Dexter
“So Grace dumped his ass?” I ask Cas. He’s at the bar with Penny and Jude. It’s Sunday night, and they came over for a drink before dinner.
“Yeah. She said long distance wasn’t working out.” Cas shrugs. Our little sister, Grace, went to college in Wyoming in September, and her boyfriend got a scholarship in Missoula, Montana. Their relationship lasted eight months. Not that I mind, I prefer our sister single and safe.
“Good riddance,” Jude mutters.
“Poor Grace. She must be devastated.” Penny shakes her head.
“You look tired, man. Everything okay?” Cas’s knowing eyes scan my face.
“I’m tired. Sonia quit last month, and I’ve been working overtime without her.
” Sonia had been my bartender for years, reliable and steady, until she got married, got pregnant, and became a stay-at-home mom.
I’m happy for her, but now I’m one person short, and I hate training new people. I don’t trust them.
“Damn, bro. You need to hire someone. We don’t see you at dinners anymore.” Cas shakes his head.
“You can put up an ad,” Penny offers.
I sigh. They’re right, but the thought of training someone all over again is exhausting.
The door to the bar opens. A woman steps inside. Small, pale, hair so blonde it’s almost white, soft waves brushing her shoulders. A worn hoodie and jeans. She scans the bar, and her eyes lock on mine. Dark blue, like the ocean. Something inside me stirs. I shake my head and look away.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her walk to the bar.
“Hi,” she says, her voice small and raw.
I look up and hold back a curse. Up close, she looks different than she did in the doorway. All fairylike features and quiet, fragile beauty, like someone the world should handle more gently. Delicate, almost innocent. Too innocent for the bruises on her throat.
“Hello,” I force myself to greet her.
“I was wondering if you’re hiring? I’m looking for a job.” She wrings her hands nervously. “I can clean, cook, serve… anything really.”
I study her. Worn shoes, a tear in her jeans, scraped knuckles.
“Not looking, sorry,” I say. This girl is trouble, and that’s the last thing I need. Penny shoots me daggers while Cas’s mouth hangs open.
“Oh, okay. Thanks anyway.” She turns to leave but pauses at the counter. “Can I have a Coke, please?”
I nod. She looks around and sits at a table near the exit. When I serve her, I hear her stomach growl.
Shit. She looks like she hasn’t eaten in days.
I grab a bag of chips from behind the bar and set them in front of her. She looks startled.
“Oh, no. I can’t. I…” She glances at her Coke. “I only have money for this.”
My chest tightens, but I ignore it. I’ve always been too sensitive to other people’s pain.
“On the house.” I return to the bar.
Penny’s eyes narrow. “Dex, did you see her neck?”
“I did,” I mumble, cleaning glasses.
“And you said you need a new hire…” Penny gestures at me like I’m an idiot.
“I know, but she looks like she’ll break if I ask her to carry a tray.” I lie. She does look fragile, but that’s not the real reason. She makes me feel… strange, like I want to protect her. Like I need to take care of her. And that’s the last thing I need right now.
“Someone hurt her, and she can’t even pay for food. What if no one helped me when I came here?” Penny pleads. Cas sits beside her, smirking knowingly.
I sigh long and hard.
“Fuckers never mind your own business, do you?” I shake my head at Cas.
“Just give her a job. We can’t leave her like this,” he adds. I glance at my twin, Jude. He hasn’t said a word, but his eyes speak volumes. She needs help. We can’t ignore it.
“Fuck.” I set down the cloth and walk to her.
“What’s your name?”
She looks up, neck bruises visible again. “Alexis, but people call me Lexy.”
“Lexy,” I repeat. I like the sound of it. Lexy the pixie. “I’m Dex.” I hold out my hand. She studies it, then takes it. “Ever work in a bar?”
She nods. “I worked in a diner for six years and at a night store for three of those.” Who the hell would let someone like her work nights alone?
“When can you start?” I ask. Her face lights up.
“Now?”
“How about you come by tomorrow morning around ten, and I’ll show you the ropes?”
She nods quickly, relief flooding her features. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and walk back to the bar before I say something I shouldn’t.
Penny smirks. “Told you so.”
Cas raises his glass. “Welcome back to having a life, brother.”
I ignore them, but my eyes drift back to her table.
Lexy.
Bruised.
Alone.
Running from something she’s not saying.
I don’t need trouble.
But trouble just walked into my bar…
and I hired her anyway.