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He’s late tonight.
The man has never been late before, but tonight, he is twenty minutes overdue, and it’s getting to me. What if what happened over the weekend meant nothing to him? We haven’t spoken since he dropped me off at home last night, and a part of me was hoping he would call or text . . . anything!
And now, he’s late! What if he asked Johnny to change his schedule so he wouldn’t have to see me?
“Kirsten, I can tell you are not okay, and I’ve had regulars ask if something is wrong with you,” Sara says. “You’re always smiling and friendly with everyone, and today, you’ve barely looked at anyone. You know you won’t get any tips if you keep ignoring the customers.”
Her words bring me pause. “I’ve been that out of it?”
“Oh, Kirsten. I think a tornado could blow through the middle of the bar, and you’d hardly notice. Something is clearly bothering you. Are you mad that I left you at the fight? I thought it would be fine once Hawk saw you. I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
My eyes widen at her statement. “No! I’m not mad at you.” I can feel my flush growing deeper, spreading down my neck. “In fact, you leaving me at that fight led to the best weekend of my life. It’s just . . . Hawk.” I’m not sure how to explain what I’m feeling, but Sara must read something in my face because she laughs.
“I think I get it. Hawk dove in and swept you off your feet, didn’t he? Looks to me like you’re getting more than some self-defense lessons.”
I glance around quickly to make sure I won’t be overheard, but there is no one around. “I-I spent the weekend with him. He’s amazing, but . . .”
“But what? Did something happen?”
Letting out a defeated sigh, I confess, “It was my first time, and everything was perfect. Or I thought it was, at least. But I haven’t heard from him all day. It’s like he forgot about me the moment I left his house. He hasn’t even shown up for his shift.”
A sympathetic expression crosses Sara’s face, and she reaches out to caress my arm. “Oh, sweetie. Don’t worry about that. I’ve known Hawk for a while, and I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he does you. I’m sure he didn’t change shifts to avoid you. He must have had something come up. I bet you’ll hear from him tonight, and if you don’t, I’ll help you kick his ass.”
The thought makes me smile for the first time today. Sara might be small like me, but she is a force to be reckoned with. I’m so grateful to have met her. “I forgot you’ve worked here for a few years. Has Hawk worked here as long as you?”
Sara laughs, a mischievous twinkle lighting her eyes. “You could say that.” Her eyes shift from me to someone over my shoulder, and her expression darkens. I turn around, expecting to see Hawk walking through the door, but instead, catch sight of the manager, Johnny. He’s standing in the hall just outside his office, and the look on his face is unreadable. Did he overhear our conversation? He stares a moment longer before turning and walking back into his office.
Everyone that walks into the cage knows what they are getting into with Hawk. They inflict harm on him too, but with Johnny… our boss does not play fair.
Sara must read the fear and uncertainty in my eyes because she rubs my shoulder again before saying, “We should get back to work. It’s starting to get busy.”
I nod and start to follow her when I catch a familiar figure walking in through the door, and just like that . . . everything feels okay again.
He came!
It’s pretty pathetic of me, I know, but I can’t help it. I’ve been thinking about Hawk all day, wondering where we stand in our relationship to the point it’s driven me to distraction. Tonight, he’s dressed in black jeans and a black shirt that emphasize his strong thighs and biceps, and he looks just as sexy and dangerous as ever.
I watch the man walk to his usual seat by the door, and I am already moving his direction before I know what I am doing. I’ve never approached him at work before, but I’m so excited to see him that I don’t even notice Johnny until he calls my name.
“Kirsten, where are you going?” Johnny asks, running his eyes over my tight uniform so shamelessly, it sends a shiver of disgust through my body.
“T-to say hello to Hawk and see if he needs anything,” I say meekly, hating myself for it, but this man scares me. He is only a little taller than me, but he carries a bit of bulk on him, and his eyes are so cold, they glitter like ice.
“Kirsten,” he says, shaking his head at me like he’s talking to a toddler. “I thought by now you would know better.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.
“Every waitress is assigned a section of the bar. That, over there, is your section.” He points to the far corner of the bar. “Hawk can fend for himself, and your tables are full of paying customers. Fraternizing with your coworkers will have to wait.”
Oh.
He’s right. I was so excited to see Hawk that I forgot all about my tables. Christ, he must think I was slacking off.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t—”
“Of course not,” Johnny says, putting his hands on my shoulders and directing me back toward my section. As he drops his hands, his fingers brush my ass in a blatant caress, but his hand is gone almost as soon as I feel it. “What the—”
I turn around just in time to see my boss crash into the nearest table, knocking drinks to the floor and nearly tumbling into the lap of a balding gentleman in a bespoke suit before landing on his belly on the floor. The room falls deadly silent, and I stare in horror as Johhny tries and fails to get up from the floor, but no one rushes to his aid, keeping a safe distance from the menacing beast now standing in front of me.
