Page 6 of Loch
“So, do you want me or not?” I snapped. That didn’t come out like I meant it to and by the look that briefly flashed over his face, he thought so too. His lip twitched as he quickly recovered.
“There isn’t much happenin’ this early. After five it picks up. Weekday nights like this are pretty calm. If no one is in here after eleven, you can go ahead and close up. If not, then wait ‘til after the last person leaves. Everythin’ shuts down at two, regardless. Friday and Saturday open until two no matter what. Sunday’s midnight.” His arms were folded over his chest and his stance was wide as he talked to me. It was hard not to feel intimidated with him towering over me like that. I nodded, trying to remember everything.
“Got it,” I said after a beat of silence.
“No paperwork. I’ll pay you in cash every couple of days.” That was good news. That way I could stay off the radar. I wondered if Nan had an idea that he would do that. I would bet that was why she suggested it. I knew she wasn’t stupid. And even though we hadn’t talked about it, I suspected she knew there was more to my story. “Tips are all yours unless you are workin’ with someone other than me, then you split it. You can take those at the end of the night.”
“Okay,” I said, watching him. “Thanks for this. You won’t regret it.” I smiled up at him, hoping it was coming off as playful and not creepy.
“Never thought I would,” he said, leaving me to wonder exactly what he meant by that.
He spent the next twenty minutes going over where everything was and how it all worked. It was simple. I got the impression that I would be serving beers and basic shots. No fancy drinks with fruit hanging off the edge of the glass. I could definitely do that.
Things got quiet and it was the two of us standing there looking awkward. Or it could have all been in my head. I couldn’t understand why I felt so self-conscious around him. I grabbed a rag and started to wipe down the bar top.
Looking around, I finally took the whole place in. It looked bigger than I thought it would from the outside. There were a few booths along the wall with the door. A few pool tables on the far wall. A bunch of square tables scattered about. An old jukebox sat along the wall, next to a hall that led to the back and bathrooms.
“So, Loch, is that you?” I asked after a while.
“Yep.” I hadn’t realized he had pulled out some papers and was looking over them.
“What should I call you?” To this, he paused and looked up at me with a blank expression.
“Whatever you feel like,” he said in a tone that seemed like he didn’t give a fuck.
“Okay, boss.” I cut my eyes at him. He let out a low laugh and I smiled at the small crack I’d put in his hard façade.
“Not that.” His tone was lighter than before. “Look, there’s not much goin’ on today, and I’m here. Why don’t you go and get some new clothes.” He opened the cash register, then handed me a wad of money. I looked down at it and my eyes widened. It was a pile of neatly folded in half of hundred dollar bills. It must have been close to a thousand dollars.
“No, I can’t…” I pushed my hand back towards him.
“Take it. Please.” The look on his face told me he wasn’t going to take it back. “Take Ethel to the next town. Get some dinner too. Get your nails done or whatever that shit is that girls like to do.”
“Thank you,” I said as I dropped my head feeling a bit pathetic. He lifted my chin with the crook of his finger. He was right in front of me, bent down so we were eye level. The blood in my veins raced through me at light speed and my breath caught in my chest.
“Don’t hide. You are too beautiful to hide.” His eyes flitted back and forth between mine. Like he was trying to memorize the differences in each one. I swallowed hard. He blinked once and took a step back, dropping his finger from my chin. I could still feel the warmth from him lingering on my skin.
“Umm… any sort of dress code?” I asked trying to shake away whatever the hell was going on to my insides.
“Nope, whatever you feel comfortable in,” he said, then paused as his eyes raked over me again. “Cover up a little more.” His voice sounded gruff and if I wasn’t mistaken, a little strained.
“Is that a business request or a personal one?” I said, pushing my limits. His jaw flexed before he gave me a tiny half smirk. At that moment I knew it was personal.
“See you tomorrow night. Be here at six.” He went back to his paperwork and I was obviously dismissed. Without another word, I sprinted out of the bar and got into my car, where I felt I could finally exhale.
CHAPTER THREE
Loch
Having Reagan at the bar was not working for me. I had no doubt she could do the job. I knew people would like her, especially the boys, but it was having her that close to me that wasn’t good. Getting involved with me was not a good idea. The first clue should have been when I shoved a grand into her hand and didn’t even flinch. If she didn’t shy away from me after that, then maybe she wasn’t the bright girl I suspected her to be.
I knew something was going on with her. I could tell she was running from a past that was bound to catch up with her. That thought was reinforced when she said she left wherever she came from in a hurry. There had to be a reason why she just fled, and it couldn’t have been a good one. Given the bruises, I was under the impression that it wasreallybad. I wondered if she was hiding from someone. She didn’t know it at the time, but being here in this town was probably the best choice. The club looked out for its own, and that included most of the people in the small town. And even though I hated that she was stirring something deep inside me, it also meant that she was at the top of the list of people I would protect.
Later that night, Bocca and Diesel came back to the bar, bringing a few of the other brothers with them. I knew it wouldn’t be long before word got around about a new girl in town. I was sure there were already bets as to which one would get to her first. The thought of one of them making a move on her had me clenching my jaw and my muscles tensing.
To their disappointment, Reagan wasn’t there. I didn’t bother telling them that part of the reason I’d sent her home was that I knew they’d come back. I also didn’t mention to the guys that she would be back the next night. I was sure they would figure it out. Most of the time there was at least one of the brothers at the bar. It was like being at the clubhouse bar without being stuck in the same place. Basically, it was all a mind trick. The same old without feeling like it was.
I poured a shot of Jack and tilted it back with lightning speed. The bar had gone from maddening silence to a thundering uproar in a matter of minutes. It was a relief. I knew I wasn’t going to have time to think about what the hell was going on with how Reagan had gotten into my head. With that said, I knew there would be questions from my brothers. They would do their damnedest to find out information on the new girl in town. And I would try my best to wave them off and change the subject. If that didn’t work, I figured I would toss them another beer as a distraction.
