Page 60 of Beneath the Blindfold

“I like your bed,” she said.

I stalked toward her. “Then, maybe stay a while.”

Her voice was heavy with meaning, and she gave me the smile that made words fall out of my brain. “I think I will.”

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Want to see how it all started for Courtney and Julius? Check outTHE RIVALRY!

THREE OF A KIND

This story is original to this collection. It's best read any time after books 3, 4, or 5 in the series.

ONE

The stock room of Dune was fucking chaos. White Claw boxes were stacked on top of IPAs, and cases of vodka were sandwiched between some shitty tequila and jars of maraschino cherries. If Joseph saw the mess, everyone was going to be in deep shit.

Our boss was a decent guy. Fair. Even cool at times.

For instance, last month I’d shown up an hour late for my shift because my girlfriend had dumped me, and rather than write me up, he’d given me the rest of the night off.

But he was . . . particular. Joseph liked his nightclub neat and organized, and although I thought it was an exercise in futility, hewasthe boss. What he said went, and I needed this job. I made twice as much money bartending at Dune than I had anywhere else.

I couldn’t give complete credit to Joseph and his club for that, though. I’d gotten more consistent about going to the gym over the last year and I’d bulked up. Everyone here was good looking, but recently I’d graduated to the top tier of the staff.

People wanted me to be their server.

Plus, I’d begun to study the way the other male bartenders interacted with customers. Watched what worked and what didn’t, and then used it.

I’d turned it into a game. Each shift, I needed to make more than anyone else. I hustled harder, gave every customer as much personal attention as I thought they wanted, and always acted like I was having a great time—even if I wasn’t.

More often than not, it wasn’t an act. My coworkers were fun. And they always had my back when we were slammed and shit got stressful.

My phone in the back pocket of my jeans buzzed with a text message. I stopped sorting the anarchy of the liquor boxes and glanced at my screen.

Were his ears burning?

Joseph:Come up to my office.

“Fuck,” I uttered into the silence of the cramped, dimly lit stockroom and unease threaded itself through my body.

He could be wanting to discuss anything. Maybe he needed me to cover someone’s shift, or ask how I thought Angel, the new hire, was working out. But, no. I knewexactlywhat this was going to be about. I sensed it in the pit of my stomach.

Why the hell couldn’t I keep my mouth shut?

Beer bottles clanked together inside a box as I abandoned the mess and trudged my way toward the stairs. They’d lead me up to his office, and the uncomfortable conversation I’d earned.

Goddamnit. I’d known Noemi wasn’t single, that she was off-limits. Flirting with my boss’s girlfriend was about the stupidest fucking thing I could do.

And yet . . . I’dstilldone it.

Why did I always self-sabotage?

It’s habit. You’re friendly and always flirt with pretty people. It didn’t mean anything.

Yeah, well, thinking all I’d done was flirt was going easy on myself. Hitting on her had been dumb, but doing it when someone else was around to witness it? That was so much worse. In my defense, it was after closing and I’d thought we were alone.

Noemi had looked more surprised than uncomfortable when I’d told her she was fucking hot. Maybe she’d been flattered, but I hadn’t stopped there. I’d half-joked that if she ever got lonely while Joseph was up in his office, I’d be happy to keep her company.

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