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“Don’t beat yourself up,” Ryker said. “I didn’t hire her to piss you off, man. I needed someone and she fit the bill. What I need to know now is if you’re good with her being here.” How could he say no? He couldn’t, it was that simple. He’d just have to find a way to deal with having to see the woman he was still in love with if he wanted to hang out with his brothers at his club. Blaze would find a way to mend his broken heart and, in the process, move on from Blair. It was the only way that he’d be able to find happiness, even if it felt unfair.
“I’ll be good,” Blaze promised. “I guess it’s time for me to face reality and move on. Let Blair work here, I’ll figure it all out at some point.”
“You’ll still be coming around, right?” Ryker asked.
“Are you kidding?” Blaze asked. “This place still has the best burgers in town. Plus, I’m pretty sure that Joker will hunt me down if I don’t come in for church. I’ll be coming around. You guys can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“I didn’t think so, man. It’s why I knew that I could hire Blair. You’re a good guy, I’m sorry about all of this,” Ryker said. His breakup with Blair had nothing to do with his club’s Prez.
“Not your fault, man,” Blaze insisted. “I guess I just didn’t know her the way that I thought I did.”
“Yeah, well, that sucks, man,” Ryker said.
“I appreciate you saying that, Ryker. Listen, I’m going to bounce. I’ll see you later.” He was dog tired and after having the woman he wanted in his arms, even for a few minutes, compounded that. He wanted to go home, shower, and sleep for days. Blaze knew that wouldn’t help mend his broken heart, but it was at least a start.
* * *
Blaze had spent the weekend down at his shop, working on a few cars and giving his bike the once over. He was killing time and avoiding having to think about everything that went down with Blair, not that he could get it out of his mind. Holding her close, dancing with her, and talking to her really did a number on his heart.
By the time the weekend was over, he realized that a few of his brothers had blown up his phone, asking where he was and if he was coming into the bar. He knew that Blair wasn’t supposed to be there until Monday, but a part of him felt as though he was conditioning himself by not going in all weekend. Yeah, it sounded stupid now that he had wasted his whole weekend with the guys, but what was done was done. And in true masochist form, after Blaze closed his shop on Monday, he went home to shower, change, and then head down to the Smokey Bandits. He was spinning out of control when it came to bad decisions, but he just couldn’t seem to help himself.
Joker walked out of the kitchen, smiling like a loon when he saw Blaze standing in front of the bar, staring down Blair. “Well, look who has finally shown up,” Joker said. “Where the hell have you been? Ryker and I have been calling you all weekend.”
“I’ve been working,” Blaze said. “Owning a shop keeps me busy.” Joker shook his head and laughed as if seeing straight through his lie.
“Whatever, man,” Joker said, “it’s good to see you now. I’ve got to get back in the kitchen.”
“What can I get you, Blaze?” Blair asked, taking Joker’s place at the bar. He was pretty sure that answering, “You,” wasn’t going to go over with her.
“Beer,” he growled. He looked around the crowded bar, hoping to find an empty table someplace, but had no such luck. His only option was to sit at the bar or turn around and leave. Blaze wasn’t going to give Blair the satisfaction of him turning his tail and taking off, so he sat up at the bar.
“You need a menu?” she asked, handing him his bottle of beer.
“No, just put in an order for a burger and fries,” he ordered.
“You got it,” Blair said, pasting on her best smile. It was forced and he hated that she was being that way with him. The Blair that he knew was easy to talk to and would never try to sell him one of her fake smiles.
He watched as she disappeared into the kitchen and then came back out to wait on a few of the other guys. Blaze noticed the way that they were looking at her and he hated not being able to tell them to keep their eyes to themselves. That wasn’t his place anymore since Blair wasn’t his Ol’lady. One of the new guys even slipped her his number when he paid for his beer and she smiled and pocketed it, making Blaze want to punch the fucker in the damn throat. As soon as Blair realized that he was watching her, she shot him a sheepish grin.
“Sorry about that,” she breathed. “I know that this will take some getting used to.”
“What—watching you with other guys? Naw, that’s going to be easy to get used to. I mean, you’re a free agent, so who am I to hold you back from taking numbers from every guy in here?”
“It’s not like that,” Blair insisted. “I just took it to be nice. I need the tips, and if I handed him back his number, I would be labeled a bitch. That label won’t help my tip situation.” He guessed that it wouldn’t.
“So, you’re just going to flirt with every guy in here then?” he asked. There was no way that he’d be able to sit around and watch that happen night after night.
“I wasn’t flirting,” she insisted.
“It sure looked that way to me,” he said. She turned the cutest shade of pink as she served a few of the other guys and when she brought back his burger and another beer, she still looked a bit flustered. He liked that he still had that effect on her.
“My nights off are Wednesday, and Thursday, if that helps,” she said. “You know if you want to come in here and not have to watch me flirt with the other guys for good tips. Joker and Ryker both said that you didn’t come around this weekend.”
“Like I just told Joker, I was working at my shop this weekend, and since when do you keep tabs on me?” he asked. He liked to think that she was asking around about him, but he was just getting his hopes up.
“I’m not keeping tabs on you, Blaze. I overheard the two of them talking about you not coming in. Joker asked Ryker if he had heard from you, and they were concerned. I hope you didn’t stay away because of me,” she said. He wasn’t about to tell her that he had spent the whole weekend sulking about her in his shop. He wouldn’t tell Blair that he missed her and was trying to figure out ways to get her back. She had made it very clear that wasn’t what she wanted from him.
“No,” he said, taking a big bite of his burger.
