Chapter 6
Quinn
FOOT RUBS AND BLOODY KNUCKLES
“Are you sure you don’t mind watching Moose while I’m visiting my sister?” Mrs. Cooley blinks up at me with hopeful, magnified by her glasses, blue eyes, and there’s not a chance in hell that I can say no.
It doesn’t matter that I’m working every day for the next two weeks or that I’ve even picked up longer shifts so I can make more in tips. Besides, her cat, Moose, is easy to look after. Feed him twice a day and give him head pats. Easy peasy.
“I’m positive. We’ll have so much fun. We can watch movies and paint our toenails, and do all the things.”
Mrs. Cooley’s mouth drops open as my words register, giving me the perfect out.
“Anyway, I really have to get to work. Have fun with your sister, and I’ll check on Moose in the morning.”
She nods as I rush toward the elevators, punching the button several times. I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry, and I can’t afford that.
It’s been four days since I faced Mike in his office, and since then, I’ve barely been able to eat or sleep.
I’ve tried to think of anything to earn fast money so I can get my mom’s rent paid up to date.
Maybe then, I’ll be able to breathe a tiny bit.
Heck, I might even be able to save for a freaking couch. A thrifted one, of course.
Hell, I even considered selling my dirty panties online. I’ve heard girls talk about it at work, and apparently, there’s quite a market for used underwear. Some of those women make more than a thousand dollars per pair. Each time I pull up the website to sign up, though, something makes me stop.
When the elevator doors close, I take a deep breath and smile when a familiar scent hits my nose. Woodsy with a hint of spice.
Xander.
My skin tingles at the very thought of him.
Sometimes, I wonder if I imagined him. If it was just a really hot dream.
It has been a while since I’ve had sex. Not good sex, I might add.
Maybe I made Xander up. It’s silly because I know he was real.
I saw the man in the flesh: face tattoos, a nose piercing, and rolled-up sleeves.
He was there. And then poof. He’s gone, and I haven’t seen him since.
That’s his scent, though. I couldn’t mistake it.
I’ve never enjoyed the smell of a man like I did his.
Whatever cologne he wears is uniquely him.
My core clenches, and I bite my lip as I squeeze my legs together for just a second, taking whatever friction I can get in the brief ride to the lobby.
“Have a great day, Miss Summers,” Frank, the security guard, calls out as I pass.
I smile at him and wave. “Have a good one, too, Frank! Say hello to your wife for me. I hope she liked the soup.”
The older man nods, his chin wobbling as he does. “She did. She’s feeling much better, all thanks to you. You’re a good kid, Quinn. Too good for this world.”
I grin at him and wave again as I head to my bus stop, feeling a small boost in my mood. Staying up half the night after a double shift to make that soup for Frank’s wife was totally worth it. Frank has always been so kind to me. It was the least I could do.
Thankfully, traffic is on my side today, and I walk through the doors of Luxe with several minutes to spare to get to Velvet Sins, the bar I work at.
The casinos I work for are owned by the same company, which is nice.
They’re the best employer I’ve ever had.
I don’t even know why I worked at The Ace Bar for so long.
As much as it sucks that I’m missing out on the extra money, I’m glad to be out of there.
Although I do plan on marching my butt back in there to demand the wages owed to me because I didn’t skip out on anything, and they know it.
The very thought of causing hell makes me want to throw up, but I can do it if I have to.
At least I was able to cover the missed hours by taking extra shifts at my current three jobs. I guess it’s a win. I’ll take anything right now.
After quickly tossing my purse in my locker, I check the mirror and fluff my hair a little bit, then I adjust the girls, so they look perkier than they are.
I swipe my lips with another layer of red lipstick and fix my layered necklaces, making sure they’re not tangled before heading out to the bar that sits smack dab in the center of the casino.
It’s my favorite place I work at because it feels so luxurious with crystals dripping from the ceiling around it, creating a sparkling, curtain-like divider that separates all the slot machines from it.
The wrap-around bar has gold flakes and crystals in the walls that complement the side tables positioned next to the upmarket black velvet couches.
Throughout the space, features make the entire space feel high-class and wealthy.
It’s one of the things I love most about Las Vegas.
You can find any kind of vibe you’re looking for, whether it’s classy, dirty, or wild. Or all of the above.
“Hey, Quinn! We’ve been slammed all day,” Josh, one of the other bartenders, says as he tosses a Boston shaker over his shoulder before popping it open and pouring the contents into a martini glass.
Good. I love a busy day. It means more cash in my pocket, even though my feet will definitely pay the price later.
“Awesome! We got this!” I call out over the mixed noise of conversations and music.
I love working with Josh because he’s easy-going and always looks out for me when drunk guys get a little too handsy.
Usually, I can deal with it myself, but every once in a while, he’s stepped in and made sure I was okay.
Not that my other coworkers aren’t cool, they are. But I have the most fun with Josh.
“Hey there.” I flash a playful smile at my first customers. “What can I get for you?”
Josh is right. The place is crowded with people living their best lives on vacation. One of my favorite things about this job is people watching and getting to know customers from different places.
A group of men, probably around my age, comes up to the bar and smiling at me like cocky assholes. I already know they’re going to be a rowdy bunch. When I glance back at Josh, he’s got his eye on them, and he sends me a wink that tells me he’s watching.
“Gentlemen,” I say sweetly, tipping my head to the side. “What can I get for you?”
The tallest one, who’s definitely the leader of their group, smirks at me, his gaze traveling to my cleavage. He sucks on his lip, and I inwardly gag but keep a smile pasted on.
“It’s my first night in Vegas, and I happened to meet the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I think it’s fate, doll,” the tall guy says, leaning his elbow on the bar.
I giggle and roll my eyes. “Let me know if that works for you at the next bar. What can I get you guys to drink?”
Tall Guy laughs, but he keeps his gaze on me the entire time I take their order. He’s pretty good-looking, but he reminds me of Jason. A total player. No freaking thank you. Been there, done that. And that’s why I’m still single, almost a year later, and not in the market for anything with anyone.
As I start mixing their cocktails, movement catches my eye right outside of the crystal divider.
I’m not sure what makes me, but something tells me to look up, and when I do, I swear I see Xander.
I can’t tell for sure since it’s only a side profile, and there are so many people between us.
But that sharp jaw and those laser-focused eyes are hard to miss.
As he moves around the outside of the bar, talking to a man while they walk, I keep my gaze on him for as long as I can.
And when he turns to head toward the entrance and sees me, I can’t breathe.
It is, one thousand percent, Xander. I stare at him, unable to tear my eyes away. Then, as quickly as his eyes land on me, he glances at the other man and disappears into the sea of people.
“How’s those drinks going, doll?”
I snap my attention to Tall Guy, irritation prickling at the back of my neck. “Almost done. Tell you what, we’ll bring them out to you when they’re ready.”
Something flashes in his eyes before he and his friends back away and find a table. Josh comes over to me and grins. “Want me to take these out, babe?”
“You know it.” I hand him the tray and wink. “Thank you.”
“Oh my God,” I mumble to absolutely no one as I walk through the doors of my apartment building. “My feet are going to fall off.”
I wave at the night security guard, not stopping to chat. They’re used to me coming home at this hour, and they also know I’m not nearly as perky this time of day, either. The only thing I want is my bed. A foot rub would also be good, but I’ll take what I can get right now.
The elevator opens, and I step in, pushing the fourth-floor button before I move to the side and rest against the wall, using it for whatever support I can get.
As the doors start to close, a tattooed hand slides between them, making them stop and open again.
Then Xander steps in, and my mouth goes dry.
He was drop-dead gorgeous the other day.
But tonight, with his hair a little mussed like he ran his fingers through it too many times, and his dark gray dress shirt with those sleeves rolled up, showing off his veiny, tattooed forearms, the man is positively fine.
Every nerve, cell, and sense in my body tingles like a gentle buzz going right through me.
When he meets my gaze, his stony irises are darker than usual. The smell of his cologne fills the space around us. That mixed with whiskey. Well, duh, he was at Luxe. He’s probably been in the casino with friends. Or women.
My stomach turns, and I fight the urge to vomit at the thought of women clinging to him. Not that I’d blame them.
“Um, hi,” I finally say more breathlessly than I’d like.
His eyes roam over me, taking in everything from the flip-flops I slid on before I left work to the skin-tight black jeans and then up to the black tank top that shows a healthy amount of cleavage, then up to my face again. “Jesus Christ. It is you.”
I tilt my head, smiling as he looks at me like I’m an alien. Like he’s seeing me for the first time. I suppose, in a way, he is. Work Quinn and Home Quinn are two different people.
“Did you have a good time out tonight?” I finally ask, trying not to fidget under his intense stare.
“I wasn’t out,” he says quietly. “How long have you worked there?”
The elevator comes to a stop on my floor, and the doors open, but I don’t move. “Three years.”
His jaw flexes, and he lets out a curse under his breath. When he looks me over again, he stops at my shoes. “Your feet are red.”
What is happening? This has got to be the strangest conversation I’ve ever had, and I work in multiple bars where people talk to me about all sorts of things.
“Oh, uh, I’m fine. I had a long day. They’ll be good as new in the morning.
” I flash him a bright smile, then notice something dripping to the floor.
When I see crimson drops spotting the tile floor, I look to see where they’re coming from and stop when I see Xander’s hand. “Oh my God, you’re bleeding!”