28. Katie
Katie
“God,” Sarah mutters, slumping against the bar. “Why is it so busy on a damn Monday night?”
“Fucking baseball,” I say, flicking my fingers toward the TVs.
She groans and drops her head onto the counter. “I need a nap. Right now. I’m not built for this.”
I nudge her. “You’re not sleeping tonight.”
She lifts her head. “Oh, I’m definitely not.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“I’m taking Luca home,” she says, completely serious, “and letting him fuck the shit out of me.”
I laugh, shaking my head.
“No, listen,” she says, pointing at me. “You need to stop overthinking this and let Michael have his way. Come over to the slutty side.”
I laugh loud enough that people actually look over this time.
“Can you blame me?” she says. “Have you ever actually looked into Luca’s eyes? Or the fact that he’s like a foot taller than me. I mean, I know he’s not as tall as your stalker boyfriend.”
I shove her. “Shut up.”
She laughs.
“Seriously, though,” I say, turning slightly toward her. “Do you think Luca’s answer about why he calls Michael boss was enough? Seems so weird.”
She shrugs, lifting her head from the bar. “I mean, if you’re calling someone that all day, it’d probably be hard to switch it off, right?”
“I guess,” I say, not fully convinced. “But they’re like family-family. Not distant cousins.”
“Yeah, but Luca’s only twenty-seven,” she says. “Michael’s thirty-six. That changes things. They probably didn’t grow up the same way.”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
Our manager, Stacy, steps up beside us. “Ladies, I love you, but I need you back on the floor. Katie, that table over there.”
She points toward the corner.
“They’re asking for you.”
I shoot Sarah a look before grabbing my pad and pen, pushing off the bar and heading across the room. By the time I reach the table, I clock them instantly. It’s a group of guys, mid to late twenties, drinks already in front of them. Most of their attention is locked on the game playing overhead.
Except for one. He’s watching me.
“Hey,” he says, leaning forward slightly. “You came over.”
“My manager said you needed something,” I say, keeping my tone even as I stop at the edge of the table.
“I’ve been watching you,” he says, smiling. “You’re really good at your job.”
“Cool,” I say. “Can I get you something?”
He pushes back from his chair and stands, and I immediately register the height difference. He’s just as tall as Michael. Maybe taller. I take a step back, but he follows.
“Your number.”
“Sorry, I have a boyfriend,” I say, already turning to leave.
His hand closes around my wrist.
“Hey.”
My jaw tightens. “Let go of me. Right fucking now.”
He grins, stepping closer, crowding into my space. He pins me right up against the wall.
“Oh, we’ve got a feisty one.”
“Let her go, man,” someone at the table says.
He runs his tongue across his teeth, smirking before finally letting go. “Sorry.”
I don’t look to see who said it. I turn and head straight for the bar, my hands already shaking. Sarah and Stacy are laughing at something when I get back, but the second they see my face, it drops.
“Katie, what happened?” Sarah asks, already moving in front of me.
My heart is racing. My breaths are uneven, and I feel lightheaded.
“A guy at that table,” I manage. “He grabbed me.”
“What the hell?” Stacy says, already stepping around us. “Which one?”
I turn and point him out. She calls for Rick, our head of security as she heads toward the table. I watch as Rick steps in and calmly tells him he needs to leave. The guy doesn’t budge, only stares at him.
“I said,” Rick’s voice is loud enough to be heard now. “You need to leave.”
The guy just smirks. Rick grabs his arm. The guy tries to jerk away, but Rick’s bigger, stronger, and completely unfazed. He pulls him out of the chair and starts dragging him across the floor toward the door.
The guy’s yelling the whole time, loud enough to carry across the bar, drawing attention whether anyone wants to look or not. Right before they reach the door, he twists around, eyes locking on me.
“Bitch!” he shouts.
Rick shoves him out the door.
Stacy comes back over to us, glancing down at her watch before looking between us. “You two rode together?” she asks.
We both nod.
“Go home,” she says. “I’ll have Rick walk you out in case that shithead is still out there.”
“Okay,” I say quietly, my hands still shaky. “Thank you.”
Sarah grabs our bags, and Rick walks us out, staying close as we push through the door. The SUV is already there, and Luca steps out the second he sees us, his eyes moving over me first, then Sarah.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“Can we just talk in the car?” Sarah says, opening the door.
Luca doesn’t move right away. His gaze shifts to Rick, suspicion settling in.
“Security for the bar, man,” Rick says. “Just making sure they got out here safe. Some douchebag was messing with Katie. Had to throw him out.”
Luca reaches for my hand, guiding me as I climb into the car. I slide across the seat, and Sarah climbs in right behind me. The door shuts, and through the tinted window I watch Luca talk to Rick, their voices muted, but their expressions are serious.
After a minute, they shake hands. Luca moves around the front of the SUV and gets into the driver’s seat. He turns, looking directly at me.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I say. “It was just some dickhead. He startled me. That’s all.”
His eyes stay on mine for a second before he nods. “Let’s get you home.”
I give him a small smile.
He pulls away from the curb. “I’m going to put up the privacy screen so you two can talk.”
“Thanks, Luca,” Sarah says.
He smiles at her before the screen slides up, sealing us into the back. I don’t say anything right away. I just stare down at my hands. Sarah reaches over, covering them with hers.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”
“You want me to stay with you tonight?”
I look at her. “Absolutely not. Your night will not be ruined because of me.”
“Katie,” she says. “You’re my best friend. Hoes before bros.”
I shove my shoulder into hers. “No. Go with Luca. Have amazing sex, and then report to me tomorrow.”