by Ava Walsh
The announcer stepped onto the stage to tell the crowd that Amber Rain would be performing in a few short dances. Until then, he was going to introduce some of the local girls to get the party started, and the beat to one of the favorite songs right now started playing.
A redhead took the stage and began to move against the pole as I cleaned up the bar for the next group of people who would come for drinks. I was just finishing when I glanced up into a pair of sapphire blue eyes and the best mouth that I had seen on a man in years. He also had a tall, muscular frame and soft dark hair that hung down to his shoulders in tousled waves.
To put it mildly, he was gorgeous. I didn’t get affected by men all that much, so that was saying a lot.
“Can I help you?” I asked, as I leaned forward just enough to flirt a little bit and batted my fake eyelashes at him. I had learned in my first year how to act for more tips, but I was also very capable of keeping it harmless.
“I would like a Tom Collins, if you would.” He spoke in a low, throaty voice that reminded me of a fine whiskey, and I blinked slowly before nodding. “Top shelf, please.”
“Of course,” I assured him, as I grabbed a glass and started to mix the alcohol in one of the clean mixers. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time as I worked, and I got nervous with the intensity of the look.
“Remy! What the fuck are you doing at the bar when we have our own waitress?” a booming voice called out, as I raised a dark eyebrow in curiosity. What was the billionaire doing at the bar?
Chapter Two
I glanced over at Jenna to see her giving me a wide-eyed look, and I expressed every ounce of what I was feeling to her in a single glance. I didn’t want to blow my cover, and I finished the drink before I turned around with a neutral expression on my face. “Your drink,” I offered, as I slid it forward to him and leaned on the bar to take him in. “That will be fifteen dollars.”
Billionaires were attractive these days. “It looks great.” Remy didn’t look at it once, as he was staring into my face with the oddest expression in his eyes. I wasn’t about to mention this and end this moment for myself, though. I was working all night and a newly single mother by day to a busy seven-year-old. The amount of sleep that I got in a solid set of hours was not even worth thinking about right now. I thanked makeup for covering the truth and making men like this seem to be captivated by me at this moment. He reached down and pulled something out of his pocket, and I looked down to see him slide a fifty-dollar bill across the bar.
“Let me get your change,” I offered, as he placed his hand over mine in a possessive manner to stop me from taking it. “Keep the change.” His eyes implored me to follow the order, and I helplessly looked back as I felt all of my tough exterior falling away and leaving me raw and vulnerable. Another friend called to Remy from the table, and his eyes darkened at the mention of him finding the one, or something along those lines. He let go of my hand with a long look and turned quickly on his feet to walk back in a way that made me tremble. “What was that?”
“Sex on a stick. I think I just came,” Jenna murmured, as I shot her a look. “It’s been a while since…well, shit. You and I have a similar life. I think you get it.”
I looked back at the table to see Remy looking at us with a playful expression, and I smiled. My eyes moved towards the stage where our popular platinum blonde waitress was dancing, and I didn’t think that he’d even glanced at her, unlike the rest of the table. Remy looked a little uncomfortable to me, and I went over to Jenna. “You said that he comes here a lot?”
“He’s a regular. He always gets that table,” Jenna confirmed, as I frowned and looked at him again to meet his smoldering gaze. “I don’t think he seems too concerned with the stage tonight, Lucia. I believe that he wants you.”
“No way. Here?” I brushed off her words and turned back to pour myself a cup of coffee. I needed it after getting up after just a couple of hours to get Daisy off to school and then again to grocery shop and pick her up, followed by a trip to the park with her current best friend. I reminded myself that I made enough here to keep us in a good part of Atlanta and that Daisy went to a good school, as my mind wandered to his money that I had placed in my jeans pocket. Tips like that on the regular could really help things, and I might be able to go to college and get my major in English. I was only twenty-three, but it seemed like time was slipping away. I took a long drink of the sweetened coffee and considered a fling with Remy for a fleeting moment.
Men like him didn’t want girls like me who were raising their younger sister. They wanted women who could live impulsively and give them time. Besides, he was gorgeous. Remy had to have girls lining up at the door to be with him. I scoffed at any chance I might think that I had and turned as Jenna greeted a new customer.
The main attraction took to the stage in an hour, before which the bar became packed with new arrivals, as well as Bella ordering several more shots for Remy’s table. I made drink after drink and took the money with a smile as I tried to ignore the pull that was Remy James. He still came back once to order another drink, and I just stared at him when he gave me another fifty-dollar bill. It was safe to assume that he was footing the bill for his rowdy friends, as well, who weren’t getting any less obnoxious with the alcohol flowing freely. “They’re like brothers to me,” Remy told me, as I gave him a questioning look. "Are they bothering you?" The way that he said the words implied that he might get rid of them at the drop of a hat if I asked him to.
“I didn’t say anything,” I defended myself, before I blinked. “I work here, so I see a lot of bad sides of people. I can handle a few catcalls across the room when a porn star is taking the stage.” He raised an eyebrow at me, and I covered my red lips with my hand in horror. I was never rude to customers. Ever. I flirted for that extra five-dollar tip and joked around with them. I made the best of things. “I am so fucking sorry.”
I practically felt Jenna wince beside me, and I dropped my eyes to the bar. “Is that what the woman on stage is? I have never seen her nor heard her name. I am too hung up on you, Lucia,“ he said, while glancing at my name tag. „I can’t stop looking at you. I would like to take you for coffee after work, if at all possible.” I watched as his eyes flicked across the bar to my third cup, and felt the disappointment surge through my body.
“I don’t date customers.” That was the truth in most cases, but not in this one. I knew that Mrs. MacKenzie would want to get home and that Daisy would be getting up a mere three hours later to get ready for school. I was focusing on my responsibilities, so I didn’t want to give into this man and crawl home just in time to get my sister to school.
“I can sense that about you, but I am not looking just to fuck you. It’s a lot more than that.” His eyes made promises that my body didn’t want to resist, and I casually shrugged as my heart kept racing.
“That rule still applies,” I assured him, as he nodded simply and took his drink to walk away.
“Are you serious right now?” Jenna hissed at me, before she went to help a customer. Sadly, I was. I needed to get through the next few years before I would even consider dating anyone, at which point Remy would be long gone.
At that moment, I despised the reality of my life. I would never voice these feelings to Daisy or anybody else, but I longed for freedom sometimes, and now was one of those times. Just one night with Remy would be incredible, but I wasn’t in any place to seek that right now.
The crowd seemed to keep finding the bar, and Jenna and I laughed at the amount of guys who thought that they would get a shot with Amber. She got free drinks at the bar, and I was surprised to find out that she didn’t even drink at all. We talked for a few minutes while she sipped some water and fended off the fans with their pathetic lines and glasses in hand.
Amber was investing her earnings and making a life for herself. She was quite smart, and I wished that I had the chance to do what she was doing to make things work for her future. Not that I could ever stri
p or do porn, since I already worried about Daisy hearing that I didn’t work at an all-night coffee shop that sold books.
Amber was also gorgeous, with a perfect, natural body and honey highlights in her red hair to bring out her bright green eyes. I am sure that didn’t hurt her success at all.
The night ended with Remy’s friends and the other customers trickling out in a drunken line before Jenna and I went out to help with cleaning up the room. I approached the VIP area to see him sitting there with a drink as he quietly surveyed me. “We’re closed,” I reminded him, as he smiled.
“I want to make sure that you get to your car safely,” Remy replied, as I shook my head. “I won’t bother you at all.”
“What about your ride?”
“Marty is paid very well to be at my beck and call,” Remy assured me, as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Of course he had a driver, while I walked over to my mom’s old car every night and prayed that it would keep going for another few months. It was twenty years old now, and if it weren't a Toyota then I would be apprehensive.
Chapter Three
The other girls just smiled as they worked around him and left it up to me to keep him entertained. They even did most of the work while I felt his eyes on me for the entire time that I cleaned what little was left. It was both unnerving as well as arousing. My body just had a pull towards him that I couldn't explain and was struggling to deny.
I checked the bar one last time before I grabbed my purse and watched him stand up to join me. “You don’t give up,” I observed, as he looked me over slowly.
“Not when I see something that I want.” Remy walked me to the back door with an ease that I didn’t usually see in men. He walked right out into the back lot without even looking around like our sketchy bouncers did. I raised my brow and smiled as I joined him and walked to the faded green SUV.
“Why me?” I pressed, since he wasn’t hiding his intentions at all.
“It’s a bit hard to explain,” Remy vaguely replied, as his thick brows furrowed together and he looked over at me. “That’s something I need to discuss over dinner or coffee.”
“It’s complicated.” I chose to be vague myself as he seemed to look right through me.
“So am I.”
We got to my car, and I looked into his face. Remy was about three inches taller than my five foot ten frame and it was perfect. Everything was perfect, apart from the fact that I couldn’t pursue this. “Thank you for walking me out here. It can be a little scary sometimes.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Remy assured me, before he leaned down to brush his lips against mine gently. It was barely a kiss, but every nerve ending in my body responded and I felt myself leaning up for more as he chuckled and pulled away. “I will see you soon.”
I knew that he was serious, and I unlocked my car door to slide in before looking at him again. It was refreshing not to have a man taking everything with one kiss, even though it was more frustrating right now as my thighs heated up and my body told me what I was missing out on. I sighed and started the car as I watched a black Bentley pull forward next to us. Holy shit. This guy had so much money.
I drove home with a lot of tips even after I had split some of them with Jenna and the others. She insisted that I keep Remy’s money because I did all of the work and he apparently meant it to be mine.
I hugged my neighbor before I watched her walk to her apartment, smiling as I thought about the money I was going to leave her tomorrow night. I could finally do something nice for Mrs. McKenzie, after all she’d done for us. I showered to get off my war paint and clean the bar off of my skin, before dropping into bed for a few hours of sleep.
Daisy was happy the next morning, and I regretted my thoughts from the night before. With her toffee colored eyes and freckles, this little girl melted my heart, and she was always worth the work. I walked out of the apartment to drive her to school as she told me about the game she’d played the night before and the cake that Mrs. Mac had made for her for a treat before bed. That cake ended up being my breakfast before I got a little more sleep in my small full-size bed.
Since I had some money, I impulsively treated Daisy to an early dinner at her favorite high-end pizza place, The Crust, and listened to her tell me all about her day. It wasn’t that I was wide awake—I still needed more sleep, like I did every day—but I was happy today. I was riding some high from the night before, and I watched as the waitress boxed up the leftovers and gave me a broad smile. “This is on the house, ladies. You have a secret admirer.”
“What?” I looked around to see who could’ve paid the bill, which was well over fifty dollars with the leftovers. I didn’t see anyone that I knew, and I shrugged at Daisy. “I wonder who took care of that. Do you think it was the Tooth Fairy?”
“It was Santa Clause. I heard from Allison that he does kind things all year,” Daisy told me, with a certainty that made me laugh. I still left a generous tip before we headed home. We did some homework, and then I got Daisy involved in a movie before Mrs. Mac came over. It was the routine we used to distract her from my leaving. Even though she loved the neighbor, Daisy was scared of me disappearing like our mother had.
I dressed for work as I listened to them talk in my small bedroom. I always pulled a shirt over the tank top to cover what I was wearing and help with the lie that I continued to tell. Daisy liked makeup too much to ask me about that since she considered it art. “I will see you tomorrow, Miss Maisy Daisy.” I had forced a full smile on my face before I leaned down to kiss her head. I started to wonder again who paid for our dinner the night before, and Remy came to mind before I shook my head. He’d have to be following me if that was the case, which was just creepy.
My fellow bartender that night was Lisa, who was not as cool as Jenna. She was a brunette who took a lot more than tips from the customers and played them as well as I’d seen anybody do, apart from the dancers. I already planned on doing most of the work that night and I just might keep more tips for myself as well, not that there were going to be fifties slid across the bar every night.
I slipped behind the bar and secured my purse before she swayed over to me with a big smile on her bubblegum-pink lips. “You have a special delivery tonight.” I looked at her, and she pulled me back by my arm to see a vase of beautiful red roses by the register up front. “Who is the new guy? There was no signature on the card.”
I shot her a dark look before she apologized for being so nosy. “I don’t have any new guy. I don’t know who did this.” There must be forty flowers at least in that vase of that dark red color that I loved so much. I secretly hoped they were from Remy and that in some parallel life we could work out.
“Huh. Well, you’re doing something right. Is he a customer, you think?” Lisa winked and walked over to help one of the businessmen who often popped in here after work before they went home to their wives and family. They seemed to be her favorite type, and I went to help someone else as I again wondered if Remy was behind all of this. There were just the regular dancers tonight, and it was a Thursday, so it wasn’t too crowded.
I didn’t see him at all inside the bar that night, but he was waiting by my car with another red rose in his hand and a hopeful look on his stunning face. “So are you behind the dinner and the roses inside? Are you staking your claim?"
“I was lucky enough to see you in one of my businesses before I finished work,” Remy assured me, as I thanked him and leaned forward unconsciously. He grinned, and I felt my panties melt with the look that was in his eyes. This man was winning me over with his seductive nature, and all of his attempts at getting me into his life, and I moaned as he leaned forward to kiss my lips. Wait…I still couldn’t do this because my life was no different. I could just enjoy the perks until he moved on to someone that was available. I weakened again as he deepened the kiss and cupped my face in his hands. “I need to see you tonight.”
“I…I don’t know,” I murmured, as he kissed me again and r
ipped a part of me away all over again as his tongue swept against mine. “Hold on.”
I stepped back to regain my thoughts and considered what I was about to do. I sent a text to Mrs. Mac asking if it was alright for me to grab some coffee and food after my shift. I knew that she would encourage it since she had married the most wonderful man on Earth, who had passed away just five years ago after sixty years of marriage. She wanted that for everybody, though mostly me, since she thought that Daisy and I needed someone to love us.
Of course she agreed and told me that she would go to sleep in my room. That was code for ‘stay out as long as physically possible’, and I blushed at the connotation. I turned to Remy, who was still looking at me. “I have some time. Where are you taking me?”
Remy took my hand and led me to a sports car that I couldn’t even name in the corner of the lot. We drove to this place in the city that had a sunken dining room and private tables with candles and the best music playing, greats like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. It was called The Windmill, and I’d never heard of it. We got seated right away in a private room with a fireplace and soft seats, and I stared at him as the hostess walked away. “What is this place?”
“I own it,” Remy admitted, as I looked around again. “I also own The Crust. I like to invest in businesses.”
“Is that how you got all of your money?” I asked, as he gave me a curious look. “Jenna talks a lot. I guess you come to The Goods a lot. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing you before."
“Is the money why you’re here now?” he asked, and I shook my head. "Not that it matters, because I want you no matter the case."