Landen Murphy stood at the bar and looked around the club. There was a good crowd in tonight, and with the week he was having, he was ready to have a little bit of fun.

Landen was one of San Francisco’s finest attorneys. His client list was very exclusive and very powerful. To be the best, meant Landen worked hard day and night, and he decimated anyone that stood in his way. That had earned him the nickname, The Bulldozer.

With his busy work life, he didn’t have time for relationships. Not that Landen was interested in a real relationship. He viewed them purely as a weakness and a complete inconvenience. No, he loved his life just as it was, and he had no intentions of changing it for anyone.

Sometimes, when he wanted to have a little fun, he headed to an exclusive place called The Voodoo Club.

The clientele was like a who’s who of the elite in the city, so there was always an endless supply of girls there, hoping to hook up with someone rich, and hopefully famous, so he was never short of company.

He never hooked up with the same girl twice, nor did he ever bring a girl back to his place. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with some clingy girl the morning after. No, he preferred to go to their place, then leave when he was done. It kept things easier, and that was exactly how he liked it.

Sometimes, after a long hard week, he would just come and sit at the bar and just enjoy the atmosphere, instead of the solitude of his penthouse apartment.

Tonight was not one of those nights. Tonight, Landen wanted some company; he just needed to find the right fit for his needs.

He looked around the club, starting to pick his way through his potential hookups.

There was a blonde girl, attractive enough.

Too young, Landen thought. The young ones can become overly attached far too quickly.

Next, he spotted a brunette. She was a little older; more Landen’s preferred age group. He raked his eyes over her body.

Nope, tits too big, he sighed to himself. Big tits are, more often than not, fake, and Landen didn’t get the fascination with fake tits.

He kept looking until he spotted a redhead.

Old enough, he thought, as his eyes rake down her body. Great tits!

But just then she threw back her head, and let out this long, insane laugh that echoed around the room that grated on Landen’s last nerve.

Jesus! Hell no! He said as a shiver ran down his back.

Landen turned back to the bar and ordered another drink, as he wondered if maybe he should just call it a night; he was tired, and maybe going to the club had been a bad idea. He had just about talked himself into leaving after he had his drink, but as the barman set his drink down in front of him, he spotted a girl in the long mirrors that lined the wall behind the bar.

She was stunning. Her chestnut hair tumbled down her back, framing her perfect face. Her almond-shaped eyes were amber, and even in the dim light of the club, they stood out, unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.

Landen knew that she was new, that he had never seen her at the club before. Landen knew almost every face that came into this club. It was one of his gifts. He never forgot a face, and rarely forgot a name, so he knew he definitely hadn’t seen her here before.

Landen resisted the urge he had to turn in his seat to have a closer look at her. Instead, he continued to watch her through the mirror, as she moved cautiously through the crowd.

“Landen,” a voice came from beside him, and reluctantly he pulled his eyes from the girl, to face the man next to him.

“Ben,” Landen said with a smile when he recognised the man standing next to him. “Haven’t seen you here in a while. How’ve you been?”

“Okay, I guess,” he said with a sigh as he ordered a drink from the barman.

Landen knew Ben Carey from his college days. Ben was Landen’s roommate’s best friend, so he spent a lot of time hanging out in their dorm room. Ben was the one that introduced Landen to The Voodoo Club.

Landen liked going to the club, but it wasn’t a place he went to that often. The last thing he wanted was a reputation for being a manwhore. Being the oldest of the Murphy boys, the last thing he needed was a bad reputation with the ladies.

Landen was the eldest son of Sean and Ellen Murphy. Sean was a recently retired police commissioner, and Ellen, or Nell as she was more commonly known, was a successful lawyer in her own right. She was also the heir to The Kennedy Group; A multinational investment company. Ellen was an only child, and everything was left to her when her father passed away four years earlier.

It was hoped that Landen would take over the reins for his mother, but he loved what he did, so he stepped aside to allow his younger brother Callum take over instead.

Landen, who was thirty-three, was the eldest of five brothers. After him there was Finn; he was two years younger than Landen, and a professor at Stanford University. After Finn, came Callum. Callum was twenty-nine and was the head of The Kennedy Group. Finally, there was Liam and Dylan; they were twenty-seven. Dylan was a surgical intern at UCSF Medical Center. Liam was a cop, just like their dad. Liam always argued that he was the eldest of the twins because he was born twelve minutes before Dylan.

Landen loved his family, but they all lived very different lives. He knew that his mother wished that they were all closer, but they were all just so different, sometimes it was hard for them to understand each other’s lives. Still, Landen knew that his brothers would be there for him when it mattered, and that gave him a sense of comfort that was hard to explain. Out of all his brothers, Landen was probably closest to his brother Finn. Finn wasn’t really like the other three, and Landen had always felt protective of him since they were young boys, growing up.

 “Why only okay?” Landen asked as he stood up and turned around, placing his back against the bar as he allowed himself to search out the girl once more. When he spotted her, he couldn’t help but smile to himself.

“Clarissa and I broke up,” Ben replied before he knocked back his drink, then quickly ordered another.

“You’re kidding me,” Landen said, but inside he wasn’t that surprised. It was common knowledge that Ben’s wife was having an affair with one of the partners at his law firm. Ben himself had a reputation for sleeping around behind her back. Still, Ben was his friend, and he didn’t like to see him screwed over. “Tell me you have a watertight prenup!”

“Not even the iceberg that sunk the Titanic could get through it,” he laughed as he reached for his second drink. “I just don’t get how it happened. She told me that she was tired of playing games. She said she wanted us to be like a real, normal couple…”

He stopped and gulped back his drink.

“Fucking normal,” he continued with a laugh. “Like there is any such thing.”

“I’m sorry, Ben,” Landen said as he raised his glass to his mouth and took a long sip.

Once more his focus settled on the girl across the room. She was talking to a group of men at the far side of the club, but she seemed uninterested in whatever it was they were saying.

“I see you’ve noticed the new waitress,” Ben said with a chuckle as his eyes followed Landen’s gaze to the pretty brunette across the room. “Fuck me; she is a fine piece of ass.”

“She’s a waitress,” Landen replied, and he was surprised by just how disappointed this piece of information made him. The Voodoo Club had some strict rules, and one of the rules was, no sleeping with the staff. The waitresses were there to serve refreshments, nothing more. Sleeping with a member of staff would result in the staff member losing their job instantly, and if the management felt it was necessary, the customer would be banned from the club too.

“I know,” Ben said as he nodded his head. “I think it’s a fucking waste too. The things I would like to do to her…”

“Well, you know the rules,” Landen cut him off, not really wanting to hear the rest of his friend’s comment. “And as for your wife; you’re better off without her. I’m just glad you took care of yourself first. I know divorces can be an ugly business. Which is why I don’t practice family law.”

“Probably also why you don’t do marriage either,” Ben added with a laugh as Landen turned back to the bar and ordered another drink before he knocked back the one in his hand.

“Right, I’m going to mingle,” Ben said as he gave Landen a wicked grin. “I have some serious lost time to make up for, and tonight I feel like partying.”

Landen forced a laugh and nodded as he slipped back onto his stool at the bar. Suddenly he wasn’t in much of a party mood.

He stared down at his empty glass and sighed as the barman set another drink in front of him. Drinking was never the answer, no matter what the question was. So he pushed the glass away from him, deciding he didn’t want the drink after all, sighing once more. He had decided to call it a night.

Just as he was about to stand up, a woman’s voice spoke from beside him, trying to get the barman’s attention. Landen didn’t know why, but he knew it was the waitress. He didn’t turn to look at her directly. Instead he looked at the mirror behind the bar, and sure enough, there she was.

“Hey, Kitten,” the barman, Landen knew simply as Steve, said as he walked up to where she was standing at the bar. “How’s it going?”

“Okay, I guess; busy” The girl replied and gave the barman a look that told Landen she wasn’t comfortable with this guy, or how he spoke to her. “I need two red wines.”

 “Coming right up,” he replied, then gave her his most charming smile. Landen knew that the barman liked her as well, and it surprised him how much that thought bothered him. He set down two wine glasses on the countertop and filled them both to the top. As he did, he gave the waitress a look that said he wanted to do more than pour out a drink for her.

Landen had no idea why, but the thought of the waitress with the slimy barman pissed him off. He knew it was totally irrational on his part. It’s not like he even knew her, but he just didn’t like the thought of her being with this asshole behind the bar either.

He reached for the drink he had pushed away moments earlier and brought it to his lips. He knew it wouldn’t help, but he really didn’t care. Landen downed it in one gulp, then set the glass down on the mahogany bar top. He’d had enough for the night, and he just wanted to go home. He stood up and turned to leave, at the exact same time the waitress picked up the two glasses and turned away from the bar too.

“OH SHIT!” The waitress exclaimed as the contents of the two wine glasses she was carrying, spilled down the front of Landen’s expensive white shirt. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine,” Landen replied, with a tight smile as he wiped the excess wine from his now destroyed, crisp white shirt.

“You’re soaked,” she said as she grabbed a handful of napkins from the bar, starting to press it against Landen’s shirt in an effort to soak up some of the wine, but instead she was just making the whole thing worse.

“Honestly,” Landen insisted as he took hold of her hand and stopped what she was doing. The girl froze and stared up into Landen’s eyes, as she held her breath. “I said it’s fine! The only place this shirt is going now, is in the trash.”

As she looked at Landen, a look of sheer panic filled her face. Landen held her eyes with his, and they were even more captivating up close.

“If…if you want, I can take you to the restroom,” the girl said as she pulled her hands from Landen’s grasp, as her eyes dropped from his, to the mess that was on the front of his shirt. “I can try using some club soda, then I could try to dry it beneath the hand dryer…”

“There really is no need…” Landen said, but before he could finish his sentence, Elliot, one of the managers of The Voodoo Club appeared next to Landen and the girl from nowhere.

“Mr. Murphy!” He exclaimed as he scowled at the girl. “I’m so sorry for this misunderstanding. Please, you must allow us to pay for the shirt…”

“It’s fine!” Landen replied sharply, feeling more than a little irritated that the man was making a bit of a scene. “I am just going to head home. There is no problem here.”

“It would be our pleasure,” the man continued, clearly determined to appease Landen. He obviously knew Landen’s reputation and was panicking that he would cause trouble for the club. “If you would just let us pay…”

“Look, this shirt probably costs more than you make in a week,” Landen said as he looked the man directly in the eye. “And I would be grateful if you lowered your voice. I would rather not have the entire club know what is going on.”

“Certainly, Sir,” Elliot gushed, as the panic in his voice raised a couple of levels. “And I guarantee you; this will never happen again. I will see to it personally.”

He gave the girl a look that told Landen he wasn’t finished with her yet, either. Landen knew he needed to step in, to smooth things over for the waitress.

“Look, this was all my fault, okay,” Landen insisted as he leaned into Elliot and put his arm around his shoulder. At almost six feet two inches, Landen towered over the manager who was no more than five foot, six. Landen knew his height, and his broad shoulders were as intimidating as his reputation, and he was not afraid to use either one. “It was not the girls fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going. I crashed into her.”

“I understand,” the man simpered. Landen knew that he was not really taking on board what he was saying. “But we’d still be more than happy to pay for your shirt.”

“There’s no need,” Landen said, knowing there was nothing he could say to make this man understand. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,”

Then he turned to the girl, and she gave him a nervous smile.

“I’m so sorry for crashing into you, Miss,” Landen said and gave her a smile before he headed towards the door of the club. He stopped to collect his coat from the cloakroom of the club, then hurried down the stairs as he slipped on his coat, and out into the night air.

What a disaster Landen thought to himself as he headed out the door, handing the valet his ticket. He turned to the phone calling Landen’s driver.

“He’ll be right here, Sir,” the young man said without making eye contact with Landen.

He nodded, taking a step further out into the street. While he waited for his car, he pulled his phone from his pocket. There were, as always, a million messages, but Landen sighed, opening one from his mother.

Dinner this weekend, no excuses.

Landen sighed as he considered his response. He didn’t really want to have to play happy families. Even though he loved his family, in his current mood, it wasn’t something he was looking forward too.

As Landen began to tap in his response, the door behind him opened and someone came rushing out and crashed straight into him where he stood.

When Landen turned around, he was surprised to find the waitress standing in front of him, tears dancing in her eyes.

“Miss, are you okay?” Landen asked, knowing he’d something to do with her current predicament.

“Yes,” she replied abruptly, and Landen could see she was mortified to have been caught crying by him.

“With all due respect,” Landen pushed. “You certainly don’t look okay. What did that guy say to you when I left?”

Before she could answer him, his driver pulled up alongside them. Landen glanced at the car, then back to the young lady standing in front of him.

“Can I drop you somewhere?” He asked, knowing it was unlikely she would say yes. Still, he felt somehow responsible for her being upset, and he didn’t want just to leave her there on the street.

“Thank you,” she said as she shook her head vigorously, as she shifted uneasily. “I will just catch a cab.”

“It really is no trouble,” he replied, a little surprised by how disappointed he was that she said no. Landen stared at her for a moment, knowing that she was never going to change her mind.  “But if you’re sure.”

“I am,” she replied giving Landen a tight smile that said she just wanted him to leave her alone.

Landen slowly turned and walked to his car, where Mike, his driver, was standing with the door open, waiting for Landen to climb into the back. He stopped at the car, glancing back to the waitress, giving her one last smile before he climbed inside.

When Mike closed the door, he hurried around to the driver’s side and got in. As he did, a flash of lightning lit up the night sky, followed a couple of seconds later by a loud rumble of thunder. Moments later big drops of rain began to fall from the sky, smashing against the windscreen.

He looked out of the window to the front of the car and saw the waitress standing near the curb, trying to wave down a passing cab, but it just zoomed passed her, leaving her standing in the pouring rain. Landen was sure he never saw a more pathetic looking sight in his entire life.

“Wait!” Landen quickly said to Mike as he made to pull away from the curb. “Move forward to the young lady.”

As Mike inched closer to her, Landen reached for the console on the door and lowered his window.

“Miss, I would be very happy to drop you somewhere,” Landen said as he gave her a smile, as he willed her to get into the car. “Getting a cab in this rain may prove to be far more difficult than you think.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine,” she insisted, and Landen had to resist the urge he had to laugh out loud. He was sure he had never met anyone more pig-headed in his life before.

“It really is no bother,” he pushed, managing to keep his face straight somehow.

She looked at him for a moment, and he knew she was considering his offer. Biting down on her bottom lip, she looked up into the night sky. Once again, a streak of lightning lit it up, as a loud clap of thunder, rumbled above them, and the rain started to come down heavier.

Come on, Sweetheart, Landen thought to himself. Please just get into the car.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” She asked as she looked at Landen with uncertainty.

“Just get in out of the rain,” Landen said as he slid across the seat, as Mike, who was already out of the car and waiting outside the door, opened it and stepped back to let her climb inside.

Landen couldn’t help but take in every inch of her long, stunning legs as she slipped into the seat next to him, her dress riding up and showing off more than she would have liked.

She quickly yanked her hem back down, as she tried to cover herself while she glanced up at Landen. She told Mike where she lived when he returned to the driver’s seat. He nodded before he pulled away from the curb, and they were finally on their way.