Down to You(14)

“If she’s gonna be working with me, she’ll either be the best or I won’t work with her.”

“You’re such a sweet, agreeable beer wench, you know that, Taryn?”

The girl, Taryn, who had turned away to fill up something behind the bar, whirls on him so fast I can hear her dreads slap his face.

“What did you call me?”

The guy tips his head back and laughs. Hard. I fully expect to see the girl go for his eyes, but instead, she surprises me and grins. And just like that, it’s over.

“Are you gonna try to get off and go to the concert with me?” she asks congenially.

Their voices drop into a more conversational tone that I can’t hear as clearly and feel guilty for listening to. Time to either get the hell out of here or make my presence known. And trust me, it’s no easy decision. Just the thought of working with someone like this girl Taryn gives me heartburn.

Before I can give much consideration to backing out, I reach down for every last ounce of bravado I possess, I clear my throat and I start making my way toward the bar.

Both heads turn to watch me as I approach. As I get closer, I can see that, although obviously in possession of one hellacious temper, the girl is quite beautiful with her wide almond eyes and full ruby lips. And the guy is…wow! He’s quite beautiful, too.

He looks exotic. Maybe Hawaiian or Cuban. He has light caramel skin, jet black hair and eyes to match. And the smile he turns on me? Holy shit.

What is this? The land of misfit models?

I try not to be self-conscious in my outfit. It’s not very revealing, at least not uncomfortably so, but I still feel…nervous. The pants ride low, showing off a decent-sized square of stomach, and the tank top is probably a size smaller than what I’d normally wear, revealing a healthy shot of cleavage. All in all, it’s nothing trashy, but it’ll get me plenty of attention, I’m sure. That’s what makes me nervous.

I don’t fill my shirt out nearly as well as Taryn, whose buoyant boobs are undeniably artificial. She’s skinny everywhere else, though, which makes me kinda proud of my curves. If there’s one thing I’ve got, it’s junk in my trunk.

I smile widely and stick out my hand. “Hi. I’m Olivia. You must be Taryn,” I say, addressing the girl first. Evidently, if there’s anyone I can expect to have trouble with, it’ll be her.

“I would say I’ve been expecting you, but I just found out I’ll be training you, so...”

She’s prickly, yes, but not overtly hostile. I take that as a good sign and go in like a linebacker. “I’ll try my best to catch on quick. Luckily, I have plenty of bartending experience, so…” I say, trailing off like she did.

She nods, but her smile is clearly doubtful. “We’ll see.”

“Great!” I say exuberantly. “I look forward to it.” Quickly, I turn to the guy, aiming my hand in his direction. He’s still smiling. “Olivia.”

“Marco,” he says smoothly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Every now and again you meet someone you just know is immediately attracted to you. There is no doubt in my mind that Marco is attracted to me. He’s not even trying to hide it. And why would he? There’s probably not a female on the planet who could resist the charms of someone like him—dark, hot, easy-going, killer smile. “My night just got a whole lot better.”

Oh, he’s gonna be a handful!

“Maybe mine did, too,” I reply with a playful grin. My ability to flirt with him is the biggest indication that nothing will ever happen between us. It’s the guys that tie me in knots, like Nash and Cash, that give me reason to worry.

“Turn that cutsie smile of yours on some clients and maybe you’ll do all right, but you still better be able to sling some drinks,” Taryn says sharply as she walks away.

Marco makes a shooing motion with his hand and rolls his eyes. “Just ignore her. She’s in a constant state of heightened PMS. She gets a little better once the place fills up.”

I smile and nod, but I’m thinking, Oh, thank God!

“Maybe her dreads are too tight,” I mumble.

Marco laughs. “Damn! Beautiful and funny. I can’t wait to see what else you’re hiding behind that sexy smile.”

“Nothing as charming as what you’ve got behind yours, I’m sure.”

Marco starts nodding, his smile never faltering. “Oh, yeah. We’re gonna get along just fine.”





CHAPTER TEN- Cash





I rarely ever dread work, but I usually don’t look forward to it quite this much either. I give the room enough time to fill up and then go out to check on Olivia’s progress. I’ve made a point to give her time to adjust before showing my face. I figure that might make her nervous.