Page 10 of Obsession

She clearly doesn’t want to engage with me, so I don’t force her. Taking up a seat at the bar, I just watch her work. However, her movements have become somewhat stilted, and she keeps throwing nervous glances in my direction. I just order my usual whisky and sip it occasionally, watching her. The people sitting around me move away, giving me wary looks, and I’m left alone at the end of the bar.

There’s a rhythm to her movement, and when she realizes that I have no intention of bothering her, she begins to relax. The crowd at the bar grows thinner as the music slows down, and when Megan is between orders, I ask, “What do you think of my suit?”

She gives me a wary look. “Why?”

I shrug, bringing the glass of whiskey to my lips, my eyes on her. “You had such strong opinions on my last one. So, I thought I’d ask.”

Her face flushes as she sucks her teeth. “You know that was an accident. And your henchmen, I mean friends, pointed guns at me. I’d say we’re pretty even at this point.”

My lips twitch as I shrug. “Maybe. So tell me,” I tilt my head towards the club dance floor. “Why work the late night shift at a club? It’s not like you don’t know the kind of crowd that comes here.”

She picks up a large bar rag and starts wiping down the marble bar top. “Are you including yourself in that?”

“You seem to have a lack of self-awareness,” I muse, my eyes taking in the angry glitter in her eyes. “I haven’t seen you here for the past few days. I thought you quit.”

“I didn’t quit!” She snaps at me in a low voice. “I thought they fired me after the fiasco with you.”

“Were you told that you were fired?” I ask, curious.

“No,” she mutters, and I hear a hint of guilt in her voice. “But I was sure they would, so I didn’t show up.”

When she looks up at me, her eyes are all fired up, “The only reason they didn’t fire me is that I have a good boss.”

“You mean, Steve?” I ask in a stilted tone.

“No.” Her movements are becoming more aggressive as she wipes the counter with an intensity as if she’s determined to remove every stain there’s ever been from it. “Mr. Middleton. He personally sent people to check if I was okay. One of them is here tonight. I only came back because of him. He’s a decent boss.”

My hand is limp as I stare at her, baffled by her misdirected praise. My orders had been to make sure she came back willingly or to drag her back here kicking and screaming. It’s probably better that she doesn’t know the last half of it unless I want to remove the proud glint in her eyes.

It’s difficult not to smirk as I ask, “Have you ever met Mr. Middleton?”

“No,” she mumbles. “There’s no need for all of that.”

“No need?” I respond. “If he’s such a great employer, do you not plan on thanking him?”

She gives me an incredulous look. “Why would I put my hand in the lion’s mouth?”

I chuckle softly. “I thought he was a wonderful boss.”

Megan stops what she’s doing and frowns at me. “Why am I even talking to you about this? You nearly got me fired. Go away.”

She finishes wiping down the counter, and I watch her as she throws the cloth away, wash her hands, and dry the batch of freshly washed glasses.

“You look like a college student,” I say as if I hadn’t just read her entire file a few hours ago.

“I am,” she says tersely. “So, stop talking to me. It’s a waste of your time.”

With that, she moves away, and for the rest of the shift, she makes sure to stay at the other end of the bar.

I’m not insulted.

I have to admire a woman who trusts her instincts because I am definitely someone to stay away from.

The advantage of having her back to me for most of the shift is being able to watch her pear-shaped ass move at warp speed. She waits on customers, pours the drinks, rings them up at the register, and cleans up the bar top in record time. She knows what she’s doing. She’s good at it.

I don’t usually date women. My style is more along the lines of fucking them until they can’t walk and then having my driver take them wherever they want to go next. But my usual pool is filled with simpering women who are satisfied with the jewelry and branded gifts as a thank you for their time. They praise me in an attempt to stroke my ego, fuck me for a night, and then usually try their best to get my attention during the rest of the week while I ignore them. To be honest, I’m bored with the whole routine. But never have I come across a mouthy little thing like Megan. So far, she amuses me.

In another world, she might be a woman I’d be interested in seeing for more than one night, but I don’t have the patience or interest in something that complicated. Instead, I’m thinkingMegan might just be management material and the perfect person to replace Steve at least for the time being.

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