“This weekend she’ll be back on the floor. With her track record anything could happen. One more infraction and even the other girls won’t question me if I have to let her go.”
“Maura should have known better than to get involved with her boss. At least that’s what I’m going to tell myself when she looks at me with those big doe eyes of hers after you’ve broken her heart. But I did warn her to stay clear of you.”
A number of expletives fell from Max’s lips. “I should have never let it go this far. I just…”
“I know,” Katie said, sympathy in her clear brown eyes. “We all fall victim to our desires at one time or another.”
Katie was good people. A little rough around the edges, but a gem for sure, and she called it the way she saw it. She was instrumental in helping him run the place and had been ever since he took over. She had worked for his uncle and stayed on when he asked her. He walked slowly back to his office and sat down behind his desk. He picked up a crystal paperweight that had been his uncle’s, turning it over in his hand. The ache inside him grew. He had never thought it was possible to want a woman the way he wanted Maura. He threw the paperweight across the room, breaking an expensive vase that had belonged to his uncle into a multitude of pieces.
I never liked that fucking vase.
Chapter Ten
When Max told Maura she had to work the floor, her stomach dropped. She had thought he would never put her in that position again. Max should have never permitted his servers to leave him in the lurch, but he was a soft touch where they were concerned. During her interview he had led her to believe he was anything but easy. However, no matter how last minute, it seemed he always ended up rearranging the schedule to accommodate them.
That being said, she knew none of them would have deliberately left him shorthanded if they could have avoided it. They were loyal to Max, not just because they liked him but because they respected him. He treated his waitstaff like they were important and not just the “Bitches” that served his customers.
She hated that term. But the girls didn’t seem to mind and called each other “Bitches” when it served their purpose or they were just joking around. She had told herself that she was used to it, but the truth was she wasn’t. When Frank had called her that, it was to degrade her. Knowing she had to work the floor again reminded her of what could happen if she weren’t careful. She just wished it didn’t hurt so much that Max didn’t seem to care.
She could have said no, but Max knew she wouldn’t. There was something about him that made saying no impossible for her. She couldn’t deny him anything. All he had to do was look at her and she wanted to please him in any way he desired. It was the same with Toby. Her body belonged to them and so, she knew, did her heart. She knew they lusted for her, but it had to be more than that. She felt their love in their touch and the way their lips took hers in long and loving kisses. Ever since that first night when they had taken her, not a day had passed when one or both of them had not spread her legs or the cheeks of her ass to bring her the kind of pleasure she had only read about in novels. It was an erotic love that took her into a world she never wanted to leave.
When Rhonda told her she was taking Todd for some tests over the weekend, she knew that Max had no choice but to give her the time off she needed. Todd hadn’t been feeling well, and Rhonda didn’t want to take any chances that he was developing an infection. Maura understood and didn’t tell her that she would be working her shifts. There was no reason to worry her. She also didn’t need to know that Maura had picked up her shifts at Lucy’s, making hers a double. Between normal anxiety with the kids and now Todd, she knew her friend was near the breaking point. She hoped they would receive good news at the doctor’s. If working her shifts helped, it was the least she could do.
* * * *
When she arrived at the Den Friday night, Max and Toby were already tending bar. She had told them she’d catch a taxi since she had wanted to take a shower before her shift. She saw them look her way and was about to go up to them, but Katie walked up to her.
“Guess we’ve got to get you into a uniform.”
Maura smiled and followed Katie to the changing room. She didn’t feel like smiling, but the last thing she wanted was for Katie to think she thought she was too good to serve, or to embarrass Max or Toby. Although they hadn’t said anything earlier that day about her going back to the floor, their actions had spoken volumes. When this weekend was over, she prayed she would never have to work the floor again.
Katie stood looking at her, concern on her face. “You sure you’re okay with this?”
“I won’t deny I like bartending a lot better, but of course I’m okay with this. I’m a team player just like the rest of you. I go where I’m needed.”
“Antoine knows you’re on the floor tonight, and you know I’ll be keeping an eye out for you, too. So signal if you need help.”
“Don’t worry about me, okay?” She hoped Katie wasn’t anticipating problems. But then again, with her track record, could she blame her?
“Worry is my middle name. Now get dressed, and I’ll see you on the floor.”
Katie walked out and left Maura alone to pour herself into the skimpy uniform. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a woman she had hoped never to see again. She hated parading around in front of the customers dressed like this. It made her cringe, but she knew she was expected to do her job, and she couldn’t deny she would be glad to have the tips in her pocket. Even though her expenses had been cut down considerably, she had a large debt to pay, and until it was paid, she would never be able to completely put the past behind her.
No use dwelling on what she couldn’t change. It’s the future I need to worry about, and it’s time to face the music, she thought as she slipped into the black high heels that were a far cry from the sneakers she had been allowed to wear behind the bar. With renewed determination she walked out of the room and onto the floor. She hoped the night wouldn’t hold any surprises that she couldn’t handle. Wrong attitude, she chastised herself. There’re no surprises that I can’t handle.
Max and Toby were busy at the bar when she reappeared. She could feel their eyes watching her approach. She knew if they had been alone, her uniform would have been torn from her body. However, there was concern on their faces, too. Were they, like Katie, already expecting the worst?
“Hi, Toby. Hi, Max. Reporting for duty,” she said with a mock salute.
“You’ll take the tables…” Max began.
“By the door. I know. My old territory.”
“Right. You know the drill,” he said, his eyes lingering on her breasts. She immediately felt her nipples stiffen. A few hours ago they sponged and dried her body before they filled her with their cum. She was addicted to their lovemaking, and it seemed so were they. She had sucked their cocks until they came again. She was always amazed at their stamina.
After a short nap, they had spread her pussy lips and ass cheeks to fill her yet again. She always came hard for them no matter how many times they took her. Her desire for the two brothers had done nothing but intensify the more they were together. Even now, she was thinking about their cocks and how much she loved having them inside her. However, she needed to stop thinking about them and concentrate on doing her job.
The night progressed with Toby filling most of her drink orders in silence. He wasn’t his usual flirtatious self. He was so quiet she began to wonder if there was something wrong other than the fact she was serving. She had just given him orders for five tables that he had taken with barely a smile.
“Toby, did I do something wrong?”
He started to walk away but stopped. He turned, his eyes looking somewhere over her shoulder. “No. Why?”
“You seem kind of subdued tonight. Not your usual happy self. I thought I might have done something to upset you. If I did, I didn’t mean to.”
“You didn’t do anything, Maura. I’m just a little tired. That’s all.”
> She nodded. “I so understand,” she smiled seductively, “especially after an afternoon like we just had. It’s hard to think of anything else. It’s just that if you need someone to talk to, you know I can be a good listener, too.”
It seemed that he was about to say something then changed his mind. “Right.”
He turned his back to her and started preparing the drinks. She looked over at Max, who was staring at her. He didn’t look happy. She smiled. He just gave her a nod and turned back to what he was doing.
She felt a sense of dread from another pair of eyes that were watching her. Joanie was now at the bar. Tonight she was wearing a tight red dress with a scooped neckline that showed what had to be breast enhancements, since no woman her age could possibly have breasts that firm and perky. Maura smiled. Surprisingly, Joanie smiled back, her eyes going from her to Toby and then to Max.
“Trouble in paradise, sweetie,” she said so only Maura could hear.
“Hi, Joanie. It’s busy tonight.”
“Right. Maybe I’ll convince Max to drive me home tonight and I can tell Sheldon his services are no longer needed. That is, if you don’t mind? I mean, you could do without one of them for just one night.”
“I don’t own them. They do what they want. It’s nothing to me,” Maura lied, not wanting the older women to get into her business again.
Thankfully Max was out of earshot and Toby was still working on her drinks. She turned away from Joanie, hoping the woman would leave her alone. That was not to be.
Joanie moved over to the barstool closest to her. “So what happened? You do something to piss your boys off?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do. You’re not behind the bar but back on the floor, and Toby and Max look like they just lost their best friend. I smell a Bitch in the mix. Yes, I do.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have time for this.”
Thankfully, Toby came over with her drinks and she left the bar without even checking the order. She could hear Joanie’s shrill laugh following her. She hoped by the time she returned the woman would have found someone else to harass.
Her first few tables were filled with men and women who looked at her with appreciation but kept their hands to themselves. She knew which table she would have to be the most careful of in terms of delivering the drinks to the entire group and not a one-on-one basis. One man in particular never looked away from her breasts when she took his order. The guy next to him grinned at her as he poked him. The man finally ordered a beer. She smiled and scooted away.
After she delivered her drinks without incident, she made a quick trip to the bathroom. She was washing her hands when she felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to see a woman who appeared to be in her mid- to late thirties. She recognized her from the table with the man who couldn’t take his eyes off her breasts. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes. You can, or at least I hope you can, or maybe it’s what I can do for you.”
Maura tilted her head toward her slightly and waited.
“You see,” she began, “the guy at our table who couldn’t take his eyes off your tits is my brother. He’s been away for a while, and he just got back a couple weeks ago. He hasn’t had the company of a woman in some time.”
Maura was getting a sense of where the conversation was headed. She wanted to ignore her, but she didn’t want any drama. “I have to get back to my tables.” She dried her hands quickly and walked to the door. The woman followed her.
“He needs a woman bad, and you’re the youngest woman in here, and he’s really taken with your tits and your ass. Of course, he likes your face, too. You don’t suppose you’d want to go out with us after your shift? I mean, I could pay you now. I wouldn’t want him to know I gave you money.”
“We don’t do that here. It’s a bar, not a brothel,” she said, mimicking Max’s words when he hired her.
“Don’t tell me you don’t like to make some cash on the side? Most girls who work at places like this do. Come on,” she cajoled, “I’ll make it worth your while. Just oral and regular, no anal unless you like it that way.”
“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn’t hear what I said. So, I’ll say it again, this time with no chance you’ll misunderstand. The answer is no. This isn’t that kind of place, and I’m not that kind of girl. Pursue this and I’ll have the bouncer show you to the door. Do you understand now?”
“Damn, the Bitch has claws. Forget I mentioned it,” she said nastily before she turned away, walking unsteadily back to her table.
Maura could see that the woman was drunk. She wondered if she should ask one of the other girls to take the woman’s table. She didn’t want to chance another encounter with her or her brother.
She caught Katie’s eye from across the room, and smiled. Before she turned away, Maura pointed toward the bar. Maura took a few orders and then took them to the bar hoping Katie had understood her cryptic message. She gave Max her order.
“What’s up?” Katie asked, placing her tray on the bar.
“I’m probably being overly cautious, but one of the women at table ten asked me to service her brother after work. She wasn’t too aggressive about it, but I just have a feeling it would be best if I traded tables with you. Is that okay with you? I know it’s an imposition. I’m really sorry.”
“Of course it’s okay. I’m glad to see that you’re finally using that head of yours. Why don’t you take table twenty-three? Two nice couples that are just out for some late-night drinks. They’re actually talking about their kids. You’ll like them.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Should I go over to them now and see if they need anything?”
“No. I have their refills coming up. You take them.”
“Whatever they give me for a tip is yours.”
“I’m not worried about that. Just glad you told me what that woman said. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“What woman said what?” Max asked, bringing over her drinks.
“Nothing to worry about. Maura and I are just switching tables. I’m handling it.” Katie ended her last sentence with a slight edge in her voice. Maura knew she was basically telling Max to back off.
“Okay. But if I need to get involved, don’t wait until it’s too late. Understood?” Maura knew his warning was meant for her and not Katie.
“Understood,” they both said at the same time.
The rest of her shift went smoothly. The woman who had propositioned her hadn’t bothered her again. When Max and Toby were ready to leave, she was more than ready, having finished cleaning her section with enough time to help Katie.
She hoped that they would want to continue their activities of the afternoon, however, both Max and Toby told her they were exhausted and needed some sleep. She thought maybe they would like to at least cuddle, but they didn’t invite her to join them in either of their beds. She began to wonder if they were tired of her already. But their lovemaking had been so wonderful earlier. She couldn’t imagine that was the case. And yet, could she really trust her instincts, even with them?
She slept fitfully. At some point Bo had jumped up on her bed. She felt his warm body up against hers. He was a bit of a bed hog. She reached over to run her hand gently through his fur. It had been too long since she had seen him. Max said he often was gone for weeks at a time, but she had been worried he might not return. She continued to run her hands down his sleek coat. He was such a beautiful creature. He whined and licked her face.
She immediately felt better that he was there. She needed her furry friend tonight. Maura fell asleep hugging him, wishing it was his masters that had felt the need to comfort her. During the night, she thought she felt lips on hers, but when she woke in the morning, it was still Bo that was sleeping at her side. Would she ever, she wondered sadly, understand men, or was she destined to sleep alone with no one but a wolf to keep her compan
y?
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, she had to work a double at Lucy’s again to cover Rhonda’s shift. She woke to the alarm and was out of the house before either Max or Toby had stirred. Bo had kept her company, following her around from room to room until she walked out the door. He just sat and watched her with sad eyes before she came back and kneeled down in front of him. She cooed words of love into his ear, promising she’d back soon.
When she returned, Max and Toby were gone. She was happy to see that Bo was at least waiting for her. He followed her up to her room where she stripped down to her underwear and crawled under the covers. She was too tired to even wash her face. She slept soundly until a knock at her bedroom door woke her up. She heard it open and Max’s voice.
“Time to get up for work, Maura.”
“I’m up. Thanks.”
Max closed the door behind him. She looked for Bo, but he had already left. Bo was no replacement for Max or Toby, but at least he made her feel loved. Those types of thoughts made her sad and, she had to admit, angry. She thought that they had been making progress in their relationship and now she wasn’t so sure. The nagging feeling that something was amiss stayed with her.
Max and Toby met her downstairs. They were polite, so polite they were making her uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to feeling like a guest in their home. They talked small talk all the way to the Wolf’s Den. By the time they arrived, she felt even more isolated from them. She didn’t like it. Tonight, after work, she was going to have a talk with them whether they liked it or not. Whatever she had done to cause their change in behavior, she needed to make it right.
Toward the end of her shift, she saw the brother of the woman who had propositioned her walk into the bar by himself. When he saw her looking his way he smiled. She lowered her eyes immediately and concentrated on the table she was waiting on. She didn’t want to give him any encouragement. However, when she looked back up, he was sauntering over to a table in her quadrant that had just emptied. She couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She forced herself to walk over to his table with a smile on her face.
Serving the Wolf's Den (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8