by Krista Lakes
“If you want, I'd be happy to show you around the island. I mean, if “Bob” doesn't want the honor,” I offered. Noah's face split into a grin. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but a new guest cut him off.
Chapter 2
“Hello, Party People!” A man that resembled Jack stepped off the bottom stairs wearing an obnoxiously bright orange Hawaiian shirt. “Looking good, Dean,” the man said, patting the big bodyguard on the chest. Dean rolled his eyes.
“Oh, look, my brother is here,” Jack said blithely, hitting pause on his game and rising to his feet. “Noah, Izzy, hide the booze so there's some for everybody else.”
“Hey, big bro. Love you too.” The mini-Jack grinned and came up to the bar. “The usual please, Noah.”
“Your name tonight is 'Sam',” Noah told him, pulling out several kinds of liquor. “Izzy here doesn't recognize us.”
“Sam's” face went blank for a moment, as though the name meant something to him, but then he put on a dazzling, fake smile. “Seriously?”
“Yup. This is “Bob” and “Joe's” idea, but go with it.” Noah pointed to each man to name him. “Jack, Paul and I are already outed.”
Sam thought for a moment then grinned. “Let's make it even more interesting. If you figure out everyone's name by the end of the night, I'll give you...” He opened up his wallet and counted his cash. I was expecting it to be around $20. “Two thousand dollars. No cheating and looking it up on your phone. Real detective work. Don't skimp on the cherries, Noah.”
I nearly dropped my drink. Two thousand dollars! For figuring out some soon-to-be-drunk men's names. I worked in a bar with tourists who loved this game; this was going to be easy.
I leaned up against the bar, making sure he could see the cleavage in my shirt. “And if I don't?”
“You have to go out on a date with me.”
“Sam” was cute. Even if I lost, it wasn't going to be the worst night in the world. At least it wasn't a date with Paul. I felt Noah stiffen slightly as he set the amaretto down hard on the counter. Jealousy? Nah, he hadn't known me for more than an hour.
“Deal.” I reached out my hand and Sam gave it a firm squeeze. “But just the guys who are here now. Just Bob, Joe, and Sam.”
“Fair enough.” Sam grinned.
“Here's your Screaming Orgasm, 'Sam',” Noah said, his voice slightly flat. “Sam” grinned and took a big sip.
“You always know the way to my heart,” he said to the bartender. Noah rolled his eyes.
“I didn't think Screaming Orgasms usually came with cherries,” I said, looking at the drink that was normally a shot. He held a good-sized tumbler of the layered drink with cherries dotting the surface.
“Sam” picked one up with his fingers, put it neatly between his teeth and split it open. “But a screaming orgasm is the best way to pop a cherry.”
I felt my cheeks heat. I had walked right into that one.
“Noah, Izzy!” Jack called out. “More drinks!”
I turned from “Sam” to see Noah ready with a fresh Naughty Shirley and something with an inordinate amount of whipped cream. “For 'Bob'. I'll have 'Joe's' ready in a second.”
I took the two drinks and carefully maneuvered out from behind the bar and over to the game area. The current match ended just as I arrived, going to the award screen. The “OwenedU” had won and “Bob” was up and doing a victory dance.
“Here you go, Jack,” I said, handing him his Naughty Shirley. “And here's your drink, Owen.”
Owen's dancing stopped and he turned, his face dropping. “So you do know who we are?”
“Owen was actually a guess, OwenedU,” I said. He sank into his chair and groaned. “But thanks for the confirmation. One down, two to go.” I gave him a smile as he took his drink. He got whipped cream on his nose as he tasted it. I went back to the bar and got the drink Noah had ready. “Joe's?” Noah nodded. “Sam” raised his glass in salute to my first name.
The boys were back in a furious battle, and this time I didn't have any hints on the other two gamertags. I was determined that “Joe” was going to be my next discovery. I had a feeling “Sam” was going to be the hardest, since he was the one paying me and benefited from me losing. Plus, from Noah's earlier almost slip, I knew “Joe's” real name started with a Lo- sound, but that could be Logan, Louis, Loren, Lou, or even a last name.
I grinned as I came up behind them. The match was close. I had played Xbox enough with my little brother to know how to read the game. This was almost too easy.
“Joe. Drink for Joe.” I called out. The three men were so intent on their game that no one responded, which was exactly what I wanted.
I called out again, louder this time. No response. I grinned wider.
I waited until the play clock dropped lower. OwenedU and JACKedUP were tied in kill counts with GUEST hot on their heels. It was crunch time for them now, and that was precisely when I stepped in front of the TV screen.
“Drink for Joe,” I said as innocently as I could. Owen swore, and Jack craned his neck to look around me. “Joe” nearly fell out of his seat trying to see the screen. I held the drink up higher, blocking more of the game.
“Just take the damn drink, Logan!” Jack hissed before realizing his mistake. He let the control drop to his lap, and he looked up at me, eyes narrowed in speculation as the game ended. Owen won the match again. “You did that on purpose, didn't you?”
“Maybe. Your brother bet me I couldn't get everyone's name by the end of the night, and now he's the only one left with a pseudonym.” I handed Logan his drink, moving away from the TV.
Jack raised his eyebrow at me and looked over at his brother. “Just first names?”
I nodded, surprised at how much they wanted to keep their identities secret from me.
“If you can get his name out of him, I'll match whatever he offered you.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Four thousand dollars if I could just get one more name. Holy freaking cow, was this night suddenly very profitable. I had hoped to get maybe an extra hundred dollars and a nice little paycheck for working this evening, and here I was with an opportunity to get four grand.
“Are you sure? I mean, he offered two thousand dollars, and I don't want to put you in a tight spot,” I said.
“Just two?” Jack frowned. He yelled across the room at his brother, “You're getting cheap, bro!”
“Sam” just grinned at him from the bar where he was talking with Noah.
“What are we calling him anyway?” Jack asked.
“Sam,” I told him, picking up a couple of empty drink cups. Jack laughed.
“Oh, I bet he loves that. Sam was the name of his girlfriend in middle school.”
“She was not my girlfriend!” “Sam” yelled at Jack, unfortunately sounding exactly like a middle-schooler.
“Right, that's why you cried—ouch, man!” Jack stopped his teasing as Owen smacked his arm.
“I know it's your party, but I don't want you two to brawl again. Especially over that. Leave it,” Owen warned. Owen's blue eyes darkened as he stared Jack down. Jack glared at him for a moment and then shrugged.
“Rematch?” Jack asked, changing the subject. The tension in the room lightened again as they started up a new game and the sound of gunfire filled the “Man Cave.”
As I headed back to the bar, three more men came into the basement. Dean gave them each the evil eye as they passed under his careful watch, but they just came in like they were used to him. They joined the group on the couch, filling the fourth spot and starting to shout and laugh.
Noah and I started getting busy. The newcomers wanted drinks, and luckily they weren't all girly Noah specialties. Two local girls, Lana and Rosie, came in with platters full of food and began wandering around the room offering up the tasty treats.
It was a real party now. I grinned at Noah as party-goers kept coming up to the bar and requesting drinks. Noah and I worked in tandem as if we had always worked toge
ther. It was almost like we were dancing behind the bar. I would reach for the ice, brushing up against him as he went to open the chest for me. We'd reach for matching bottles on the shelf, our fingers caressing for a brief second. Every touch sent electricity crackling over my skin.
“Can you make me a Climax Cocktail?” I called out to him. He shot me a naughty grin.
“Anytime, Izzy,” he said with a wink. “But I'm going to need more whipped cream.”
Several of the guests laughed, getting in on the naughty drinks and starting to make up their own to keep us busy. I could have sworn they started looking up drinks on their phones just so that they could ask for them and have us shout them across the bar at one another.
“Izzy, can you get me a Redheaded Slut?”
“Sure, but I need to give these guys some Blue Balls first.” That one got a nice chuckle from my male audience.
“Screaming Orgasm and Between the Sheets. And the Slow, Comfortable Screw are ready.” Noah managed to keep a straight face, which was better than I was doing.
“Sit on My Face, Panty Dropper and a Gin Tonic,” I called out, glad for the normal drink. The patrons all turned and looked at Logan as he picked up his non-dirty named drink.
“What? I like Gin and Tonics,” he said with a laugh.
It was getting later into the night, and things finally started to slow down again. The TV held most of the crowd's attention. A huge whiteboard displayed a chart with everyone's names in a tournament bracket. It hung on the wall behind the couch, and the various teams were yelling and cheering on their teammates and friends. Unfortunately for me, “Sam” had decided not to play and didn't have his name on the board.
“You want to tell me what 'Sam's' real name is?” I asked Noah as we tucked empty bottles into a very full trashcan. It was all top-shelf liquor, and I didn't even want to think about how much money had been drunk by the party-goers.
“That would be cheating,” Noah said. “And as much as I would like to save you from a date with him, I am not a cheater.”
I leaned back against the wall. Noah's black shirt fit him perfectly. It accented his muscled arms and chest and made the blue in his eyes pop, even in the neon lights. I wished for a moment that it was his name I was trying to learn. If it was a date with him that was the penalty, it would be worth losing the money.
Chapter 3
“Noah, have you seen Dean?” “Sam” said, running up to the bar. “Paul's being an ass and harassing the caterers. I need a little backup.”
I glanced at the empty stairs. “He had to take a guest out to throw up. I thought he'd be back by now,” I answered.
Noah was already walking out of the bar, anger flashing in his eyes. I felt a shiver run through me. I was glad I wasn't the one he was headed toward with that expression on his face.
I followed “Sam” and Noah upstairs and into the foyer with the main stairs to the rest of the house. Paul had his meaty fist wrapped around Lana's slender arm, and she looked terrified.
“Please,” she said, her voice shaking as she tried to stay calm. “I need to go back downstairs and...”
“Paul, I told you to lay off her.” “Sam” growled, pulling Paul off the girl. Paul stumbled into the wall, obviously drunk. Free from his grasp, Lana twisted away from him and toward the front door, escaping to freedom.
“Get off of me,” Paul slurred, throwing a punch that “Sam” easily ducked. I could see why he wanted backup. Paul wasn't going down without a fight.
“Come on, Paul. I think you've had enough,” Noah said. He put himself on the other side of Paul so that he and “Sam” could each take an arm. “It's time for you to go take a rest.”
Paul took a couple of cooperative steps before he saw me. I swallowed hard and wanted to run. The greasy feeling of his eyes on me told me that I should have followed Lana out. I should have stayed at the bar.
“How about you boys let her put me to bed? She looks ready for me,” Paul leered, and I felt like I needed a shower.
“Nope, you get us. Owen's got a nice room all ready for you upstairs. The lady isn't interested,” “Sam” said, taking his arm.
“Shut up, Robbie. Nobody asked you,” Paul snapped, pulling his arm away. I met “Sam's” eyes as we both registered the name. “Sam”, or rather Robbie's face fell. This wasn't how I wanted to win the bet.
“Thanks, man.” Robbie sighed and shrugged his shoulders at me and continued to try to coax Paul up the stairs.
“No.” Paul stopped in his tracks, his suit hanging in unattractive folds. He had spilled something on his shirt. “She needs to earn the tip I gave her. Besides, she wants it. Just look at her.”
I couldn't stop the heat from rising from my stomach to my cheeks. The insult to my honor burned. My fist balled up but my feet refused to move. I wanted to slug his pasty little head in.
Noah stepped in front of Paul, blocking his path to me. Noah was somehow bigger, more intimidating than he had been down in the bar. He leaned forward and whispered something in Paul's ear, something that made the older man go even paler. Paul's round chin bobbed as he swallowed nervously.
“Now, go upstairs with Robbie,” Noah growled. Robbie took Paul's arm, guiding him to the stairs I was unfortunately standing next to. I wanted to step away from him, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was afraid of him. So, I stood my ground.
As the drunk man came closer, he reached out his grubby mitt and squeezed my chest. I gasped and stepped back, but Noah's fist was on Paul's cheek faster than I could raise my hand to slap him. Paul sprawled out on the floor and held his palm to his cheek, shock in his eyes.
“Get upstairs.” Noah's voice held a threat I knew Paul didn't want to test. He scampered to his feet and hurtled up the stairs with Robbie tailing after him.
“Nice shot, Noah. I'll make sure he gets to a bathroom, or Owen will throw a fit.” Robbie turned. “I'll come find you at the bar to pay up, Izzy.”
“Are you okay?” Noah asked. His voice was low and soft as he put his hands on my shoulders. I could feel myself trembling against him. I wasn't quite sure why; I dealt with drunks on a regular basis at the bar, but I guessed it was just the suddenness of it all that had shaken me.
“Yeah,” I said, giving him a wobbly smile. “Not the first time I've been hit on at a bar. Remind me to stay on your good side. How'd you hit him so fast anyway?”
One side of Noah's mouth went up in a small half-smile as he bent down to look me in the eyes. His blue eyes held nothing but concern, the edges of a flame still there but not directed at me. I felt giddy this close to him, his hands warm on my shoulders. If I leaned forward just a little, I could've kissed him.
“I used to box. Never professionally or anything. I just liked the exercise.” His lips curved into a stronger smile as he looked at me. I could see now where he got those beautifully sculpted arms and chest. He was so close I could practically taste his kiss. A kiss from him sounded wonderful. It would certainly make me feel better.
“Where's Paul?” Owen asked, breaking the tension between us. His eyes flashed daggers, and anger filled his voice. Dean was one step behind him, looking deadly. I almost felt sorry for Paul.
“Upstairs. Robbie's with him.” Noah straightened and dropped one of his hands, but thankfully left one on my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Owen asked, turning to me. “That poor catering girl is pretty shaken up.”
“I'm fine. I deal with drunks all the time. He just surprised me is all.” I gave him a stronger smile. “I should go check on Lana.”
“I'll go with her,” Noah volunteered. “You and Dean go make sure Robbie doesn't give Paul a swirly.”
Owen nodded, heading up the stairs with Dean. Noah turned back to me, and together we went out to the front porch where Lana and the other caterer, her sister Rosie, were sitting on the porch. Night was deep and dark, but the porch light held them in a protective, warm, yellow light. Rosie had her arm over Lana's shoulder,
and as we came out she gave her a squeeze.
“You two okay?” I asked.
Rosie nodded. “I've got her, Izzy.. She's gonna be fine,” She squeezed Lana's slim shoulder again. “If it's okay, I'd like to take her home.”
“I'll let Rachel know, and I'll make sure you two get your full check,” Noah assured her. I knew he would too. There was something in his voice that told me he would pay it out of his own pocket if he had to.
“Thanks.” Rosie smiled and pulled Lana up. “Let's get you home.”
Lana stood and gave us both an appreciative smile. “Thanks. And thank that other guy for me too.”
Noah nodded and we followed them with our eyes as they headed into the parking lot before heading back downstairs ourselves.
I glanced at my watch as we headed back behind the bar. It was a little after two in the morning. Time had flown by. The Halo Tournament was over, and Owen had won. Jack met us at the bottom of the stairs, his brows drawn together.
“Is everything okay?”
Noah put a hand on his shoulder. “Yeah. Paul was just a dick. Like usual. Sorry about the bad ending to the party.”
“Not your fault. Besides, the party was mostly over anyway.” Jack shrugged and looked around the room. Glasses and food were everywhere. “It was still a great sendoff.”
“Sendoff?” I asked. “Are you getting married or something?”
Jack laughed. “I suppose you could say I'm getting married to my job. I'm taking over my dad's company in a week, and I won't get another day off until I'm seventy. I even got a nice little bed installed in my office.” He grimaced and shook his head as if to clear the thought. “Where's Ro—I mean, where's 'Sam'?”
“Robbie is upstairs helping,” I said, emphasizing the name.
Jack laughed. “So he lost the bet. Good job. I'll have Rachel put my part on your check. Don't let Robbie stiff you on his share.”
And with that he turned back to the TV and started another game of Halo.
Chapter 4