I stacked the clean glasses. The bar was at a bit of a lull, but it was to be expected on a Wednesday night. Especially when there were no specials going on.
A few minutes later, the front door opened and in walked a man that commanded my attention right away. He was tall. Thick black hair that was cut and styled perfectly. Dark eyes that almost looked like blobs of ink. Flawless skin and a square jaw.
I was sure I was drooling but I currently couldn’t get my limbs to move so I could check.
He was wearing an immaculately pressed suit which fit him perfectly. Noticing his appearance was enough to jolt me into reality. This place wasn’t exactly seedy, but it didn’t call in men like him. Men that had money and exuded power.
His dark eyes pinned me for a long moment but his feet didn’t stop moving. And they kept moving like he had no intention of stopping. His eyes flicked away from mine as his shiny shoes carried him to the back hall. My brows pinched with confusion as I watched him. He clearly knew where he was going. Or had the air to pull it off like he did.
His figure darkened as he reached the back of the hall where the overhead light had been out since I’d started working here. Without knocking, he walked into the office. A second later, the door closed behind him.
I thought it was strange but there was no way in hell I’d try to figure it out. My guess, Jamal had some kind of meeting. But why with a man like him? If anything, I didn’t want to know.
I turned my attention back to the task at hand. An hour flew by and I’d almost forgotten about the tall, dark stranger. That was until the office door opened and both Jamal and the stranger came walking out. Jamal’s face was red like he was pissed about something. Stranger-man looked as cool and collected as the moment he’d walked in here.
“You,” he said as he approached the bar. His voice was deep and smooth. “This is your last night here.”
My eyes widened as I stared at him in shock. Who the hell was this man and how the fuck could he just fire me like that?! I couldn’t even form words to yell at him because I was so stunned by it.
“You start tomorrow, here.” He slid a business card in my direction. Oddly, I noticed how his hand or even his sleeve didn’t touch any part of the bar top as he did this. “Be there at nine.”
“In the morning?” I asked with a bit of shock in my tone. Maybe he didn’t realize that I got off after two in the morning. Or he didn’t care.
“Yes,” he replied sternly.
My eyes flicked over to Jamal. The look on his face told me that I needed to say‘yes, sir’and I better not be late.
“Okay,” I said and somehow got my shoulder to lift with a shrug.
There wasn’t another word spoken. His gaze held mine for a few beats. It was intense. Too damn intense. Then he was turning and walking to the door. He didn’t even glance back as he walked out of the bar.
“Who was that?” I asked as I turned my head in Jamal’s direction. Only I was asking the air because he was no longer standing there.
My eyes dropped to the card on the bar top.
I didn’t recognize the name of the place or the address, but it didn’t surprise me because I didn’t know my way around the city very well. I guessed I was going to have to get my ass up extra early. Not only did I have a feeling like I’d have to put a little more into my appearance, but I also needed to make sure I wasn’t late.
No sleep for me.
Oh, well. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what it was like to run off of fumes. That was what coffee was for after all.
I had all intentions of pulling my phone out to look the place up but I got waved over by the couple in the corner. I shoved the card in my pocket and went on working my last night here. I couldn’t say I’d miss this bar and I was hopeful that this new thing would be a step up.
-2-
Jessica
Mr. Tall and Dark was named Ray Ramos.
I learned that not long after I had walked through the door. Two minutes before nine, by the way. Hey, I was happy that I wasn’t late. He, however, was not happy at the way I had‘cut it close.’
I couldn’t decide if I liked him or not. I suppose it didn’t matter either way if he was offering me a decent job. Anything had to be better than Jamal and his creepiness.
He informed me right away that he owned several businesses and didn’t have time to hold my hand.
This one business happened to be a restaurant. It was the kind with white linen table cloths and fresh flowers on the table. And a chef instead of a cook. Not my kind of place, but whatever. There was a room off to the left that served as an upscale lounge area. Basically a bar. That I could do.
He introduced me to a bouncy girl named Kaycee. She was way too chipper for me at this early of an hour but I kept that to myself. He told me she’d show me how everything worked, and then he left.
