Zane
Hattie and I have settled into a nice routine over the past month. We have been spending all our free time together. She comes into Rowdy’s when she can to watch me sing and sling drinks. And on my days off, I stop by and see her on her breaks at the coffee shop she started working at. I offered to get her a job here, but she was afraid that would be putting us in each other’s faces too much.
Sienna loves giving me shit. She calls me pussy whipped and I don’t even try to deny it.
On days that I have to work the early shift at the bar, Hattie stays with me. She now willingly drinks my coffee. I thought getting into a relationship would be hard for me, but I don’t even check the women out who come into the bar anymore. Sienna told me I had better turn my flirting back on or I was going to lose tips. I can’t help it though, I only want to share my dirty thoughts with my girl. Besides, they are only of her.
Hattie has been encouraging me to pursue buying my own bar. The owners of Rowdy’s are looking to sell. I’m not quite in the position yet financially to make an offer, but with her support and pushing me, I want to succeed. Hattie makes me want things again. Things I had long given up on having. We haven’t put a label on our relationship, but everyone around here knows we are together. Most are happy for us, while some others have been pretty vocal on how they aren’t thrilled about it.
Lucas had the nerve to tell Hattie she was making the worst mistake of her life. He was drunk but it still pissed me off. I let it go, but I don’t care for the way he stares at her. Today, Cassie is giving me shit. We hooked up once in the damn bathroom. She was a meaningless fuck. I don’t know what her problem is. She knew how I was when she hooked up with me. She didn’t have a problem until she walked in on Hattie and me in the storage room last week. Ever since then she has had a chip on her shoulder.
She has been giving me the wrong orders all day. I have had to remake three drinks in the past hour. I told Sienna she had better do something about her or I will. The next drink order she puts in wrong…it will come out of her tips. Maybe I should hook her and Lucas up so they can leave my girl and me alone.
Here she comes now, my girl. She struts over to me dressed in a thin-strapped cream-colored dress with pink roses embroidered on it. I should take her into the back right now to hike her dress up and fuck her senseless. That will have to wait until later though. I am taking her to the drive-in movies after my shift ends. She has her hair down in loose curls. I think she is trying to hide that hickey I put on her last night.
Her lips brush over mine softly. I pull her in for a hug. She latches her arms around me and whispers in my ear how much she has missed me today.
Cassie comes over to the end of the bar where we are and slams her tray down hard on the bar. “The fuck is your problem,” I snap harshly at her. She rolls her eyes and storms off.
“What’s with her?” Hattie asks Sienna. She only shrugs and goes back to the rowdy crowd at the other end of the bar. “What movie is playing tonight?”
“Something old, black and white and extremely romantic.” I kiss her nose and get back to work before Sienna throws a liquor bottle at me. She just got slammed with another group of customers.
Hattie takes a seat on my end of the bar and people watches the customers. She is definitely one of us now. She gets caught up in the day to day gossip just like the rest of us.
Kiesha comes in and joins my woman. I fix them both their usual pitcher of Lemon Drop. When they get together to drink, it is better to just give them a pitcher. “Don’t get too wild on me, we still have a movie date,” I tease her.
“Don’t worry, Zane. I am sure you’ll get laid tonight either way since the two of you can’t seem to keep your hands off one another. It is quite disgusting and cute.” She sticks her tongue out when Hattie play smacks her shoulder.
I’m glad they made up. When Hattie and I first got together there was some tension between them. Hattie never told me what it was over but if I had to guess, I’d say it had something to do with my dick of a brother, Lucas.
I leave them to get a buzz and get back to serving the happy hour crowd. I should have left thirty minutes ago but my replacement is late, and I wouldn’t feel right about leaving Sienna with this much of a crowd. I know I shouldn’t feel jealous when I see Lucas and a few of his buddies circling around Hattie and Kiesha like vultures but I do. Not because I think Hattie would do anything but because he wants what is mine. I don’t know why the guy can’t get it through his fat skull that she doesn’t want him. He is always trying to hang around her. He shows up at the coffee shop she works at all the damn time like a loser stalker.
I see Hattie tense and flinch, shrinking away when he leans in close to her, trying to whisper something in her ear. Her face pales as she gives me a strange look and shakes her head at what he is saying. Kiesha gives me an odd look as well. What in the fuck did he just say to her?
Cassie comes behind the bar and wraps her arms around me, trying to hug me. I shove her away. “What are you doing?”
I see Hattie storming towards the bathroom with tears in her eyes. Kiesha is following close behind her. Lucas looks at Cassie and me and laughs as him and his friends go over and grab a table. Cassie doesn’t answer me, and she goes over to take their order. I am fuming and livid. I need to find out what in the hell that fucker did, but I can’t leave Sienna on her own with this many drink orders coming in. I dig in and get as many drink orders as I can filled quickly. Cassie avoids me, giving her orders to Sienna instead. Suits me just fine, I don’t want to serve that dicklick and his friends.
My replacement finally shows up. Hattie still hasn’t emerged from the bathroom. It must be something bad, if she is this upset. I don’t even bother to count my drawer out. I go straight to the women’s room to see what has her so upset.
I knock on the door softly and Kiesha pokes her head out. When she sees that it is me, she steps aside and leaves me in the bathroom alone with Hattie. “Wanna tell me why you are in the bathroom crying?”
“Were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” I ask confused as she blows her nose.
“About Cassie,” she says as though I should know what in the hell that means.
“You already know that I have slept with her, what more is there to say. She has nothing to do with us.” I go to hug her, and she takes a step back from me.
“What the fuck, baby? I haven’t done anything wrong. Maybe you should try talking to me and asking about whatever it is you are assuming about me.” I start pacing, getting pissed. Lucas, that fucker tells her something and she immediately believes him and jumps to conclusions without even asking me. I won’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me. I know Hattie has trust issues, but I haven’t given her any reason to doubt me in the least. “You gotta give me something here.”
“I know you fucked her but when were you going to tell me that she’s pregnant with your baby?” her words strike me like a punch to the face. My neck snaps back and my throat burns.
“Are you seriously asking me this? Cassie hasn’t breathed a word to me and I didn’t even get off when we fucked. Have I done anything to make you question the way I feel about you? You’ve ruined me for anyone else, Hattie. I’ve been drunk on you since the moment you first drove through Wild Horse Acres. That first day when your eyes locked with mine—I knew then my life was about to change. I just wasn’t sure how. I fucking love you.” Shit, did I say that last part aloud.
“You love me,” she says, taking a step toward me.
“Yeah, Hattie, I do. So are you going to believe the word of an asshole who wants in your pants or are you going to trust me when I say that I love you and I would never hurt you? I’m not Justin. I wouldn’t do that to you. If there was a chance in hell that Cassie could be pregnant with my child, I’d do the right thing and be a man and own that shit, but I wore a condom with her and I swear I couldn’t get off because she wasn’t you. All I could think about when I was with her was how she’d never be you.”
“I’m sorry, Zane. I guess it’s still hard for me to trust someone.” I wrap my arms around her and hug her. She leans up and kisses me, apologizing again.
“Come on.” I lead her back out to the bar and she takes her seat back at the counter. I apologize to Sienna and count my drawer out. Cassie is staring a hole though Hattie. Whatever this shit is…it ends right now.
I grab my girl by the hand and take her over to Cassie and I yell for Lucas to join us. Cassie looks uncomfortable and Lucas loses the smug look on his face when he sees that Hattie is holding my hand.
“I don’t know what in the hell the two of you got against Hattie and me, but she’s my girl. Cassie, we fucked once, it was months ago, and it wasn’t even that great. I couldn’t even get off. The whole time I was with you, I was picturing Hattie in my mind because she had just turned me down. If you are pregnant, I have to break it to you, it isn’t by me. If I thought there was a chance I’d step up, but it didn’t happen. Lucas, Hattie wouldn’t have you even if she wasn’t with me, get over it. The next time the two of you decide to gang up and make up shit about me, I won’t be so understanding. Maybe the two of you should fuck, I don’t know, but you are done interfering with our lives. You’re supposed to be my brother, man.” I shake my head. He’s fucking pathetic.
I don’t wait for either of them to say anything. I leave the bar with my woman. I promised her a movie and I intend to keep good on my word. We have a good thing going and I want to keep it that way.
They can fuck right off.