“Not until you eat something, kiddo,” he said, shaking his head as he smiled. I knew Jack well enough to know that he wasn’t going to give in to any of my whining or stubbornness, so I made a show of putting catsup on the bun and taking a bite out of the burger. Through a mouthful of food, I said, “Happy now?”
“Not until you eat the whole thing, Sweetness,” he said turning his attention to a couple of new customers who’d wandered in off the street.
“Why does he call you Sweetness?” Dax asked.
“C’mon, man, even a pretty boy like you is not that clueless,” I said rolling my eyes at his feigned ignorance as I dipped a fry in catsup and popped it in my mouth. “My name is Payton and this is Chicago.”
“Good point,” he nodded as he took a huge bite out of his own burger. We sat eating in silence, but I could feel the many questions that hung in the air between us. He chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, and then swallowed and turned to me and asked, “So, you’re a Halas, aren’t you?”
“No shit, Sherlock,” I said rolling my eyes before calling out to Jack, “Hey Jack, pour me and Einstein another drink over here?”
“Sarcastic much?” he asked as he turned back to his burger. “Bet your life’s quite the story.”
“Isn’t everyone’s?” I said
, only slightly bitterly as I immediately lost my appetite and dropped what was left of the burger on my plate. I pushed the dish away from me and yelled, “Jack, where’s my whiskey?”
“Bitch,” Dax said under his breath.
“Sweetness, you did not eat your dinner,” Jack scolded as he pulled the plate off of the bar and dropped it in a bus tub under the counter.
“Why are you giving me grief today?” I asked, suddenly irritated with his overprotective-father bit. “You know I’ve had a rough day and I don’t need to be hassled.”
“Darlin’, I’m just looking out for you,” Jack said with a wistful smile. “Like I’ve always done.”
Irritated, I looked away to avoid Jack’s eyes and felt Dax reach out under the bar and squeeze my hand. I flipped my hair out of my face and turned to say something sharp, but he’d already withdrawn his hand and I knew that saying something about it would make me look like I was more than a little unhinged and that Jack would tell me I’d had enough. My hand tingled where Dax had touched me, and I felt my face redden as I briefly imagined what else he might be able to make tingle.
“All right, one more, Sweetness, but I’m cutting you off after this one,” Jack said as he lined up three shot glasses and filled them all to the rim. I grabbed mine as Jack pushed one toward Dax and said, “Salud!”
I stopped and clinked my glass against theirs and then slammed the shot as quickly as I could, hoping the alcohol would do its job quickly and efficiently. I just wanted to forget my mother and her ultimatum for a few hours and pretend that I wasn’t Payton Halas Lasky, whose duty it was to carry on the Halas name. I wanted to be carefree and have fun. I wanted to drink and dance and, if truth be told, I wanted to hook up with the handsome stranger sitting on the barstool next to me and lose myself in his touch.
“I gotta go pee,” I said standing up and teetering a bit before I righted myself and headed towards the bathroom. Jack had disappeared into the kitchen to get food for his other customers at the bar, and no one else noticed as Dax got up and quietly followed me.
Chapter Five
Dax
I held Payton’s elbow as she wove her way to the bathroom on wobbly legs, but when I pushed the door open and held it so that she could enter, she surprised me by pulling me in with her.
“Come in with me, frat boy,” she slurred a little as she pushed the door shut and turned the lock.
“Um, I’m not exactly sure this is a good idea, lady,” I said looking around at the dark interior and thinking about how easy the black walls would hide blood stains if Jack caught me in here with Payton.
“Don’t be silly,” she laughed as she went into a stall and sat down. “I just have to pee. It’s not like you’re ravaging me or something.”
“Still, I’m not sure Jack would be too happy if he found me in here with you,” I said nervously leaning against the door and hoping that no one came knocking on it.
“Oh, Jack’s just an overprotective bear,” she laughed. I could hear her urinating and it reminded me that I’d had quite a bit to drink as well.
“Don’t come out yet,” I said as I unzipped my pants and aimed into the sink.
“Oh my God, please don’t tell me you’re peeing in the sink,” she called from the stall.
“Oh please, this is a dive bar. You don’t think anyone’s ever pissed in a sink around here before, princess?” I laughed as I emptied my bladder and tried very hard to aim right at the drain.
“Stop calling me princess,” she said icily as she emerged from the stall just as I’d zipped up my pants and started washing my hands. “I hate it.”
“Why? You’re football royalty in this town,” I said as she stepped in next to me and ran her hands under the water. We were close enough that I could feel her hip pressed against mine, and when she reached across me to pump the soap dispenser, I could smell the fresh scent of her hair and perfume combined in a heady scent. She was a beautiful woman. She was smaller than I was usually attracted to, with the lithe frame of an athlete. I wondered what sport she played.