Walking into the Corner Pocket, I see Jake, Molly, and Saylor all behind the bar slinging drinks. This place is packed. Making my way through the crowd, I find an empty stool at the end of the bar. Jake makes eye contact and gives me a head nod of recognition. I settle in and watch them do their thing. They work well together.
“I’m taking these out to the floor,” Saylor calls over her shoulder.
I watch her as she balances a tray full of beer mugs, a pitcher full of beer, and several shots with ease. In this crowd, that’s a feat in itself. My eyes follow her as she reaches a high top of five guys who from the sound of them have already had several rounds. Saylor passes out the shots, the mugs, and then sets the pitcher of beer in the center. One of the guys says something to her, and she gives him a tight smile. It’s obvious that whatever he said isn’t anything she wants to hear. She makes her way back to the bar, and I turn back around in my stool. Jake is standing in front of me wearing a smirk.
“Draft?” he asks.
“Yep.” He knows I always drink whatever he has on tap from my father’s brewery in Tennessee.
“You know those guys?” He motions to the rowdy group Saylor was serving.
“Nope.”
“Huh? I thought for sure you knew them the way you were spellbound.”
“Spellbound?” I laugh. “What the fuck are you going on about?”
“You see, if you don’t know that group, that means your attention was elsewhere. Then again, I think your attention was on that table and the bartender serving them?” he goads.
“She’s easy on the eyes.” I shrug unapologetically.
“She is. She’s also not only my employee but good friends with Molly.”
“Okay?” I know what he’s trying to say, and I get it. However, I am going to make him say it.
“She’s been through a lot, man. Not to mention, if you hurt her, Mol is going to be pissed, and so am I for that matter. She’s one of the good ones.”
“I was looking at her, Jake. Not fucking her. Besides, if that’s what she and I decide to do as adults who can make our own decisions, you’re just going to have to deal with it.”
“Don’t,” he says sternly.
“Relax. We annoy each other, that’s what we do. I knew she could feel me watching her. I was trying to annoy her. Nothing more, nothing less.” I can tell by the look on his face he’s not buying what I’m selling.
“On the house,” he says, sliding a beer in front of me.
I wipe my finger across the frosty mug before bringing it to my lips. It tastes like home, but then this place feels more like home than Tennessee. It’s funny how something like a beer, a bar, or a town can make you feel. Make all the memories come flooding back.
“Hey, Rhett.” Molly waves.
It seems that she and Jake are working behind the bar, and Saylor is helping out and serving when needed. I’m mid-drink when my cell phone rings. Pulling it out of my pocket and looking at the display, I see it’s Doug. “Hello,” I say over the noise of the crowd.
“Baxter?”
“Hold on, let me step outside.” I catch Jake’s attention, holding up a finger to let him know I’ll be right back, and step outside. “Hey,” I say as soon as the door closes.
“Sounds like a good time,” he says, laughing.
“For someone,” I say. “I’m at my buddy Jake’s bar. It’s a packed house. What’s up?”
“Calling with some news,” he says.
“Okay, are you going to tell me or keep me in suspense while I freeze my balls off out here?”
He thunders a deep booming laugh. “I guess I can put you out of your misery.”
“Hi, Rhett,” I hear Dawn say through the line.
“Hey, D,” I greet her. “Your husband’s being a dick and holding out on me. I’m freezing here, man.”
“You’re on speaker,” Doug says.
“What’s going on?” I ask again.
“We’re pregnant!” Dawn cheers.
Wow. “I—wow guys, that’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” they say in unison.
I hear lips smacking, and I know they’re kissing. “I’m happy for both of you.” I am, I’m happy for them, but I can’t help but feel a little envious yet again of what they have. That’s becoming the norm when it comes to the two of them.
“When are you coming home?” Dawn asks. “I thought we could get together with drinks. Maybe invite Tessa.”
“Not sure yet, and how many times do I have to tell you that Tessa and I are not happening?”
“I know,” Dawn sighs. “I just want to see you happy.”
“Who says I’m not happy?” I ask, trying to keep my teeth from chattering.
“I just—”
Doug interrupts her. “We just wanted to tell you. Take care, and we’ll see you when you get home.”
“All right, man. See you then. Congrats,” I say again.
“Thanks.”
I slip my phone back in my pocket and reach for the door. I step inside and am walking back to my stool in the far corner to grab my beer and get warmed up when I spot Saylor at the disorderly high top. Her stance is tense, and the guys are even more rowdy. It was a few minutes tops that I was outside. I keep my eye on her as I head to my stool, but then I see the jackass that was talking to her earlier, the one who obviously was saying something she didn’t like. Yeah, that one. He puts his hand on the back of her thigh, over her skintight jeans, and pulls her into him. I’m no longer cold. My blood is boiling when I see her try to step away and he refuses, tightening his hold on her.
As I get closer to their table, I hear her say, “Let me go.”
Of course, he still doesn’t release her from his hold. “Take your hands off her.” I step up to the table and place my hand on her waist. Drunk guy tries to stand, which causes Saylor to stumble into me. That’s fine, I’ve got her.
“Who the fuck are you?” he asks, barely able to find the chair beneath him.
“I’m your worst nightmare if you don’t take your hands off her.”
This time he does stand, and he’s a few inches shorter than me. A quick scan of the table tells me they all are. “Fuck you,” he says with no heat. He’s too damn drunk for that.
“Sit down, Ronnie,” another guy says, pulling him into his seat.
“She’s a cocktease anyway. You can have her,” he says, chugging the rest of his beer.
Looking down at Saylor, I keep one arm around her while I cup her face with the other. “You okay, Short Stack?” I ask. I keep my attention on her, needing to make sure she’s good before I throw these bastards out on their asses.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I had that handled,” she says, but the slight tremble in her body tells me otherwise.
“Sure you did, sweetness. Go on back to the bar. These guys are going home.”
“That’s what I was just telling them. They’re cut off.”
“I got it,” I say, giving her hip a light tap before releasing her from my hold. “Go on, I don’t want you in the middle of this in case things get ugly.” It’s not because it’s Saylor; it’s any woman. No man has a right to touch them without permission. He’s a poor excuse for a man.
“I can handle myself, Rhett,” she says, exasperated.
“I’m sure you can, Short Stack. Thing is, you don’t have to, not with assholes like these, not while I’m around. I’ll take care of them. Go on back behind the bar.”
“Say,” Jake says. He’s now standing beside us. “Go on up and help, Molly. We’ll handle this.” She nods and heads back behind the bar.
“Where the fuck were you?” I ask Jake.
“I was watching her. I was on my way out here when I saw you. I knew you would take care of it.”
“So why are you here now?” I ask.
“She looked like she was giving you shit, and I knew she would listen to me.”
It pisses me off that he’s right. Surely, she knows that regardless of whatever game we have going on between us, that she’s safe with me. I make mental note to talk to her, make sure she understands that above all else.
“Come on, fellas,” Jake says. “It’s time for you to go.”
“What the fuck? She was being a prick-tease. I was just telling her what happens to girls like her.”
I see fucking red. Without a thought, I reach past Jake and grab the motherfucker by his collar and lift him from the chair. “Let me tell you something, you ever lay a hand on her again, even look in her direction, you’ll answer to me.”
“Rhett,” Jake says.
Fuck. I’m losing my shit, but this guy is pushing all my fucking buttons. Drunk prick. Now I have Jake pissed off. I know this is his bar, but dammit, he needs to defend her.
“Take him outside,” he says, surprising me. “I got the others. You fella’s are going to follow calmly, right?” he asks. “I know for a fact your bill is paid, so it’s time for you to go.”
I don’t stick around for the rest of the conversation. Instead, I grab the back of dickwad’s shirt and push him out the door.
Jake is right behind me with the other four guys in tow. “Listen, I don’t want any problems, but you disrespected my bartender, that’s unacceptable. I’ve called a cab.” Just as he says it, the cab pulls up. “Go home, sleep it off. If this happens again, you’re banned for life. Understood?” he asks, his voice booming into the night.
The four friends are not near as wasted as the one who put his hands all over Saylor. They scoop him up and the four of them pile into the cab. Luckily, it’s a van. Jake and I stand with our arms crossed over our chests, legs apart, watching until the cab drives away.
“You good?” he asks.
“Yeah, I just hate pricks like that. Disrespecting women.”
“Women or Saylor?” he asks. There is no teasing in his voice this time.
“Both,” I admit. “I mean, we’ve all hung out, she’s your employee, we’re friends, you would have done the same.”
He nods. “You’re right, I would have. Although, I’m not convinced you’re giving me the whole truth.”
“Are we done, Dr. Phil? It’s balls cold out here, and I’m sure my beer is hot by now.” I’m deflecting, and I know it. It’s not that I like Saylor—I mean, not the way he’s thinking. She’s gorgeous and we have this crazy love-hate chemistry going on. And the guy was a dick. I would like to think that no matter who it was I would have reacted the same way.
Jake just laughs and walks inside with me on his heels. He heads behind the bar, and I take my seat at the end of the bar. Before I can even sit, Saylor is there with a frosty mug filled to the brim. “Thanks for that.” She motions her head toward the floor. “I know you meant well, but I really can take care of myself. Yes, I’m short”—she rolls her eyes—“but I’ve dealt with worse.”
“I’m sure you can, and I’m sorry that you have. He’s a dick. I would have done it for anyone, not just you. It was the right thing to do.”
I can visibly see her relax. She doesn’t say anything else, just turns and walks back to her end of the bar. Jake has taken over the floor for the night, which is a good plan on his part. I’m sure, even though she hides it, Saylor is shaken up, and no way is he putting Molly out there after what happened. Some other drunk asshole might think he can do the same. I finish my beer and leave a fifty on the bar. It’s more than necessary, but technically Saylor waited on me since Jake said the first was on the house, not that I still wouldn’t have paid. Something tells me she needs it. I catch Jake’s eyes and point to the door. He throws his hand up in a wave, and I’m gone. I don’t bother saying goodbye to Saylor or Molly; they’re both slammed behind the bar. I’ll see them both again soon.