Chapter Nine: Alexa
Austin was right about the printers being off. I told the customers and they didn’t mind it, they were pretty patient with me running to the kitchen to relay the orders I wrote down.
“How is it going?” Austin took a break from cooking and leaned over on the food tray. His skin glistened with a sheen of sweat from how hard he was working, and also how hot the kitchen was. I could feel it from where I was standing.
“Okay. What about you?” I peered in the kitchen. It looked incredibly busy, but it always was.
“Nothing new. But how have you been doing?” He reached out and touched my arm, a soft expression falling over him. His eyes softened as he peered at me with worry.
“Oh. I’m fine. I was just…worried about Kellan.” I said nervously. I thought he wanted me to say that, wanted me to slip and tell him I slept with Kellan. And had hot, steamy sex in the shower. How is it I can think about that and still be so attracted to Austin? To all of them. It doesn’t make sense.
“Yeah. He’s alright. Had worse…we were all worried about you. We didn’t think you would come in today.”
I furrowed my brow. “That would be unprofessional. I’d never skip a shift.” I defended myself. And I did believe they were worried about me. They are easily kind that way. But were they also angry at what I did? I couldn’t even tell. Austin sounded like he was flirting, but also trying to get me to say something.
“I know. You’re a good bartender. You like it here? Besides the asshole customers…” he smiled and laughed. I liked his laugh, easy and booming. It made me laugh too.
“I do like it. I don’t think there will be a lot more of that anyway. Now that people know how good a fighter Kellan is.” I giggled nervously. I could even still see it, the way he wailed on that guy like it was nothing. It wasn’t even scary, not like he had an anger problem or something. It was a very controlled rage.
“Nah, there aren’t. I promise. You want to take a break?” His fingertips trailed across my collarbone, softly. I nearly moaned just from his touch. I wanted to take him back in that supply closet more than anything. But I thought it was a test, I mean it had to be right? They seemed pretty heated this morning and I could only guess what it was about. Guys like them don’t seem like they keep secrets at all.
“I do…but I shouldn’t. I don’t want to leave them waiting.” I gestured to the full bar. I hoped it was a good enough answer. What if he thought I didn’t like him? That I was going for Joshua or Kellan instead?
Why was I even worried about that shit? I had put myself in an awful position yet again. My libido is a bitch.
“Hmm. How professional. You’re killing me.” He smiled that sexy smile that made my toes curl and my knees wobble. Then he kissed my hand and sent me back off to the bar. I don’t know how he reached over, but he smacked my ass on the way there too.
Only it wasn’t him. It was Joshua. Why would he do that in plain sight of Austin?
“Hey.” I said nervously as I walked back to the bar.
He slung his arm casually over my shoulder and walked me back to the bar. Once there he leaned against the cashier box and I took more orders, topped off more drinks. I turned to face him and he pulled me in closer to him. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. His eyes were glazed over with…desire. I think.
They must know. Maybe it turns them on, but they are still mad at me in some way. I would be. Maybe they thought I led them on and…three-timed them in some way.
“You okay tonight?” He rubbed my arm gently, his thumb grazing over my forearm. It was such a simple, sweet gesture but all I was feeling was that deep wrench of desire between us.
I kept imagining that hot fuck in the bathroom. He was so sexy and nonchalant, knows how irresistible he is. The way he was looking at me had my sex clenching from that alone.
“I am, yeah.” I thought about asking about Kellan but I knew that wouldn’t be a good idea.
Maybe he wanted me to ask about him. Confirm that we had been together.
“Good. I didn’t want you thinking this place had bad folks in it or anything.” He laughed. I giggled and shook my head.
“No, I don’t think that. I’ve wanted to work here for a long time. I love this place already.” I said honestly.
His eyes widened a bit and then softened as he looked me over.
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. I like it here.”
He stepped closer to me and then pressed his lips to my ear, his hot breath blowing over my neck.
“What do you like most about working here?”
I shuddered and leaned into him on instinct. Or maybe my body just didn’t know how to listen well.
“Hard to say.” I replied nervously. He leaned back, flashing a crooked smile.
“It isn’t me?” His scent swirled around me. How is it possible for someone to smell so good? His polo stretched across his muscles, the blue fabric highlighting his tanned skin. And his khakis wrapped his thick thighs and endowed cock to perfection. He was a walking orgasm.
“Hmm. Maybe.” I flirted back before I could think.
I wanted to ask him straight out if he knew about me and Kellan. And Austin. But I also didn’t want to ruin yet another shift. He just chuckled and nodded.
“You let me know if you need anything.” He winked and walked away, leaving me behind in the heat of desire.
I took a deep breath and tried to get back to work. The night dragged on, the bar goers were polite enough. Sometimes I had to go into the billiard room to take orders when the floor got too full for the waitress. She seemed nice enough, but she was distracted a lot of the time. Her boyfriend had been there the entire night. And every time she needed a drink from the bar she was so rude about it. I wondered if she knew about me too. That I had sex with all three of her bosses; Austin not so much but it was close enough for reasonable doubt.
All I could think about was the three of them, conspiring about me or something. I wondered if they would ever even confront me and I hadn’t even spoken to Kellan since I left his apartment. Maybe I should take a break and see him in his office. Just to talk, of course.
Once the bar died down I planned to head back there, but once I did I saw Kellan on the floor. He was laughing with a few of the customers on the floor. It was hard to tell why, but one of them was mimicking a roundhouse punch. They must have been talking about the night before.
I watched raptly. Kellan was dashing in his jeans and gray Henley. His muscles were corded, his body strong and solid. I remember even still how it felt to be pressed against him. Water between our bodies making us slick, sliding against each other. My body had never been so keyed up, except when I was with Joshua and Austin. How can three men affect me so?
Every nerve in my body was so alive, I could still feel the throbbing. The way he fucked me with his fingers, so good it might as well have been a cock. Surely one smaller than his…I could still feel the stretching of my sex to accommodate him. His throbbing cock was permanently etched inside of me.
I replayed how slow and deep he went as I washed bar dishes. I had nothing else to do as the night wound down but remember. Remember how hot and heavy his hands were, calloused and hard as they kneaded my flesh, my breasts. His mouth was on me, his cock throbbing as he thrust into me. Like he wanted me to feel every inch of him every time. And I did. I still could.
He must have known I was staring because he turned to face me, and then smiled softly. I smiled back but then I got back to washing the dishes. He was by my side soon after.
“Hey.” He said, nonchalantly.
“Hi…how are you?” I touched the bruise of his eye gently and he didn’t flinch, so I guess it wasn’t hurting too bad. That or he was pretending.
“Not bad. Woke up with a killer headache. Alone I might add.” His voice was hard and deep, that accent was like music to my ears.
His eyes stared into mine intensely and I had to look away. I guess I was embarrassed, that I left him the way I did. And also, that I had been with his friends. I didn’t know which one was worse than the other.
“Oh…I wasn’t sure if I should stay. I mean, I wanted to. I did. But…” shit, now I was rambling. He just smiled kindly at me and touched my waist gently.
“I get it. Don’t worry about it.” He shrugged.
“I didn’t want to leave.” I whispered. He smiled and nodded. He used his other hand to cup my face, his thumb grazing over my trembling lips. I wanted to kiss him so badly, but it was like he remembered we weren’t alone.
“I know. Last night was…it’s never that good.” He looked over my body like he was remembering it.
“Yeah, it isn’t.” I agreed.
He squeezed my shoulder gently and then walked off. I groaned and then got back to work. I actually settled the tab at the end of the night when we closed, and shagged all the bigger dishes to the kitchen. The place was empty, but when I got back they were all sitting at the bar again, their faces serious.
Oh no. They waited the whole night, teased me, and now they want to rip it all out from under me. I approached them nervously, across from the bar I stood and crossed my arms.
“Look, I don’t know what you guys have been planning. And I don’t know how much you know but if you don’t want me to work here anymore, then I’ll just go. I don’t want this to start any arguments between you.”
“We’d never fight over a girl. Even one as…incredibly sexy as you.” Joshua said. I gulped nervously, also reeling from his compliment.
I never thought there was anything that fantastic about me. I have a good ass, good boobs, but other than that I always thought I was just ordinary. But the way they are all looking at me now…I feel better than ever.
“I’m sorry that I…got involved with you all but—I guess I’m not really all that sorry. I mean I am attracted to each of you. I just didn’t know if I should tell the truth, or even wanted to. But I know it can be difficult if I still work here and I doubt you guys are okay with what happened…”
I was rambling again but I was having such a hard time saying what I wanted to. All I knew was that I was afraid of what they were thinking, of what they wanted to do.
“What do you think is going on here, Alexa?” Kellan says. I screwed up my face in confusion as I looked at them.
“I…I assumed you guys found out I was—that I had sex with you.” I swallowed nervously.
“Not all of us.” Austin smiled. I managed to laugh a little at his joke, but I was still very tense and nervous.
“I didn’t mean to…two time you or anything like that. I wasn’t thinking beyond my…um. I have a thing for all of you, I guess.” I stuttered and stared down at my worn shoes.
They didn’t say anything for a while, but finally Kellan broke the silence.
“Alexa, we don’t want to fire you. At all. That isn’t why we want to talk to you.” He said. I relaxed a bit.
I got to keep my job, which was good. I have wanted this for so long I think I would hit rock bottom if I lost this job and a chance at being with any of them. What’s worse was I don’t think I even want to choose…what has happened to me?
“That’s…good. I’m glad. But you guys know about everything?” I checked.
“Yeah. We’re not mad or anything.” Joshua said. I relaxed even more.
But the tension in the room was still so thick, I couldn’t tell what was going on. What they wanted or what was even happening. But I knew that technically everything was okay. I still had my job, and they didn’t hate me or anything like that.
“Oh. Okay.” I gulped.
They gave each other an odd look that I couldn’t place. Maybe they didn’t even want me at all.
“So…I guess whatever happened between us won’t again, right?” I asked nervously. They all chuckled like I had told some sort of joke.
“Uh, not exactly.” Joshua stood up and sauntered over to me, “we want you. We all want you.”
My eyes widened in shock as I considered it. I never expected it could be that good, that they would all want me. But I wondered if they meant…
“At the same time?” I asked. Joshua cocked a brow and looked over at Austin and Kellan, who were now standing.
“We like the way you think.”