Page 47 of Too Many One Nights

“Just let him know how you feel, and then y’all go from there. It’s clear that he feels something for you, too. Y’all just need to talk it out.” I listened to my mama, and she was right. We needed to talk. When was the question?

I sat with my mama for a little longer until it was time for me to go to work. I changed while I was there and promised that I would be back before next weekend before I headed out. It was Friday night, so I knew I would be busy as soon as I got there.

***

“Girl, if you’on sit down somewhere before Buck brings his aggravating ass down here again. He swears I have you doing too much.” Kasha laughed.

“And he swears me and Riley don’t do enough,” Jazz input.

They all were telling the truth because he swore I was doing too much, but I really wasn’t. I was only doing my job. Jazz and Riley really did the bulk of the work, along with our bar back, Diesel.

“I’m good. I just came back from a break.”

“Mhm. If he comes over here with his shit, me and you are gone have a problem, ma’am.” Kasha pointed her finger at me with a smirk on her face.

Shaking my head, I went out to the floor to check on the few tables that I had. Each bartender had tables that were closest to the bar so that the waitresses wouldn’t get overworked. In return, they also helped at the bar.

I made it to a table that I saw had a new customer, so I went to greet them. When I got there, I wanted to turn the fuck around because it was Tony’s weird ass.

“Damn, Nikki. I see you left me and got yourself in a situation. You wouldn’t get with me, but I see you had no problem fucking your way into the next job,” he seethed.

“Tony, my business is not up for discussion. Especially not my pussy,” I snapped.

“C’mon, Nikki. Don’t be like that.” He put his hand on the small of my back, causing me to slap it away.

“My name is Nic, and keep your fuckin’ hands to yourself.”

“Or what? You gone tell your baby daddy?” he laughed, right before his face went crashing into the table.

“Nah, she ain’t gotta tell me shit, nigga.” He slammed his head on the table again. “Now, unless you want to go ahead and let this be your last fuckin’ drink, I suggest you get the fuck outta my establishment before it becomes your final resting place.” He slammed his head on the table one last time before looking at me. “Get your shit so James can take you home,” he demanded.

“My shift isn’t over.” I folded my arms over my round belly and stared him down.

I watched as he took a deep breath before wiping his hand over his face. “Nic, get your shit and go home,” he stated again.

“I’ll go home when my shift is over,” I refuted.

Chuckling, he shook his head before addressing me again. “Nah, you gone take yo’ ass home now because you’re fired!” He barked.

Stunned, I quickly recovered and bumped his shoulder before going to get my stuff so I could leave.

When I grabbed my things, I went back to tell Kasha I was leaving. Buck was standing there, so I knew she already knew.

“I’ll bring your truck home,” he voiced, but I ignored his stupid ass.

I saw James standing by the front entrance, so I headed in his direction, and he escorted me to the blacked out Tahoe and helped me inside. I was so damn mad at Buck’s ass. He better hope I didn’t call Mel to come and get me and leave him in that penthouse looking stupid.

***

“Nic, he’s just looking out for you. Why are you so upset?” I was on the phone telling Mel what happened tonight, and she was taking Buck’s side.“I thought you didn’t like him? So, you’re team Buck all of a sudden?” She was pissing me off, too.

“He’s not my favorite, but he’s not a bad guy, Nic. You’re just being a brat. You don’t have to work, and you know it. So, tell me why you’re being difficult about it?” I knew her ass would see right through me. She always had. Sighing, I told her about my insecurity about Buck stepping out on me or finding somebody at the bar and leave with them like he did me. It sounded crazy, but it was how I felt.

“Has he shown you he was on any of that since you’ve been living with him?”

“No, but he told me about some bitch he almost fucked not long after I moved in,” I confessed.

“You said he already told you that, so you can’t hold that against him. Especially since y’all already talked about it and it was before y’all was in a relationship, so what’s really the issue?” I told her what I told our mama about my feelings for Buck, and she said the same thing that she did.

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