Page 7 of Tastes Like Misery

My foot tapped as I looked around, spotting the bar on the main street not too far from where I perched on the hard bench. My mouth watered as I imagined the cold beer going down my throat. I knew Dane would be up for a drink, whiskey his drink of choice.

Wiping the sweat again, I wondered if I should go back to the shitty little farmhouse or stay until after the sun went down. On the one hand, I didn’t want to deal with Dane and Ollie’s fighting. And Dane should be the one sitting out here sweating his balls off. We had two weeks to do recon, so if I missed a couple of hours, it wasn’t so bad. Ollie wouldn’t see it that way, though.

It wasn’t like I feared Ollie’s reaction if I didn’t stick to his schedule. Fear wasn’t something I felt. Ever. Not guns being held to my head, knives to my throat, or racing down the strip weaving in and out of traffic, all things that happened. Yeah, I was just as fucked up as my two friends, and the reason why we worked so well together despite our wanting to kill each other half the time. I couldn’t count how many times Dane and I had beaten each other bloody in the past few years.

Someone caught my attention, a sweet piece of ass stuffed into some tight jean shorts, her round bottom swinging as she walked on high heels. “Please don’t be a but-her-face,” I whispered to no one in particular, as I hoped she would turn around. Her brown hair hung loosely, just skimming her bare shoulders. Damn, those curves were worth it for me to get my ass up and go get a beer without the other two.

Sending off a text to Dane, I let him know I’d be going for a drink. It wasn’t like he’d not know where to find me. I tucked my phone in my back pocket and strode to the one and only bar within miles.

The cool air was a relief even as my eyes adjusted to the darkness inside. The place was practically empty, which was strange for a Saturday evening. In Vegas, it would be packed even this early in the day. Hell, it was almost five, the time when most people would be already halfway to drunk on a weekend.

I spotted the shorts first, still turned away from me, that nice ass bent over behind the bar, grabbing something from the bottom shelf. Situating myself on the barstool, I had a perfect view and my dick twitched as I imagined holding onto those hips and fucking her just like that.

I set some bills on the scuffed bar in front of me, waiting patiently for her to turn around, the view keeping me rooted to my seat. When she finally stood up and turned, the air practically rushed from my lungs. She was a beauty, with those perfect pouty lips painted red and the face of an angel.

“What can I get ya, stranger?” her sultry voice with that Texas twang asked, and I was pulled from my thoughts of those lips wrapped around my cock.

“Got any good beer here?”

“Well, that depends on what your version of good is. We’ve got the basics, nothing fancy,” she pointed to a line of bottles on the shelf behind her, a display of what they had.

“I guess I’ll have to live without any ales. How about if you pick,” I challenged with a wink.

She gave me a curt nod, and I admired her ass swaying as she went to the cooler and pulled out a bottle, effortlessly popping the cap before setting it in front of me. “That’ll be a dollar twenty-five.”

My jaw dropped as I handed her my bills, and to my shame, stuttered out, “Keep the change.”

“Why thank you, sir.” Sarcasm laced her voice before she smiled mockingly, “Let me know if I can get you something else.”

I’d never found a server to be anything but an attention seeker who would fall over themselves to provide the best customer service experience money could buy. It didn’t matter if I treated them like shit, they’d smile and offer better service, usually in the form of showing off their cleavage. This woman already had me dumbfounded and damn if I didn’t want to find a way to get on her good side. And backside.Her face may be that of an angel, but there was no doubt she was a devil with that attitude.

I waved her over, “Give me a shot of your best vodka to chase this piss down.” It wasn’t the smoothest, but it was me.

She nodded before reaching up to grab a clear bottle from the top shelf; her shirt pulling up and showing a peek of smooth skin. “It’s not the greatest, but it’s the best we have. I keep asking the owner to get some better stuff, but these small-town folks are stuck in their ways.”

I made a noise of agreement, hoping she’d talk more, but she didn’t continue, bringing the bottle over and tipping it into a shot glass. “Three bucks,” she said, and this time I gave her a twenty.

“You might as well just stay here because I plan on drinking the entire bottle,” I chuckled lightly. “Want to join me, miss?”

“Sure,” she agreed, pouring her own shot and slamming it back, effectively ignoring my request for her name. She shivered as the harsh alcohol ran down her throat and slammed the glass on the bar. “What brings you to this little piece of paradise? I assume you’re staying since you plan on getting drunk.”

I shrugged, trying not to give away too much, “Visiting a friend’s relative.”

“Must be a close friend if you’re visiting their relatives,” she noted. “A man like you doesn’t seem to fit in with the kind of people who visit this shithole town.”

“A guy like me?” My expression didn’t change, though I felt blood pounding in my ears. If I didn’t fit in, I’d just wasted a day sitting around the town taking notes.

She looked me up and down, her gaze penetrating as it seemed to devour everything I was. Quirking a brow, she spoke slowly, “City boy with some obvious wealth. Folks don’t come to visit or live in this town with a brand new Stetson on their head or top line Lucchese boots on their feet. You may have rubbed some dirt on your outfit, but they aren’t worn in at all.”

Pausing, the dark-haired beauty waited for my answer. My tongue was thick as I tried to form the right words. What did I say before about fearing nothing? Damn, this woman made me quake in my boots and I didn’t even know her name.

I tried to play it cool, answering simply, “Yeah, me and my buddies got away from the city for some nice fresh air. They offered a place to stay. We figured we’d try out being cowboys.”

“Got to love the smell of fresh horse shit in the morning,” she threw her head back and laughed. It was a genuine laugh, something I hadn’t heard in a long time. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the last time I heard a genuine laugh from a woman. She was becoming more and more entrancing by the minute.

”Is it always this dead in here?” I looked around at the lack of customers, the only other people having left shortly after I came in.

Propping her chin on her palm, she leaned against the bar, giving me the perfect view of her round tits. They weren’t big by any means, but hell, it was hard to find a woman with real tits these days, something I preferred. “Your friend’s relative didn’t tell you how hopping this place gets on a Saturday night?”

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