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“If you’re going to stick around a little bit longer, mind grabbing a tray and helping out?” Audrey asked before taking her refilled tray and venturing back out into the crowd and disappeared.
Thinking maybe she ought to tell Audrey about her little slip in disclosing last Saturday night’s events to Tristan, she reached behind the counter and retrieved the tray she earlier discarded. Just as soon as the next right opportunity provided itself, she would.
Going and retrieving orders, she made a few rounds before she unconsciously began to eye the crowd for Daniel. He should be here by now.
Then she spotted him. It was amazing actually that she did, considering the number of bodies and the dim lighting. She slipped through the crowd and grabbed his arm in acknowledgement, knowing full well his displeasure at being in such an establishment, even before she saw his expression. As expected, it was full of disgust. “I just have a few more drinks, then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
Taken aback, she looked up at him. “What?”
“Haven’t you had a sufficient amount already tonight?”
Sonya’s brow crinkled. “What are you talking about?”
He looked peeved. “On the phone, you said you had too much to drink and needed a ride.”
“You think I’ve been drinking?”
As if she sounded mundane, he had to shout over the deafening noise to be heard. “Are you drunk?”
“No.” She shook her head, all at once angry as well. “I’ve been working, Daniel.”
He looked as if he didn’t believe her. “Then why the call?”
“I asked for a ride. My car is blocked.” She glared up into his face. “You assumed I was drinking?”
His vexed expression began to ease. “Well, what do you expect? You usually are.”
She didn’t know why, but she was hurt by his words. An overwhelming urge to curse him incessantly had her biting her lip painfully to keep her mouth shut. What the hell did she care how he felt? She pivoted away from him in anger and led him toward a table to wait while she finished her round of drinks and gather her belongings.
Daniel’s irritation didn’t ease a whole lot as he allowed her to propel him toward a seat in front of the stage. Watching her saunter off, he felt his insides tighten. Damn, he hated seeing her working in a place like this. Especially on account of some bar owning womanizer. He had an overwhelming urge to track down the bastard and knock him off his gigolo throne.
The band on stage had just finished the last cord to their song when a waitress trying to get past a gathering of men who apparently did not realize their table only sat four, caught his attention. He recognized her immediately as Audrey, the woman who had come to his apartment looking for ice. He was prepared to offer her a smile in greeting when she tripped over one of the many legs she was trying to step over, and ended up offering her his lap instead.
Her backside landed with a thump squarely on his thighs. Caught off guard, he reached up to steady her and would have helped her up when all of a sudden she was hauled out of his lap. He looked up to see a fuming man staring back down at him.
Next thing he knew, Daniel too was hauled to his feet and the man’s fist resounded loudly throughout the noisy bar as it broke the skin over Daniel’s jaw.
Chapter 5
Sonya turned at the sound of the commotion coming from the corner where she had left Daniel. He was no longer in his seat, but sprawled on the floor with a hand to his jaw. Audrey stood next to him looking utterly horrified. Tristan towered above him in a threatening stance.
Stunned, she nearly dropped her tray of drinks but at the last second regained her composure and abandoned the tray on a nearby table to hurry to Daniel’s side. In a rush, she dropped down beside him and gazed in dismay as blood oozed out of the side of his mouth. Fury blurred her vision as she spun around and glared up at her boss. “What the hell are you doing, Tristan?”
Daniel blinked and seemed to find his second wind. “Tristan?” Then he quickly got to his feet before Sonya realized what he intended.
The next instant he threw a right hook at her boss. Eyes wide in disbelief she watched as Tristan fell across a neighboring table. Audrey screamed. Onlookers quickly gathered around the battling duo. They soon disappeared from Sonya’s sight but she could hear the sound of their brawl as tables went crashing to the ground and drinks went smashing to the floor.
Miffed, she got to her feet and began pushing spectators away. She found Daniel’s glasses laying abandoned on the floor and snatched them up before turning angrily on him. “What do you think you are doing?”
A second before Tristan’s fist knocked him to the floor once more. Sonya screeched at the unexpected assault, but just as quickly scowled at Tristan. “What the blazes is wrong with you?”
Her boss stood with eyes raging as she positioned herself in front of Daniel. It was enough to suddenly curb his out of control temper. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around the bar and seemed to notice the audience for the first time. His deep blue eyes went as cold as steel and his chin turned as hard as granite. Gesturing toward his stunned bouncer, he ordered, “Get this scum out of my bar.”
“Wait just a minute!” Sonya jumped to her feet, abandoning Daniel on the floor. “What the hell is going on? Why are you fighting, Daniel?”
“You know this bozo?” Her boss glared at her.
