Chapter 3 #2
I did not roll my eyes, but I caught myself looming above him with my hands on my hips, maybe just a tad threateningly. He’d better act nice, or I’d give him an earful. I didn’t care how many arenas he’d sold out; this was my pub. Or Monty’s. Whatever.
“Rudi, my cook, makes veggie patties with beans and mushrooms. You can get a cheeseburger, unless that’s too ordinary for you?”
To my surprise, his features smoothened out into an almost shy smile.
“Cheeseburger sounds good,” he said softly. “Thanks. And a pint of lager.”
No snobby comeback? Huh. I moved a fresh coaster in front of him.
“Jordy?”
“Yeah?”
His smile grew unsure. “Call me Laurel, please. And add a shot of tequila to the order.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t such a diva. He did look tired, like Monty had said. How long had he been on tour?
“You got it.”
He gave a thumbs-up, but his expression remained apprehensive, his eyes alert and mouth pinched. Laurel’s sharp cheekbones and pointed chin gave him this dramatic look, but his jawline was soft, and his eyelids heavy. He looked like a kitten readying to fight.
I had to give it to Monty; Laurel was a beautiful man. The hints of vulnerability beneath his self-assured facade only added to his appeal.
It felt weird to leave him there alone, but I had work to do. Sedric managed to make a couple of drinks, but he wasn’t happy handling the taps. We changed places, and he grabbed the tray with a relieved exhale.
I kept one eye on our special guest, but aside from a few curious stares, nobody bothered him. Laurel radiated such don’t-fuck-with-me vibes that none of the locals dared approach him.
Monty burst into the pub with a loud “Hello, everyone!” and marched straight ahead. He was going to accost Laurel, no doubt about it.
“Hey, boss!” I yelled.
He turned to me, eyebrows raised. “Yes?”
I crooked a finger at him to come closer.
He approached the bar warily and looked from side to side as if he were about to share top secret info with me. “What? Everything okay? Did someone pester him?”
“You were clearly about to.”
He squinted at me. “I’m only going to ask if he has everything he needs. It’s good service.”
“Sedric dropped off his drink order thirty seconds before you came in.”
Monty straightened and glanced at Laurel’s profile over the heads of the crowd. His height gave him a great vantage point wherever he was.
“Leave him be,” I repeated for what already felt like the umpteenth time.
He pulled in a deep breath, his chest rising. He wore his favorite red-checkered shirt, the nice one he saved for special occasions. Under his jaw, I noticed a nick—he must have just shaved his throat and trimmed his beard.
“Monty.”
His lips pressed together, he gave me the puppy dog look he was so good at, his brown eyes all but melting.
I shook my head.
Finally, he slumped in defeat. He put his elbows on the counter with a groan. “I know you’re right.”
“Beer?”
“Yes.” He side-eyed the corner booth one more time. “He just seems so sad, you know?”
“And you seem pushy and horny.”
“Look who’s talking.”
I shrugged and handed him the beer. Passing by in a hurry, Sedric called, “Two IPAs and two lagers.” I checked the orders on the tablet mounted by the taps, wiped a spill under them, and selected the matching glasses.
“How come he gets to talk to Mr. Riley?” Monty hissed, gesturing toward the booths.
Hunter stood by Laurel’s table, smiling widely. Laurel pointed at the bench, and Hunter sat down opposite him, waving at Sedric for another beer.
“What the hell?” Monty pushed away from the bar.
“Montgomery, control yourself,” I said sharply.
He glared at me. “It’s unfair.”
“You’re acting like a toddler. Hunter is Barclay’s cousin, and he’s at Barclay’s and Calvin’s place all the time. He and Laurel are friends.”
“I’ll sit with them. Put their orders on the house.”
“For fuck’s sake, man…”
But he was already on his way, his half-finished beer in his hand. He just couldn’t help it.
The thing about Monty was that he meant well. He always meant everything well, even when he acted like a bull in a china shop.
He’d been obsessed with Laurel ever since the incident at Barclay’s last fall. When he’d found out Laurel was building a chalet in Beauville, his excitement could have fueled a medium-sized amusement park.
I got it. Laurel was sexy as sin with those long legs and dancer-like movements.
His incredible voice could hypnotize thousands of people, and he had the charisma preachers and dictators would kill for.
He was mesmerizing in ways that set him apart from us mortals.
But our superstar was also sulky, a loner at first sight, and a cold contrast to Monty’s eagerness.
The big guy went into everything with his arms and heart open. It was pure luck that he looked intimidating as hell, or he’d have gotten steamrolled by life a long time ago.
I looked away, not keen on witnessing the rejection in real time.
Except when I checked on him a minute later, Monty sat by Hunter’s side, smiling like the sun and gazing at Laurel adoringly, his chin supported by his fist. Laurel had taken off the hood and baseball cap, and his messy, curly hair stuck out in all directions as he waved his hands around, explaining something to his engrossed audience.
I’ll be damned.
What were they talking about? I could see the pink hearts circling around Monty’s head.
When Laurel’s burger was ready, I took it to his table myself. Sedric threw me a confused look, but I ignored him.
“Here you go,” I said, and placed the plate in front of Laurel. His beer was nearly finished.
“Another one?”
He took a deep breath. “Sure.”
“For me, too,” Monty said, giving me a smug smile.
“Hunter?”
Our doctor placed a hand over his nearly finished glass. “I’m good. Busy day tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Monty raised his eyebrows expectantly, so I glared at him for good measure. Later, I’d wipe the smug smirk off his face.
“This looks decent,” Laurel said, having cut his veggie burger in half.
“Enjoy your meal.”
With his mouth already full, he nodded and hummed.
And at that very moment, Monty opened his piehole and said, “So you’re, like, burned out?”
Laurel coughed and chewed frantically while knocking on his chest with his fist.
Hunter lifted his gaze to me as if I could save him from something. “You know what? I’ll have another.”
I could only imagine how many times this evening Monty would shove his foot in his mouth. Could I stop this? Invent a crisis that would force him out of the booth?
I couldn’t protect Monty from everything, least of all from himself. He was the last guy on earth who deserved any shit from anyone, but even if I wrapped him in bubble wrap and stood guard by his side twenty-four seven, he’d find a way to get into trouble.
Eyeing Laurel as he cleared his throat and drank some beer, I tried to guess how bad it would be.
Please, don’t pounce on him, I wanted to say. He means well.
“Jordy!” Sedric called from behind me.
I had work to do, dammit. If this was about to become a shitshow, I would have to let it happen.