First Love
By J.E. Clymer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
© J.E. Clymer 2015
All rights reserved.
Cover courtesy of Melody Simmons at http://ebookindiecovers.com/.
Comments, questions, or inquiries? Email the author at [email protected].
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Chapter 1
Business was good. That is what Lisa had to concentrate on. She could not concentrate on the dancers on stage practicing. It didn’t matter if you could bounce a quarter off of their biceps or, if every single one of them smelled like a brisk run through a summer woods—she should not concentrate on the dancers on stage. Damn.
A soft pat on her back brought her back to reality as Lance cleared his throat and said, “Those glasses are not going to dry themselves, missy.”
Sighing she pushed herself up off the counter. She pulled her tee shirt down to close the gap between her jeans and the shirt.
“You would make a good manager, Lance,” she whined.
“Correction, darling, I do make a good manager; you just haven’t seen fit to pay me for it yet,” he corrected her.
Laughing Lisa pushed a few strands of raven hair behind her ear. She dried a few glasses and put them away. Her gaze lingered back to the men on the stage. She had honestly thought she would love owning a strip club; more often than not it was the sweetest form of torture.
Lance bumped her bum with his hip as he moved put some glasses away.
“Hey!” she huffed.
Lance looked back and shrugged as he said, “Honey, if I wasn’t the only one tapping that ass then we would already have these glasses put away.”
Lisa moaned. “You know it’s more complicated than that, Lance.”
He shrugged. Picking up another glass he continued drying with a raised eyebrow. He actually didn’t know it was more complicated than that because Lisa never spoke to anyone about why she kept herself so self-contained. He had worked with the girl for almost a decade and still couldn’t tell someone anything more in depth about her than her favorite soft drink.
Sounding like a cheerleader wearing a G-string while doing jumping jacks he looked at her in pure annoyance and said, “Lisa, go home, take a very cold shower and a nap. At least when we’re open tonight there will be a sea of women obstructing your view to their fine asses.”
Lisa bit her ruby lip and smiled. She walked over and kissed him on the cheek.
“What would I do without you?” she asked sheepishly.
“Knowing you? Join a nunnery,” he complained and then he gave her a push. “Now get, boss. You were here way too late this morning anyway. Even you need sleep.”
Lisa grabbed her jacket from under the bar and walked out. Her sensible boots squeaked on the wooden floor as she walked towards the door. She turned and took in one more appreciative glance of the finely muscled male specimens on the stage. Shaking her head she stepped out onto the vacant parking lot.
The summer sun was high in the sky as she climbed into her Camaro. She leaned back in the leather seat for a moment before the popped the car into drive and headed home. She trudged into the oversized condo and checked her messages on her phone.
She had missed a call from Mary. Sweet, deluded Mary. Oh, Mary didn’t realize that the rest of the world didn’t work the same way hers did, but she was happy to judge it. Lisa both loved and hated calls from Mary. Glimpsing the problems of Mary’s housewife world gave her hope, while Mary’s view of the rest of the world were either terrifying or hilarious; she hadn’t figured it out yet.
Lisa jumped over the back of her couch and stretched out as she touched Mary’s name on her contact list. Her earbud rang twice in her ear before a soft click could be heard as Mary picked up the phone.
“Lisa! I am so glad you called. I have some great news,” she bubbled.
She’s pregnant again. Wait for it. Wait for it. Lisa couldn’t help being a bit cynical with her thoughts. She certainly could have never guessed what Mary was about to say as she played along.
“What is it?” Lisa asked trying to sound as excited as Mary had been.
“Brandon has a friend from work who has agreed to go out with you. His name is Lawrence,” she bubbled.
“What?” Lisa said flatly.
“Well, we were talking the other night and you came up. You’re not getting any younger, dear. I mean he wasn’t thrilled about the club, but I told him I’m sure you’ll outgrow it once you have a baby on the way,” Mary said with excitement in her voice.
Lisa shot straight up on the couch as she fought to not throw the phone.
“Let me get this straight. A stranger is willing to date me despite my age and my questionable career,” she said in mock excitement.
“Yes! Isn’t wonderful?” Mary bubbled.
“Wonderful would not be the word I would use to describe it. This date is not happening and what brought this on in the first place?” Lisa asked, no longer hiding her anger.
Mary huffed, “You are running out of time. You aren’t getting any younger, honey.”
Sighing in frustration Lisa held the phone away from her ear for a moment to take a calming breath. Putting back up to her ear she said calmly, “You’re right. I am not getting any younger, but I am also not going to lower my standards because of it.”
She heard Mary shriek, “Lisa!” in outrage just as she hit the ‘end’ button.
Lisa’s shoulders slumped as she milled her way throughout her apartment. Slipping out of her jeans and tee shirt she quickly took a shower. Slipping into an oversized tee shirt she crawled into the king-sized bed in her far too sparsely decorated bedroom.
Two hours later her cell phone buzzed and she got dressed like a zombie. It was a small miracle that her eyeliner was even in the vicinity of her eyes. As usual her perfume was sprayed on in a rush, but she took the time to spray it on thick enough that it hovered in almost a protective cloud around her. Rushing out of the apartment she practically flew to work.
Lisa couldn’t help but smile every time she walked through the front door of her bar. It was something that was truly hers and she hadn’t felt anything so permanent since the night her parents died. It also helped that she always seemed to time it that she got back into work just as the male dancers were finishing practice and the females were starting.
That meant that a few of the guys would hover around the bar for a half hour or so as they cooled off before leaving to get some naps in before the evening’s work. She grabbed a waist apron from a hook behind the bar and slipped it on as the last few bars of the music played.
She pulled a big binder out from underneath the bar and started working on the accounts. Every ledger was a struggle because numbers had a tendency to swim in front of her eyes. It did not help that every one of the men coming down off the stage made her heart skip a beat. All five of them were well over six feet and absolutely beautiful in their own way.
The first one off the stage, as always, was Jackson. He had more than enough muscle on him to make the ladies drool, but not so much that he looked bulky. His clear blue eyes and dusty gold hair had earned the knick-name of “Ken” in the bar. He was barely nineteen and bounced around just like kid.
“Lisa! You’re looking beautiful today,” he said with a smile.
“Ken, you’re adorable. You know I love ya, but I’ve told you before—I’m almost old enough to be your mama,” Lisa replied with
her usual teasing banter.
His older brother who was closer to Lisa’s age walked up behind him. Jared was larger than his younger brother and where Jackson was light, Jared was dark. Honey brown eyes paired with midnight hair. Jared just had an air about him that made people listen to him.
“A few decades between lovers is nothing. I like my women just a bit older with some experience,” he said back with a hungry smile.
“Leave the poor woman be, Jackson. Can’t you see she’s busy?” Jared chided his brother.
“He’s fine. Ken will grow out of it when he finds a girl his own age,” Lisa said gently.
“Age has nothing to do with it when the woman is as pretty as you,” Ken slipped in as smoothly as possible.
“Oh, Lord,” Jared whispered under his breath while Lisa just laughed.
Two more of the dancers walked up to the bar while the rest headed back to the dressing rooms. Mac recently returned from Iraq and, bless his heart, the bar was the only job he could find. Lucky for him the ladies loved his deeply tanned skinned and dark tattoos.
Conner was a part-time firefighter, but the dancing at the bar helped pay off his student loans. Truth be told all the men had a good reason for starting here, but she thought that they all stayed for the money. All except Ken who Lisa was fairly sure stayed on just to have an excuse to flirt with her.
“Lisa, baby doll, can I get some water?” Mac asked in that big brother tone he always seemed to take with her.
“No problem,” she said as she moved to get a glass from under the bar.
Ken gave a fake pout for a moment when he asked, “Why does Mac get water?”
Jared popped his younger brother lightly on the back of the head and said in a low voice, “Because he asked for some, stupid. It’s not like he wants her.”
“Wow, Jared, thanks for that. It’s always nice when someone reassures me of just how unattractive I am to the opposite sex,” Lisa muttered.
Mac ruffled her loose hair and said, “Aw, don’t take it like that, baby girl. You’ll always be my number one, but I think I speak for the group when I say that none of us could stand your perfume long enough to date you, sweet pea.”
“Speak for yourself,” Ken immediately said.
Conner just looked at her for a minute before he said, “I could get use to the smell of lilies.”
All three men stared at him a moment before he just shrugged and said, “What? You three are looking for wives. I’m not and she’s is cute in a dainty sort of way.”
“Did you just call me dainty? I’m almost six feet tall; dainty is not exactly a word that people use to describe me,” Lisa blurted.
“That’s because they’re short. I’m six, six and to me you are dainty,” Conner said with a charming smile.
Ken shoved him and said in a voice so low that it resembled a growl, “Back off, she’s mine.”
The room seemed to stop for a moment as everyone realized how serious he was. Lisa was the first to break the silence. Clearing her throat she said quietly, “Jared, I think you need to take your brother home—now. I will not have bloodshed in my bar before it’s even opened for the day.”
“I wouldn’t hurt him,” Conner said quietly.
Lisa leveled her eyes with Conner as she said, “I was not worried about you.” Then she turned and met Ken’s eyes and added, “…but if someone declares ownership of me like I am a thing again I will smash a beer bottle over his head. Are we clear Jackson Maurison?”
The poor boy looked so confused but he managed to mumble a polite, “Yes, ma’am.”
Lisa met Jared’s eyes as he slipped an arm around his brother’s shoulders. He nodded at her and pulled his brother to the dressing rooms in the back. Mac fidgeted with his water. He cleared his throat as if he were about to say something, but he could not seem to get the words out of his mouth.
“Thank you for trying to boost my ego, Conner, but it really wasn’t necessary. Especially if it was going to do that Ken. If that boy does not get over his infatuation soon, then someone is going to have to knock some sense into him,” she said as she filled a second glass with water and sat it in front of Conner.
His fingers brushed hers as she sat it down and he said, “I wasn’t joking, Lisa. A woman like you should not be alone; you are too pretty for it.”
Lisa forced a smile despite the queasiness she felt at the touch of Conner’s fingers.
“Conner, you’re old enough to know better,” Mac said softly.
“Still too young to care, though,” he said back with a smile.
“Why should he know better, Mac? I appreciate you treating me like a kid sister, but I am a full grown woman,” she said in a huff. Her hands settled lightly on her hips as she stared the bear of a man down.
“Well…ah…you’re his boss, Lisa. It would be bad for business to date the staff,” Mac fumbled.
Lisa’s eyes narrowed with each word because she could hear his heart rate speed up. He was lying and he knew it, but she only hoped that he noticed that she knew it.
“Uh-huh,” she said skeptically.
“Well, gentlemen, I have paperwork to do and you two need to get some rest before tonight. In the meantime, Mac, if you’re going to lie, do it better. And, Conner? I—I’ll think about what you said,” Lisa said with a distracted smile.
“You do that, sweet-heart. We could have a lot of fun together,” Conner said as he got up to leave, taking his glass of water with him.
Mac didn’t say a word, but he glared at Conner as he walked with him back to the dressing rooms. Lisa went back to work in the over-sized binder on the counter and must have for hours because before she knew it the men were back and Lance was kissing her on the cheek. The quick gesture of affection made her cringe as her skin burned in pain.
“Afternoon, boss lady. How long have you been working on that, baby girl?” he asked, glancing down at the binder.
“A few hours,” she said absently while still staring down at the binder.
Lance’s eyes flashed as he grabbed the binder and slammed it close, “Lisa Brooks, I know you don’t have a family, so I’m doing an intervention here. How long did you sleep? Two or three hours?”
Lisa blushed as she said, “Around three hours, but really, Lance it’s all I need.”
The dancers were gathering at the bar and watching them with their own looks of concern.
Lance pounced on the information and said, “You’re lying. So, what maybe two hours? Lisa, nobody, and I mean nobody can survive on two hours of sleep a day. You are not a heart doctor saving lives—you own a strip bar. There is nothing so important here for you to kill yourself getting it done!”
“I like to work,” she said quietly. Lisa was not going tear into Lance just yet because he wasn’t wrong, but that did not make him right.
“You. Need. A. Life,” Lance said loudly.
Lisa pulled off her apron and threw it at him as she said, “Fine. You win, Lance.”
He smiled like a cat who had just been given a large bowl of milk up until the point she turned to the group of men at the counter. She locked eyes with Conner and asked, “Would you mind taking the night off. If Lance is so sure I need a life, then I suppose I need a date. Interested?”
“I would be!” Ken piped up.
“I sure would, baby girl,” Conner said with a seductive smile.
He started to slide out of the bar stool when Jared gripped his arm hard and said so quietly that a normal person would not be able to hear, “Don’t do this, Conner. You know the laws. If you want a woman so badly and can’t find one in your own pack, look in ours.”
Conner shrugged him off and Lisa walked around the bar. He slid his arm over her shoulders and they walked towards the door.
“What do you want to do, baby girl?” he asked.
“I…I don’t know. I’ve never been on a date,” she said with a shy smile.
“Never? Lisa, you are a beautiful woman. There is no way you’ve never been on
a date,” he said in disbelief.
“I’ve always been busy,” she said with a simple shrug. “Hell, I don’t even own a dress, Conner.”
“Now that is a shame. You’ve definitely got the legs to pull off even the longest dress. I think we need to take you to the mall and do some shopping, baby girl,” he said with a slow smile.
“That’s sweet, Conner, but I’m a Walmart and Target kind of girl. I haven’t even been in a mall since I was a little girl,” she said with a soft chuckle.
“Then I definitely need to get you to a mall. We’ll get you a dress and my little sister loves that make-up place there. When I’m done with you, you won’t even recognize yourself,” Conner said with a wink.
Conner opened the door to a Lamborghini setting in the parking lot and Lisa stopped dead in her tracks. “How much am I paying you, Conner?” she choked out.
He walked over and wrapped an arm around her back and guided her to the car. She didn’t fight him, but that was more out of shock than anything else. He smiled as he whispered in her ear, “You have a knack for hiring men from wealthy families, my dear.”
She slid in and as he shut the door she looked around the employee parking lot. Damn, Conner wasn’t joking. There were two jacked up trucks that probably had more bling on them than more people had invested in their houses. A Mercedes Benz and some kind of car that she didn’t even recognize, but that had to have been expensive. Lisa always parked out front, so he had never looked to see what cars her employees drove.
Conner slid into the seat next to her just as she found her voice. “What the hell are all of you doing working for me?” she asked in a squeaky voice.
He smiled and said in a voice that would make most girls melt, “I liked you, Lisa. If I don’t want to come in, I don’t. You don’t give me a hard-time. There are very few jobs that will let me do that. Besides, it’s that or actually run my own business and I’d much rather hire someone to do that.”
Lisa just sat there with her mouth open for a few minutes. She couldn’t find the words to contemplate that. Allowing someone else to run her business would drive her crazy. She could afford it, the bar made money hand over fist. In that quiet moment her mind wandered back to what Jared had said to Conner.
First Love Page 1