Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Perfectly Unexpected
Brandy Michelle
Copyright © 2017 by Brandy Michelle.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Cover design by MG Bookcover & Design
Cover Photography by Kruse Images & Photography: Models & Boudoir
Cover Model: Justin James Cadwell
Editing by Jenny Sims with Editing4Indies
Interior Design by Jessica Hildreth Designs
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First Edition: December 2017
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For information contact - www.authorbrandymichelle.com
Dedication
For the little boy who unexpectedly changed my life.
There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by Michelle Louise
Chapter 1
“Hey, sweet tits, how about another beer followed by your number?”
I glance up from the sink, where I am washing glasses, and eye the drunk patron leaning against the bar. His eyebrows wag in what could be an attempt to wink, but in his inebriated state, it just looks like a seizure.
Placing the glass on the drying rack, I shut off the water and dry my hands on a nearby towel before approaching the asshole. After spending a few years working behind the bar, I have grown used to the drunken propositions and harassment. When you are a bartender, you sometimes have to adopt a certain façade in order to make money. My work clothes tend to hug my curves and show off more skin than what I would normally wear, and my long brown hair stays pulled up and out of the way. I wear more makeup and go a little heavier on the eyes to showcase my honey browns.
I press my body against the back of the bar and lean in close, watching his eyes light up in satisfaction. “If you value your balls at all, you will refrain from ever calling me sweet tits again.” The smile falls from his face, and I pull away, standing up straight. “Now that we have that settled, what are you drinking?” I am no stranger to the advancement of drunk patrons, so I know how to handle the situation in my own way.
“Uhh …” he stutters, at a loss for words. “That new craft beer on draft.”
Grabbing his empty cup, I nod my head and refill the beer. When I turn back, his head is down as he thumbs through his wallet.
“Here you go. That’ll be four fifty.”
He passes a ten-dollar bill to me, and the cocky smile returns. “How about that phone number?”
I almost want to laugh at his second attempt, but instead, I just shake my head. “Not going to happen. I’ll be right back with your change.”
“Keep it,” he says with another sloppy wink before leaving the space he was occupying at the bar.
I watch as he joins a group of guys, and they all commence in high-fives while looking back in my direction. No doubt, he told them a bogus version of what had transpired between us moments ago.
“Brenna, can you take these drinks to the group in the back? Annie hasn’t come back for them yet,” Jordan asks from down the bar.
Jordan works with me behind the bar at Déjà vu, one of the hottest spots in town. He is also the lead singer for his band, Civil Edge. They play sets here on occasion and a few other places around the city.
“You got it. Are you guys still going on at nine?” I ask.
“Jake has the flu, so we’re out a drummer. Since we didn’t have enough notice to line up a backup band, the DJ is staying for the night.”
“Now you can spend the night helping me.” I swat him with my bar towel and jump away before he can snatch it and get revenge. “I’m going to run these drinks out, and I’ll be back.”
Lifting the tray of drinks, I walk to the opening of the bar. “Your fan club just arrived, so you might want to go break the news.”
I tilt my head toward the end of the bar where a group of girls have just sat down and were openly staring at Jordan. The same girls show up every night his band plays, and some even come nightly with hopes of seeing Jordan working.
I can’t help but laugh as Jordan rolls his eyes before I head off to deliver the drinks.
Even though Jordan looks the part, he doesn’t act like a rock star or musician once he’s off the stage. The majority of musicians I have met over the years take home a different girl every night, but not Jordan. He’s been with his amazing girlfriend for over three years, and they have a solid relationship.
Claire is a prim and proper kind of girl who doesn’t curse; even crap and shoot are too close to the edge for her. She is by far the sweetest girl you will ever meet. Where Jordan is every bit tall, dark, and dangerous, Claire has long straight blond hair and baby blue eyes, making her angelically beautiful. Although I may be a little biased because she is also my best friend and neighbor.
“You know I have been wondering when I would get you out from behind that bar.”
Tanner Tate.
Rich, privileged, sexy, charming, cocky Tanner Tate.
Tanner has always been a frequent customer of Déjà vu. The owner, Ian Garrett, is a close friend of the Tate family. Both of their families are well known in the area and even own most of the town.
“Now Tanner, you know I prefer my nights behind the bar,” I say while setting the drinks on the table for the group. “I’m just helping out, but I will make sure to find a cute server to take care of you boys. Any special requests?”
I met Tanner a few years ago when I began working at the bar, and we instantly became friends. Tanner is devilishly handsome, standing over six-foot with dirty blond hair and striking green eyes. It’s no wonder so many girls practically launch their selves at him and his older brother, Logan. Their family is extremely wealthy, which is like a beacon to most females. His undeniable charm has left many heartbroken girls in his wake.
We have built a solid friendship over the years, and other than Jordan, he has become one of my closest male friends. I have always been more of a loner and have a tendency to keep to myself, so other than Claire, Jordan, and Tanner, I don’t have anyone else. Which is one of the reasons I
would never cross the line with Tanner; I would hate to lose him as a friend.
“Brenna, Brenna. Why must you always break my heart? You know that you are the one I want,” Tanner says, holding his hand over his heart and winking at me. “Come on, guys, tell her.”
The five other guys at the table shout and holler my name, causing people to look in our direction. I can feel the heat creeping into my face from the slight embarrassment. Tanner is looking up at me from where he is seated on the couch, giving me a sad, puppy dog look.
“Okay, okay.” I sigh as a grin spreads across Tanner’s face. “You can wipe that smirk off your face, Tanner Tate. This is not you getting your way, but I’m willing to compromise. It’s way too busy for me to leave the bar tonight, but I’ll make sure to stop by when I get a break. In the meantime, I will send Missy over in a few to check on you boys.”
“Uh, maybe not Missy,” Tanner says while scratching the back of his head and looking guilty, which can only mean one thing.
“Seriously, Tanner. Is there a girl here you haven’t screwed?” I stand with my hands on my hips, looking around at the guys before stopping on Tanner, who looks proud of himself.
“Besides you? No, I don’t think so. Wait. Wasn’t a new girl just hired?”
I shake my head, knowing so much truth is in his answer. I have listened to countless sob stories from various co-workers over the unanswered phone calls or text messages after their night spent with Tanner.
“Yeah, I will send over Lindsey and make sure she brings your drink orders to me directly. Please leave this one alone.” I pin Tanner with a stern glare and turn on my heel, heading back to the bar.
Even though I love my job here at Déjà vu, I also work for a temp agency. The office jobs tend to be more boring to me and just a paycheck, so when I’m behind the bar, I can let loose and be free. I don’t have to act a certain way or pretend to be something I’m not. I love the noise and rowdiness of busy, hectic nights, having never been a fan of the quiet and calm. It gives my mind too much time to wander in places I don’t want or need it to go.
As I look out to check on the boys, I watch Tanner being dragged onto the dance floor by a girl. Even I have to admit the guy has game. But I don’t understand why these girls keep lining up to be the next when they know Tanner never keeps the same girl around for a long period. While I enjoy my flirty banter with him, I know that is as far as it will go, no matter how hard he tries.
Tonight has been busy, which leaves me stuck behind the bar for the better part of the evening. Lindsey seems to be doing well with Tanner and his friends, and I can only hope he will heed my warning. But I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised to hear he worked his charm and added her to his list of accomplishments.
I have been managing the bar while Jordan went on a short break to call Claire, but once he gets back, it will be my turn, and I will use that time to check on Tanner.
By the time Jordan finishes and gets back behind the bar, I am ready for a reprieve. It has been a while since Lindsey put an order in for the boys, so I quickly make them another round before heading over.
“Here comes my girl,” Tanner shouts as he stands up and makes his way over to meet me. “Let me help you out. Lindsey said you were going on break, so no more work for the next fifteen minutes.” Tanner surprises me by taking the tray of drinks before walking back to his friends.
At this point in the night, the other guys have found themselves girls to keep them company, and I feel guilty for not having enough drinks for the group.
“Sorry, I should have checked to see who all was back here and brought more drinks,” I apologize even though not one of the girls is paying any attention to me.
I let out a small scream as I am pulled down on Tanner’s lap, who is now sitting on the couch.
“Tanner! What are you doing?” I laugh and turn to slap him in the arm.
“Just sit with me, Brenna.” I look around, wondering how sitting on Tanner’s lap as he nuzzles his face in my neck must look to an outsider. “You always smell so good. Tell me, Brenna, why do you fight this attraction between us?”
I turn my body so I can see his face. “You know why, Tanner. We have gone over this a hundred times already. I’m not one of your rotation girls.”
“You would never be one of those. You’re different; I’ve told you that. You would be my only girl.”
“Tanner.” Placing my hands on his cheek, I force his green eyes to mine and away from my chest. “We both know that will never happen. You are not ready to settle down. Hell, I’m probably not ready to settle down,” I say, trying to make light of the conversation.
“Okay, fine, maybe you’re right. So why can’t we have just one night? One hot night of just you and me, and then never again. Unless, of course, you want more,” Tanner suggests with a wink and his cocky smirk.
“No, because I like you too much, and I enjoy our friendship. Sex would complicate things and ruin that. Plus, you know you would fall in love with me, and I would hate to be the girl who breaks Tanner Tate’s heart,” I tease.
Lifting my arm, I check my watch and find that, sadly, my break is over and I need to get back to work. We only have another hour before closing time, so it is bound to get a little crazy before last call.
“You break my heart every time I see your beautiful face. Don’t think this means I’m giving up.”
I stand from his lap and grab my tray. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“Good. You can close our tab with my card on file. We’ll be heading out in a few. See you next time, Brenna.” He stands from the couch and wraps me in his arms. One of his hands slips lower and he slides something into my back pocket, following it with a soft slap.
“Bye, Tanner.” It wasn’t always this easy to turn down those green eyes. A few times in the beginning were damn near impossible, but somehow, I managed to keep my hormones in check, which I am thankful for.
A crowd has formed around the bar, and Jordan’s face shows relief when I return from break. I quickly dip into the back room to wash my hands before serving. Dipping my hand into my back pocket, I retrieve the item Tanner placed in there, and I’m not surprised when I pull out a hundred-dollar bill.
As immune as I may be to Tanner’s charm, that is not the case with the other Tate brother. A tingling landed in the pit of my stomach the first moment I laid eyes on Logan Tate. I had been so entrapped in his stare that the glass I was holding slipped through my fingers and crashed to the floor. It was one of the most horrifying moments in my life.
The only serious relationship I had was when I was younger, and even he never caught my attention the way Logan did the first time we met. I even remember exactly what he was wearing that night. Coming straight from work, he was dressed in a charcoal suit with a lavender shirt, sans tie, with the top few buttons undone. I never imagined lavender could look so sexy on a guy, but Logan pulled it off. His dark brown hair was messy, as though hands had been tugging at it, causing me to visualize how it would look after my own hands had run through it. The intense way his navy eyes held mine was intimidating, and I didn’t know how to handle all the new emotions that flooded me.
I felt an instant pull to Logan, and it only became stronger the more he was near. As luck would have it, when we first met, he was newly engaged to a long-time girlfriend. No matter how hard it was to ignore the magnetic pull I felt with him, I wouldn’t cross that line.
A few weeks ago, Tanner broke the news that the wedding had been called off. He didn’t go into details, but it sounded as though Logan was the one left hurting, and he hadn’t been back in the bar since.
Chapter 2
Last night, I didn’t crawl into bed until close to four in the morning and was woken a mere two hours later by my phone’s high-pitched ring. The temp agency needed a last-minute placement, and now, I am running around my apartment like a lunatic. Having great standing with the agency, they tend to be reasonable about working with
my schedule at the bar.
When April called in a panic this morning, I knew she had to be desperate because today was a no-call day for me since I am closing again tonight at Déjà vu. But still, here I am after barely two hours of sleep, heading out to fill in as a receptionist for a large law firm.
I swiftly check my reflection in the glass doors and straighten the skirt of my plum wrap dress before entering the building. A soft ding sounds as the door opens, and an older handsome man welcomes me from behind the dark cherry desk.
“Please tell me you are from the agency and here to save the day,” he says, almost pleadingly. He moves to greet me in front of the desk, and I take a moment to admire him. Dressed in a sharp three-piece suit with perfect salt and pepper hair, he appears just as powerful as I imagine he is inside the courtroom.
“Yes, Brenna Daniels.” I reach my hand out, and his larger one engulfs mine in a professional handshake.
“Pleasure to meet you, Brenna. I am Richard Welch. Thank you for assisting today. I gave April specific requirements, and she said you were the girl for the job.”
I instantly feel nervous that I may not be properly qualified for the job. I have limited experience in the legal field and typically only get placed for basic receptionist jobs. Answering phones and taking messages are simple tasks and hard to screw up.
April knows this, seeing as she is the one who assigns the temporary jobs. If Mr. Welch had specific requirements that he felt were important, I am confused as to why she would recommend me for the job.
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