble for me.
For the second time that day, I entered Club X with butterflies in my stomach. Even though I’d gotten the job, I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into. My friend from The Brew House had clued me in on the sexy antics of the place, making sure to let me know how hot some of the patrons were. I cared more about how great they tipped, and she’d bragged about Club X being the best place she’d ever worked for just that reason. But something in the way she kept stressing the part sex played in the job made me nervous.
I should have asked Cassian about it in my interview, but it sounded foolish. What was I supposed to say? “By the way, Cassian, is it true that bartenders routinely were offered money for more than just drinks?”
Now that I’d taken the job, I had to admit I should have asked something about it. The problem was I needed money. I didn’t get the sense that Cassian or the quiet brother would let a female be attacked or anything like that, but Stefan seemed to be something else entirely. I could see him being the one who made sex part of the job.
As all these thoughts paraded through my mind, the quiet owner approached me. Bigger than either of his brothers, the man had a real badass vibe to him. His black hair and blue eyes made him striking, and the fact that he said next to nothing in my interview unnerved me.
“It’s Shay, isn’t it?” he asked in a deep voice that resonated in the air around us.
“Yeah. Cassian called me and said I got the bartender job. He said I needed to come down and sign some papers. Is he in?”
Kane nodded. “I’ll take you back to him. I’m glad you decided to take the job. You’ll like it here.”
He began moving toward Cassian’s office, staying next to me as we walked. “That’s what Cassian said.”
“A word of advice, though. Keep your eyes open with my younger brother. Stefan doesn’t mean any harm, but he likes to think his antics are cute.”
I read what Kane was trying to say loud and clear. Chuckling, I nodded. “I understand. It takes all kinds, right? No need to worry about me. I’ve been bartending for years. I know how to handle myself.”
We stopped in front of Cassian’s office, and Kane touched me gently on the shoulder. “That’s good to hear. You’re a smart woman, so I knew you’d be cool about it. Just ignore him and he’ll go away sooner or later.”
I looked up into Kane’s blue eyes and saw sincerity. I couldn’t complain about two brothers being all right. That Stefan acted like a horny frat boy wasn’t their fault. No job was perfect, so I could handle it. I’d dealt with drunken patrons at every bar I’d worked at. This would be no different. And while I was at it, I’d teach that boy a lesson.
“Thanks, Kane. I’ll keep all that in mind.”
“Good. And if you need anything, my office is on the top floor. Stop in any time.”
He smiled and walked away, leaving me feeling good about Club X. So far, Kane had been a pleasant surprise. I hoped there would be more like that.
I knocked on Cassian’s door and heard him call me in. Offering me a seat, he smiled warmly. “I’m glad you decided to take the job, Shay. There are just a few things we need to go over before you can start. As I mentioned before, there’s a non-disclosure agreement we’ll need you to sign, and I want to make sure if you have any questions about the contract that you feel comfortable to ask.”
“Sounds great! I understand about the NDA, and I’m fine with it. Mum’s the word. Although I’ve never had to sign a contract to work as a bartender, I understand your club is a little different than others, so it’s fine. If I have any questions, I’ll definitely ask.”
He smiled again and pushed papers toward me. “Here’s the contract. I’ll give you some time to read it over and please ask if you have any questions.”
As he walked out of the office, I scanned the document, sure there was nothing in it that would make me not want to sign. The fact was I needed money, and Club X was the place to get it. I’d worked in bars that required me to wear shorts so tiny my entire ass hung out. I’d worked in some where the uniform barely covered my chest, and at all of them I’d made less money in a week than I likely would make in a night or two at Club X. Whatever Cassian needed me to sign, I’d do it because this bar would get me what I needed.
Signing my John Hancock on the bottom line, I looked around for Cassian to let him know. His gaze met mine from outside the office, and he returned to sit behind his desk.
“That was quick. Do you have any questions?”
“None that I’m sure can’t be answered by your brother since he runs the bar, right? I’m sure he’ll give me my hours.”
Taking a deep breath in, Cassian let the air out of his lungs slowly, as if he was preparing himself to say something he dreaded. “Speaking of my brother, I hope you noticed the non-fraternization clause.”
“I did.” That I fully intended to disregard it as I played his brother for all he was worth crossed my mind, but that would be between Stefan and me.
“Good. I’m sure you won’t have any problems then. If there aren’t any questions, let me take you out to Stefan so you and he can get started.”
“Great! Lead the way.”
I followed him out to where Stefan stood checking over a liquor order. After telling me to find him if I had any problems, Cassian left me standing at the corner of the long glass bar waiting to find out when I’d start. Tugging my T-shirt down to show a little more skin than usual, I stuck my breasts out and put a smile on my face for when Stefan would finally bother to pay me some attention.
I saw him glance over at me out of the corner of his eye, but he said nothing, intentionally ignoring me for nearly five minutes. By the time the jackass turned to look at me, my back was killing me from doing my Barbie doll pose. How bimbos stayed like that all the time I
couldn’t imagine.
“Oh, you’re still here? I figured Cash told you everything you needed to know and sent you on your way since I can’t use you tonight.”
Not exactly the reception I’d expected, especially since just hours earlier he would have taken me in the back and fucked my brains out if I’d given him even the slightest chance. What was with this guy? No doubt this was some kind of game, but I wouldn’t be baited by the likes of him.
“No, he said to speak to you. I can’t work tonight, but I can start next week. I figured we could talk so I’d have some idea of my schedule.”
Stefan’s gaze hardened. “I don’t need someone next week. If you can’t start tomorrow night, then you’re of no use to me.”
Ouch.
I stepped toward him and softened my approach. “I wanted to apologize for before. I didn’t mean to go all feminazi on you. As for my schedule, I just don’t want to leave my old job hanging. It seems wrong to do that to anyone. I’m sure you can understand.”
My words seemed to make him happy, and he flashed me a gorgeous smile I couldn’t help admitting made him quite appealing. All it took with most people was a pleasant tone and heartfelt words to get them to do what you wanted.
“Shay…that was your name, right?”
I nodded and he continued.
“Shay, I can’t even remember what you said to me earlier. I’ve spoken to at least a dozen women since then, all of them as good looking or more than you and with as much experience and all of them wanting to work for me. So don’t bother apologizing for whatever slight you think you caused me. But here’s how things are going to go. Either you show up tomorrow night at seven in something showing a lot of skin or you don’t. Either way, I’m fine with it.”
And then he turned and walked away, leaving me with my mouth hanging open at how fucking rude he’d been. This guy was a total dick! How was I going to ever work for such a person?
I gathered up my copy of the contract I’d signed and made my way toward the door. My mind filled with ideas of how I wanted to tell the bastard off, but by the time I made it to my car, I’d succeeded in calming down enough to think clearly.