8. Chapter Eight
Chapter eight
B rennan
“What’d you think?” Keegan asked. “This wouldn’t be a bad place to work. Right?”
“I guess not. It has a good feel,” I admitted, and it did.
If I were going to take a job in a bar or someplace similar, this would be a good one to work in.
This wasn’t what my summer was supposed to look like.
I was supposed to be building the fountain in the backyard of my house in San Marcos, not contemplating a job in a bar to pay bills.
That was what Patrick and I’d talked about. I’d finish school. Then I’d take a few months off to figure out what came next. He said he didn’t care if I got a job or not, as long as whatever I did, it wasn’t like the pet store where I had to work weekends. I’d been so stupid.
But enough of that. I had two choices, I could sit around feeling sorry for myself, or I could get a job, make some money, and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. “We can grab Josh next time he isn’t busy and see if he can introduce me to the owner, if he’s here.”
“Taking a job here doesn’t mean you give up looking for something in your field, you know.”
“In my field.” I laughed. “And what exactly is in my field, Kee? You know the reason I got a business degree was because it was generic since I had no idea what I wanted to do.”
“Well, maybe this would give you some time to figure that out. I was lucky because I always knew what I wanted to do. Hell, I wouldn’t even have gone to school if my dad hadn’t insisted.”
“You’re right. I’ll find something. But sitting at the house filling out applications all day while I watch my savings dwindle isn’t helping my mood at all.”
I looked over at the bar to see how busy Josh was.
He was at the end talking to a group of men.
Wow . There were three of them, and the two I could see were drop-dead gorgeous.
The one that sat the closest to us wore a black t-shirt that stretched across his broad back.
He had a short dark beard and muscular arms. The one on the far side was prettier.
He was no less muscular than the one on this end, but he seemed softer, and less rough around the edges.
I watched them for a minute, wondering what their story was. As I pondered that, suddenly they both turned and looked in our direction, almost like they were looking for me, which made no sense because I didn’t know either one of them. I looked down at my beer and whispered to Keegan.
“Do you know those guys at the end of the bar?”
“What guys?” he asked, turning in his seat to look.
“Don’t be so obvious. Good lord,” I grumbled.
“No, I don’t know them, and why shouldn’t I look. That’s usually the whole point in coming to a place like this. Although it’s a little light on the ladies tonight for my taste.”
“You’re shameless,” I said with a laugh.
“True, although I have to tell you, if I batted for your team, that right there would be my type.”
He nodded to the door behind the bar that I assumed lead to the grill, where a tall, good-looking man stood. He had a presence about him that gave you the feeling this was his domain, and I’d bet money he was the bar’s owner. “Really?” I asked. “I wouldn’t have thought he’d be your type at all.”
“Well, I mean, he isn’t because, you know, he has a dick. But if I were into that, I’d do him,” he said with a shrug.
“You’re ridic—” I froze when, to my surprise, the third guy at the end of the bar, the one I hadn’t been able to see until now, pushed back from the bar and stood up. “Oh my god, Keegan,” I gasped. “It’s Ryder. He’s here.”
“The guy who fixed the sink?”
I nodded but didn’t take my eyes off of Ryder as he turned and looked straight at me. It had been a little over a week since he was at the house, but when our eyes met, I swear I could feel his fingers trailing down my spine the way they had that night.
He handed his beer to the pretty guy to his right and then headed in our direction.
He looked like a man on a mission as he strode our way.
He stopped by our booth and made a motion for me to scoot over.
I did it without hesitation, and he slid in beside me.
Then he reached across the table, holding out his hand. “You must be Keegan.”
Keegan took his hand and shook it. “Yeah. Thanks for helping Brennan out the other night.”
“It was no problem at all, and I got a great meal out of it.” He smiled at me, and I felt my cheeks heat, remembering what else he got out of it. “But that isn’t why I came over here. Josh was telling us you were thinking about applying for a job here at the bar.”
“Yeah, he said he’d introduce us to the owner.”
“I can do that if you want. His name is Owen, he’s one of my closest friends, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Oh, you don’t,” I said, my annoyance clear in my voice. “You don’t think I can manage handing out beer and taking food orders?” I knew I hadn’t made the best impression on him at the hardware store, but that had nothing to do with my ability to pop the top off a freaking beer bottle.
“I didn’t say that. I have no doubt you’d do a great job. I just think you can find something else.”
I laughed. “Really? Well, I’ve applied for about fifty jobs in the last two weeks and went to five interviews. Didn’t get a single job offer, so I’m thinking unless you’re about to offer me a job remodeling houses, which I think we both know I’d suck at, the bar isn’t a bad option.”
“First of all, you wouldn’t suck at remodeling houses once you learned, and you could learn if you wanted to, but you don’t. Next of all, I do have a job offer. I need someone to help me with the business end of Davis Remodeling. That’s what you went to school for, right? Isn’t that what you said?”
I stared at him, speechless for a moment. Ryder wanted to offer me a job. “Um, yeah. Business management. What do you mean to help you with the business end?”
“Well, I’m not really sure, to be honest. I’ve never had anyone before. I’ve just always done it myself, but the business is doing well, and we’re growing. I need to be able to focus on the remodeling part instead of answering phones and stuff.”
I thought about it for a second. It sounded like what he wanted was a receptionist, not a business manager, but even if that was the case, it would be work using my degree, and it would give me job experience I could use later.
“What about the pay?” I asked, knowing most of the receptionist jobs I’d seen so far barely paid about minimum wage.
“I can start you out here,” he said, tossing out a number that was almost twice what I’d make at the coffee shop, but less than what I’d seen office manager jobs listed at. “And then we can reevaluate after ninety days.”
“Do you really think me working for you is a good idea?” I wanted to say yes but working for a man who I’d not only slept with—but who also had me hard right now just by sitting near me—was probably not the smartest plan.
“I do. I’m gone all day on site, so we’ll barely see each other. I’m losing work because I need someone to take calls during the day, and you need a job. Seems like a win-win to me.”
The big guy that I’d noticed coming out from the back earlier stepped up to our table. “Ryder. Are you trying to poach my new employee before I even get to interview him?”
“Sure am,” Ryder said. “Get your own guy, Owen. I saw him first.”
Owen chuckled. “Well, I can’t argue with that.
” He turned to me. “Nice to meet you, Brennan. Josh tells me you were looking for work, but it looks like Ryder beat me to you.” He gave me a look that said he’d be interested in having me tend to more than his bar.
“And isn’t that just a crying shame? If this one over here doesn’t treat you right, you come on back and see me. ”
He gave Ryder a look that I couldn’t read and then turned and went back behind the bar. “Asshole,” Ryder called after him, but the big guy just laughed and went to work.“Ignore him. He was just trying to get a rise out of me. Now, what do you say?”
“When would I start?” I asked.
“Would Monday be too soon for you?”
“No, Monday would be fine.”
“Great. That’ll give me time to get your office set up.”
“What should I wear?” I asked. I knew what to wear to a corporate-type job, but this was a small business in the construction industry, so I doubted slacks and a dress shirt would be appropriate.
“I’ll order you a couple of shirts with my logo on them, but until then, just everyday clothes will be fine.
You won’t be meeting with any customers so dress comfortably.
Give me your number, and I’ll text you the address.
” I handed him my phone, and he messed with it for a minute, then his phone pinged in his pocket.
“Okay, Brennan. Like I said, I’ll text you the address, and I’ll see you Monday morning at eight. ”
“Okay,” I said, still stunned. Looks like I found myself a job.