Dangerous Love(53)

But there wasn’t much of a crowd for a Monday night, and she hadn’t worked the weekend because she’d been sick with the flu. Though Kayla contended it wasn’t an illness, but claimed it was broken-heart syndrome. She didn’t agree with that conclusion. Didn’t one have to actually be in love in order to suffer from break-up symptoms?

“Mackenzie,” Grant whispered into her ear, causing her to jump. She hated when he did that.

“Grant,” she scolded. “Stop that.”

He smirked devilishly. “I’m cutting you. It’s slow tonight.”

“I need to stay, Grant. I need to make a hundred dollars by the end of the night,” she pleaded. She’d only worked two hours and had twenty bucks to show for it.

“Do you need money? I’ll help, whatever you need, Mackenzie,” Grant said concerned. He leaned against the bar, facing her, his arms crossed over that wide chest that his suit strained against.

“Mackenzie?” a soft feminine voice said from behind her boss.

Grant spun and she blanched. “Mrs. Murphy?”

“Hello,” Courtney said, a polite smile played at her lips as she scanned the bar.

“What are you doing here?” Mackenzie looked around to see if Derk was nearby.

“I came to speak with you. You didn’t show up last night at the book club meeting,” Courtney said, then furrowed her brow. “I didn’t realize what kind of bar this is.”

“And what kind of bar is it?” Grant asked.

Courtney glanced at Grant and gave him a once over, her features changing from polite to haughty. Her posture grew as she stood straight. “A place where someone like Mackenzie shouldn’t be working.”

“There’s nothing wrong with her earning an honest living,” Grant ground out.

“At what cost? Showing off her assets to every fifthly pervert in the city?” Courtney challenged.

“Get out of my bar, you fucking judgmental bitch,” Grant snapped.

Courtney cackled. “You do not get to kick me out of anywhere I choose to visit.” She turned to Mackenzie. “Can I speak to you in private?”

“She’s working,” Grant spat.

“I’m actually finished. You just let me go for the night,” Mackenzie said, putting an end to this squabble before it got too heated. She watched Grant’s eyes flash black with a fire behind them. Uh-oh, she pissed him off. Not the first time in the past month she’d angered a man. She collected a decent tally.

“We can step out back,” Mackenzie said to Mrs. Murphy. She was positive Courtney wouldn’t have shown up unless she’d been truly offended by her obvious invite rejection.

When they stepped through the back employee entrance of the bar, Mackenzie cringed at the oxymoron of Courtney dressed in a pair of designer form-fitted jeans, a pair of Louboutin heeled boots, a sheer ivory blouse that probably cost more money than Mackenzie earned last year, and a black blazer to top off the outfit. The woman didn’t belong outback near the dumpsters, cigarette butts, and the slew of empty Pepsi bottles.

And for some reason, Grant followed them.

“Mackenzie,” Courtney started, her eyes darting back and forth from Mackenzie to Grant. “I missed you the other night at the book club. I thought you’d be there. We had a seat for you at dinner.”

“I’m sorry,” she said embarrassed. She’d really considered going but thought better of it since she’d ended her non-relationship with Derk. She didn’t know what kind of position that’d put Mrs. Murphy in.

Courtney tilted her head. “Don’t be concerned about Derk. He has nothing to do with us becoming friends.”

Was she that transparent?

“Who’s Derk?” Grant demanded.

Courtney eyed him but ignored him, as if he were an ant she was about to step on or over, like he was beneath her to consider staining her expensive boots. It was a side of Courtney she should have realized existed but was fascinated to watch. It wasn’t as if Mackenzie didn’t have experience with the insanely wealthy’s peon attitude, it was she’d never been first-hand witness to a woman who walked the walk and talked the talk. It was evident Courtney firmly believed Grant was a lower life form than her. That was how well the woman played the game.

“Is Derk someone you’re seeing?” Grant asked. “Because I thought we were dating. Is he why you’ve been avoiding me?”

The back door burst open and Kayla stepped outside. “Grant, I need change−ˮ

She stopped when she obviously realized she interrupted a tense situation.

“Mackenzie, are you happy working here?” Courtney asked, those stunning eyes narrowed and directed at Grant.