Page 61 of Unhinged

“No shit.”

“Okay now, Greg. No need to get mouthy.” There’s always a need for that around here. Monty pulls out a T-shirt from a box and tosses it to me. “Wear this for the first few weeks of our name change.”

I toss it back, and it lands on the counter. “No.”

He again throws it at me, but I let it land on the floor. Monty closes his eyes with a frustrated sigh. Already? I just got here. “Rodwell, why must you be difficult? Can’t you just wear the shirt?”

“Not with the stupid name. I’d rather have feline leukemia.”

Monty scowls at me. “Why do you say shit like that?”

“Because it’s what most people are thinking?”

“Must I remind you that your aunt owns this bar?”

“Must I remind you that your sister works at Hooters?”

Vaughn and Garrison enter the kitchen from the back door. Her blonde hair is in a mini ponytail, and her pink lipstick brightens up her face. She’s wearing a looser version of the train wreck T-shirt, and it hides her tits. Damn it.

Taking off her coat, Simone glances at me but then to the wall. As she goes to the locker room, I watch her ass in a short black denim skirt. Her damn legs. I want to reach my hand up there and—

“Does something interest you, Greg?” Amos asks without making it obvious he’s referring to Simone.

“No,” I answer way too fast, and I roll my eyes at myself. With Monty and Amos staring at me, I shoot them a look as I head out to the bar to relieve Milt. As I push through the door, I hear them laughing. What the hell is so damn funny?

When I go behind the bar, Milt smiles, and it’s unexpected and frightening. I ask, “What?”

He shrugs. “Everyone is still talking about what you did last night to Roy.”

“You heard what he said.”

Milt serves some refills as I notice Cephus needing one. Milt says, “Yeah, but people have said worse things about Candi and Misty.”

“Well, I didn’t hear those. I would’ve reacted the same way.”

Milt side-eyes me with a smirk, and I’ll have to sleep with the lights on tonight. “I don’t think so.”

Delivering Cephus’s beer, I notice Simone joining Candi. I watch her ass and wonder what it’d be like to fuck her there. Has she ever done anal with a guy? I’ve done it once with Shasta, though I didn’t have a choice since she wouldn’t let me near her pussy. Thank God. Still, that worked out great.

Garrison follows Candi to a table, and they giggle. I like how Candi has taken Simone under her wing and is friends with her. Candi can be a real bitch, but aside from Simone’s sexual conquests, there’s something sweet and innocent about her that disarms people. Even shitheads like me. Simone moves, and it’s like watching sand swirling in a tide pool. I don’t even just stare at her ass. My eyes are all over her legs, tits, and smile, which she does a lot. People love Simone.

“Sorry, Greg is in outer space,” Milt says to someone.

I look at the ugly mugs in front of me. “Huh?”

Damian, a middle school science teacher two years ahead of me in school, nods behind him as he pushes his glass toward me. “You got a thing for the new girl?”

I pick it up with a dubious frown. “No.” Again, way too fast. I have no chill.

He then asks, “Did you watch her dance last night? Hot. She’ll fit right in here. She must have a thing for Shinedown.” I didn’t notice the songs.

Milt laughs. “Oh, Greg was watching her, all right.”

I frown at his haggardness. “Seriously, Milt? Isn’t your shift over?”

In rare form, he says, “I think you should break it off with Kleo.”

“What? That’d be stupid. I want nothing to do with Garrison.” Unless it’s in bed.

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