Chapter 2
“Someone catch your interest C?”
Daren smirks next to me and I roll my eyes at him.
“Please, as if I would give any man in this town any of my interest.” I scoff.
Though even I can’t deny how undeniably attractive he was. The way he stared at me, like he was ready to eat me whole and devour me… I can still feel the heat of his stare on my skin. Heat gathers in the pit of my stomach, and I bring my attention back to my surroundings.
I have a bar to run. This is not the time or place to be thinking about this.
“Sure didn’t seem that way from where I'm standing.”
Daren laughs.
“You actually gave this one your name. Any other time you immediately shut it down or scare them off.”
I look over at Daren, humor lighting his blue eyes. There’s a reason all the females come to this bar, and it’s not just for the bands and beer. His 6’4”
Greek god body has them constantly coming back for more. His black slicked back hair matches the black shirt glued to his chest like a second skin and his dark jeans fit just right. They all love to gawk at the tattoos covering his arms all the way to his fingers.
Shoving past him, I go help another customer. “Get back to work!”
I can hear his roaring laughter behind me and can’t control the smile that slips. Daren’s laughter is contagious. He’s always been able to bring out my soft side, and the only one that ever sees it.
We grew up in the same foster home. My parents died in a car accident when I was nine and was in the system until I met Claire and David, who instantly welcomed another thirteen-year-old into their home. That's when I met Daren. He had been there since he was eight. His drug addict parents would leave him alone for days, and a neighbor came over one day and found little Daren all alone. She called CPS, and the rest is history.
We’ve been family ever since. The only person I've ever allowed to get close. I’m terrified of getting attached to anyone else and having them ripped away from me.
Yelling breaks me from my thoughts and I look over to the stage and see two grown men in each other's faces.
Not again.
“Want me to handle this one?”
Daren asks from over his shoulder.
“No, I got it.”
I grab my pool stick from behind the bar and make my way toward the two dumbasses. Marching up to them, I place the pool stick between them. They look down at it then back at me.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, nor do I care. Either shut the fuck up and drink another beer or fucking leave.”
I say, eyeing them.
The chunky one scoffs. “He spilled his damn drink on me and didn't even apologize!”
“Oh cry me a damn river. I didn’t realize I let big ass babies into my bar.”
I tap the pool stick in my hand. “As I was saying, either drink or Get. The. Fuck. Out…”
I huff and turn around. Before I can take another step, I hear the sound of fist meeting flesh. My face burns with anger and I turn around, swinging my stick into the chunky one's gut, causing him to double over. The muscular one steps back and glares at me.
“And what the hell do you think you’re going to do with that?”
he snickers, a few of his buddies joining in.
I smirk at him, taking a step forward, raising the pool stick, hitting him across the cheek with the bottom half.
His face jerks sideways, blood dripping to the floor from his busted lip. He looks up angrily and rushes me.
Taking my pool stick, I swing up, hitting him between the legs and he keels over. I kick at his shoulder and he falls onto his back.
Pressing my black stiletto boots into the jackass’ neck, I apply just enough pressure to slightly cut off his air supply, his face turning the prettiest shade of red.
“Now, I’ll say this one more time…”
I turn my head toward the group of guys that came with the two dumbasses. “Get your shrimp dick friends and get the fuck out of my god damn bar!”
The men, if you can even call them that, scramble to grab their friends and pull them out of the building.
I look up at the clock, it’s already 1:15 am, then move my gaze toward Daren who’s smirking at me while shining a whiskey tumbler.
“What?” I snap.
“Oh, nothing. Just, some things never change.”
Daren tries to hide his laughter, but his smile is bursting through.
“Get back to work before I fire you,” I snark.
“The day you fire me will be the day that black heart of yours starts to come back to life,”
he teases. He’s right though, I could never get rid of him.
Rolling my eyes, I get back to work. My mind drifts back to the tall, handsome man with hazel eyes. There was something different about him, something I could almost fall for.
But I can’t allow my heart to be tampered with. I’ve only fallen in love once. Well, what I thought was love, turns out I was just a naive girl who still believed she could have her fairytale dream. Till it turned into my worst nightmare.
“Cea!”
I look up to see Mr. Harold beaming a smile at me across the bar. His gray hair is turning white, his skin leathery and wrinkled. Somewhere in his late sixties, he’s been a regular customer since I opened the joint. One of the only other people on this Earth I may have a soft spot for.
“Hey Harold.”
I give him my best smile. “The usual?” I ask as he takes a seat on the stool.
“You know me, pretty girl.”
Nodding, I pour the drinks then place them in front of him as he pulls out a $20 bill.
“If you don’t put that away,”
I say, waving him off.
“You work hard darlin. The least I can do is pay you for my drinks.”
“It’s on the house tonight. You can pay me by enjoying your drink and having a good time.”
Shaking his head, he takes the money and stuffs it into my tip jar.
“Harold, you’re too good to me,”
I teasingly flirt.
“No one could ever be too good to you. You deserve the best life has to offer,”
he says with a serious face.
My heart squeezes a little at the emotions running through my chest.
“Harold, if you were about thirty years younger, I’d have to snatch you up.”
I pour him another shot and smile, sliding it over.
“Doll if I was thirty years younger, you wouldn’t have to worry about trying to snatch me up. One look into those pretty brown eyes of yours and I would have been hooked,”
he laughs and I can’t help but join in.
I go back to finishing cleaning up drinkware and check the clock. 1:40 am. We close in twenty minutes, thank God. I’m ready to get in my bed and forget this day ever started.
“Daren, you got it out here? I need to go to the back and finish paperwork and start closing up.”
“Yeah C, I got it.”
Nodding my head, I take off toward the back office.
The past due notice on the bar, sits on top of the paperwork. I started working here when I was eighteen and the owner and I became great friends. A couple years later, she decided to sell, and I had just enough money to make a down payment and get financed.
This bar became a second home, a safe place for me. It also gave Daren a place to work and a head start so he doesn’t fall into his parents' footsteps. At one point he was hanging out with a few guys taking him down a dark road, but thankfully I pulled him away and he’s been here helping me run the place.
A tear streams down my cheek as I rack my brain on ways to come up with the money. Pulling out my cell, I scroll through my contacts and pull up a name I haven’t talked to since I was seventeen. I push the call button and it rings three times before I hear the click and a deep, rumbling voice on the other end of the line.
“Yes?”
I swallow the nervousness down. I always told myself I would never stoop this low again, but what other choice do I have?
“I’m ready,”
I say. Pushing the confidence through my voice even if it’s not sincere and I swear I can hear his smirk.
“Meet me at the spot. 10 pm tomorrow. Don’t be late.” Click.
Taking a deep breath, I place my phone back down, staring at the wall ahead of me, lost in thoughts.
There’s no turning back now.