Page 14 of Last Round

“Everything good?” Chelsea asks when I approach the table. She’s finished filling the bottles and has already started to set them at the booths.

“Yeah, he just wanted to make sure I was cool working here.”

“Oh.” Chelsea bites her lip.

“Why? What did you think?”

“It’s silly.” She reaches for more place settings, busying her hands and looking anywhere but at me.

“No, what is it?” While I haven’t known her long, I like to believe we’ve become friendly enough that we wouldn’t shy away from saying what’s on our minds.

“Well, I thought maybe he wanted you gone because of Killian.”

“Because of Killian? What did he say?” I know he’s not happy with me and a bit of an ass. But does he really dislike me so much now that he’d talk shit about me behind my back? That doesn’t sound like the guy I grew up with at all. I peek over my shoulder, and sure enough, his nostrils are flared as he stares me down.

Asshole.

“Look, I don’t judge. I mean, what eligible girl in a ten-mile radius hasn’t hooked up with Killian? Well, besides me… and Dani. Sean puts up with it. But, come on, you’re his baby sister. No way he’d let Killian hang your panties on the board.”

“Wait! You think I’mfucking Killian?” I lean in and whisper the last part.

“No judgement. If I hadn’t just been dumped and already knocked up, I probably would’ve considered it too. But after Brad, well, let’s just say the last thing I need is another guy screwing me.”

“Killian and I aren’t… anything.” It sucks to admit, but it doesn’t even seem like we’re friends anymore.

“Oh.” Her brows scrunch together. “I just… never mind. Pregnancy brain.”

Grabbing her wrist, I stop her before she walks away. “Why would you think that?”

She shrugs. “I might be new here, but since you started, he hasn’t taken any of the groupies home. And with the way he eye-bones you nonstop whenever you both are working, I just figured you guys were doing the dirty.”

“Killianeye-fuckme?” I fold over, holding my gut as I laugh. A tear rolls down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away. “You’re hilarious. I really needed that. Thank you.”

Now it’s her turn to stop me as I grab saltshakers. “I wasn’t being funny. I mean. Even now.”

I look over my shoulder again and she’s right. Killian’s icy blue stare is on me. That naïve voice in my head perks up with the idea. “He doesn’t see me like that,” I reason. “He’s mad at me.”

“Why?”

“Long story…. Look, I can promise you Killian Murphy has ZERO interest in me. Zilch. Nada—”

“UNIFORMS!” Killian yells abruptly, gaining the attention of everyone.

“Uniforms?” Sean seems just as confused by the outburst as the rest of us.

Killian clears his throat. “We need them.”

Chelsea and a couple other staff members groan their disapproval. “I hate to admit it,” Chelsea says so only I can hear her. “But these milk makers have doubled my tips recently.”

A sad fact I’ve noticed since starting. I don’t dress as revealing as most of the girls here. I don’t have the assets to flaunt like they do. But I won’t deny that with the shorter shorts and more midriff on display, I’ve seen an uptick in my cash profits.

“Since when?” Dani jumps in. I’ve noticed while she isn’t technically a manager or owner, she has as much say around here as the guys do. It’s funny how two of the strongest men I know cower in fear at a girl half their size. It’s always been that way, for as long as I can remember.

“Now.” Killian tugs at the collar of his black t-shirt. “This heat wave is killer. I get it. But we need to draw a line.”

“Is that so?” Dani raises her perfectly penciled brow. She’s wearing a black bikini top with a fishnet crop top over it. Her micro, skintight shorts are sliced along the sides. I’m not sure I would ever have her level of confidence. Then again, she’s never been shy. And when what’s exposed is a flesh canvas of exquisite ink, I can’t exactly blame her. You don’t invest that much time and energy into your body to keep it hidden.

“Yes, we have a reputation—”

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