18. Johnny
JOHNNY
“Hey, boss,” I yell toward the backroom. “Grab a couple vodkas after you finish opening the till. My hands are full so don’t throw ’em at me.”
Walt peeks his head around the door. “I found a better way to release my anger now.” He winks, then sulks back into the office.
My laughter echoes around the empty bar.
This man may look like a lumberjack, but he’s more fragile than a baby bird learning how to fly.
The way I want to be here to hold his hand until he can figure it out should feel like a burden, especially for someone like me who had to do it all alone.
But watching this man find his wings feels like I’ve been handed something sacred.
I don’t want him to go through what I did alone.
No one should have to. The pounding behind my ribs every time I see him is enough to tell me he’s the best gift I’ve ever been given.
Vodka, keys, and hockey tickets be damned.
It’s been a few weeks since the game and things have been amazing. I made one trip back to my place to grab some clothes and essentials, but outside of that, every moment has been spent here. Working at the bar or working my dick inside the sexy man that lives above it.
I have to admit—working together during the day can be difficult.
When we brush shoulders behind the bar once we’re slammed with guests, all we can think about is servicing one another instead of the customers.
Then there are the moments when we’re slow, and the boss needs me to ‘help him in the back’ for a minute, both of us smoothing our hair and shirts as we head back out.
And Mondays when the bar is closed? We barely come up for air.
Those days are difficult to tell where my body ends, and his begins.
It’s like that saying work hard and play hard—if this relationship doesn’t define that, I don’t know what does.
We’ve been so busy Walt is thinking about hiring a second bartender to help out. I can’t help but be glad to have more hands during the evening rushes, but I can’t fully smother the tinge of sadness that it won’t just be the two of us.
But this is his dream, and I’m here to support it. I fill the ice bins as a chill runs up my spine. Could this be my dream too? My future? Could he be my future?
We’ve gone out in public here and there, mostly to grab breakfast at Millie’s Diner.
He’s not had another freak-out like he did after the game.
He’s been the same guy eating there as he is at the kitchen table in the apartment.
He always chats it up with Millie and her husband between demolishing a plate of pancakes and reading the newspaper.
I smile at the normal, everyday life that exists when it doesn’t seem like a thing in the world fazes him. Maybe that’s a good sign?
It still doesn’t stop the constant twist in my stomach knowing that man may be secretly spiraling and could run at the drop of a hat.
Funny thing is…he thinks I’m going to leave him if he runs scared.
What he doesn’t know is the only place I’ll be running is chasing after him.
Our eyes connect across the bar as he walks back to the office and my heart races in my chest faster than an Alabama Football running back racing toward the end zone.
He’s all I want.
Finishing the bar prep, my fingers drum against the counter. Fuck it. I push off the bar top and walk to grab the vodka myself.
I have no idea how to help someone get over their own fears to find the happiness they deserve. All I can do is keep reminding him that I’m here and I’m his.
“Hey, can we talk?”
He narrows his brows. “Why does that phrase always make me think bad news is coming?”
I chuckle. “Not everything’s bad. Would ya stop being so pessimistic?”
“Well…” He sets his pen down and folds his hands. “Is this good news or bad news?”
I shrug. “Neither. It’s just news, boss.”
He drops his shoulders. “Fine. What’s up?”
“A couple of friends from the factory are gonna be stopping by tonight. We’ve been trying to find a time we were all free for drinks, but since I’m here every night, I told them we could catch up at the bar.
I wanted to give you a heads up that”—I clear my throat—“that they know about me. They know I’m gay. ”
He doesn’t blink. “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“So…um…what do we do?”
“I thought we could announce I’m fucking you in the ass to the entire bar.”
His eyes widen, nearly popping out of his skull. “What?!”
I can’t hold back my laughter. “Calm down. It was a joke. Listen”—I walk behind his chair, wrapping my arms around his shoulders—“we don’t have to tell them anything.
They don’t need to know you’re anything more than the owner of the bar.
But”—I place a quiet kiss on his neck—“if you’re making eyes at me all night and dragging me into the backroom, those two will pick up on it.
Especially Sandy. She’s observant and nosy as all get out. ”
His arms tense. “Are they…you know…are they discreet?”
“I wouldn’t have suggested they come here if they weren’t.
They’re good folks. I wanted to let you know so you weren’t shocked if they made a comment about me.
Sandy and I were both on the hunt for a man, so we were always trying to find one for each other.
I know she’s gonna walk in and see your fine ass and either suggest it for herself or me. ”
He twists his head to try and see me. “You’re telling me your friend is going to be checking me out?”
I move around to the front of the chair to straddle his lap. “Yep. And I’m gonna be quick to let her know you’re taken.”
That same pink blush I’ve come to love makes an appearance on either side of his crooked smile, and I nearly melt at the sight.
“Taken, huh?”
“When are you going to get it through this thick flannel shirt of yours? I. Don’t. Want. Anyone. Else. And I hope…you don’t want you with anyone else either.”
“I only want you.”
“Then kiss me, you idiot, before we have a damn bar full of people.”
“If I had known you made an old fashioned this good, I’d have been here every night for the past week!” Sandy shouts, tipping her glass my way as her and Rich sit at the bar.
“Nice place, Johnny. I still can’t believe you found this job the same day they laid us all off.
Took me a few weeks, but I finally got a maintenance job over at SC Johnson down in Racine.
I start next week.” He takes a sip of his beer.
“It’s been hell not knowing if I could afford to put food on the table. ”
“I’m still on the hunt,” Sandy grumbles. “Easier for a man to find a job than a woman apparently. Just because I have tits doesn’t mean I can’t do the work as good…or in a lot of cases better.”
“Sorry, Sandy. That’s some bullshit,” I say as I make her another drink. “I thought for sure you’d be the first one of us to find another job.”
“Me too,” Rich echoes.
She shrugs. “I’m gonna keep at it. Something will come along—” Her gaze darts across the bar, following something before landing directly behind me as a warm presence I’ve grown so needy for radiates against my skin.
“Well helloooo there,” Sandy says with a wink. “And who is this, Johnny?”
“Here we go,” Rich snarks as he rolls his eyes.
I can’t help but laugh. I’ve missed these two.
“Sandy, Rich, this is my boss, Walt.”
He reaches across to shake their hands. “Johnny’s told me a lot about you two. Glad to have you stop by.”
“He has?” Sandy’s eyes nearly pop out of her skull. “Well now. This is interesting.”
I shake my head as I slide the fresh old fashioned to her.
The crisp scent of aftershave hits me as Walt whispers loud enough for her to hear, “You were right about her.”
“Johnny! What did you say about me?” She darts her gaze between Walt and me.
I snicker. “I told him you were nosy as hell and that you’d think he was attractive.”
Rich nearly spits out his drink as Sandy raises a hand. “Guilty as charged.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Sandy, but I’m taken,” he admits, and my knees fall out from under me, forcing me to take a step to steady myself.
“This rounds on the house. On account of losing your jobs and all that a few weeks back. Plus, it’s good to meet some of this guy’s friends.
” He flashes me a wink before he casually saunters off toward a table of ladies across the bar.
What the hell just happened? Did he somewhat, but not really, kind of out himself to my friends? I’ll be damned.
“Johnny Hudson…are you?” she whispers. “You and Walt? Get out of town! He’s fine as hell!”
Rich shakes his head before taking another sip of his drink. “How did I know this was going to be another night of you two hogging all the conversation with relationship talk?”
“Oh, calm down, Rich. It’s been five minutes. We’ll get back to talking about boring shit in a second; this is breaking news! When did all this happen?!”
“A few weeks ago. Not sure exactly when,” I lie. It was the moment I walked into this damn bar. “We hit it off. But hey…he’s not out. So, keep it quiet.”
They both nod. “You know we’re not gonna tell anyone, but…
”—Sandy leans across the bar—“I need details!” She smirks as she settles back into her seat.
“That man has a fine ass…does it look even better when the jeans are off? Does he have a brother? Cousin? Long lost relative with the same ass genes that’s interested in women? ”
“Jesus, Sandy,” Rich pipes up. “Guessing it’s been a while for you?”
“Too goddamn long,” she grumbles, looking down at her drink. “What I wouldn’t give to be working day and night with that man. You really did luck out finding this bar, Johnny.”
I smile because damn if that isn’t the truth. But my excitement only lasts a moment as I hear the bell ring and the sound ushers in exactly what I don’t need, what we don’t need, right now.
Bob.