Chapter 6
Tori
The guys had to go out to work today. They wouldn’t tell me where they were going or what they were doing.
When Cyrus opened his mouth to tell me, Flint elbowed him sharply in the ribs and glared at him.
Flint’s distrust of me hasn’t lessened, not even after the intel I shared with them last night that I presume they’re acting on today.
Flint practically ordered me to hang out at the bar with Shelly while she works.
I was correct earlier about the clubhouse set-up.
Most of the women working here are either club girls or old ladies, and the men are prospects.
It was fun hanging out and chatting with Shelly.
Although she’s twenty years older than I am, we get along well and have a lot in common.
But as the lunch rush comes in, she’s too busy to talk, and I soon become restless.
I watch as she rushes around, and I overhear her grumbling to Candy about how someone didn’t show up for their shift today.
“I can help,” I offer brightly. Shelly’s been kind to me, giving me her clothes and chatting to me like I’m a normal person. I want to help her, to give something back as a way to thank her.
Shelly turns to me in surprise, and she waves away my offer with a flick of the dishcloth she’s been using to bus tables. “Oh, no, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“Well then, it’s a good thing you’re not asking me to, I’m offering,” I say. I want to be useful while I’m here. “Please, let me help,” I insist. “Considering it a thank you for the clothes,” I add, gesturing to the jeans and cute t-shirt she gave me that I’m wearing.
Shelly contemplates this for a moment, but as another table walks in, she nods. “Alright, thanks hon, grab an apron from the kitchen, you can bus tables for me.”
“Sure thing,” I reply with a smile, heading to grab an apron. “I can bus tables in my sleep.”
It doesn’t take me long to get into the swing of things and figure out where everything is.
“Wow, you’re a natural,” Shelly says appreciatively when we get a spare second. “Most of the newbie twenty-one-year-olds we hire don’t know their ass from their elbow,” she says, throwing her head back and laughing.
I laugh too. “Well, I’m hardly a newbie. I was only ten when I started working in the bar for my father at the Raging Bulls clubhouse. By now, I’m an old hand at it.”
Shelly’s eyebrows raise. “Your dad had you working in that place at ten? I went to the Raging Bulls’ clubhouse once, it’s no place for a child. And there’s no way you should have been working that young.”
I shrug. “Try telling my father that. He said it was the only thing I was good for.”
“Asshole,” Shelly mutters, shaking her head. “I’m glad you got away from him,” she says, squeezing my shoulder comfortingly.
A couple of hours later, the lunchtime rush has died down, and Shelly is officially at the end of her shift.
As her replacement arrives to take over, Shelly lets out a weary sigh of relief.
“Come on, hon, I think we both deserve a drink after that,” she says, taking off her apron and sitting at the bar.
I consider offering to help more, but they don’t really need me now, not with a whole team.
I sit down on the stool beside Shelly and accept the bottle of beer she hands over to me.
I’m not a big beer drinker, well, I’m not really a drinker at all, but the couple of sips I have tried in the past, I haven’t enjoyed.
However, to my weary, tired surprise, the first sip is refreshing, and I find myself enjoying the taste.
“Okay, as long as I’m not needed anymore,” I reply.
I reach into the pocket of my apron to produce the wad of crumpled bills.
Food was free for the club members, but most of the guys left generous tips as if it was a real diner.
“Here, these are the tips I got today. You can split them among the team,” I say, offering them to Shelly.
Surprised, Shelly pushes my hands back toward me, refusing to take the money. “I wouldn’t dream of it. You earned that, honey.” I hesitate, wanting to refuse, but she insists. “Please, I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Alright, thanks,” I reply, stuffing them into my pocket. It’ll go a long way toward my freedom fund, as I’ve been calling it.
“No, thank you for helping today, you’re a lifesaver. Say, if you’re sticking around, do you want a job? I’m gonna fire the girl who didn’t show up today, that’s the third shift she’s bailed on without notice,” Shelly says, swigging straight from the bottle.
“I’m not planning on being here too long, to be honest, but I’m happy to help while I’m here,” I reply truthfully. I could use some extra cash, and I’ll go crazy sitting around doing nothing here. I’m not used to being idle.
“Well then, you’re hired,” Shelly says with a smile, shaking my hand. “I have a feeling you’re gonna end up staying here longer than you expect, though.”
“What makes you say that?” I ask, tilting my head.
“Because I’ve seen the way those boys look at you, and the way you look at them,” Shelly says with a knowing twinkle in her eyes.
God, is it that obvious that I have the hots for them?
I laugh, deflecting the comment. “Hardly. Hunter is a flirty horndog who is obviously a player, Cyrus is just being kind, and Flint practically hates me. There’s no way they’re looking at me in any type of way other than pityingly.”
Shelly frowns and wags her finger at me. “Now, don’t you go selling yourself short there. I know those boys, I’ve known them a long time, and I know when they’re all crushing on someone.”
“Okay, let’s suspend reality for a second and pretend that I believe you and you’re right, the guys have the hots for me,” I roll my eyes. “Surely that’s all the more reason for me to leave? There are three of them and only one of me.”
“Ah, so you don’t know about Bella, then?” she says, leaning back and folding her arms.
I’m confused but also intrigued. “No, who’s Bella?”
“You didn’t hear it from me,” Shelly says conspiratorially, and I nod, miming zipping my lips. “Bella is the guys’ ex, as in all three of them were dating her. Together, at the same time,” she clarifies.
My mouth pops open in surprise. “How did they find out? How are they still friends after their girlfriend cheated on them all with the others?”
Shelly shakes her head, smiling wickedly.
“Oh no, you’re misunderstanding me. There was no cheating involved.
They shared her, polyamory it’s called. A relationship with more than two people.
All consensual. So, my point is that if those boys are crushing on you, you’d better make it very clear if you’re not looking for a package deal. ”
I have to admit, the thought of dating them all has my heart racing and my skin tingling.
It’s not something I ever considered as a possibility, but the idea of being with three guys at once is exciting.
I’m attracted to all three of them, and I’ll admit the idea of trying to have sex with one of them has crossed my mind more than once.
What if I could have all three? It would be the ultimate fuck you to my father, and make sure that Spike no longer wanted me.
I’d be spoiled goods in their eyes. I’d be free.
I keep these thoughts to myself. Instead, I ask Shelly, “Do you know why they broke up with Bella?”
Shelly’s shoulders slump, and she looks a little sad. “It was a terrible time. They were so miserable, it almost destroyed their friendship.”
I’m confused as to why Shelly would suggest they’d want to share me if that’s the case. My puzzlement must show on my face as Shelly clarifies.
“It wasn’t that they couldn’t share. The guys are so close, if she’d been the right person, I think it would have worked.
But she wasn’t. She manipulated them and tried to play them against each other.
She enjoyed making them jealous, feeling like she had three guys fighting over her.
She wanted them to all want her, but not in a sharing, loving way.
She wanted competition and ultimately for there to be one ‘winner’ of her heart.
She’d never had any intention of being with all three long-term.
” Shelly balls her hands into fists, her lips spread into a thin, angry line.
“It was a long time ago, but they haven’t shared a woman since.
Maybe I’m being silly, but the way they are around you reminds me of how they were with her at the start.
” Shelly laughs deprecatingly. “Listen to me, yakking on when I don’t even know how you feel.
Look, what I’m trying to say is, if you do like them all, don’t hurt them like she did, okay? I’m not sure they’d survive it again.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt them. You’ve all been so kind to me, so welcoming,” I assure Shelly. “Thank you for telling me.”
It’s the truth. I wouldn’t want to hurt the guys or harm their friendship.
However, I think Shelly is wrong in thinking I have the power to do it.
If—and it’s a big if—they are all attracted to me, then it must surely be a fleeting thing that would be satisfied the moment we acted on it.
After all, I’m an overweight Plain Jane twenty-one-year-old virgin.
They’d soon tire of me when they found a more experienced and attractive woman to distract them.
However, that doesn’t stop me from having some fun with them.
I want to lose my virginity soon, and what better choice than to someone I find attractive, and there’s going to be no messy complications or strings attached.
Plus, there’d be the added bonus of making my father mad.
All the guys would need to do is tell him in front of people, and our plan would be complete.
He’d be a laughingstock. Plus, I want this for me.
When was the last time I did something I wanted?
When have I acted on my feelings and gotten what I want? Never, that’s when.
I deserve to have a first time with a guy who makes me feel sexy and wanted.
Hunter definitely does both of those. I have to admit that he makes me think he would be interested in hooking up, and he seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t expect more from me.
I might be inexperienced and terrible at it, but I’m gonna try to seduce Hunter.
Let’s hope it goes better than the last drunken failure.