Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
MIA
The bar is busy tonight, but that’s not unusual for a Thursday. All the college kids from the University show up and hook up Thursday nights. Because let’s face it, once you’re old enough to drink, you’re old enough to know you never schedule a Friday class before noon.
Demitri is in the office doing some work for his garage, Brodie is in the kitchen, and my mind is everywhere but in this bar. I want to tell my friends what happened today, but I can’t. Not right now, anyway. I want to talk to my therapist, but her office hours are over. I want to close the bar for the night and go back to Demitri holding me on the couch while I cry. But I don’t want to cry anymore.
My phone dings with a message, and when there’s a break in customers, I pull it out from under the bar and read the message, smiling.
Demitri: Will you let me kiss you later tonight?
I look at the camera I know he’s watching and wink. I haven’t been playful or flirty in so long, I was afraid I forgot how.
“Boss, order up!” Brodie interrupts my daydreaming.
I turn around and grab the tray, carrying it out from behind the bar to a table of girls giggling over the new Vivian Briar book. I so want to tell them I know who she is, but I know to keep the secret. We don’t spill on pen names around here.
“Here you go, girls.” I smile, putting their food on the table.
“Thanks, Mia!” A cute blonde grins at me. She’s one of my favorite regulars, and a pretty good tipper on top of it. It takes me a minute, but I remember her name is Lacy.
On my way back to the bar, I slow my steps when I hear a group of guys talking.
“Seriously, dude, one of these and the girl will do anything you want her to. Anything .”
“I don’t know, isn’t that, like, illegal and shit?”
“Who gives a fuck if you get your rocks off and she feels good doing it? You just drop it into her drink and she’ll never know. Sometimes bitches need a little push. That’s all this is.”
“But what is it? Where’d it come from?”
“I know someone who’s selling it. Some hot chick. And you’re going to miss your opportunity. Those girls aren’t going to stick around for long after they eat. You need to go over and talk to them, slip this in her drink, and then be the good guy who offers to drive her home when she can’t fucking walk straight.”
At those words, I stop completely. Brodie always watches from the window when I’m on the floor to make sure nothing happens to me, and I look up, making eye contact with him. Part of being a bartender is listening to the patrons. And when what they are talking about doing in your bar is all kinds of illegal, icky, or just plain wrong, you call for muscle.
I see Brodie leave the kitchen and head toward me on the floor, and somehow I’m not surprised at all that Demitri is behind him. When they’re close enough to be effective, I step up to the table. The conversation ends immediately, because while they might be fucking terrible humans, I guess they aren’t stupid.
“You need to leave,” I firmly tell them. “Now.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t allow drugs in here. And I won’t let you drug anyone while you’re here. How’s that?”
“We didn’t do nothing, lady. Why don’t you go back to being a good little bar wench and leave us men to our night out?”
Well, I know which one was calling girls bitches now, don’t I?
I smile, showing just a little too much teeth and lean in close, so he can hear every word of what I’m going to say.
“See those guys over there? The big ones who look like they’d kill for fun? They’re with me. And would have no problem removing your head from your body and shitting down your neck. Understand?”
“I want to see the owner. Does he know his employees are talking to customers like this?”
“I bet you would. Let me go get him .” I tilt my head, smile, and spin fully around, then stick out my hand. “Hi, I’m the owner, Mia. Get. The. Fuck. Out. Now.”
“Fuck you. There’s no reason to kick me out.”
“Isn’t there? We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I guess it’s the hard way. I feel for your mother.” I turn away from their table and yell above the noise and music of the bar. “ATTENTION! These two gentlemen are discussing drugging some woman here! Cause according to him ‘bitches need a little push’ so it’s okay to drug them! Free replacement drinks for every female in the place, and if you start to feel off, come to me!”
“What the fuck, lady?” the guy says behind me, trying to hide his face from the now curious crowd.
“I gave you the choice—hard way is what you picked by not leaving. Now get the fuck out and never come back. And know I’ll be calling Pat at Barlowe’s and giving him a description of both of you, along with photos.”
“What?” the quiet guy cries. “You can’t do that. It’s illegal!”
I laugh. “You really want to talk about legalities? Besides, I can. See the signs posted on all four walls?”
I watch them look around to find the ‘this room is under camera surveillance’ signs. Their attitude drops quickly after that as they slide out of their booth and practically run to the door.
“You aren’t going to call the cops?” Demitri asks when I turn to him.
“No need. Brodie already did. They will be stopped right about,” I tilt my head and look at the door. Five seconds later I hear the sirens, “now.”
Demitri leans in close. “I am so turned on right now.”
“Save it for later. We’re too busy to leave.” I grin at him as I walk back to the bar.
As the women come up for a remake of their drinks, I notice the girls I delivered food to still sitting in their booth, one of the girls crying.
“Brodie,” I call over my shoulder. “Can you come help for a minute?”
“Yeah, but if it’s more complicated than a simple beer or screwdriver, you’re waiting! And hello ladies!” Brodie swaggers behind the bar, putting on all the charm. I’m sure he’ll have a pocket full of numbers before he leaves tonight.
Demitri watches me as I head back to the girls.
“You all okay?”
“We will be,” Lacy grins. “That guy that just left? He was dating my friend.”
Said friend is currently looking like a bad mascara ad.
“If it makes you feel any better at all, the quiet one didn’t have the drugs. It was the other one.”
“Thanks,” Lacy answers. “Still sucks. Who keeps allowing this shit to come to campus?”
“This has happened before?”
“Yeah, a few weeks ago, at a frat party. Girl was out of her mind, but she doesn’t drink. Ever. Someone spiked her soda. The cops came and caught the guy trying to do something to her.”
My heart hurts for these girls. Some things never change, but the cops showing up now are actually interested in punishing the bad guy.
“Yeah,” Lacy’s friend adds. “The cop was a hottie, too. Shew, I never knew they made police like that.”
“Remember his name?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Hottie Carmichael. I was hoping he’d bust the seams on his uniform, but it held on. Disappointing, if you ask me.”
I chuckle before looking at each girl, assessing.
“I want you to do me a favor.” I pull business cards from my back pocket. “If you hear anything about drugs at parties, or girls being hurt, or if you’re in trouble, you call me. Think of me as a neutral, safe space, okay?”
“Sure,” Lacy replies. “Can we tell all the guys that come over here to drool over you that we have your number?”
At that, I laugh, shaking my head. “You do whatever you need to. But also tell the guys they can call me, too.”
“You’re like an awesomely cool aunt, you know that?”
I start at her words, but shrug. “I know a thing or two about what happens on campus. I know you probably think I’m ancient, but it hasn’t been too long ago that I was where you are now. And I mean it, if you’re ever in trouble, or if some guy is an asshole, or if he hurts you, you call me. If you hear about girls being roofied at parties, let me know.”
“Yeah, sure.” Lacy stands up, putting cash on the table before helping her friend out of the booth.
“And you keep your head up. You don’t need to waste your time trying to make a fuck face that would even think about drugging you a priority in your life. Better to know now before you’re dependent on him and feel lost, okay?”
“Thanks, Mia.” The girl gives me a sad smile and I watch them leave before going back behind the bar.
Brodie is in heaven with options lining up, and I pull out my phone.
Demitri: Saving girls one at a time. You’re fucking amazing, you know that?
Mia: Just been there.
Demitri: It’s more than that. You give a fuck about them.
Mia: They might not have anyone else that does, you know?
Demitri: Fucking. Amazing.
I put the phone down and make some drinks for Brodie. Next time I look up, I notice one of the ANON guys in the corner nursing a beer. Nate, maybe? When did he get here? He tilts his chin my way and I return the gesture. At least he can have a beer while watching nothing happen.
The rest of the night passes relatively quick, and before I know it, Demitri is helping me in the truck.
On the way home, I ask the question I’ve wanted an answer to all night. “Will you sleep in the bed with me tonight?”
His mouth tilts in a small grin. “Depends. Do I get to hold you?”
“All night long.”
“Let’s go to bed then, Krasotka .”