Page 18 of The Thief

I rounded the bar and wiped the spot where the last customer had been sitting.

The man stood before me, the lights shining against his silver hair—not grey as I’d first thought.

“Mister, your hair looks just like mine,” I remarked.

His eyebrows drew together as he rested his arms on the bar.

“What can I get for you? Drink specials and prices are up there.” I pointed to the wall above the liquor shelf. “Are you a local?”

He continued staring intently with his piercing brown eyes.

I set a frosty bottle of Bud on a napkin in front of him. “Let’s get you started on a beer until you decide.”

“You are joking?” he said, his accent thick and Eastern European. “I do not drink this swill.”

I took the bottle away. “We have several imported varieties. Do you have a preference, or would you rather I set you up with a glass of hard liquor?”

He jerked his head back as if surprised.

“I’ll give you a minute to settle in and decide.”

After collecting his untouched beer, I headed over to the tables to check on another customer, who was flagging me down for a beer. I set it in front of him and noticed two new customers who were seated behind Bear.

So much for a break.

Since Calvin was still tinkering with the jukebox, I hustled over to greet the new customers. “What can I get for y’all?”

The man with a black mustache smiled, his tongue swiping across his top teeth. “You work here, darlin’?”

“I sure do.”

When he tipped his chair back to leer at my behind, I turned on my heel to face him. “If you want to look at a piece of ass, there’s a farm up the road that has plenty of mules. I serve drinks. So what’ll it be?”

His friend cackled.

“Vodka on the rocks, baby.”

When I turned away, he captured my wrist in his hand.

“Where are you running off to so fast? You didn’t even tell me your name. Does Calvin ever give you a break? If you’re tired, you can sit on my face.”

Bear shot up so fast his chair flipped over. With lightning reflexes, he yanked the guy out of his seat and punched him.

The man cartoonishly spun around and hit the floor like a sack of manure. After a stunned second, he cupped his eye and grimaced.

Bear towered over him while scanning the room. “Anyone else want to disrespect the lady?”

“Take out the garbage!” someone cheered.

After catching my breath, I hurried back to the bar, my hands shaking. If my heart beat any faster, it might pop right out of my chest. I’d never seen Bear do anything like that before, and it caught me by surprise. He was a gentle giant, but watching him defend my honor made me warm and tingly. No one that I could remember had ever stood up for me.

When I returned to the bar, I watched to see what he might do next. Picking up his chair, he kept his eyes trained on the two men, who were making a hasty exit to the pool tables, their tails tucked between their legs.

“Are we going to talk or play games?” the silver-haired customer asked impatiently, still standing. I couldn’t blame him. Not everyone wanted to straddle a saddle.

“I’m so sorry. My head is all over the place. Have you decided, or would you like to hear the list?” As a foreigner, maybe he wasn’t familiar with American beers and how to order in a bar.

His leather gloves creaked when he balled his hands into fists. “You have something I want.”

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