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“Maybe,” I reply, but he’s already gone, leaving me alone with the echo of his presence and a heart that beats a little too fast for comfort.
As I lock up for the night, the chill of the deserted bar settles in my bones. Questions whirl through my mind.
What does he want?
Why me?
Can I afford the risk?
The silence is heavy, filled with the ghost of his smile, and I know sleep will be a stranger tonight. My thoughts are spinning round and round, and as I flick off the lights, plunging the world into darkness, I can’t shake the feeling that everything is about to change.
CHAPTER 3
JANE
Around me, glasses clink their final toasts and patrons shuffle towards the exit with sluggish steps, the scent of stale beer mingling with lingering whispers of raucous laughter. I wipe down the counter one last time, the rag in my hand sweeping away remnants of spilled secrets and lost inhibitions.
“Looks like you’re about ready to shut this place down, huh?” Ricky’s voice slithers through the dimming light.
“Yes, Ricky,” I acknowledge without enthusiasm.
The clock above the bar ticks loudly, marking the remaining minutes of my shift, each second a heavy footstep closer to freedom.
“Come on, Jane, don’t be like that,” he coos, leaning across the bar with a smirk. His sandy blond hair falls carelessly over one eye.
“Closing time, Ricky. You should head home.” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m counting the steps to the door, praying I can slip away without incident.
“Home? Now why would I want to do that when the prettiest girl in town is right here?” His words drip with mock sweetness, and I feel the bile rise in my throat.
“Flattery will get you nowhere.”
The bar is almost empty now, only a few stragglers who pay us no mind.
“Who said anything about flattery?” Snake interjects from behind Ricky.
His dark eyes pin me in place, and I can almost see the gears turning in his head, plotting his next move in this twisted game they play.
“Leave her alone,” someone mutters from a corner, but the protest is weak, tired—no match for the energy that radiates off Ricky and Snake.
“Aw, she doesn’t want us to leave, do ya, Jane?” Ricky’s friends form a semi-circle around me, barricading me behind the bar.
“Actually, I do.” My attempt at firmness wavers as Ricky inches closer.
“Come on, give us a smile,” Snake taunts, his tattooed arms crossing over his chest in a challenge I know all too well.
My palms are slick against the countertop, my mind racing for an escape route. “I think you’ve had enough fun for one night.”
“Fun’s just getting started, ain’t it, boys?” Ricky grins, and I catch the glint of complicity in their hungry looks.
“Maybe for you,” I snap back, trying to keep the tremor from my voice. But it’s there—I hear it, and worse, they hear it too.
“Seems like you need to loosen up, sweetheart. Why so tense?” Ricky taunts.
“Back off, Ricky,” I say, more sharply than I intend.
“Make me,” he drawls, and I know then this isn’t going to end with a polite ‘goodnight’ and a turned lock.
Fear pools in my gut, a tangible thing, and I brace myself for what comes next.
