Brady took pity on my plight and ladled out the stew into bowls, so I didn’t make my situation even worse. “Found two gloves in the street today. I think one of them might be a decent match for the striped orange one.”
I perked up at the news. “Oo, really? That’s awesome. That poor little guy’s been waiting on a match forever.”
“Ye lost your glove?” Eli inquired.
Brady answered for me, because I had devolved back into a mute five-year-old who couldn’t find her voice. Eli had touched my hair and my ear. It was too much to process, and still be expected to participate in normal conversation. “Violet collects gloves for the vets and donates them to the local VA. She, Caty and I find lost gloves all over the city. We bring them home, wash them, pair them, and give them to the vets.”
“Ye find tha many gloves just lying around?”
“You’d be surprised. Once you know to start looking for them, you find them everywhere.”
“Ye collect gloves for veterans?” When this seemed to require a response, I nodded, my chin down and my loose strands of hair falling forward to cover my face again. “Tha’s… You’re a sweet girl, Mouse. Can I do it, too?”
I glanced up at him, dumbfounded that he didn’t think we were wasting our efforts. It’s not like gloves were expensive or would save the world, but it was a daily treasure hunt that the three of us found fun. “Really?”
“Sure. Just finding gloves and bringing them to ye after I wash them?”
I nodded, touched that he wanted to lend a hand. Adding charity work to his sexiness only compounded my conundrum. I knew if he followed through and found a glove, I’d never get over my stupid crush.
“What are ye both doing tonight? Got any plans?”
Brady stirred his stew. “Nothing that can’t be broken. Why? Whatcha got in mind?”
“Mouse?” Eli inquired, waiting to hear my answer before he tipped his hand.
“Grant research,” I reminded them. “I’m writing the first grant proposal. I’m not finished studying up for it, though.”
Brady’s blond eyebrows furrowed together. “You’re not finishing it at all. Seriously, Vi. Keith is taking advantage of you.”
“I don’t mind the work.”
“If you won’t listen to me, I’ll tell Mr. Li on you,” Brady responded childishly.
“You will not. You know how worked up he gets over the smallest thing.”
“Who’s Mr. Li now?” Eli asked.
I was still too nervous to speak much, so Brady answered for me. “The guy who owns the Chinese food place below us. Violet saved his life a few years ago, so he looks out for her. Treats her like she’s his own kid.”
I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes. “Don’t put it like that. That’s way more dramatic than the whole thing needs to be. I was at the right place at the right time, that’s all. I gave him the Heimlich, which is so basic, any monkey could’ve done it.”
“He was choking on something, and freaked out when he couldn’t breathe, and then gave himself a heart attack. Vi was eating at the restaurant, and saw it all go down. She got him breathing again, shoved an aspirin down his throat, and gave him CPR until the ambulance showed up. Didn’t you wonder why the rent was so cheap here? It’s because Mr. Li cuts her a deal. Places in this district go for double what we pay.”
I kicked my feet together under the table. “He’s a nice man.”
Brady sliced the sourdough bread and started serving it to us so I didn’t risk my life by touching the long knife. “When Mr. Li’s son was in a car accident a while back, they told him he might never walk again, but Vi got him out of that wheelchair in three months without charging him a dime. He’s good as new now. Mr. Li is Violet’s biggest fan. Makes her lunch every day, and dinner most nights. Mr. Li yells at her boss when he takes advantage, which is totally what Keith is doing to you, by the way.”
“Oh Dios mío. Would you let it go? I like the place I work. If I can help the facility get more funding, why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re spread too thin as it is.”
“Hello, I spent the afternoon making stew and being a lazy good-for-nothing. I can handle a little extra work.”
Brady let out a frustrated growl. “I swear, you’re your mother’s daughter. Do you think she’d want this for you?” Before I could answer, he spouted, “You’re home because you got clocked by a mental case who was pissed he couldn’t get into your pants!” Brady reminded me, his argumentative tone reaching the point of no return.
“He was making a pass at ye?” Eli inquired gravely.
I set down my spoon and sighed loudly. “Would you two knock it off? Stuff like that happens all the time because of the patients I treat. Most of them are awesome, but there are a couple disturbed ones who come to us because, guess what? They need help. And I’m finishing up that proposal because I said I would. I don’t wuss out on assignments and leave people hanging. That’s not who I am.” I stirred my stew, blowing on the bowl so I could taste it. “But after that, maybe you’re right about Keith taking advantage of my team player attitude. The next time something like that comes up, I’ll say no.”
“I’d love to get that in writing. Good. I can be cool, then.” Brady’s shoulders deflated. “I’m really not trying to boss you around. I just hate when Keith pulls this crap on you. He uses your good conscience against you, putting guilt on your shoulders when he should just hire an assistant, or buckle down and do the work himself. You’re at the office long after he goes home to his family.”
“Yes, but he’s got a kid and a wife. I’m not exactly rushing home to a family. I don’t mind. Really, B.” A rock sunk in my gut at the truth of that statement. I wanted my family to come home to. My mother had passed away almost a year ago, but some days, the sting felt fresher than that. I missed her terribly. She would’ve decorated my room to make it homier. She would work fourteen hours, and still have a smile on her face and a homecooked meal for me. She was magic – that’s the only way I can explain it. Life without her had become a life without magic, which often felt like no life at all. Work was a nice distraction.
Brady reached out and grabbed my hand. “I’m your family, V. If Mr. Li gets to be your dad, then I get to be your brother.”
My heart always swelled in my chest when Brady and Caty said beautiful things like that. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“What’d the mechanic charge you to fix your car?”
“He couldn’t squeeze me in this weekend.”
Eli dipped his bread into his stew. “What’s wrong with your car?”
“It’s got this clanging sound that makes me nervous to drive it. I don’t mind walking, though. I like the fall weather.”
Brady shook his head. “McCale’s is in a terrible neighborhood. If your overtime’s not going to ease up, I don’t want you walking that late at night.”
Before I could give Brady a dramatic sigh, Eli piped in. “Mind if I take a look at it?”
I quirked my eyebrow at him. “You fix cars?”
“Only for the lasses who make me stew.”
I lowered my chin, bashful the second he addressed me directly. In lieu of speaking, I bobbed my head up and down a few times, proud of myself that I didn’t blurt out, “You’re pretty!” again.
Brady turned his attention back to Eli. “So what did you have in mind for tonight? Whatever it is, the answer’s yes. We’re in.”
8
Orange Sherbet and Herpes Breath
“I’m so boring. I’ve never even been inside Club Seven, though I’ve lived here four years,” I admitted, looking around with wide eyes. Honestly, the club had a bit of a rep for attracting the seedier sort, so it never piqued my interest. The club was packed wall-to-wall with brooding men in t-shirts and women in tight shirts or halters. I swear, one woman was wearing a mini skirt with only her bra on top. The floor had a sticky, dirty quality to it, and the no smoking indoors law was completely ignored, leaving a heavy stench in the air. Pe
ople were loud to compensate for the techno that blasted from the black and chrome DJ booth in the corner. I’m not sure what Eli assumed we were into, but this bar wasn’t really it. The place had a reputation for being lousy with drugs, which was part of the reason Brady, Caty and I stayed away. Though, as Eli had fixed the clanging noise in my car before we left for the club, I was content letting him lead us wherever he wished.
“Stay close,” Eli warned, grabbing my hand and curling my fingers around his belt so I didn’t get lost in the shuffle of way too many people. My knuckles brushed against the back of his hip every time he took a step with his left leg, giving me a steady dose of Heaven. Brady hovered, but always found a way to be comfortable wherever he went, even in techno-land.
Eli led us to the back, where a second bouncer stood in front of a door. He was almost as big as Eli, but had a handlebar mustache and smelled like he didn’t quite understand the mechanics of personal hygiene. “They’re with me. Brady and Violet,” he clarified, though I couldn’t imagine why the bouncer needed our names. It’s not like he had a clipboard to write them down on.
“You’re not on the roster tonight,” the guy informed Eli with a frown. “You’re up tomorrow.”
“I know. Just wanted to come and watch. Is Rich fighting tonight?”
“He is.” The man stepped aside to grant us passage. “When you get down there, tell Billy I want two down on Turling. Rich has been getting on my nerves. I’m counting on Turling knocking him down a few rungs.”
“Aye. Here’s hoping. See y’around, mate.” Eli guided us through the door, into a corridor and down a flight of stone steps. I held tight to his belt as he led us to an underground club that made my jaw fall open. The concrete walls and high ceiling gave the impression of walking into a well-lit dungeon, but it was the boxing ring in the center that drew my eyes. There, in the middle of the city, was an underground fighting venue I’d never seen or heard of before in all my years here. Not like I had a huge social life or anything, but still. Brady was much cooler than me, and I could see the shock on his face, as well.
“Where the crap are we?” Brady wondered aloud. “How have I never heard of this place?”
“It’s not exactly mainstream. A fair few shady deals take place here.” He pointed to the corner. “See tha man with the lass rubbing her tits in his face?”
Brady swore. “Is that the mayor?”
“Aye. If ye want something discussed, this is the place to do it. Come on. Let’s get a seat now, or we’ll miss the good parts.”
“What’s the good part?” I asked, my eyes darting around warily. I wanted to see everything, but part of me wanted not to be seen, if that makes any sense.
“The first punch is always the best. It sets everything loose. Trust me, ye don’t want to miss it. It’s my favorite part.” Eli led us into the twelve-tiered bleachers that surrounded the ring, settling in on a spot in the second row. “Perfect. Can ye see alright, wee Mouse?”
I nodded, my throat dry and my nerves on edge. I’d chosen to shove Brady into the middle spot, so I didn’t lose my cool if my thigh brushed Eli’s by accident. It was close quarters here, and I didn’t want any more awkward moments. I wore a simple blue fitted V-neck t-shirt with my jeans, and was starting to feel either under or overdressed – I couldn’t decide which. Most of the women there wore skimpy tops and skirts that barely covered their butts. Caty would’ve been able to fit in alright here. She had a slim figure that leant itself to tight clothing. I had curves that needed the covering of long jeans to fly under the radar.
Brady nodded to a woman who walked by with such a short skirt, I could see her red thong when she bent over. “That’s six thongs I’ve counted. What do you guess? Nun gone wrong?”
I sniggered. “Definitely. Seven,” I jerked my chin to the woman to our left, and down a rung. “You don’t see many sherbet-colored thongs anymore. Good for her.” It was our little game whenever we went to bars. We liked to count how many pairs of women’s underwear we could find. It was a stupid game, and one that wreaked of me not having enough girlfriends, but I enjoyed it all the same.
Brady cracked his knuckles as he looked around. “I’m getting a drink. What do you want?”
“You can pick something for me. I’m still soaking all this in. I’m a little out of my element.”
“Gotcha. Be right back. What do you want from the bar, E?” he asked Eli as he stood and stretched.
Eli smirked appreciatively at the nickname. “Guinness. Cheers, B.”
I smiled at the cuteness of our little family expanding to include the hottest guy in the universe. I tried my best to work quickly on getting over my crush, so we could all pal around without me being a freak.
I stiffened when a man sat next to me. He ignored the universally understood “be cool” personal space law of giving a stranger a few inches of breathing room. The outside of his thigh pressed tight to mine. He was so close, I could smell which variety of beer he preferred. “Oh, sorry. I’ll move over,” I offered. It was starting to get crowded, and the seats were filling up.
“No need, little Chalupa. This your first time here? I think I would’ve remembered an ass like yours.”
I quirked my eyebrow at him, taking in his floppy copper hair. He had thin lips that looked prone to faking a smile when it suited his predatory interests. “¿De veras? Cómase mierda.”
He laughed, and I hoped he didn’t actually speak Spanish. “Now, I heard you speaking English to your buddy over there.”
I pointed to orange sherbet thong woman a few seats down and to the left of us. “That one. Try your smooth lines on her, chief.”
“You sure nothing I say’s gonna work on you? I’ve had Sherry before, and I know her tits don’t bounce like yours. In fact, I’ve been with almost every woman in here. Been looking for someone new.”
I rolled my eyes, bored and uncomfortable. I’d been hit on in bars only a handful of times, but it was enough to know that no matter how modest my clothing was, men enjoyed big breasts. It didn’t matter what lengths I went to in order to cover myself up. “Do my tits bounce like yours? Might want to ease up on the beers, dude.” It was a stretch, as the stranger was thick, but muscular. “I’m sixteen, a lesbian, married, and whatever else you need to hear to stop barking up the wrong tree. Go be a dog elsewhere. I’m just here to get out for a few and enjoy my time with my friends.”
“Who blacked your eye, baby? I wouldn’t knock you around in my bed.” It was like I hadn’t even spoken. Guys like this were like those whack-a-mole games. You knock him back, and he keeps popping up with a new “compliment” on a different part of your body.
“What a sweetheart you are. Your breath smells like airborne herpes, by the way. Sherry,” I called to the woman with the orange thong.
She turned and quirked her manicured eyebrow curiously at me. “Hey. Do I know you?”
“No, but Pervy McTiny Penis wants his one-way ticket to going-home-alone land. What’d you say to get his herpes breath off your back?”
She tsked the man at my side. “Dan, leave the new girl alone.” She giggled and reached over to extend her hand to me, giving all the men around her a nice view of her butt and a straight shot down her loose, low-cut halter. “I like you. Sherry,” she introduced herself.
“Violet.”
“You’re fresh meat. They’ll get bored after they see you around a few times. You here with anyone? That’s the quickest way to keep them from sticking to you like fly paper.”
“No,” I answered at the same time Eli growled, “Aye.” I frowned over at Eli, who closed the gap between us so he could curl his arm around me. “What did ye want to say about my lady’s bouncy tits now?”
Herpes McTiny Penis (or Dan, I guess) sneered at Eli, which seemed like a stupid move on his part. Though they looked to be similar in weight, Eli was a tower of muscle. “Your lady? Well, I guess I’ll be showing her how I can make her man cry like a baby after our match tomorrow.”
/> “You’re welcome to try. She’ll still be going home with me, either way.”
Dan winked at me, and then stood. “I can wait my turn. You’re never with anyone you don’t mind sharing after you finish.”
“Well, I’m not sharing this one. Hump off, now. Don’t be getting it in your head that ye can touch what’s mine. Ye can spread tha message around, too. It’ll save me from taking Gene to the mat over there for looking at her like he shouldn’t.”
“See you in the ring, Eli. Might want to get in a kiss or two now, before she sees you on your back in there and ditches your ass.” Dan pointed to the boxing ring with an antagonistic smirk. I imagined many a woman had smacked the smile off his face, only to see it return there again with yet more sleaze.
When Dan left, I gazed up at Eli, who looked impossibly more handsome up close. “You didn’t have to do that. I was handling him.”
“Aye, ye were. Beautifully, at tha. I intervened for his own good. One more foul comment from his stupid gob, and I was about to send him to the hospital.” He frowned down at me. “Where’s tha mouth when ye talk to me? I like to hear ye be yourself. If I wasn’t about to boil over with rage, tha would’ve been entertaining to watch.” He sniggered. “‘Herpes breath.’ Tha’s funny.”
“I told you, it’s only you I’m an idiot around. Everyone else is easy to talk to.”
“I’m starting to see tha. Ye alright, Mouse?”
“I’m really not as delicate as you’re thinking.”
Eli stared into my eyes, revealing the deep green that entranced me as if he was an enchanted mercreature, and I had information he needed. We were sitting so very close. My rapid heart pounded so loud, I was certain he could feel it. “Yeah, ye are. You’re a sweet one, and he was talking like ye were ripe for grabbing at. If ye sit with me, no one will bother ye.”
His lips were almost near enough to kiss, and I wanted him so badly. I was afraid I might lose my mind and spontaneously lay one on him, so I changed the subject. “Thanks again for fixing my car. I’m not sure how to level the playing field after that.”
Violet’s Bucket List Page 7