“Take it deep, don’t gag, just swallow,” Patsy picks up where she leaves off.
“Are you two fucking seriously telling me about the blow jobs you gave him? If so, save it. Not interested. What I am interested in is your drink order, but if you’re just here to hook up, let me know so I can serve some customers,” Hailey snaps.
“Two Miller Lites,” Tina says quickly.
“You wanna get that or should I?” Hailey hisses at me.
“You go ahead, babe.”
When she scowls at me, then goes to grab their drinks, I turn back to the girls. “Look, I’m not serving those anymore. It was great seeing the two of you, though.”
Then I walk away as Hailey serves them.
It is one in the morning before things die down. Hailey talks to the customers, smiles, and even calls a few of them cabs. By the time the bar is empty, it’s two in the morning. Hailey flips the sign and locks the front door.
She doesn’t sit for a second, only keeps up her pace, and it’s obvious she’s avoiding me.
“You wanna exchange your ones and change for bigger bills before I do the till?”
“Yeah.” She sets the bar rag down and walks over to the register.
I don’t move. I want her to have to come to me. “You are one hell of a bartender.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not brain surgery.”
“That guy, the one who called you—”
“He’s harmless.”
“You sure about that?”
She whips her little braids around and glares at me. “A girl like me can spot an asshole a mile away.”
“A girl like you doesn’t deserve catcalls,” I retort.
“Well, it seems you have some ‘cats’ calling on you.”
“I’m not a cat person.” I lean in a bit and look at her lips, watch her take a short, quick breath.
She looks away quickly. “No, you’re a kid person. My daughter thinks the world of you. Actually, she talks about you all the time.”
I take a drink, trying to calm my shit down.
“About some game you only want to play with me? ‘Twitch’?”
I nearly choke on my drink. “Hailey—”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for the two of you to spend time together. She’s gonna think of you as more—”
“Hold up a minute.”
“No, you listen to me! She believes in those fairy tales—the white knights, the happily-ever-after, shit that clearly isn’t a reality. She needs to know she can be strong all by herself.”
“You done?” I don’t like where this is heading.
She looks away from me. “Clearly.”
She turns around, and I go stand in front of her, placing my hands on the counter behind her. Her breath hitches again, but she doesn’t move.
“She sees you and what you do. She’s gonna be a strong woman, no doubt. Now explain the reason behind you not wanting me around her.”
“What’s twitch?” she says, clearing her throat and trying to hide the desire, the way she feels when she and I are this close.
“I said bitch. Didn’t know she was there and had to cover my—”
“So I’m a bitch!” She shoves me, but I grab her hands and keep them against my chest.
“Sometimes.” I just can’t help myself, though it had nothing to do with what I was telling her.
She pushes me again.
“It’s hot, though.”
“Morrison, don’t play games with my daughter.”
“Not a game player anymore.”
“Right.” She finally looks away.
“Look at me.” She does. “I’m not playing a game.”
“What do you want from me? What do you think I owe you? What?”
“Slow down, baby. One question at a time. What do I want from you? I could ask the same question of you.”
“Of me?”
“Yes.” I lean in. “What do you want from me?”
Her chest rises and falls, her breathing rapidly increasing as I move slowly toward her.
“While you’re thinking about the answer, no, Hailey, I don’t own you. You own you. Now, wanting you . . . Well, I think you know the answer to that.”
I step back until her hand fists my shirt.
“I have no idea what I want from you.” Her voice is thick and husky.
“You’re playing a game. You know what you want. You want it, and it’s right here. Your move, your call.” I slowly lean in. “It’s right here, baby. Right fucking here.”
She licks her lips and stares at mine, then looks down at the erection pushing against my pants. “Your girls could have taken care of your needs.”
“That need can only be taken care of by one of two people, and the one who has been handling it is getting real sick of jerking off in the shower, thinking about you.”
“You need to get laid.”
“I need a taste, a touch, something to hold me over till you know for damn sure this is what you want, ’cause I’m all fucking in, baby. I don’t own you; you feel me?” I take her hand and run it down my chest to the waist of my pants. “But if you want me, I’m here. I’ll play bitch for you until you realize I’m not about owning you in the way he tried to.”