Chapter 3
Chapter Three
CJ
“Hey, CJ, can I get another round for our table?” Tory, one of my regular customers, asks, coming up to the bar.
For a weeknight, it’s bustling around here.
I’ve worked in small-town bars and big-time bars. It’s all the same and you have your different clientele. Some are your regulars, others being weekenders, then there’re the ones who cause the problems. I can always sense those out and keep an eye on them.
Hammer, the President of the club that owns this bar, has two members of the club here every night to play security. We seem to have a system between us that shows us when it comes to problems ensuing.
Tonight’s guys are Colt and Carbine. Still, though, a few others had come in to have a drink and to shoot some pool.
I don’t know if they have pool tournaments, but it would be cool to do here.
The club has a great setup here at their bar.
Eight pool tables are set up through the building, tables sit to one side, a dance floor in front of the stage they have for live bands on the weekends.
The bar itself is long and spacious for me to move around behind.
There’re two hallways off either side of the bar.
One side is for employees only. It’s where my office is for doing paperwork.
The other one leads to the restrooms and an emergency exit.
“You got it, hun,” I call out while getting those drinks.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a man I’d not seen yet greet Colt and Carbine. They talk the entire time I set up Tory’s order.
I hand her the four glasses of draft brew that’s from the local brewery. It’s a hit with all the regulars who come in. Devore Brew is definitely one of a kind.
“Thank you, CJ, you rock,” Tory giggles and tilts her head to look at the guy who’d come in. “Hey, Axe, long time no see,” she purrs.
Instead of responding with words, Axe gives her a jerk of the chin while grinning. He then turns his attention to me.
“What can I get you?” I ask the newcomer, taking him in.
Wearing a solid white t-shirt with his cut over it, it emphasizes his chest and the tattoos on his arms. I love tattoos, it’s why I have my entire back done now, thanks to Burner up in Franklin.
He covered scars on my back that could be hidden while making the ones he couldn’t not stand out.
He mixed them into the background of the tattoo, bringing the tiger to life with a woman blended into it.
“I’ll take a Jack and Coke for right now,” Axe says gruffly while bracing his arms on the bar in front of him when he sits.
“Coming right up,” I murmur, turning away from him to go make him his drink. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time I have my back turned.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, causing me to become nervous. Quickly I finish making his drink and hand it to him. “Here you go,” I murmur, placing it in front of him.
“Thanks, babe,” Axe says, giving me a grin that goes straight between my legs. His voice alone is beautiful and makes me want to hear it all night.
Nope don’t go there. You can’t let yourself be pulled in. He’s just another man looking for a night with a woman. It won’t be me. It can’t. Besides, if it wasn’t for the fact my hair is done in a way to hide it, he’d see I’m far too flawed for a man like him.
None of the guys from the MC or my customers, for that matter, have been able to see the scars I bear. In fact, even up in Virginia, I kept the scars hidden as much as possible only two people saw them.
Inwardly shaking my head, I give Axe a curt nod and go about my business taking care of my customers. The night wears down and it’s time to do the last call. Axe has stayed in his spot the entire time watching me.
Once the doors are closed behind the last customer, he’s still sitting there.
During the weekend, I have a hand full of waitresses to help out.
On a weeknight, I have two. Sage and Meadow are my two full-timers who work throughout the week.
Asa, Fallon, and Nova work the weekends and rotate through the week if Sage or Meadow need extra help.
Colt flicks the lock on the doors and sighs exaggeratedly. “Finally. This place was packed tonight.”
“Yeah, swear it use to never be this crowded before the remodel,” Carbine mutters, stretching his arms.
Axe grunts something while lifting his tumbler up to his lips to finish it off.
I do my best to get things cleaned up without paying any attention to what’s going on with them. Sage and Meadow finish up the floor first and come up to the bar to cash out.
“If we have more nights like this one, we’re going to need to get Asa, Fallon, or Nova to come in and help out. We were barely able to keep up. I mean, shoot, Tory even took it upon herself to get her tables drinks,” Sage says, seeming exhausted.
“We do that, then we lose out on the awesome tips like we received tonight,” Meadow retorts, bouncing on her feet. She’s always in a giddy mood and willing to do whatever.
Smiling genuinely, I had them their tips. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“You bet, CJ. Hope tomorrow is as good as tonight in tips,” Meadow states, pulling away from the bar and heading toward the doors.
“Come on, you two, let’s get you out of here. The sooner we get you out, the sooner we get CJ out, the sooner I can get back to the clubhouse and crash,” Carbine mutters, unlocking the door.
“You could always come to my place, Carbine,” Meadow purrs.
Freakin’ purrs.
“Baby, you couldn’t handle what I got,” Carbine chuckles, eyeing the woman.
Shaking my head, I tune them out and go about getting ready to get out of here.
“You two head on out. I’ll make sure CJ here gets to her car safely,” Axe announces, finally speaking for the first time, besides requesting his drinks.
And oh, what his voice does to my body.
Damnit.
I won’t let anything happen.
I can’t trust him or anyone else for that matter. It’s only ever going to be me that I can trust and that’s the way it’ll stay.