Chapter 6
Archer
“What did you bring Abby today?” Adora asked as I took my usual spot at the counter.
I'd been coming in every morning for breakfast for the last three weeks. At first I'd tried to be here at five when the place opened, but after a few times, I realized that it made Abby uncomfortable when she was the only server.
I patted the gift bag I'd set on the counter. “You'll have to wait until she opens it.”
Adora grinned and shrugged. “Fine, but I don't think you could top the fancy tablet you gave her last week.”
That had been the most extravagant gift so far, and she hadn't looked very happy about it.
She'd been much more enthusiastic about the shell windchime and the sea glass mosaic.
The message was clear, thoughtful gifts were more important than expensive ones.
Now I spent hours every day looking for just the right item.
It wasn't a burden or a chore; it was a way for me to show her that she came first.
“Good morning, Archer,” Abby said, setting a mug down in front of me and filling it with coffee. Her expression and tone were neutral.
I loved it. Not only was she no longer anxious or upset when I was there, but I was almost positive the neutrality she adopted was her way to cover up her growing ease at being around me. She didn’t want to be comfortable in my presence, but it was happening anyway.
“Thanks,” I said after she finished filling the coffee cup. I pushed the bag across the counter. “This is for you.”
She bit her lip, trying not to smile as she took the bag. “You have to stop giving me things. You must be wasting so much money.”
“Nothing is wasted if it's for you,” I countered as she pulled out the item from the bag. She held up the small stained-glass piece of art. It depicted an ocean at sunset with gorgeous greens and blues making up the water.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, making my shoulders relax. She tried hard to react with the same enthusiasm for all my gifts, but it was clear when I did well. This one was a good one.
“I have a window in the bedroom of my apartment," she murmured, holding it up a little higher as if to imagine it hanging in a specific spot. “It’s going to look beautiful when it catches the morning light.”
“Someday I’d like to see that,” I said.
She jerked, and her smile disappeared. Shoving the stained glass back into the bag, she gave me a polite smile. “Thank you, Archer. This was a thoughtful gift.”
Then she hurried away. It took me a moment to figure out why she might’ve reacted negatively to my comment.
Bedroom. The window was in her bedroom. She probably thought I was suggesting something.
With a sigh, I dropped my head to the countertop, forehead impacting with the cool surface.
“Way to ruin a good moment,” I grumbled to myself.
Someone patted my shoulder with a chuckle. It was Adora.
“At least Harper isn’t here. That wolf is always looking for any excuse to toss you out on your ass,” she said before moving away.
That was the truth. A customer had yelled at Abby the other day, making her shoulders hunch and her eyes tear up. Even though I’d done nothing but try to get between Abby and the stupid human, Harper had shoved us both out the door.
I’d taken great pleasure in dragging the man out of view of the public and giving him the beating he deserved.
When he’d threatened to call the cops, I flashed my old sheriff's badge and told him I was the cops. It felt so good to see his fear and watch him slink off with blood on his face.
When I’d tried to go back in, Harper barred the door. “It’s easy to defend Abby against a single human, but you failed to defend her against the people who should’ve loved her the most. You’re done for the day. Take your bloody knuckles and think about why a man yelling was enough to make her cry.”
As much as I hated what Harper said, she was right. I spent the rest of the day cataloging all the things I’d done wrong and at the top of the list was not standing up to my father until it was too late.
This introspection hurt, but I considered it part of the process. Abby deserved the best version of me I could be.
Someone took a seat next to me. I sat back up and looked over to see Noah. He was a member of the Lobos Gris pack and always up for a friendly conversation.
“Hey, Archer. Are you still looking for a job?” he asked.
I blinked and nodded.
He grinned. “I might have something for you. It pays well, but you’d be a bouncer at a place called Club Gaudium.
Usually the Lobo Gris is able to supply enough people, but they can be a little disorganized.
The owner wants someone to take over that part of the club.
You’d be taking shifts and organizing schedules and stuff like that.
Sometimes you’ll have to interact with the human authorities, which is why she’s having a hard time filling the position.
I figure you have to be used to that because you were an official sheriff, right? ”
I nodded, blown away by this offer. I know it wasn’t a guaranteed job, but any lead was a good one. Right now I was working a few hours here and there as a driver for a delivery company, but the pay was crap and the hours limited.
“I’m interested,” I said. “Who do I talk to?”
Noah held up a hand. “There’s one more thing you should know. Imani, the owner, is a vampire, and her flock includes a sloth bear shifter and a chimera shifter.”
I snorted. “I have nothing against vampires or any shifter groups.”
Noah smiled and pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to me. “Great, give me your number, and I’ll send you the contact info.”
We talked a little longer, Adora took his order, and Abby brought over my usual without me needing to ask.
“I'm sorry,” I said quickly as she set down my plate. “I didn't mean anything by saying I wanted to see it in your bedroom. I'm prepared to spend years coming here every day with no expectations. I swear!”
She graced me with a small smile. “I know.”
With that, she moved to another table full of customers. Warmth spread through my chest, maybe I hadn't messed up after all.
The day only got better from there. I got a response to my inquiry and had an hour-long phone interview that afternoon. Because I'd never been a bouncer before, she suggested I work under some of the wolves to see if it was a job I could see doing long-term.
“That's an excellent idea,” I agreed.
“You understand that if this works out, it'll be full-time? I'm planning to open a second club, and you'll be in charge of security for both of them.”
“Please take the damn job!” a voice growled in the background. “I'm so sick of dealing with schedules and drunk humans.”
Imani chuckled. “Don't mind Mac. Show up tonight at seven, and Silas will show you around.”
“Silas?” I said, the name sounding familiar. It took a moment, then I remembered. “Is that Harper's mate?”
“Yes,” she said. “You're already getting to know Lobo Gris. That's good, you'll be dealing with several of them. Harper works here a few nights a week.”
Maybe she'd go easier on me if I showed her that I was serious about getting a job and sticking around.
The night went well. All the diplomatic skills I'd learned while dealing with the colony and my father served me well as a bouncer.
As I drove home at around three in the morning, I could easily see myself doing this job full-time.
Except for Harper, everyone was cordial, and the humans were mostly easy to deal with.
I couldn't wait to see Abby tomorrow and tell her the exciting news.