I had paperwork to do, but I was more interested in the impending crash and burn of my newest employee.
Naomi strutted her high-class ass right on up to the table like an idealistic kindergarten teacher on her first day. I hated Wylie Ogden for good reason, but I didn’t mind using him to prove my point.
She didn’t belong here. And if I had to prove that by dangling her in front of a wolf, then so be it.
Wylie’s squinty little eyes zeroed in on her, and his tongue darted out between his lips. He knew the rules. Knew I wouldn’t hesitate to toss his ass out of here if he so much as touched one of my employees. But that didn’t stop him from being a creepy old man.
“What’s your problem with Not Tina?” Silver asked, punching the button on the blender and pouring vodka into three rocks glasses.
I didn’t reply. Answering questions only encouraged conversations.
I watched as Wylie lavished Naomi with his pervy brand of attention without feeling the least bit guilty.
She wasn’t my type on any plane of existence. Hell, even in jeans and a Honky Tonk t-shirt, she still looked high-class and high-maintenance. She wouldn’t settle for a few nights between the sheets.
She was the kind of woman with expectations. With long-term plans.
With honey-do lists and would you mind s and can you please s.
Normally I could ignore an attraction to a woman who wasn’t my type.
Maybe I needed a break? It had been a while since I’d taken a few days off, had some fun, gotten laid.
I did the math, winced.
It had been more than a while.
That’s what I needed. A few days away. Maybe I’d hit the beach. Read a few fucking novels. Drink a few beers out of someone else’s inventory. Find a good lay with no strings or expectations.
I ignored the knee-jerk “meh.”
After hitting forty, I’d noticed an alarming ambivalence when it came to the hunt. Laziness most likely. The hunt, the narrowing of the field, the flirtation. What had once been entertaining started to seem like a lot of work for just a night or two.
But I’d work up the energy, work off the sexual frustration. Then I could come back here and not feel compelled to jerk off every time I saw Naomi Witt.
Matter settled, I poured myself a water from the soda gun and watched Naomi try to leave the table only to be stopped by Wylie. The fucker actually grabbed her by the wrist.
“Oooooh, shit,” Silver said under her breath as I came off the barstool.
“Goddammit,” I muttered as I made my way across the bar.
“Now don’t you dally, Naomi,” Wylie was saying. “The boys and I sure like lookin’ at your face.”
“Among other things,” one of his idiotic friends said, sending the table into spasms of laughter.
I’d expected her to be clawing her way free, but Naomi was smiling. “I knew you boys were going to be trouble,” she teased lightly.
“There a problem?” I snapped.
Wylie’s hand fell away from Naomi’s wrist, and I didn’t miss the fact that she immediately took a step back.
“Problem?” Wylie said. “I don’t see no problem.”
“Wylie and his friends were introducing themselves,” Naomi said. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
With a parting glare in my direction, she sauntered back to the bar.
I stepped into Wylie’s line of sight, ruining his view of her departing ass.
“You know the rules, Ogden.”
“Boy, I was running this town when you were nothing but a spark in your daddy’s eyes.”
“Don’t run shit now, do you?” I said. “But this place? This is mine. And if you wanna be able to drink here, you’ll keep your goddamn hands to yourself.”
“I don’t appreciate the insinuations, boy.”
“And I don’t appreciate having to serve your crooked ass. Guess we’re even.”
I left him and his cronies and went in search of Naomi. I found her at the POS by the bar.
Chewing on her lower lip, she didn’t bother glancing up from the screen where she carefully entered an order. From the Sex on the Beach and Flaming Orgasm, I guessed it was Wylie’s table of morons.
“You hit me with a fucking tray for talkin’ shit, but you let that sweaty asshole put his hand on you?”
“I don’t have time to point out the fact that you told me if I upset one table you were firing me, so you’ll have to settle for this,” she said, holding up her middle finger in my face.
Hinkel McCord and Tallulah burst out laughing.
“Y’all aren’t gettin’ dinner and a show,” I warned before turning back to Naomi.
“Dammit. Where’s the substitute button?” she muttered.
I reached around her and paged through the options to the right one.
Having her caged between me and the screen was making my libido malfunction.
To be contrary, I didn’t step back while she keyed in the rest of the order.
When she was finished, Naomi turned to look at me. “You sent me over there on purpose, knowing what would happen. I didn’t react the way you wanted me to. Get over it.”
“I sent you over there so you’d be creeped out by Wylie, not so he could put his fucking hands on you. If he does it again, I wanna know.”
She laughed. Right in my face. “Yeah. Sure, Viking. I’ll come running.”
“Drinks up, Nay,” Silver called.
“Gotta go, boss,” Naomi said with the kind of fake, bright politeness she’d used on Wylie. It made me want to punch a hole in the wall.
Ten minutes later, I was still thinking about punching something when my brother strolled through the door. His gaze went directly to Naomi, who was delivering a second round of drinks to the St. Johns.
About a second later, he’d clocked Wylie at the table. The two exchanged a long stare before Nash headed my way.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Sherry crowed. My soon-to-be-fired business manager had come out of the office to watch the Naomi show.
Nash dragged his eyes away from Naomi’s ass and flashed her an easy grin. “How’s it goin’, Fi?” he asked.
“Never a dull moment. You here to see the new girl?” she asked slyly, shooting me a look.
“Thought I’d drop in and see how Naomi’s first day is going,” he said.
“You and half the fucking town,” Max said as she breezed by with a tray of drinks.
“She’s doing great,” Sherry told him. “Despite some head-butting with management.”
Nash glanced my way. “Doesn’t surprise me.”
“Hi, Nash,” Naomi chirped as she passed us on her way to the bar.
He nodded. “Naomi.”
Sherry elbowed me in the gut. “Somebody’s got a crush,” she sang.
I grunted. Two somebodies had a crush, and if I had anything to say about it, neither of us was going to get the girl.
“Pull up a stool, Chief,” Silver said.
Nash took her up on the offer and sat at the corner closest to the server station.
“On call or off for the night?” Silver asked.
“Officially off.”
“Beer it is,” she said with a little salute.
“Don’t you have payroll to approve?” Sherry asked innocently as I hovered behind my brother.
“Maybe I already did it,” I hedged, watching as Naomi approached Wylie’s table again.
“I get an alert when it’s been submitted, smartass.”
Tattletale technology. “I’ll get to it. Don’t you have businesses to manage?”
“Right now, I’ve got a man to manage. Quit being a dick to Naomi. She’s good. The customers like her. The staff likes her. Your brother likes her.
You’re the only one with a problem.”
“My place. I get to have a problem if I wanna have a problem.” I sounded like a fucking toddler denied a cookie.
Sherry slapped a hand to my cheek and squeezed. Hard. “Boss, you’re a perpetual ass, but this isn’t like you. You never paid attention to new hires before. Why start now?”
Naomi breezed by again, and it pissed me off that I watched her every step of the way.
“Come here often?” Naomi asked, giving my brother a full wattage smile as she trayed up another round of drinks.
“Thought I’d drop by and give you the good news.”
“What good news?” she asked, looking hopeful.
“I cleared up your little grand theft auto misunderstanding.”
You would have thought my brother had just whipped out a solid gold 10-inch dick with the way Naomi flew into him and wrapped him in a hug.
“Thank you thank you thank you!” she chanted.
“No man-handling the customers,” I snarled.
She rolled her eyes at me and gave Nash a peck on the cheek that made me want to set my own brother on fire.
“Also figured I’d see if you wanted a lift home after your shift,” he offered.
Fuck me.
She didn’t have a car. She probably rode her goddamn bike here and planned to ride it home after closing. In the dark.
Over my dead fucking body.
“That is so sweet of you to offer,” Naomi said.
“Not necessary,” I said, butting into the conversation. “She’s already got a ride. Sherry’ll take her.”
“Sorry, Knox. I’m off in ten,” my business manager said smugly.
“Then so’s she.”
“I can’t close out my tables and do my side work in ten minutes,” Naomi argued. “Max is showing me how to close in case you don’t fire me after tonight.”
“Fine. Then I’m driving you home.”
“I’m sure you have better things to do than to drive a needy pain in the ass home.”
“Burn,” Fi whispered gleefully.
“I’m driving you home. Law and Order lives right upstairs. You’re out of his way. It’d be an inconvenience to him to haul your ass home.”
I knew I’d pushed the right button when Naomi’s smile faltered.
“I don’t mind,” Nash insisted.
But Naomi shook her head. “As much as it pains me to admit, your brother is right. It’ll be late, and I’m out of your way.”
Nash opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “I’m driving her.”
I could probably keep my mouth shut and my hands off her for the five-minute drive.
“In that case, you got a minute?” he asked Naomi.
“You can have her for ten minutes,” Max said, pushing Naomi at my brother.
She laughed and held up a hand. “Actually, I have tables I need to get to.
Do you need something, Nash?”
He glanced my way. “D.C. cops found your car today,” he said.
Her face lit up. “That’s great news.”
Nash winced and shook his head. “Sorry, honey. It’s not. They found it at a chop shop in pieces.”
Naomi’s shoulders slumped. “What about Tina?”
“No sign of her.”
She looked even more dejected, and I was just about to order her to quit worrying when Nash reached out and tipped her chin up. “Don’t let this get you down, honey. You’re in Knockemout. We take care of our own.”
ONCE MY HANDSY fucking brother and Wylie Ogden left, I locked myself in my office and focused on paperwork rather than watching Daisy bravely smile her way into the hearts of Knockemout.
Business was good. And I knew how important staff was to that bottom line. But Jesus. Working with Naomi day in and day out? How long would it take before she’d spout off something smart, and I’d pin her to a wall and kiss her just to shut her up?
I kept an eye on the security monitor while I worked my way through the list of stuff Fi needed me to do.
Payroll submitted. Liquor order finalized. Emails returned. And I’d finally gotten around to working on the ads. It was midnight, closing time, and I was beyond ready to call it a night.
“Come on, Waylon,” I called.
The dog bounded out of his bed.
We found the bar empty of patrons.
“Decent night tonight,” Silver called from the register where she was scanning the day’s report.
“How decent?” I asked, doing my best to ignore Naomi and Max as they rolled utensils into napkins and laughed about something. Waylon charged over to them to demand affection.
“Good enough for shots,” Silver said.
“Did someone say shots?” Max called.
I had a deal with the staff. Every time we beat the previous week’s sales the entire shift earned shots.
She slid the report across the bar to me, and I flipped to the bottom line.
Damn. It had been a good night.
“Maybe new girl’s our lucky charm,” she said.
“Nothing about her is lucky,” I insisted.
“You still owe us.”
I sighed. “Fine. Line ’em up. Teremana.” I glanced over my shoulder.
“Let’s go, ladies.”
Naomi cocked her head, but Max jumped out of her seat. “I knew it was a good night. Fat tips too. Come on,” she said, pulling Naomi to her feet.
I didn’t miss the wince as Naomi stood. She obviously wasn’t used to being on her feet for hours at a time. But I respected her for stubbornly trying to hide her discomfort on the way to the bar. Waylon followed on her heels like a lovesick idiot.
“Boss called tequila,” Silver said, producing the bottle.
Max whistled and drummed the bar.
“Tequila?” Naomi repeated on a yawn.
“Tradition,” Silver explained. “Gotta celebrate the wins.”
“One more,” I said before Silver started to pour.
Her eyebrows winged up as she produced another glass. “Bossman is in.
This is a first.”
Max looked surprised too.
“Wait. Don’t we need salt or lemons or hot sauce or something?” Naomi asked.
Silver shook her head. “That’s for shitty tequila.”
Shots poured, we held our glasses aloft.
“You gotta make the toast,” Max said to me when it became clear no one else was going to do it.
“Fuck. Fine. To a good night,” I said.
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up and drink.”
“Cheers.” We touched glass to glass and then to the wood of the bar.
Naomi mimicked us, and I watched her as she knocked back her shot.
I expected her to start gasping and wheezing like a sorority sister during pledge week. But those hazel eyes went wide as she looked at her empty glass. “So apparently I’ve never had good tequila before.”
“Welcome to Honky Tonk,” Max said.
“Thanks. And now that my first shift is officially complete,” Naomi put her glass and apron on the bar and turned to me. “I quit.”
She headed for the door.
“Nooooo!” Silver and Max called after her.
“You better do something,” Silver said, pinning me with a glare. “She’s good.”
“And she’s trying to support a kid, Knoxy. Have a heart,” Max pointed out.
I swore under my breath. “Walk each other out,” I ordered and then went after Naomi.
I found her in the parking lot next to an ancient ten-speed.
“You’re not riding that thing home,” I announced, grabbing the handlebars.
Naomi let out a long sigh. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to pedal or fight.
But I still quit.”
“No, you don’t.” Handing her the apron, I hauled the bike over to my truck and put it in the bed. She limped along after me, shoulders slumped.
“Jesus, you look like you got trampled by a herd of horses.”
“I’m not used to being on my feet for hours at a time. Okay, Mr. Pushes Paper From a Comfy Desk Chair?”
I opened the passenger side door and gestured for her to get in. She winced when she climbed up.
I waited until she was settled before shutting her door then rounding the hood and sliding behind the wheel. “You’re not quitting,” I said just in case she hadn’t heard me the first time.
“Oh, I’m definitely quitting. It’s the only thing that got me through the shift. I plotted all night. I’d be the best damn server you ever saw, and then when you had your change of heart, I’d tell you I quit.”
“You’re un-quitting.”
She yawned. “You’re just saying that so you can fire me.”
“No. I’m not,” I said grimly.
“You wanted me to quit,” she reminded me. “I quit. You win. Yay you.”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t suck. And you need the money.”
“Your benevolence is astounding.”
I shook my head. Even exhausted, her vocabulary still hit high on the SAT scale.
She rested her head against the seat. “What are we waiting for?”
“Making sure the girls walk out together and get in their cars.”
“That’s nice of you,” she said, yawning again.
“I’m not a complete asshole all the time.”
“So just with me then?” Naomi asked. “I feel so lucky.”
“Cards on the table?” I didn’t feel like sugarcoating it. “You’re not my type.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” she said.
“Nope.”
“You’re not attracted to me, so that means you can’t even be civil to me?”
The back door opened, and we watched Max and Silver exit with the last bag of trash. They marched it to the dumpster together and high-fived after heaving it in. Max waved, and Silver tossed me another salute on their way to their respective cars.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t attracted to you. I said you’re not my type.”
She groaned. “I’m definitely going to regret this, but I think you’re going to have to break it down for me.”
“Well, Daisy. It means my dick doesn’t care that you’re not my type. It’s still standing up, trying to get your attention.”
She was quiet for a long beat.
“You’re too much work. Come with too many complications. And you wouldn’t be satisfied with just a quick fuck.”
“I believe Knox Morgan just said he couldn’t satisfy me. If only I had a phone to immortalize that statement on social media.”
“A. You’re getting a new phone immediately. It’s irresponsible to go without one when you have a kid to think about.”
“Oh, shut up. It’s been a handful of days. Not months. I didn’t know I was going to have a kid to think about,” she said.
“B. I could satisfy the hell out of you,” I plowed on, pulling out of the parking lot. “But you’d just want more, and that doesn’t suit me.”
“Because I’m an ‘uppity, needy pain in the ass,’” she said to the darkness out her window.
I didn’t have a defense. I was an asshole. Plain and simple. And the sooner she realized that, the farther she’d stay from me. Metaphorically speaking.
Naomi let out a weary sigh. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to slap you, jump out of this vehicle, and crawl home,” she said finally.
I turned onto the dirt lane that led to home. “You can slap me tomorrow.”
“Probably just make you want me more.”
“You’re a pain in my ass.”
“You’re just mad because now you have to find a new spot to pee in your yard.”
