Page 21 of When The Mountains Held Us

He makes a dismissive noise in the back of his throat, but grimaces all the same. “You wouldn’t dare.” He sounds downright petrified.

“I think you know by now that I would.”

Layla returns with our drinks and hands them to us without a word.

“Keep ‘em coming.” Brandon shoots a wink at her, and she rolls her eyes before walking away.

I take a sip of the bourbon and glance around the crowded bar. College kids home for the summer litter the tiny dance floor, and I watch in amusement at their drunken antics. Guys trying to find someone to go home with at the end of the night, while the girls play hard to get and pretend they’re not interested when really, they’re not fooling anyone. I sigh and raise the glass to my lips again.

It seems like only yesterday that it was me and the guys doing the same. Riding the high of the chase after a girl whose name we wouldn’t remember in the morning. I had my fun, but I don’t miss it, much preferring a chill night out with my buddies over the impending hangover sure to greet the majority of the kids here tonight when they wake up tomorrow morning.

A glimmer of blonde hair catches my attention, and I sit up a little straighter, craning my neck to get a better view. Something akin to nervous excitement erupts in my stomach as I catch a glimpse of Oakley’s blonde locks from across the bar. Excitement quickly turns to confusion when she rounds the bartop, smiling warmly at a young man as she takes his order. Hold up. Since when does she work here? And where did she find the time to get a job? This girl moves fast.

She makes the drink efficiently, chatting and laughing with the guy as she pours what looks like a margarita in a glass and slides it towards him. He slaps a twenty down on the bartop, taking the drink with him as he walks away. She makes his change, smiling to herself when she sees he’s walked away. Dropping the generous tip into the tip jar, she moves on to the next patron in line, listening attentively over the roar of the music and chatter.

Before I know it, I’m up from the booth, ignoring the guys’ questioning protests as I make my way to the bar. I nudge aside two men who are making a beeline for an open spot and slide onto the stool with ease. Oakley hands the woman in front of her a beer and turns with a smile, freezing when she sees me sitting in front of her.

“It’s you,” she says, a soft smile on her face and a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. She pulls the towel out of the back pocket of her jeans and wipes down the bar in front of me before returning it, placing a cocktail napkin down in front of me.

“It’s you.”

“What can I get you?”

“How did it go with the building manager this morning?” I ask, brushing off her question with a cock of my eyebrow. She hesitates for a split second before answering, and the look in her eyes confuses me for a moment before it’s gone. The dim yellow light from overhead makes her eyes appear dark and mysterious, only heightening her natural allure.

“It went well. I’m all settled in.” She busies herself with wiping the bartop again, letting her hair fall in a curtain between us. “Pick your poison.”

“My—what?” The change in topic, coupled with the fact that I’ve been staring at that hair and trying like hell to see through to what she hides beneath it, catches me off guard.

She gestures to the bottles behind her.

“What are you drinking?” Her voice is soft and feminine, sliding over my skin like the caress of cool lake water in the peak of summer.

“Bourbon, neat, please.”

Something shifts in her expression, but she turns away before I can examine it further, pulling a bottle off the shelf and pouring two fingers into the glass that she sets in front of me. She pushes the drink towards me, and I pull out my wallet, thumbing through the bills and grabbing a fifty. I toss it down on the counter, and she makes my change, placing it on the counter for me.

“So you’re all settled. That must feel nice after yesterday.”

She nods and lets out a long breath, her flushed cheeks puffing out in a look that should be juvenile, but instead makes her look all the more enticing. I wonder what those lips would look like wrapped around my⁠—

No. I promise I’m not one of those guys that only thinks with their dick. Usually. Something about her intrigues the fuck out of me, though.

“Got some cleaning and shopping done this morning, too. A clean slate always feels nice.”

“Looks like you’ve been busy.” I gesture to the bar around us, indicating the fact that she's only been in town one full day and already landed a job. She waves a dismissive hand.

“Yeah, I need a job if I’m gonna have any hope of keeping up with the rent payments. I actually didn’t even come in here looking for a job, but the owner overheard me talking to someone at the bar about any job openings and offered it on the spot. I don’t think my coworker likes me very much, though.”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s nothing. She didn’t seem too happy about having to train me, but I have tons of experience as a waitress. Though, this is my first time behind the bar. It’s a little daunting if I’m being honest.”

“Nah. You’re a natural.” I give her a reassuring grin. “You fit right in here. Besides, you look like you can hold your own.”

I watch the walls come up around her as she considers my compliment before giving me a shy smile. “Thanks.” She glances to the end of the bar where a group of guys wave her down. Not needing more than that, I knock my knuckles once on the sticky bartop before standing from my seat.

“I’ll see you around, Oakley.”