After two hours of boredom and only one customer, Tammy was actually debating calling Joe and asking if she could close early. Mick hadn’t moved from his station in the back and was still glued to the book he hadn’t put down since the second she walked in there. She sat on one of the stools at the counter and watched the news. Even though she could see the images and hear the words, she wasn’t taking any of it in. She glanced at the clock, and it said it was nearly 9:00 pm. She thought of the long night stretching out ahead of her and wished she had just told Jamie she would cover for her another time. Then she remembered the magazine she had bought and left on her coffee table. She put her head in her hands and groaned with a little laugh at her luck.
Just when she was going to resign herself to a night of virtual insanity through boredom, she heard the familiar growl of a bike out in the parking lot and her fists clenched. In the back of her mind, she was praying that it was Lexi and King, and that for some reason they had gone back to Tammy’s apartment and found that she wasn’t there and had come looking for her. But there was also a part of her that knew the second she heard the engine exactly who it would be. She swallowed hard and her heart began to pound so violently she could hear the blood pumping through her ears.
The engine of the motorcycle ceased and she looked ahead at Mick who had peered away from his book for a moment, trying to see who was outside. Tammy was desperate to turn, but at the same time she couldn’t. If she did and it was him, what on earth would she do?
As her heart raced with anticipation, she tapped her foot against the counter and bit the corner of her lip. She heard the crunch of boots on the gravel outside and the thud of them coming up the steps before the creak of the door and the ting of the bell. When she finally had the nerve to turn on the stool and face the door, her heart was already in her mouth…
He stood there with those gorgeous blue eyes, a smile that would melt even the coldest heart, and in his silver-ring-adorned hand, he held a single red rose.
Tammy looked at him in disbelief and shook her head.
Lynx walked forward, his whole presence filling the diner with so much power she didn’t know where to look. She couldn’t meet his gaze, she was too hurt, too humiliated… All she could do was stare at the way his chest heaved under the vest he was wearing and the ripple of his muscles. She had been so enamored the night before that she hadn’t even noticed the tattoos across his knuckles and the ring in his ear. As he approached her, she found herself wanting to get up from the stool and take cover behind the counter. She wanted to make him pay for what he had done, to make him as embarrassed as she had been. But instead she looked up and allowed her eyes to lock with his, and in an instant she was claimed.
“What are you doing here?” she tried to say angrily.
Lynx sat down next to her and lay the rose on the counter.
“I came to apologize,” he said seriously.
Tammy looked at him deep in the eyes to try and gauge his sincerity. He seemed completely genuine.
She got to her feet and turned her back to him. She walked to one of the booths in the corner and cleared the condiments and cutlery away to busy her hands.
“I know you’re mad at me,” he said. “And I really am sorry.”
She ignored him again and walked around the back of the counter so there was a barrier between them.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said sternly. “We were only talking for what, half an hour? You didn’t do anything.”
He looked hurt at her dismissal. “I acted out of line,” he said, “And I want to make it up to you.”
He picked up the rose and held it out to her. It was such a strange sight—this huge, dangerous man with his big strong hands clutching such a delicate flower. It was almost poetic. The rose could easily have been Tammy, ready to get crushed right there in his palm.
She didn’t reach out and take it, but he didn’t lay it back down, either.
“We had a connection,” he continued. “Something instant. I’m sorry for suddenly going cold.”
Tammy scrunched up her lip and tried not to look fazed.
“I’ll explain it all to you, but I wanted to come down here and apologize and let you know that I want to see you again. I want to take you out, properly…” he trailed off and his eyes moved over Tammy’s shoulder and into the kitchen.
She turned to see what had caught his attention, and it was Mick, his eyes wide, listening to their every word. Tammy shooed him away and then turned back to Lynx. She could tell that he was certainly sorry.
“I’ll think about it,” she said sternly, and then she turned and went back to the register, where she picked up her pen and notepad. “Now, can I get you something to eat or drink, sir?”
A wicked smile flashed over Lynx’s lips. “How about a beer?” he asked.
“Coming right up,” Tammy grinned cheerily.
She unscrewed the cap on the beer and passed Lynx the bottle. When he took it from her, he kept hold of her hand and placed the rose inside of her fist.
“I’m not leaving here until you accept this,” he said with his gruff voice. “And believe me, I mean it. I’ve never got a woman flowers before.”
Tammy felt herself blushing, and he seemed to like it when she went shy on him. His lip curled with delight and his grip tightened around her wrist. As they looked into each other’s eyes, all of the passion and lust from the night before came flowing back, and Tammy could barely stand it. Her heart was pounding and she couldn’t look away, but she knew he was bad for her… How could she play his games and possibly win?
“Thank you,” she whispered as she held the rose up to her face and breathed in its sweet scent.
“No,” he smiled. “Thank you, for giving me a second chance.”
“Well, I haven’t agreed to that yet,” Tammy said playfully. Lynx seemed to find it funny—he cracked a huge smile and looked down at the beer bottle before taking a deep swig.
“I can tell you’re going to be the type to keep me on my toes,” he said.
“Really?” Tammy was genuinely surprised. “I actually think it’s going to be the other way around…”
Lynx winked at her and sipped his beer.
“What time do you get off?” he asked hungrily.
“I’m here for the rest of the night,” she said with disappointment.
“Close early? I’ll take care of your boss for you…” Lynx suggested.
As soon as he said it, all Tammy could think of was Marv and Red X and how Candy said one of the bikers had been there threatening him.
“No!” she said defensively. “My boss is a good man… I don’t need him bullied, thank you.”
“Hey,” he held up his hands. “Relax… I just meant I’d think up an excuse for you, that’s all.”
Tammy felt embarrassed yet again. She had to stop jumping to conclusions. She was obviously getting him all wrong.
“Okay,” she said finally. “I could close in say, two hours?”
Lynx looked up at the clock on the wall and got to his feet.
“I’ll be back for you at midnight,” he said with a wink. He walked slowly towards the door and out into the dark with so much swagger it was almost overpowering.
As she saw him leave, her whole being seemed to be tingling with electricity. Her head was swimming with excitement, and all she wanted to do was scream and clap her hands with joy. She turned to the only other person capable of sharing this moment with her, but Mick was just looking at her with a judgmental expression.
“Those bikers are trouble, girl,” he said matter-of-factly. “Better take care of yourself.”
She dismissed him instantly and grabbed her purse before going into the ladies’ room. She was going to need all the time she had before he came back at midnight to prepare…
***
In the restroom, she flipped her head upside down and managed to add volume to her hair with the hand dryer. When she rooted through her purse, she found that she had several bits of make-up hanging around in there, including the same pink lipstick she had worn earlier that day. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to remind herself that he had seen her at work and still wanted to ask her out, so surely he wasn’t expecting her to look exceptional. Her confidence was going up and down like a rollercoaster… One moment she felt on top of world and ready to open her heart and her mind to a new relationship, and the next she was questioning everything. She couldn’t understand what a man like him could possibly see in her when he was used to such a crazy lifestyle, but then a little voice at the back of her mind told her that maybe that was the point. Maybe he saw something genuine and safe in Tammy… Someone innocent, reliable, and kind.
“Just keep your feet on the ground,” she told herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had never been one for giving self pep talks, but she figured if she was ever going to do it, this was as good a time as any.
She opened the door to the restroom and strode strongly back into the restaurant. It was almost midnight, and she couldn’t wait a moment longer.
“Okay, Mick,” she called back to the kitchen. “Shut it all down. We’re getting out of here.”
Mick rolled his eyes but started to close down the kitchen. Tammy turned off the lights one by one. She locked the front door and turned the sign to say they were closed.
“Don’t you think Joe will be mad?” Mick asked nonchalantly.
“It’s only an hour,” she said. “It’s been dead all evening.”
“I guess.” Mick grabbed his coat and headed for the back door. “Oh, and Tam,” he said. “Don’t worry, your little secret is safe with me.”
She smiled sheepishly and waited for him to leave. She didn’t know whether he had meant it genuinely, or as a bribe or a threat, but she didn’t care. As she closed up the diner and locked the back door, she could sense that she was on the verge of something big, and she couldn’t wait to find out what lay ahead.