She laughs and surprise widens her eyes. “Good memory, Benjamin. I invited Curly out with us and she demanded that we come here. Now I know why.”
I’m curious about why she wanted to come here, but getting her away from Tina seems like the more important goal. “The band’s about to start in thirty minutes. You owe me a dance, Alexa.” I wink playfully, even as I resist the urge to clench my fists.
She looks up into my eyes. “Oh yeah. I’m counting on it.”
Tina grins. “Remember, when you two crazy kids make out, I get to watch.”
Alexa blushes again and the tattooed guy scoots closer to her.
“What can I get you guys to drink?” I fight to keep my voice even.
“Alexa and I will take a rum and Coke, double the rum in both.”
Alexa shoots me a look of desperation again. Is this some hazing ritual? I’m pretty damn sure Tina’s not in any sorority or even club for that matter. So why does she seem so intent on getting Alexa shitfaced. This is just wrong.
I finish taking the rest of their drink orders and head behind the bar.
Brittany sides up next to me. “Well?”
“Damned if I can figure out what’s going on.” I tell her what Tina said and how Alexa reacted. “She obviously doesn’t want to be there, but she’s not leaving either. I tried to give her an excuse to leave the table, but the only one Tina would accept was for her to dance with me. But if I actually do that, Tony’s gonna have a coronary.”
Brittany narrows her gaze on the table. “Don’t you worry about him. First of all, he’s not here, so he’ll never find out. But even if he did, he’s a big softie and he’ll understand. How about I go in the back and offer the band a free round if they start sooner?”
“Good idea.”
Brittany heads into the back while I take the drinks over to the table. I’m careful not to mix them up. “Double rum, on the house.” I wink at Tina, hoping she doesn’t check Alexa’s drink. I only put enough rum in it to make it smell like alcohol.
“Careful, Alexa,” Tina says. “I just might insist on a threesome after all.”
Alexa looks like she’s about to puke.
“I’m afraid I can only handle one woman at time.” I force out a laugh.
“I’ll be gentle.” Tina laughs and her friends laugh with her.
“Yeah, I have the claw marks to prove that’s a fucking lie,” says a guy directly across the table from Alexa.
I serve the rest of the drinks and start a tab. To my relief, the band has come out and begun to warm up.
Brittany is back behind the bar wearing a shit-eating grin.
“They did this for a free drink?”
She shrugs. “I flashed ’em my tits too.”
My mouth drops open. “You did what?”
She puts a hand on her hip. “It wasn’t a big deal. Half of them have seen them anyway.”
I’m shocked speechless and it takes me a couple of seconds to respond. “Thanks, Britt.”
She shrugs again, looking uncomfortable in face of my gratitude. “Hell, it was nothin’. I’m pretty damn proud of these tits. I breast feed two kids and they’re still perky.”
I laugh. “That they are.”
“You totally check them out, don’t you?”
“I have balls and I’m still breathing. Of course I check them out.”
When the band starts to play, everyone who wants a drink has one. It’s the perfect time for a break.
“Go get her, Romeo,” Britt says.
“Yeah.” I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans, surprised by how nervous I am. I walk around the counter and stop next to their table. “Alexa, I’m taking a break. Let’s do this.” I try not to sound too eager because I’m sure Tina will latch onto it and use it to her advantage.
“Yeah.” She starts to get up, but Tina pulls her down again.
“She has to finish her drink first.”
What the fuck is her deal?
The drink is half-gone and Alexa gulps down the rest. Tina belly laughs. “Damn girl. Don’t be so eager.”
She just pushes her chair back without saying anything and walks around the tattooed guy. He reaches out to grab her ass and she spins around, her face contorting with rage. “Don’t you ever touch me again or I really will cut off your balls. Then I’ll shove them down your throat.” I have no doubt she would follow through on her threat.
The group at the table laughs and I grab her hand and pull her away to the dance floor. Britt has watched the entire interaction and she looks worried.
The band’s first song is the furthest you can get from a ballad, but I need answers, so I pull her close, resting my hands lightly on her waist. Her hands lift and she seems unsure of where to put them. They land on my shoulders, trembling.
Now that we’re here, now that she’s in my arms, everything flees from my head and all I can think about is holding her. I breathe in her scent, a combination of apples and honey, and I realize I’ll never smell this scent again without thinking about her. I’m the furthest you can get from a romantic, so the thought catches me by surprise.
“Thank you,” she finally says.
Her words bring me back to reality. “Why are you with Tina when you obviously don’t want to be?”
“It’s a long story.” She sighs and rests her cheek against my chest.
Her touch is electrifying and I suck in a deep breath. What the fuck is wrong with me? “I can wait you out all night,” I say, “but I’m not letting you go back until you tell me.” I’m not sure this is the right way to handle it, not after watching her threaten Tattoo Guy. She obviously bites when backed into a corner, but she has to know that I’m on her side.