Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (6 page)

“Well I’ll be, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” Bobby said, his eyes softening.

I smiled, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Fuckin’ lord help us all,” Bobby howled. “On top of being beautiful with an equally beautiful name, you have to have a beautiful smile as well. I’m gonna be a busy man beating the guys away from you. They can be touchy and grabby, but don’t worry darlin’ I’ll look after ya.” He winked.

“Can you start tomorrow, Lexie?” Colt asked, pushing away from the counter. His eyes were still blazing and his tongue darted out, swiping across his bottom lip before his lips curled into that creepy smile.

My stomach heaved inside at the way my name rolled off his tongue. I wanted to throw my breakfast up.

I blinked. “Start what?” I blurted out stupidly.

He laughed, and even his laugh gave me icy shivers. “Work. Clearly,” his eyes flicked to the stage then back to me, “dancing is out of the question. You can waitress, one of my girls just quit, so jobs yours love.”

I had two choices.

One, say fuck it and get the hell out of this dive.

Two, take it and hope I never work with Colt; ever.

“I’ll take it,” I said hesitantly.

Colt grinned, nodding as he told me he’d be back as he walked out from behind the bar heading into the back. I watched him go, thinking what I went through with Dex was just putting me on edge around Colt, that he was just being friendly, nothing else. But the look on his face was seductive, in a chilling way and it didn’t feel right.

Fuck.

I shook the thoughts away as Colt came back behind the bar placing a package down. I looked at it then looked at him. “What’s this?” I asked.

“Your uniform love, you need a black skirt and black heels or boots, which ever but they have to have a heel. And your name tag will be here for you tomorrow,” he said smoothly as he placed both hands on the bar, leaning forward.

I glanced down at the shirt in the plastic wrap. “What time?”

“Four. You’re on the night shift. Thursday, Friday and Saturdays and every second or third Sunday. You’ll be on with Leah. She’ll show you around, and teach you everything you need to know. Last call is one, doors close at two; you’re usually out by two-thirty.” He finished his expression now blank and unreadable.

I felt a shiver go through me and nodded as I spoke. “Alright.”

“I’ll be here darlin’, bat and all.” Bobby winked then sipped his beer. “Gotta keep the drunken ass wipes away from ya so they don’t scare ya away from here and outta a job.”

I chuckled softly. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you then.” I gave them a small wave then made my way out of the bar and to my jeep.

Pulling my keys from my purse, I stopped dead in my tracks.

My head shot up at the familiar sound of rumble I heard coming. My heart thudded against my chest as my stomach tightened. I knew before the bike appeared from around the corner that it was him. I sensed him.

I watched as he rode towards the bar, dressed in the same as when I last saw him, black boots, dark jeans and his black leather jacket that was pulled tightly across his broad chest.

Standing there next to my jeep, I watched him. He looked good on that bike. Better than good. He was hot as all hell, even not being able to see his face, just seeing what I saw I knew when the helmet and shades came off he was gorgeous.

So gorgeous it should be against the law.

Panty dropping gorgeous– as Mollie would say.

It was like he heard me, ‘cause at that thought his head turned in my direction and I felt the warm tingles begin to crawl over my skin, warming my body head to toe. His mouth pulled on one side, revealing his sexy half grin before he hit the gas and disappeared out of sight; leaving me to gather myself before heading back to the house.

“That’s awesome!” she exclaimed as she looked over her shoulder. “Where?” she asked then went back to washing dishes.

I waited, pulling my lip between my teeth, a habit I did when I was nervous or unsure of myself.

Mollie turned her head. “Well?” she prompted

“Fisher’s.” I said coolly. “Evening shifts Thursday, Friday, Saturday and some Sunday’s.”

“Oh yeah I know where that is, I’ve driven by it a few times,” she told me, her hands still in the soapy water.

I moved to the fridge pulling out my plate of leftovers along with an orange. “Oh?” I said.

“Yeah,” she turned her body slightly sideways keeping her hands in the sink “It’s a bar right?” asking over her shoulder.

“Yeah, they have dancers, too. The guy I talked to today, Colt, asked if I danced,” I chuckled, putting my food in the microwave. “Can you believe that? Me? Dance?” Leaning back against the counter, I waited for my dinner to heat up.

“Oh Colt sounds like a hot guy's name. Is he hot?” She quickly turned, splashing water everywhere.

“Damn girl, I know it’s been awhile but no, he gives off a total pervert vibe. He couldn’t keep his eyes off me, so uncomfortable.”

Mollie rolled her eyes. “Oh Lexie, it’s just cause you’re not used to getting attention from men. No let me reword that. You’re not used to getting attention from men that
you
actually notice. Face it sweetie you’re hot and men check you out. They always have,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

It was my turn to roll my eyes at her. “Whatever you say Molls. Anyways I need a black skirt and either a pair of black heels or boots... do you have anything I can borrow?” I asked smiling hopefully.

Mollie turned and looked at me, big grin on her face. “You know I do, I have a skirt and a pair of boots that would be perfect. They’re not too high or short but so comfortable. I’ll dig them out for you later on.”

“Thanks Molls.” I smiled turning and walking out of the kitchen.

“Love you Lexie,” she called out and I could hear the smile in her voice.

I called back, “You too Molls.”

Later in the night after Finn and I watched a movie, and he had a bath, we were lying in his bed reading a story when he looked at me and said, “I like this place mommy.”

I lowered the book and looked down at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, I have two rooms here and it’s better than all the other places.” He smiled up at me, happiness filling his eyes.

I laughed lightly, “Yeah baby, I think so too.”

“Can we stay here?” he asked hopefully.

I knew what he meant, he wasn’t dumb by any means, he was a smart kid and like Mollie and I, he was ready for a home. “Yeah baby, for now.”

He snuggled in close to me as I finished his book then gave him a kiss on the forehead before tucking him in and leaving his room. Mollie was having a bath then heading to bed to read so I changed into my pajamas and headed back downstairs to watch TV.

Flipping through the stations I stopped on an old episode of
Criminal Minds
, the only thing on. I couldn’t fully focus on it as my mind started to wander all over the place, stopping on the guy on the bike. I don’t know why I couldn’t stop thinking about him and what he looked like up close, what color his hair was or what color his eyes were. If his voice was deep and rough like I had started to imagine or if he had a nice laugh, the kind that reached his eyes making them bright.

I couldn’t stop the thoughts.

I had no interest in meeting anyone so I didn’t know why this man I didn’t even know was making his way into my head and causing my body to react the way it did when I saw him. Especially after Dex and everything I went through with him and all he did to me.

He was my first in many ways.

Some were good firsts. While the rest were the worst of the worse.

I vowed, the day we left him, he was my last in terms of
everything
. He had taken so many things away from me already, there were things he did to me that I didn’t know if I would ever heal or move on from.

Dex shattered me mentally.

But most of all he shattered me emotionally.

He knocked me to the lowest of all the lows. He destroyed me. Mentally, physically and emotionally.

Drilling into me I could never do better than him, not ever. That no one, not even him most of the time, would ever want me, especially after they knew what I put up with, what I did.

Feeling the warm wetness sliding down my cheeks pulled me from my thoughts and memories as I abruptly wiped my tears away, cursing to myself for letting my emotions about Dex, rise to the surface.

I forced any and all thoughts of him and the other guy from my mind, hating the thought of those two being anywhere near one another and focused solely on the TV and the episode of
Criminal Minds
playing.

It was Saturday; I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready for my shift at Fisher’s. The girls, who I’d met so far were nice and it didn’t take me long to pick up the flow of the place. My first shift Thursday was long, getting there just before four and Colt was working behind the bar. From the moment I walked in, wearing Mollie’s black boots with silver buckles and the skirt Mollie had loaned me– assuring me it wasn’t as short as I protested it to be, Colt’s eyes were on me. A seductive smile spreading across his lips as his eyes traveled up and down my body.

Uncomfortably, I made my way to the bar and was greeted by Leah, a short pixie like girl with blonde hair with a pink streak on the side and a bubbly personality as she bounced around the bar giving me the run down on everything. Including how awesome it was to work with Colt and how his accent made her lady parts throb in excitement, but not as much as his touch did when they hooked up in the back room.

Just like he had said, Bobby sat at the bar all night, drinking beer while keeping an eye on me. It was just my luck, Colt was bartending all night and any chance he got to stare at my tits he took it and did it very obviously. Between trying to ignore him, getting to know Bobby a little bit more, finding out Colt is Colt Fisher– owner of Fishers and then spending the remainder of the night watching Leah shamelessly throw herself at him made for a somewhat interesting first night.

Friday night came and it was busy. I had only a few minutes to meet Ana, whose dark hair, golden skin and bitchy attitude– an attitude that became clear when Colt’s attention switched from her to me the minute I walked in from the back. It didn’t take long to put two and two together when Ana’s hard eyes had looked over at me, glaringly, that Leah wasn’t the only one who had a thing for Colt.

I thanked the lord when Adam, a tattooed covered beauty walked in from the back and went behind the bar, releasing Colt for the night. Adam, unlike Colt who dressed up in black dress pants and a black button up shirt, looked like he belonged behind the bar. With both arms covered in tattoos, his tussled light brown hair and killer blue eyes, you just knew looking at him he was at home behind the bar. It was hard not to like him, along with his sarcastic attitude and great laugh that reached all the way to his eyes; he also wasn’t a fan of Colt Fisher.

“Hello, earth to Lexie. Did you hear me?” Mollie called out

Pulling my mascara wand away from my eye I called, “Sorry, what?”

“I asked if there’s any hot guys who you work with or who’ve come in,” she said.

“Other than Colt and Adam, no,” I said leaning against the bathroom door frame.