1
Wendy
“You have got to be freaking kidding me,” I muttered, clenching my cell phone in a tight grip as I forced myself not to throw the damn thing against the nearest wall.
The manager at McClaren’s, where I worked as a bartender, had messed up the schedule and put me down for a shift tonight even though I was supposed to have the whole weekend off for Breaker and Ireland’s wedding. I’d tried getting him to change it the day the schedule was posted, but he refused to budge, so I was stuck finding someone to cover for me. Which I did. Immediately. Only it turned out to do me no good.
Jabbing my finger against the screen of my phone, I pulled up Ireland’s number and called her. She answered after one ring. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I am so, so sorry to do this to you at the last minute, but I won’t be able to make it to the rehearsal tonight.” I heaved a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger. “The coworker I was supposed to trade shifts with just sent me a text to let me know she isn’t going to be there, and my shift starts in thirty minutes.”
Ireland’s band, Chuffed Up, had played at McClaren’s enough times for her to be familiar with how things worked there. “Dang, that’s not nearly enough time to find someone else.”
“Nope.” I let the P pop as I strode toward my closet to pull out a pair of ripped jeans and one of my McClaren’s tank tops. “Since she waited until the last minute to let me know, I’ll be lucky to get ready and show up before my shift starts.”
“Well, don’t worry about the rehearsal. We’re just going to do a quick run-through before having dinner,” she assured me. “I’m not even sure why it’s necessary, except maybe as an excuse for everyone to get together. Really, all you’re going to miss is a free meal and an open bar.”
“Not so much the free bar. I’d be lucky to get one drink.” I snorted as I put the phone on speaker and set it down so I could step into my jeans. “We both know that even though I’m a grown-ass woman, my brother has no problem butting in where he doesn’t belong.”
Ireland’s answering giggle made me smile. “Yeah, I can totally picture Scout swiping a drink right out of your hand and chugging it down himself because he thought you were past whatever limit he set for you.”
“Feel free to torture him a little for me.” A wicked smile spread across my face while I zipped up my jeans. Most rehearsal dinners only included the bridal party and immediate family, but since Breaker was a member of the Silver Saints MC, essentially a brotherhood, that was pretty much all the guys and their old ladies. “He probably would’ve glared at any of the guys who dared to get too close to me if I was there, but it’ll drive him even more up the wall not to know why I’m missing from the rehearsal when I’m one of the bridesmaids.”
“You got it,” she agreed with another giggle before disconnecting the call.
After pulling on my tank and doing my hair and makeup, I had less than ten minutes to get to the bar. Luckily, it was only a five-minute drive, so I made it there with just enough time to toss my purse on the bottom shelf behind the bar before clocking in. Friday nights were always busy, and today was no exception. I immediately got to work filling drink orders after explaining to the other two bartenders on shift that my coverage fell through at the last minute. Jane and Todd told me to check with them first if I was ever in a tight spot again. Not that it would’ve done me any good this time since we were all scheduled together.
Don, the owner of the McClaren’s, came out of the back office about three hours after I started working. He did a double take when he spotted me behind the bar and headed in my direction. He wasn’t super involved with the day-to-day management of the staff, but he knew about the wedding this weekend since he scheduled the bands and Chuffed Up couldn’t perform. “What’re you doing here? I thought you traded shifts with Kelli?”
“She sent me a text thirty minutes ago to let me know she couldn’t make it because something came up,” I explained while I grabbed a container of lime wedges from the fridge behind me to restock the garnish tray.
“What do you want to bet it was a someone?” Jane asked with a roll of her eyes as she poured a draft beer and slid it toward the customer sitting directly in front of her.