Sold on the Beach_A Reverse Harem Romance

by Sierra Sparks

  “Uh, yes, but…”

  “We danced!” said Kenner, making his case. “And I did ask you out to dinner first. Now, I’m not trying to be a spoilsport, but clearly these others have ulterior motives.”

  “You disrespect us right in front of us?” said Jax a little outraged. “That’s low!”

  “Jax, you have a reputation,” reminded Kenner. “Remember that waitress that woke up in your car in the company parking garage?”

  “She was asleep; I wanted to let her rest! I was being considerate.”

  “Considerate to a call girl,” said Brax out of the side of his mouth.

  “Whoa! That’s over the line, Brother!” said Jax standing up, angry.

  “I withdraw the characterization,” apologized Brax. “I don’t know that for a fact; she may have merely been incredibly loose.”

  “Hey, seriously?” I said, as the only voice of reason. “This is all bullshit. I’m the alpha male here. I mean, we all know you guys can’t compete in that area.”

  “I’ll take off my shirt right now,” threatened Jax, standing up again.

  “You wanna pose? I’ll pose!” said Kenner, starting to take off his suit jacket.

  “Oh, dear Lord,” said Brax, shielding his eyes.

  “Stop!” announced Claire. “Look, how about you all come to dinner here after work? I still have a bar to run, but we can spend some time together.”

  “Who do you like, Claire?” pressed Brax. “You could make all this tension go away, simply by making a choice.”

  “Honestly,” she said looking away. “I like you all and so I haven’t really decided, okay? I’m feeling a bit rushed here, fellas.”

  “Don’t rush her!” I scolded Brax. “Claire, these rich guys just want what they want. They don’t have the patience. Not like me.”

  “That’s so bad what you just did,” said Kenner, annoyed. “What time would you like us here, Claire?”

  “Let’s say seven? Okay? And no one comes early, understand? Last one of your asses through the door gets a free drink,” she offered.

  If she figured that was some kind of incentive for this crowd, she was dead wrong. Still, it was cool. Gave me time to go home and do the total grooming process I liked to do for a date. It required about three hours, but it was worth it. I looked catalogue model ready after a primping like that!

  We ate lunch in silence. Unfortunately, Claire had other customers to attend to. Her cook eventually arrived, and she nearly fired her. We all watched as she dressed him down for being so late.

  “Jeez,” said Brax. “Glad I’m not him.”

  “He’s late,” I said. “Can’t miss the lunch rush. That’s where the money is. And I liked how she dealt with him. Feisty.”

  “Hate to say it, but there’s not much money in this place regardless,” said Brax, sadly.

  “You’ve only been here twice, and you know nothing about running a bar,” I countered.

  “True, but I was born with a nose for money,” said Brax, looking around. “And trust me, when I say it, it is currently not in this building.”

  “Wait until you see this place on Saint Patrick’s Day,” I countered. “That’s where the real money is.”

  “Real money?” he questioned.

  “Well, in a bar. I’m not comparing her business to ours.”

  “Mine.”

  “I’m co-owner.”

  “I’m boss.”

  “Fine, whatever,” I said dropping the subject. “You understand: your super rich guy affectation is a hindrance, not a help here.”

  “Just because you grew up in the gutter doesn’t make you better at wooing this girl,” insisted Brax. “I’m very relatable for someone in my tax bracket.”

  “Yeah,” I scoffed. “If she were part of the Royal Saudi Family, maybe.”

  “I can blend in, sir,” he insisted.

  “How’s your bangers and mash?” I kidded.

  “How much more of this do you think I have to eat for it to be considered done?” said Brax, poking at his dish. “Sausages are not my cup of tea. But I don’t want to offend her by leaving too much on the plate.”

  “Oh, Brax,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Only you would order a dish you didn’t know, to impress a girl.”

  “Well, let’s just see which one of us she chooses, okay?” he asked.

  “Let’s just see, indeed. But at least I like what I ordered while I was in the process of wooing the owner of the place. So, if she’s going for whichever one of us has the most brains, I think I’m the clear winner.”

  Chapter 10 – Kenner

  I went into the bathroom. I didn’t really have to go; I just wanted some time to think. This competition for Claire had me conflicted. The guys were my friends, and I felt like we were at each other’s throats. I also thought I was going to lose, anyway.

  How could I compete with Brax? The guy had more money than Oprah. I thought he would’ve gotten bored already, but here he was, eating sausage and looking ready to fight Travis. It was ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that we all worked together. How the hell were we supposed to get anything done like this?

  And Jax? Jeez, that guy was just smooth with the ladies. Always was. Five years ago, he had one girl after another. And these were hot, hot women, no slouches. One was an actress. She was on one of the Law and Order shows or one of the cop shows. He could always pull the hotties, that was for sure.

  But Travis was the one that worried me the most. I didn’t think he would really hit anyone unless provoked, but he sounded out of control. I mean, he was really into this girl. At least into this girl as much as I was, so, how could I do that to a friend? He did kiss her, but I asked her out first.

  Man, this was a nightmare! If only this bar was run by four beautiful women instead of just one. But I knew no one could compare to Claire in my eyes, and I was pretty sure the other guys felt the same.

  I heard someone come into the bathroom, so I got out of the stall. He went in. I washed my hands and then my face. I looked into the mirror. Who was I? Was I the kind of person who just gave up? Didn’t I deserve a girl like Claire like the other guys? We were friends. Couldn’t we compete and not hate each other afterwards?

  “Screw this,” I said, determined.

  “What?” asked the guy in the stall.

  “Nothing!” I said. “Not talking to you.” I had forgotten he was in there, and I hadn’t realized I had said that out loud.

  I marched out into the bar and I knew exactly what I had to do. By this time, there were more customers, so I started bussing tables. The guys were getting ready to leave.

  “What on Earth are you doing?” asked Brax.

  “Nothing,” I said, dismissively. “You guys go ahead, I’ll see you later.”

  I took my plate and glass to where there was a container of dirty dishes. I stacked them with the others. Jax and the others were looking at me suspiciously.

  “Great idea, bro!” smiled Travis.

  “No, this is my idea, you guys go back to the office,” I insisted.

  “You can’t order me back to the office,” said Brax. “I could order you, however.”

  “I’ll take the day off. I have time,” I reminded him.

  “Dammit,” muttered Brax. “Why does everyone love using flex time so much?”

  Travis immediately started working a table that had finished lunch. It was a group of four people, two couples. They seemed ready to leave as well.

  “We’ll take the check,” said one of the men.

  “Oh, okay,” said Travis reluctantly. “But I’m surprised you’re going to leave already.”

  “Why? What’s happening?” he asked.

  “And aren’t you a little overdressed to be bussing tables?” asked one of the women.

  “Friend of the bar,” he explained. “Just helping out. But you guys should stay. Happy hour’s in twenty minutes and we have some good Guinness here. Plus, there’s great music in that jukebox. I personally know that
it’s great dancing music.”

  “Hey, good call,” said the other man. “Let’s hang out for a while. We don’t have to be anywhere. And I’ll have another beer.”

  The rest of the table agreed. Travis picked up all their plates and silverware at once. The balance was a little precarious, but he managed to get to the bin of dirty dishes and dump the entire thing inside. It was a little loud and it was amazing he didn’t break any glassware.

  “That’s how you upsell,” said Travis to Brax.

  “Looks absurdly easy,” he said.

  While Jax and I cleared other tables, Brax went over to two old guys who had been sitting at the corner of the bar. One of them had an empty glass and he just took it.

  “Hey!” he said objecting. “That was my glass!”

  “It’s empty,” Brax pointed out.

  “Yeah, but I wanted more beer.”

  “Then I’ll get you a cleaner glass,” he explained, slightly irritated.

  Brax walked over to the dirty dishes and placed the beer glass with them.

  “All right,” he said, exasperated. “I need two beers. And I’m ready to hire some people to do this for me.”

  “You can’t,” explained Jax. “Claire can’t afford more people working here.”

  “Can you pour that gentlemen a new beer?” asked Brax. “And the other guy, too?”

  “Why don’t you do it?” asked his brother.

  “Because I have no way of knowing how to do so!” snapped Brax. “This is not a conference meeting, it’s a bar. Do bar things! I’ve done all I can.”

  Jax rolled his eyes and took over bartending for a minute. Claire came back from the back room and noticed us all working.

  “What’s going on here?” she asked.

  “I just figured you could use a little help,” I explained. “The guys joined me after. It was my idea.”

  “I’m teaching Brax how to upsell,” explained Travis proudly.

  “Uh, I don’t know guys, I appreciate the effort but…”

  Just then, fifteen college students walked into the bar in a group.

  “Hey, can we just sit anywhere?” the first one asked.

  “Sure, go ahead,” said Claire. “We’ll get your menus.”

  Claire frantically gestured for us to come closer.

  “Okay, if you’re going to help me, you have to do it right. There are aprons in the kitchen with the Bad Penny logo on them. Put them on and take off those suit jackets.”

  “Ooo, I don’t like that,” said Brax making a sour face. “Is there something I can do where I boss the others around?”

  “No. Uh, why don’t you get behind the bar? I’ll show you how to use the tap,” Claire suggested.

  “Okay. Good. Because those guys over there want to stay, and I have two beer orders,” Brax stated.

  “Those ones who were going to leave? Good job!” she cheered.

  “I know, right? Upselling,” he bragged.

  She nodded, looking impressed, before getting back to barking orders in that hot way of hers.

  “The rest of you, make sure our new guests have menus; there are pads and pens over here to write down their orders,” explained Claire. “Any questions, just try to figure it out until I can help you.”

  Brax learned how to use the tap and poured a few very foamy beers for Claire’s regulars. They were the two old guys that seemed to live here, named McCleary and Stetson. Unfortunately, whenever Brax failed to pour the beer correctly, he also failed to charge them anything for it, even though they were drinking them.

  Jax and Travis were natural with people. When waiting a table, simply being friendly is almost enough to get through. They took orders and sometimes messed something up, but they were so affable and friendly, that it was quickly resolved.

  I decided that my best course of action was to be the bus boy and extra dishwasher, so that was what I did. It was better. I wasn’t competing for customers with Jax and Travis, and I definitely did not want to have to talk to people behind the bar. I’ve heard that bartenders have to listen to people’s problems. I don’t think I could do that.

  Something like another twenty people must’ve come in for a late lunch. Claire was ecstatic at the business, the rest of us were a little overwhelmed as first time bar staff. One of the customers got a little lippy with Brax and he dressed him down.

  “Sir, I don’t care if you want a beer, you have to order like a polite and civilized person,” he lectured. “I am in no mood to be spoken to that way.”

  “Dude, screw your mood! I want a beer!”

  The customer punctuated that statement by throwing a straw at him. Claire stepped in before Brax could make it worse.

  “Look, some of the customers get a little rowdy during Happy Hour,” she explained. “Just deal with it.”

  “I don’t know how you stand it. Who does he think he is?!” said Brax, outraged.

  “I think he runs some kind of hedge fund or something. Comes in about twice a month. Just serve him and ignore him. He buys a lot of alcohol and tips well. Or, at least he tips me well, anyway.”

  She winked at us as she said the last part. She was so fucking adorable.

  “Hedge fund, eh?” a twinkle sparkled in Brax’s eye. He then poured the beer and called the customer over.

  “I am sorry, sir. Here is your beverage,” said Brax dutifully. “I heard you run a hedge fund, is that correct?”

  “Yeah,” he said dismissively. “Lots of money.”

  “Really? What is the name of that hedge fund?”

  “Uh, DeVille-Hampton,” he explained. “You wouldn’t know.”

  “Actually, I’m quite familiar with that one. Would you be so kind as to look at my driver’s license?”

  The customer was ready to insult Brax again, but when he read his driver’s license, he went pale. He looked back and forth at Brax and the license, growing increasingly more panicked.

  “Oh, my God! Oh, my God,” he whispered. “You’re Brax Reber? The Brax Reber?”

  “Y-y-y-you own this bar? Is this some kind of Celebrity Boss thing? What?” said the customer, almost crying.

  Brax grabbed him by the lapels.

  “Listen to me, if you don’t want to see me liquidate my entire portfolio from DeVille-Hampton, you will be quiet and polite and order many, many items off the menu. Do you understand?” Brax quietly threatened.

  “Yeah, sure,” he said anxiously. “It’s not a problem. W-w-we love this place.”

  “Keep loving it and don’t make a scene,” he ordered. “And keep coming here at least three times— No, five times a week.”

  “Sure! That’s— Whatever you want, Mr. Reber.”

  “That’s the spirit,” smiled Brax, patting him on the shoulder.

  On the other side of the bar, Jax was getting his own comeuppance. Four of the college girls were fawning all over him. They were only 18, far too young for Jax, even when he was in his “ladies man” stage.

  “Uh, ladies, I can’t bring you any booze, but any food items are fine,” he explained.

  “Are they as fine as you?” asked one of the girls giggling. “Because you are very fine.”

  “I, uh, well that’s nice of you, but I am working,” Jax said.

  “Yeah, you’re working it!” said one of the girls.

  “Did you guys start drinking before you came here?” he asked.

  “We can’t drink, remember?” said one.

  “But we came as soon as we saw you!” laughed another.

  Jax grabbed Travis.

  “Trav, you gotta take this table,” he muttered. “These girls are all over me.”

  “That’s karma, bro!” he laughed. “Can’t help ya.”

  Travis went back to another table with two couples. They were getting ready to leave.

  “Did you guys want the check?” he asked.

  “Yeah, would you mind?” asked one of them.

  “Oh, sure. Seems a shame you won’t stay for dessert, but…�
�

  “What? What’s for desert?”

  “Oh, it’s this special Irish thing, but— Well, you already have your coats on.”

  “No, no, we’ll stay. Bring us the Irish thing. We’ll have four of those.”

  “Okay!” said Travis excitedly.

  As Travis walked back to the kitchen, he muttered to himself. “Jeez, I hope they serve dessert here. Or that they can toss up some Irish thing. I never did look at the menu.”’

  He was in lock. They had soda bread putting and whiskey truffles. The customers loved them.

  After a couple of hours, we actually became moderately competent wait staff. Even Brax was managing to pour Guinness correctly. It was probably the closest thing to manual labor he’d ever done in his life.

  We cleared the back table for the five of us and ordered up a late dinner. Claire had ended the dinner rush only an hour prior. We ordered some more sandwiches as we were really hungry.

  It was all about helping Claire and creating an excuse to sit and talk with her. I managed to sit next to her when we finally did sit down. I took her hand under the table and she took mine and squeezed.

  It was that squeeze that told me Claire was not going to be an ordinary person in my life. I had kissed other women in the past with less passion than that handhold had. I knew in that moment that I had to do everything I could to be with her.

  Chapter 11 – Claire

  Well, I guess it was nice to have too many staff for a change, even if they weren’t very well trained. Guess you can’t have too many people working a bar even if they’re not very good at it. Only one dropped plate of food and a couple of glasses. Not bad, for their first night. If I actually could afford these guys, I would hire them. Not that they needed my money.

  Dinner was on me. It was the least I could do since I wasn’t paying them. Plus no one got any tips of sizeable value, except Brax, but I think he just counted the money wrong.

  The bonus dinner entree was my own creation, not on the menu. I used to love Chicken Vindaloo, but I’m the only person I know that liked it. I made a mean curry, so I decided to see if the boys actually liked it or would just fake compliment me to death.

  “Wow, this is good, Claire,” said Travis. “I’ve had this in restaurants before and it was never this good.”