“So you bartend?”
“Yep.”
“Can I ask why you drive so far when there are probably dozens of bars in the city that would hire you?”
“Tad pays better than any of the places I’ve checked. He has a lot of girls that call in for their weekend shifts, so he pays me extra to work every weekend. I’ve worked there for two years and I’ve known him half my life. He knows I’ll always show up.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I forced you into letting me bring you then.”
She grins at me. It’s a cute, sexy little grin that makes me want to kiss her.
And that’s not good.
“I guess I owe you one.”
“I’m sure I can think of something you can do to pay me back.”
Dude, now you’re flirting?
Even to my own ears, my comment sounds suggestive. The sad thing is, it was meant that way. There are literally a dozen things I’d love for her to do for me. Or to me. Or let me do to her.
Her grin widens into a smile. “Just let me know when you think of something then.”
Great! Now she’s flirting back!
I should mind. I should be opposed to it. But I’m not. Far from it!
I need to change the subject. “So, I don’t know how much my brother pays, but I’m sure he’s very competitive. Why don’t I talk to Cash about you? He might have an opening.”
I see panic on her face. “No!”
“O-kay,” I say, a little shocked by her reaction. “May I ask why not?”
She sighs and leans her head back against the head rest, closing her eyes. “It’s kind of a long and very embarrassing story.”
“Does it have something to do with you taking his clothes off?”
Her head jerks up and she turns wide eyes on me. “Did he say something about it?”
“No, you mentioned it that first morning, remember?”
Her expression calms. “Oh yeah. That’s right.”
“So just because of one little incident like that, you’d refuse a job offer that would keep you closer to home and probably put more money in your pocket?”
“Well, the more money in my pocket thing remains to be seen. You don’t know how much he pays.”
“I can almost guarantee it would be enough to make it worth your while. His club is pretty big.”
“Hmmm,” she answers again.
“You should at least think about it. Unless you want me to force you again. I could carry you in there, you know.”
She looks over at me and smiles. And I want nothing more than to pull over and drag her into my lap.
“On second thought, maybe I’d rather you make me force you.”
What the hell are you doing, man?
She picks up her head off the head rest then cocks it to one side. “Are you flirting with me?”
I shrug. She’s very direct. I like that.
“Would you mind if I was?”
“Marissa is my cousin, you know.”
“But you can barely stand her.”
“That’s not the point. I’m not that girl.”
I look at her. And I don’t doubt her for one second. She might think Marissa’s a cold bitch, but she would never purposely do anything to hurt her.
“Believe it or not, I know you’re not. I’m a pretty good judge of character and I have no doubts you’re not that girl.”
Her brow wrinkles. “Then why are you flirting with me?”
She’s serious. She’s not smiling or teasing, but she’s not judging me either. She’s just curious.
I’m fascinated and, for one second, completely honest with her.
“I can’t seem to help myself.”
CHAPTER SEVEN - Olivia
How in the world did I let him talk me into this?
I’m standing in front of the main door of Dual. I look long and hard at the sign. I have to smile. Dual. Double. Two. Twins. It appears Cash is cheeky in every aspect of his life. And clever.
Dammit.
It’s broad daylight and the parking lot is empty. I’m having serious reservations about what I’m getting ready to do. Nash has pestered me about letting him get me a job at the club since Sunday night when my dad dropped me back at the apartment.
Even though it seems that Cash and Nash don’t get along very well at all, Nash offered to bring me by and officially introduce me to his brother. Stubborn idiot that I am, I refused to even consider the job. But now that the weekend approaches and I’m dreading going all the way back to Salt Springs to work at Tad’s, I’m feeling more optimistic about working for Cash. Unfortunately, Nash had to leave to go out of town again, so now I’m stuck going in alone. And I’m having second thoughts. Especially since the reason I’m most anxious to stick around town on the weekends is to see more of Nash, who is strictly off limits.
You’re such a dumb ass! Talk about flirting with disaster!
I sigh and shift my weight from foot to foot, debating what to do. I look longingly back at my car, the car that Nash had a mechanic come look at and fix before I even got back home on Sunday. Turns out it was something simple with a spark plug, I think he said. But still… He had it fixed.
I sigh.
It’s the possibility of seeing more of Nash, of him casually dropping by to check on me, that pushes me in the direction of the door.
I open it and walk into the dark interior. Even in the middle of the day, very little light shines in through the small, high windows.
The bar looks totally different without the wild lights and the wall-to-wall crush of bodies. The high tables are clean and empty, the black floors are polished to a shine, there is some kind of instrumental music pouring softly from the speakers and the only illumination in the whole room is the backlit liquor display cases behind the bar.
Nash said Cash would be here all day, but I’m beginning to think I should’ve had him set a specific time. I have no idea where to look for him.
My flip flops make a hushed flapping sound against my heels as I make my way across the room. I walk to the bar and pull out a stool to sit on, hoping Cash is keeping an eye on the place since the door was open.
I nearly swallow my tongue when Cash pops up from behind the bar. “You must be Olivia.”
“Holy mother of hell!” I say, grabbing my chest to still my racing heart.
He laughs. “With a mouth like that, you’ll fit right in here.”
If I weren’t so surprised, I’d probably take exception to that comment. Instead, I laugh.
“You bring out the worst in me. What can I say?”
Cash is wearing a black tank top that perfectly showcases his muscular arms and the interesting tattoo that adorns the left side of his chest. I try not to think of him as mouthwatering, but that’s the word that keeps going through my head.
Dammit!
He puts his elbows on the bar and leans in closer to me. “That’s because you haven’t given me the chance to bring out the best in you.”
His voice is deep and quiet. His brow is arched, much like it was that first night—in a suggestively challenging way. I feel my pulse pick up.
Good God, he’s even hotter than I remember!
Somehow, I’d managed to convince myself that he wasn’t as appealing as Nash, that because he’s the bad boy of the two, he’s less attractive. Sweet Lord, was I wrong!
I try desperately to hang onto my brain and make a better impression this time. I know I’ll only get this one chance to redeem myself.
I smile politely and respond. “Well, that won’t be a problem if I start working for you, right?”
He leans back and smiles crookedly. “Already threatening a sexual harassment suit?”
“No, I… of course not! I... I didn’t mean…what I actually meant was…” In my head, I hear the sound of an airplane falling from the sky at terminal velocity then crashing into the side of a mountain with a loud explosion.
Shut up, Olivia! Please, just shut up!
“Don’t back down now! This was just getting interesting.”
I exhale. I’m both relieved and a little irritated.
He’s teasing me!
“Are you always this evil?”
“Evil?” he asks, his expression innocent. “Me? Nooooo.”
With a grin, he plants his hands flat on the bar and lifts himself onto it, throwing his legs over and hopping down right beside me. I actually squeeze my eyes shut for a second in hopes that the vision of his biceps and triceps straining against his smooth skin won’t be permanently etched onto my mind. I think I’m too late, though, because it’s all I can see on the backdrop of my lids.
Dammit!
“Nash says you bartend, right?”
My eyes open to his. He’s staring down at me, so close I can see the vague line where black pupil stops and nearly-black iris begins. Those eyes are amazing!
I see his eyebrows rise, prompting me.
“Pardon?” I ask.
“Nothing. I don’t even think it matters. If you’re this adorably sexy all the time, no one will care how fast you get them their drinks.”
I flush a little at his words. They shouldn’t please me. But they do. Quite a bit.
“That won’t be a problem.”
“What? You being adorably sexy? No, I can see that.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’ve been working at one of the busiest sports clubs in Salt Springs for the last two years. I can hold my own behind your bar.”
He crosses his arms over his chest and smirks at me. “You think so?”
I feel my spine straightening. “I know so.”
“The people that come here want to be served as well as entertained. Think you can handle that, too?”
I’m thinking to myself that I don’t even know what that means, but my mouth has already moved on.
“Not a problem.”
“So then you won’t mind giving me an…audition.”
His pause gives me a little chill that races down my spine. I clear my throat and reach deep for my bravado. “Audition? What did you have in mind?”
He doesn’t answer for a few seconds. Long enough to make me squirm. Long enough for me to think of all sorts of different types of auditions, a couple of which excite me.
Get your mind out of the gutter, Liv! He’s off limits!
He laughs. “Nothing too creative. I don’t want to push my luck with the sexual harassment thing. Yet.”
“Are you trying to run me off?”
“Oh come on. You can’t tell me you’ve never worked for someone who’s attracted to you. I bet that happens to a girl like you all the time.”
I resist the ridiculous grin that’s tugging at my lips. I can’t let him see that I’m pleased to hear him admit to being attracted to me, especially when “pleased” is code for “I can barely breathe I’m so excited”.
“A girl like me?” I ask in my calmest manner.
“Yeah, a girl like you.” Cash’s lids drop down part way over his eyes, making them look like heavy, bedroom eyes, and his voice is like the silk sheets I can imagine him sleeping on. “Feisty, sexy, gorgeous as hell. I bet you’ve never met a man you couldn’t wind around your little finger.”
He’s watching me like he wants to undress me right where we are—in an empty bar with low light and soft music. And there’s a tiny part of me that would love for him to do exactly that.
I snort.
Ohmigod, I snort! “Not hardly.”
“Yeah, you say that, but I’d bet you could have your way with any guy you want.” He cocks his head to one side as he considers me. I get the feeling he’s weighing me, assessing me. “But maybe you just don’t know it.”
“I…I…I don’t know what you mean,” I say, hating that my voice sounds so breathless. I don’t want Cash to know he affects me at all.
“Hmmm,” is all he says. After several more seconds of trying to figure me out, Cash smiles. It’s a polite smile that says he’s back to business. Well, at least as much as he has been thus far. “So, audition it is. Can you come for a shift tomorrow night?”
I hate to call in at Tad’s, but I don’t want to quit until I know I have a job here either. So it’s either call in at Tad’s or blow off this audition. I don’t have much choice.
“Sure. What time should I be here?”
“Seven. That way Taryn can show you the setup before the doors open at nine.”
“Sounds good,” I say, nodding. Silence stretches between us and I’m at a loss. “Well, I guess I’d better let you get back to your work.”
“Aren’t you going to ask about money? Nash said that was kind of a thing.”
Holy crap! I’m so freakin’ bedazzled I forgot to even ask about the pay!
I feel my cheeks get hot. I pray it’s too dark for him to notice, and that, if he does, he chalks it up to my discomfort with talking about money matters.
“Yes, there is that.”
“How about two dollars per hour above what your current employer is paying you?”
My mouth wants to drop open. “Don’t you even want to know what that is?”
He makes a face. “Nah. I get the feeling you’ll be worth it.”
“No pressure there,” I mumble.
He laughs again. “Oh, there’ll be plenty of pressure. Don’t you worry about that. This place is kickin’ on the weekends.”
I want to remind him I’ve been here, but I don’t want him to be thinking about me undressing him.
Too late.