Page 56 of Revived

I drop off his beer and then carry on with my shift, trying not to look over at the table where the guys are seated every five seconds. But I swear, I can feel Luke’s eyes on me as I move around the room, smiling wide for my customers and putting on the slightly flirtatious persona that’s necessary when your slinging booze for tips. Luke pays me well, but this extra cash will come in handy when my classes start and I have to pay for books. I know my father would hand me money with no questions asked, but I feel confident in my stance to be able to take care of myself in any aspect that I can.

“Hi, there. What can I get you gentlemen?” The two men that just sat down twist to face me, my intuition waking up instantly. By the slimy grin the bigger one flashes me, I’d say my gut was right on the money. Sometimes as a woman, you just have to trust that feeling, the one that tells you to be careful around a man that’s giving you the creepy vibes. And the last time I felt this was during my speed dating adventure.

“I’m usually a beer guy, but I think I’ve spotted something else I want a taste of.” Doing my best to avoid his insinuation, I keep the conversation on topic.

“Well, we have hard liquor too.” Twisting around to eye the bottles lined up behind the bar, I start rattling off names of whiskey and rum before his voice pulls my eyes back to him.

“Are you on the menu tonight?” His eyes cascade up and down my body, giving me a far different feeling than I got when Luke did the same movement.

“Nope, just booze. If you need a minute, I can come back…”

“No, you need to keep standing there and looking pretty for a minute while I fantasize about all the ways I could devour you.” He sits back on his stool, explicitly surveying my body as nausea builds in my stomach.

“No thanks,” I say, but not before a large hand grabs me by the waist and spins me around, stealing my breath and then completely depleting me of oxygen when his lips find mind. Quickly and gratefully, I register that the lips that found me were Luke’s, granting me permission to give in to the kiss while the noise in the bar vanishes. His kiss isn’t hard and fast, but slow and sensual and full of passion. He cups my cheek with his other hand and kisses me senseless, a claim for the entire bar to see, a fact that registers in my mind as he pulls away.

“Luke? What… what did you do that for?” I can feel my bulging eyes and slack jaw as I wait for him to respond.

“Gentlemen.” He turns to the men I was just trying to serve. “In case you didn’t see, this woman is mine. So I suggest you tone down your disgusting behavior immediately, or the consequences you’ll suffer won’t be ones you’ll enjoy.”

The sinister guy stands, puffing out his chest in a challenge. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“You better sit the fuck down, Henry, before I throw you out of this bar.” Tony’s deep voice comes from behind us as I notice Cash, Cooper, Kane, and Drew have all made their way over as well.

“No need to get testy. I was just telling the lady here how pretty I thought she was.”

“I’m not sure how your mother raised you, Henry… but what the fuck you just said to Rachel is not how you speak to women, whether you think you’re complimenting them or not.” Luke may seem collected right now, but I can feel how tense his grip is on me still. He’s trying to remain the gentleman he is, but this guy is definitely testing his restraint.

“In other words, stop being a douche and sit the fuck down or leave.” Cash chooses bluntness over class and I can’t help but smile. These guys are standing up for me, and it’s a far cry from the men I’ve encountered in my life back in New York. The clothes and bars were far more sophisticated, but the treatment was demeaning, much like Henry has displayed, only in a much more socially accepted way.

Henry’s eyes jump back and forth between all the men surrounding our table, the conversation in the bar diminishing drastically as everyone watches the drama unfold. And as my heart hammers in my chest, I realize it’s for two reasons. One, everyone now knows about Luke and me. And two, these people, Luke’s friends, are coming to my defense, and it grants me a sense of belonging that I was so desperately looking for when I made the decision to move out here.

“Fuck this. We’re out.” Henry glances down my body in disgust and then turns to leave, a whoosh of air from my mouth following him.

“Are you okay?” Luke grips my chin and turns my focus back to him.

Nodding, I peer up at his eyes and can’t help but smile. “Yes, thank you. It’s not the first time someone has tried to hit on me, but it’s certainly never been that blatant and derogatory.”

“That guy was out of line.”

“You kissed me… in front of everyone,” I whisper, as Luke smiles wide.

“Yeah, I know. I wanted to. He needed to know that you’re mine.”

“Now everyone else knows that too.”

He shrugs. “I don’t care anymore. They’d all find out tomorrow anyway when I take you out on an official date.”

I can’t help the enthusiasm in my voice. “A date? Where are we going?” Wrapping my arms around his neck, I push up on my toes to kiss him quickly.

“It’s a surprise. I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it because I’ll be with you.”

Luke rests his forehead on mine, the two of us still standing here while murmurs of dialogue filter around us. “You are so amazing, Rachel. I can’t believe someone like you has made their way into my life.”

“I feel the same, Luke.” He kisses me again, for longer this time, and then we part as I go to finish my shift.

Luke and the guys leave around ten and it’s after midnight by the time I get home.

---