Tennessee's Whiskey (The Whiskey Collection Book 1)

by L. Loren

  I stood up and made eye contact with Whiskey, who was looking at me with longing in his eyes. At least it looked like longing. For all I knew he had something in his eye. Giving him a slight smile, I placed my index finger to my lips. I made my way across the room and stood next to him.

  “He’s out like a light.”

  “Thanks you for being so nice to my little guy.”

  “It’s no problem. He’s a great kid.”

  “That he is.”

  We stood there looking into each other’s eyes. No words exchanged, but it felt like we were speaking to each other on a level so deep my soul understood. I had never experienced anything like it, especially not with a man. My past relationships, if you could call them that, were flawed. The men wanted what they wanted. I was so needy for affection that I gave it to them expecting to have my needs met, as well. That was my mistake. I soon found men who came around for pussy, only wanted to get their dicks wet. They didn’t want the things women did after the climax. No cuddling, no conversation and definitely no other dates. I vowed not to make that mistake again, but something about Whiskey was drawing me to him. No, I can’t. Not again. I promised myself I would stop having toxic relationships and work towards the family I always wanted.

  “I better get back out there before they rob you blind.”

  Whiskey chuckled and nodded his head. I heard a slight groan as he adjusted his package. He does know I can see him, right? Before I got myself into trouble, I turned tail and got up out of there. However, the vision of his hand on his jeans covered cock was burned into my memory. Why did he have to be so damn sexy?

  Whiskey

  Watching Tennessee playing with my son made my heart leap. I stood in the doorway as they laughed, sang and danced along to the songs from the movie. Wes hadn’t smiled and laughed so much in God knows how long. I could tell Tennessee was being genuine with him. She was having just as much fun as he was. Neither of them saw me standing in the shadows observing them. I only meant to look in on them. Hell, I had a good vibe about her, but I had only known Tennessee a few hours. I didn’t completely trust anyone with my son. My intention was just to take a peek, but when I saw them together, I couldn’t tear myself away. My son was happy.

  He deserved that kind of happiness in his life. He shouldn’t be missing out on mommy-son things because I made a bad choice in mothers for him. The guilt was tremendous, but somehow seeing him laughing with Tennessee made me feel better. I needed to do better for my son. Finding him a stable mother figure to be in his life was top priority. I had to stop my wild ways and maybe settle down. Problem was that the only woman I could see myself with was too young for that kind of responsibility.

  There was no way I could ask someone in their early twenties to take on a husband and kid. Hell, her life was just beginning. I couldn’t ruin that for her. She deserved to live. To have fun before settling down. That way she would stay. Not like Beth Ann, who decided she was too young to be a mother and abandoned our son the first chance she got. I couldn’t put little man through that again. What the hell was I thinking about anyway. I just met Tennessee. How could she be the one?

  After snagging some clean towels from the shelf in the corner, I ventured back out to the bar to finish my night up. Wes was a heavy sleeper, thank God. I doubt he would wake up, but I would check in on him from time to time. In the meantime, I had a bar to run and thirsty clients to serve. I looked around for Tennessee and found her at the table with those damn bikers. They really had a thing for my girl. There I go again. I had to keep reminding myself she wasn’t mine and was free to fuck whoever she liked. If I had my way, I would be the one she was liking.

  “Another bottle of Jack for the guys, Whiskey.”

  Tennessee sauntered her sexy ass up to the bar and leaned over putting her delicious cleavage on display for me. Damn woman.

  “Put those things away unless you want my mouth on them.”

  A look of confusion marred her pretty face for a minute, but then she realized what I was talking about. She stood up so fast I thought her head would fly off her shoulders. I made her nervous. Good! That’s real good. That means she’s attracted to me.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to flash you.”

  “I don’t mind a little show as long as I get to enjoy the full benefits. If you’re just gonna flash them at me and I don’t get to lick them, I prefer you keep them covered. Now, if you’re aiming to let me get my taste of those sugar tits, I’m all in.”

  Her face flushed and the tips of her ears turned red hot. The heat rolling off her luscious body was palpable. That’s right baby come to papa. I had no idea why I was playing games with her. Yea, I wanted her, but I knew better. The flirting was to keep her out of the clutches of that biker gang. Or at least that’s what I told myself. Besides, that crew was trouble she didn’t need.

  “About that bottle? My customers are getting a little rowdy.”

  “Here you are, darlin’. I’d hate for you to make a customer unhappy.”

  She smiled at me and went back to work. It was the longest night of my life watching that woman swing those sexy hips, shake that plump ass and bounce those perky tits around the bar. She was working that crowd and raking in the tips. They loved her. It was something I never thought would happen, but the clients accepted her without question and treated her like family. That was the thing about good people. No matter what they may have been taught, they always treat you like they want to be treated. Not one asshole got out of line all night.

  Periodically, I watched as Tennessee popped in the back to check on Wes. She didn’t have to do that, especially because I had been checking on him too, but she did it without being asked. It made me want to get to know more about her. Who was this girl and why did she care so much for a young boy she just met? I wanted to know her story. Hell, I wanted to tell her mine. That shit never happened. By the time the bar closed, we were both beat. I saw King Pen hanging around whispering to her, but to my surprise she didn’t bite. Eventually, he gave up and left with his boys. I was thankful I didn’t have to fight a drunk biker tonight. I turned the neon sign off and locked the door behind him.

  “You did good tonight Tennessee! Come over here and sit for a spell. Rest those tired feet.”

  “Thank you! My dogs are barking.”

  I chuckled at her utterance. I had heard a friend of mine use that expression once. I thought it was an odd way of saying his feet hurt, but hey who was I to judge?

  “Sorry to work you so hard on your first night, but you did kind of hire yourself.”

  There was humor hidden in my phrase. She walked into my bar and saved my ass tonight. I don’t know what I would have done without her, and that’s a fact. She was an angel sent from up above. There was no way I wasn’t hiring her permanently.

  “I know I did, and I have a good reason too.”

  “No need to explain. I figured you needed a job. If you didn’t you would never have come in here. After witnessing your skills, I want to offer you a full-time position. You really saved me tonight. Thank you.”

  A smile grew on her pretty face as she looked at me with those big brown eyes. She had the kind of eyes that made a man want to give her any and everything she wanted. I had to look away before she cast her spell on me and had me on my knees offering her the moon and the stars or some shit.

  “That would be awesome, Whiskey! Can I ask for a favor though?”

  Anything you want and it’s yours.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Well, I am in school, so I need flexible hours. I have classes and lab on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sometimes I don’t get out of there until late. Plus, I have to study. Oh, and I have this internship at one of the local distilleries two weekends out of the month. That shouldn’t affect my time here though, because it is during the day.”

  “Well damn, girl. When do you find time to sleep? Better yet, when do you have time to fuck?”

  Her mouth dropped open and I laughed
. I was always doing this kind of stuff. I got a kick out of saying things that would shock the shit out of people. It was fun. When she realized I was just joking with her, she relaxed a bit and then, to my surprise, answered my questions. All of them.

  “I manage to get about five hours of solid sleep at night and sometimes I work in a nap during the day. Now that I’ll be working here, those will be needed even more. As far as fucking, I don’t. I have taken a break from men. I need to get my shit together if I want to be ready for my one true love. I’ve kissed too many frogs to keep going in that direction.”

  Well, damn. I didn’t expect her to answer the question, but since she did, it was fair game. I had a brilliant idea that would benefit the both of us. However, tonight wasn’t the time to spring it on her. I would get to know her a bit more before offering her my proposal. I would keep working her into a sexual frenzy until I knew she was ready and then I would spring it on her. Yeah, that made me a bit of a dickhead, but I hated the word no. I needed this woman to agree to be my fuck buddy and she would.

  “So, you’re in school? That’s good. What are you studying?”

  “Chemistry.”

  “Fuck! You mean to tell me I have a mad scientist on my hands?”

  “I wouldn’t say mad, but I’ll take scientist any day. It’s not as fancy as it sounds. My concentration is in distillery and developing new and unique blends of whiskeys, bourbons and scotches. My goal is to one day be a Master Blender and own my own distillery.”

  “Well fuck me raw! That sounds exciting and right up my alley. How long will something like that take you?”

  She smiled so big I thought I would die. It was apparent that she loved what she was studying. With the look on her face, I bet she could talk all night. If that would keep her near me, then I would have no trouble listening.

  “Well, I already have my bachelor’s degree. That only took me three years. I just started my last semester of my master’s program. The internship I mentioned is currently unpaid, but once I finish my degree, I have been offered a permanent position. Then I have to study for several years under the tutelage of my mentor. I more than likely won’t reach my goal until he retires.”

  “That seems like a lot of waiting around for nothing.”

  She shook her head and leaned forward looking at me. The excitement that showed in her eyes was contagious. The more she talked about her career goals, the more I wanted to hear.

  “That’s the thing. There are only so many Masters in the game. Liken it to the mafia. The Don is in charge, but he trains his replacement from birth to take over. His successor lives for years, working, learning and waiting for his time to arrive before taking his throne. It’s the same thing here. You work, learn everything you can and earn your stripes. Only then are you ready to take the title.”

  “Sounds like somebody has a fondness for mafia movies.”

  I chuckled, hoping that she was referring to the movies and had never actually met a mafia don. I knew plenty in my life and it was nothing to glamourize. Shaking off the memories of my past life, I smiled at the woman in front of me. Even after a long day slinging drinks to demanding customers, she still looked beautiful.

  “Yea, I have an addiction to the silver screen. I watch everything from cartoons to action to documentaries. It was my escape when I was in foster care.”

  I was shocked to hear she was a foster child. I half expected her to be a little rich girl when she walked in here earlier. That idea was quickly snuffed when I saw how easily she took to waitressing. She was no stranger to manual labor. Foster care never even crossed my mind.

  “You grew up in the system? Please tell me you at least got adopted.”

  “I wish I could, but I aged out of the system. I was seven when my mom died of cancer. My dad was killed in a military training accident and there wasn’t anyone willing to take me in. No grandparents to speak of so I was sent into the system. It was hell, but I made it out alive. I got a job, earned a scholarship to school and have been out here trying to make something of myself ever since.”

  “I know you’re young, but how old are you, Tennessee?”

  She chuckled at her nickname that I gave her. Like it or not, when I give someone a nickname, it usually sticks.

  “Tennessee, huh? I’ll take it. Anyway, since you asked, I am 23 years old. Don’t let my age fool you. I am very mature for my age. I had to grow up fast.”

  “I bet you’ve seen some things a normal 23-year-old never would have.”

  “You got that right! All the things I have been through will be worth it though. Once I graduate, I’ll be one step closer to fulfilling my dreams.”

  Just as I was about to ask about those dreams that made her eyes twinkle, we were interrupted by a sleepy little voice.

  “Daddy, I thirsty. Wants juice.”

  I chuckled at my little boy standing there with bed head and scratching his balls. He must have missed Tennessee sitting there because all his cool points were out the window. I got up gave my boy his juice and offered Tennessee a ride home. After dropping her off at her apartment, I drove home with one thing on my mind. How the hell was I going to resist that charming, beautiful woman?

  Tennessee

  Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I walked into that redneck bar and found a home. The people there were so warm and welcoming and good tippers too. I made off with $400 in tips in one night! One night! Mr. Jacobs is going to pass the fuck out when I show up in his office with a money order for the full amount of my rent. I have $200 extra to help me out for the rest of the month, plus a job where I can make more. It may not seem like much to some, but to me it was everything. $50 was going to my distillery fund and the rest will be for groceries and bills. It looked like things might just be turning around for your girl.

  After a good night’s rest, I woke up early to walk to the grocery store. I did a little shopping, but the main goal was to get that money order for my rent. With groceries in hand, I walked into the rental office with a smile on my face.

  “Dang Pat, I half expected never to see you again, but here you are, an hour early with a smile on your face. What’d you do rob a bank?”

  I chuckled with Mr. Jacobs who always gave me a hard time. He was pretty nice as far as landlords went. At least he wasn’t sleazy. My previous apartment manager tried his best to get me to sleep with him for free rent. He was out of his cotton-picking mind. The man was at least 60 with a beer belly and a leather neck that stayed red twenty-four seven. It was like he had a permanent sunburn on the thing. His pale skin was always covered with sores and he smelled like he bathed in raw sewage. Gross!

  “Nope, not this time. I found a waitressing job and the tips were amazing.”

  “You didn’t have to get on the pole, did you, baby? I would have let you slide for another week. I don’t want you shaking your ass for these nasty men.”

  “No sir! It’s a legit job in a bar. They were super busy last night and the more the people drank, the more generous they were with tips. It didn’t hurt that I was the only waitress on duty. It was a true blessing, I tell you.”

  “Good. I’m glad it worked out for you. I know how hard you work in school. I am happy I don’t have to put you out.”

  “Me too, Mr. Jacobs. Me too. Well, I’m off to bake cookies for a new friend I made last night. I’ll see you later.”

  “If you have some extra Chocolate Chips, I sure would love some.”

  “Sorry, Mr. Jacobs. No chocolate chips this time. I decided on oatmeal crasin™. I’ll be sure to get you the next time I bake.”

  “That’s my girl!”

  I headed back to my apartment to bake my new boyfriend a little after school treat. Since I had to report to work at five o’clock for a staff meeting, it was the perfect time to bring my boy a present for being so sweet last night. I hope Whiskey doesn’t mind. Maybe I should have asked first. Well, if he has an issue with it, he can be the mean guy and tell Wes.

  After baking, I l
et the cookies cool, while I took a nap. My alarm went off at 1:30 PM giving me enough time to shower and then study a bit before heading in to work. I was looking forward to meeting my other co-workers because Whiskey had been the only one on duty last night. When I arrived, I was met at the door by a huge guy who looked like he doubled as a skyscraper.

  My head tilted up and up and up until I finally met his green eyes. They were intense, but kind. His long dirty blond hair was tied back into a ponytail and his shirt looked like it was sculpted to his body. The man was thick with a capital T. You know the kind, muscle over fluff like he played football in his hay day, but then stopped working out. He kept his size but was no longer as fit as he could be, but still strong.

  “I think you’re in the wrong place, darlin’. We ain’t open yet. Come back around 8 tonight and I’ll be sure you get in.”

  I smiled at the giant of a man who towered over me. His gentle smile put me at ease and his southern drawl made me feel right at home. If I had met him in a dark alley, I may have been afraid, but his energy said big ole teddy bear.

  “Hi, my name is Pat, well Whiskey calls me Tennessee. I started here last night as a waitress and was told to be here at five for a staff meeting.”

  “Oh, so you’re Tennessee. Whiskey told me all about you. He didn’t tell me how purty you were. My name’s Earl, but everyone calls me Big Country. I’m pleased to meet ‘cha.”

  “The pleasure is all mine. Were you off last night?”

  “Yeah, I only work weekends, Friday and Saturday nights. I may talk to Whiskey about picking up another shift if things stay busy on Thursdays.”

  “Can I come in? I don’t want to be late to my first staff meeting.”

  The big man almost fell over himself moving out of my way. He smiled sheepishly and opened the door for me to enter, tipping his cowboy hat as I walked in. I smiled at him again and he blushed. Was this big man flirting with me? I turned just in time to see the scowl form on Whiskey’s face.