With a glance over her shoulder and shouting over the noise, Audrey asked, “What’s with him tonight? He’s been out of his office all night. Every time I turn around, he’s right there. Do you think there’s been a complaint against me?”
Sonya ignored the tiny tug of guilt and simply shook her head as she glanced over her shoulder to where Audrey was looking. Tristan stood close to a back wall watching the activity in his bar. He had been circulating the entire place all night long. He certainly was being over observant.
“If you’re going to stick around a little bit longer, mind grabbing a tray and helping out?” Audrey asked before taking her refilled tray and venturing back out into the crowd and disappeared.
Thinking maybe she ought to tell Audrey about her little slip in disclosing last Saturday night’s events to Tristan, she reached behind the counter and retrieved the tray she earlier discarded. Just as soon as the next right opportunity provided itself, she would.
Going and retrieving orders, she made a few rounds before she unconsciously began to eye the crowd for Daniel. He should be here by now.
Then she spotted him. It was amazing actually that she did, considering the number of bodies and the dim lighting. She slipped through the crowd and grabbed his arm in acknowledgement, knowing full well his displeasure at being in such an establishment, even before she saw his expression. As expected, it was full of disgust. “I just have a few more drinks, then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
Taken aback, she looked up at him. “What?”
“Haven’t you had a sufficient amount already tonight?”
Sonya’s brow crinkled. “What are you talking about?”
He looked peeved. “On the phone, you said you had too much to drink and needed a ride.”
“You think I’ve been drinking?”
As if she sounded mundane, he had to shout over the deafening noise to be heard. “Are you drunk?”
“No.” She shook her head, all at once angry as well. “I’ve been working, Daniel.”
He looked as if he didn’t believe her. “Then why the call?”
“I asked for a ride. My car is blocked.” She glared up into his face. “You assumed I was drinking?”
His vexed expression began to ease. “Well, what do you expect? You usually are.”
She didn’t know why, but she was hurt by his words. An overwhelming urge to curse him incessantly had her biting her lip painfully to keep her mouth shut. What the hell did she care how he felt? She pivoted away from him in anger and led him toward a table to wait while she finished her round of drinks and gather her belongings.
Daniel’s irritation didn’t ease a whole lot as he allowed her to propel him toward a seat in front of the stage. Watching her saunter off, he felt his insides tighten. Damn, he hated seeing her working in a place like this. Especially on account of some bar owning womanizer. He had an overwhelming urge to track down the bastard and knock him off his gigolo throne.
The band on stage had just finished the last cord to their song when a waitress trying to get past a gathering of men who apparently did not realize their table only sat four, caught his attention. He recognized her immediately as Audrey, the woman who had come to his apartment looking for ice. He was prepared to offer her a smile in greeting when she tripped over one of the many legs she was trying to step over, and ended up offering her his lap instead.
Her backside landed with a thump squarely on his thighs. Caught off guard, he reached up to steady her and would have helped her up when all of a sudden she was hauled out of his lap. He looked up to see a fuming man staring back down at him.
Next thing he knew, Daniel too was hauled to his feet and the man’s fist resounded loudly throughout the noisy bar as it broke the skin over Daniel’s jaw.
Chapter 5
Sonya turned at the sound of the commotion coming from the corner where she had left Daniel. He was no longer in his seat, but sprawled on the floor with a hand to his jaw. Audrey stood next to him looking utterly horrified. Tristan towered above him in a threatening stance.
Stunned, she nearly dropped her tray of drinks but at the last second regained her composure and abandoned the tray on a nearby table to hurry to Daniel’s side. In a rush, she dropped down beside him and gazed in dismay as blood oozed out of the side of his mouth. Fury blurred her vision as she spun around and glared up at her boss. “What the hell are you doing, Tristan?”
Daniel blinked and seemed to find his second wind. “Tristan?” Then he quickly got to his feet before Sonya realized what he intended.
The next instant he threw a right hook at her boss. Eyes wide in disbelief she watched as Tristan fell across a neighboring table. Audrey screamed. Onlookers quickly gathered around the battling duo. They soon disappeared from Sonya’s sight but she could hear the sound of their brawl as tables went crashing to the ground and drinks went smashing to the floor.
Miffed, she got to her feet and began pushing spectators away. She found Daniel’s glasses laying abandoned on the floor and snatched them up before turning angrily on him. “What do you think you are doing?”
A second before Tristan’s fist knocked him to the floor once more. Sonya screeched at the unexpected assault, but just as quickly scowled at Tristan. “What the blazes is wrong with you?”
Her boss stood with eyes raging as she positioned herself in front of Daniel. It was enough to suddenly curb his out of control temper. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around the bar and seemed to notice the audience for the first time. His deep blue eyes went as cold as steel and his chin turned as hard as granite. Gesturing toward his stunned bouncer, he ordered, “Get this scum out of my bar.”
“Wait just a minute!” Sonya jumped to her feet, abandoning Daniel on the floor. “What the hell is going on? Why are you fighting, Daniel?”
“You know this bozo?” Her boss glared at her.
“Yes,” she readily admitted. “It’s Daniel, my neighbor.”
This fact did not appear to lessen his anger. “The one who’s interested in Audrey?”
Taken aback, she snapped her mouth shut. She didn’t have to look at her friends to see the shock on their faces. Biting her lip, she thought fast. “Well, actually—”
“Keep your personal affairs at home. While you work at my establishment, you keep fraternizing to paying customers.”
She opened her mouth to rebut when it dawned on her he was jealous. The dazed look on her face was replaced by a tiny grin. There was no sense informing him that there was nothing between her and Daniel. A bit of jealousy never did a man any harm.
Besides, at that point, Tristan was not interested in any conversation. Without another word, he stormed toward his office, his stormy eyes changing direction only once to slice an angry glare at Audrey who stood in his way. She literally flinched before he disappeared into the crowd.
Sonya spun back around to Daniel and demanded, “What did you say to him
Daniel flexed his jaw, testing to see if it was broken, before leveling his gaze on Sonya who stood towering above him. Figured she blamed this on him. “Friendly boss.”
“Daniel.” Her voice became stern. “Why the hell were you fighting my boss?”
He digested the question, then leisurely shrugged and answered in the form of a question. “He started it?”
She inhaled deeply, her breath shaking on her displeasure. “Don’t be immature.”
Lying propped up on his elbows and looking at eye level with her long exposed legs, he wondered what she would say if he told her the truth. That he hated the ground the man walked on as long as he held Sonya’s admiration. His insides were recoiling in jealousy and he wanted nothing more than to have this infatuation of hers over.
They never lasted long. Her interest in men changed as often as the shoes in her wardrobe. The man would shortly lose his appeal just like all the others. This would have given him a bit of satisfaction, except for the nagging t
hought that it was taking longer than usual.
Some passerby reached down and smacked him on the shoulder, congratulating him on a good fight. Not generally accustomed to using his male brawn, with the exception of Maura’s louse boyfriend that one time, he felt unusually proud of himself. The grin appeared on his face without warning.
Sonya had no grin in response. She opened her mouth to say something, but a big burly man came to stand beside her. “Is this guy with you, Sonya?”
She glanced at the bouncer then back down at Daniel as if she contemplated the idea of denying his acquaintance. Incredulous, Daniel caught her eye and raised a questioning brow. She wouldn’t dare. For pity’s sake, he wouldn’t even be here tonight if she hadn’t called him and woke him from a deep sleep.
“We’re just leaving, Todd. There’s no reason to throw him out.”
The big fellow nodded his head then sauntered away. Daniel shot her a quick smirk, “What, and ruin a perfectly good climax to the night?”
She grimaced and reached down to offer him a hand up. He didn’t need it but wouldn’t let the opportunity to touch her pass. Leaping to his feet, he dabbed at a dribble of blood that had escaped his lip with the back of his knuckles. Instinctively, her eyes shifted down to his mouth and an unfamiliar emotion took over their green depths.
“Hey?” He reached out and hooked a finger under her chin. “That was a joke.”
The new emotion did not clear. She stared openly into his eyes without the barrier of his thick lenses, then down at his bleeding mouth. “Daniel.”
He waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he prompted, “Yes?”
But it was those few seconds she needed to blink and clear her head. “You’re not funny.”
She jerked her chin from his finger and slammed his glasses into the palm of his hand then spun around and headed for the exit. “Let’s get out of here before Tristan decides to take up where you guys left off.”
Daniel would have been only too pleased. He hadn’t nearly given the Casanova-wannabe what he rightly deserved. Thanks to Sonya’s interference. Sliding his glasses back on his nose, he followed her out of the bar to the car park like a loyal puppy. Because of the packed lot, he was forced to park furthest from the entrance. They did not speak as she led them to his vehicle. She waited patiently as he leaned past her and unlocked the passenger door. Then, instead of going to his own side of the car he straightened and looked her in the eye.
“Are you going to stay mad for long?”
He was relieved when she smirked. “No. Actually, I’m not mad.” Then reaching down, she opened her door. “I’m really quite pleased.”
A frown tugged his brows together but she was already in the vehicle. He scooted around to the driver side, unlocked his door, slid into his seat and then glanced over at her. “How’s that?”
“Didn’t you notice how jealous he was?”
“Can’t say that it caught my attention.”
“You know.” She smiled. “Just when I’m about to give up on the man, he does it again.”
Daniel turned in his seat and jammed the key in the ignition. “Does what again?”
“Acts so flattering.”
He grimaced then shot his eyes heavenward before turning the engine over. “Glad my jaw could be of assistance.”
She grinned. “Oh come on, don’t be a sore loser. You did me a huge favor tonight."
“That’s me,” he sneered, “liberator of the misunderstood.”
This time she giggled and turned in her seat toward him. “You weren’t too bad yourself tonight. As a matter-of-fact, you were quite manly.”
“Manly?” He shot her a disbelieving glance even though he knew she was teasing him. Reaching out, she cupped her hand around the muscle on his upper arm. “I bet you’re hiding quite the brawn under here.”
Daniel tried to concentrate on the road, however, her hand had lingered and still held his arm, her fingers absently stroking his biceps. It felt warm even through his coat. He dared not move in fear he might alert her and have her drop her hand. She rarely touched him. If so, it would be a small token. A gesture that would last no longer than mere seconds. His eyes shifted to the digital clock on his radio and idly began timing it.
“Does your lip hurt?”
He drew his thoughts away from the touch of her hand. “No. It stopped bleeding.”
Silence, then, “Did it hurt?”
A quick glance at her face showed that foreign emotion back in her eyes. “No, not really.”
A faint nod and her expression turned soft as it dropped to his lips. “You’ll need some ice or it will swell up.”
He nodded vaguely, swallowing a sudden lump which had formed in his throat. “The use of cryotherapy reduces the temperature of the injured tissue, hence—
Her gaze lifted and the gentleness in the depths of her eyes nearly had him choking on his own words, causing him to simply say, “My ice is still at your place.”
“Okay.”
He smiled faintly then looked away. If he didn’t have to keep his eyes on the road he could stare at her all night long. She was absolutely beautiful.
Ten minutes later, they entered her apartment and shut the door behind them. It was unusually quiet. The remaining scent of aroma candles lingered in the air. She slipped out of her sandals and placed them on the shoe rack in precise alignment, then dropped her bag on a nearby table before heading for the kitchen. He kicked off his own shoes and left them strewn on the door mat before following her. The apartment was chaotic but in the decorating sense only. He knew it was very clean. Sonya liked perfection.
“Come here.” Pulling the bag out of the freezer, she gestured for him to come closer.
He happily obliged. That was until she plunked the bag against his injured mouth. “Jeez, don’t you have a washcloth or something I could use?”
“Does it hurt?”
He made a face. “Why do you keep asking me that? Yes, it hurts. Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear? That your boyfriend’s crazed love for you left me in dire pain?”
She bit her lip, trying not to smirk.
“No, actually, it’s because I hope my boyfriend’s crazed love for me didn’t injure you.”
“Oh please,” he grumbled and turned away. “I think I have a washcloth back at my apartment.”
He heard her giggle before she grabbed his arm and turned him towards her living room. “Sit down. I’ll be right back.”
He watched her go. It must have been close to two o’clock in the morning. His eyelids were starting to get heavy and he wanted nothing better than to crawl back into his bed. Still, he would have happily substituted her bed for his.
She was back in a flash and dropped down beside him, then held out the cloth to his injured mouth. “Put some ice on it.”
“Right.” Without much attention he did as commanded.
“Will you be able to sleep all right? I have some medicine in my cabinet that might help?”
His brow arched. “Drugs?”
She sincerely looked insulted. “No. Advil.”
“Sorry. Of course. But I’ll be fine.”
He shut his eyes and missed the look of pain cross her face.
Sonya studied his face and wondered what type of woman he thought she was? Did he sincerely think she took drugs, or that she would keep a stash on hand in her apartment? The offensive thought was swept away when she noticed him grimace. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just a little touchy.”
“Do you want some adhesive or ointment or something?”
He chuckled. “No, Nurse Sonya, I’ll be fine.”
She made a face. “I’m just worried. I want to make sure you’re all right.”
His eyes locked with hers. “I appreciate that, but really, I’m fine.”
Nodding, she took a deep breath. She wasn’t entirely sure why it bothered her so much to see Daniel hurt. She supposed it was because he was always such a nice guy and
didn’t deserve something like this. Though it did have its advantages. Tristan showed his jealous side. She just wished he had shown it on someone other than Daniel. Idly, she wondered what gave him the impression that there was something between the two.
“Um, you know, when Tristan made that comment about Audrey?”
He shot her a look of skepticism over the washcloth. “Yeah?”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. A bit of misunderstanding there.”
He studied her face in silence for a few seconds before saying, “There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.”
She looked surprised but before she could ask him to explain, he got to his feet. “I’m truly beat, and I’ve got to work in the morning.”
“It’s Sunday.”
“I’m on call.” Was all he cared to clarify. “Good-night, Sonya.”
She watched him go, bothered about his working hours. The man already put in a full weeks’ worth of work, and then some, and now he was expected to work weekends as well. Daniel was a genius, he should know better than that. Everyone needed me-time. Frowning, she continued to stare at the closed door, and was startled at the sudden image of a curly redhead. She wondered what it was exactly that Daniel did do in his spare time.
* * *
It was the perfect outfit. Tonight was not exactly what she had spent years of dreaming about, but it was a start. If anything, it gave her the satisfaction of performing before a live audience. A chill of excitement crept down her spine. As well, she shook off a tiny shiver of nervousness. Nothing to worry about, all performers had stage fright. It would vanish just as soon as she stepped up on stage and began to belt out the lyrics to her song.
She had an overwhelming urge to share her excitement. After taking one more look at her appearance, she hurried across the hall and tapped on Daniel’s door. As she waited, a marvelous idea came to mind. Monday night was dreadfully quite. Clientele were the regular stool drinkers that showed up nightly. None of the typical beer-guzzling drunks would be in attendance. It would be a quiet night. She wondered if she could convince Daniel to return to the bar to watch her first performance.
Misunderstood: In Love with the Nerd (The Miss Series Book 2) Page 7