And Then There Was Us (And The There Was 2)

Her hair was thick and curly, and so dark it reminded me of onyx. Her eyes were big, soulful, and a rich brown that was reminiscent of mahogany. Her dark skin was smooth, flawless, and her lips were pouty and red, drawing my eyes to them over and over again. I thought back to her body when I’d first seen her standing there. Despite the jacket and slacks she wore, I could tell she was curvy, feminine in all the ways that turned me on.

No, nothing and no one has ever made me feel like this.

“Well,” she said, and I blinked, bringing myself back to the present. “I love this bar and the atmosphere. It’s eclectic and unique, and my father loves all things jazz—as do I—so I thought this would be a perfect fit.”

“No,” I said, and she stopped, her eyes going wide. “Korrie, tell me why you want to work here.”

It took her a moment, but I saw that she knew I wanted the truth. I’d never asked an interviewee this, because it wasn’t my fucking business, but there was no denying there was something special about this woman, and a part of me grew curious to know all the things, all her secrets.

Finally she exhaled and glanced down at her lap, her thick curls falling over her shoulder. My fingers itched to touch her, to smooth my thumb under her chin and bring her head up so I could look into her warm mahogany eyes once more.

“My father is sick, and I need this job to pay his medical and prescription bills.” She looked up at me, and I leaned back, not expecting that to come from her. “And this is the only place that called me back for an interview.” She shrugged and glanced back down at her lap. I could see she twisted her hands together nervously.

“Look at me,” I said gently, coaxing. She lifted her head, and I smiled. “Thank you for being honest. You can’t know how nice it is to hear the truth.” I watched her shoulders relax, and she gave me a tentative smile in return.

“I wasn’t lying about loving this place though. All of that was the truth.” She licked her lips, and I was riveted to the sight.

I got hard.

My heart raced.

My palms started to sweat.

Nothing mattered but her. This tunnel vision settled in, and I embraced it.

“So when can you start?” I gave her a grin when I saw the surprise on her face.

“Just like that?”

I looked down at the application she’d dropped off just a few days ago, one of the waitresses having taken it. Hell, if I had taken the application from Korrie myself, I would’ve hired her right on the spot simply from the connection I felt with her alone.

And the truth was, I still would have hired her even if she hadn’t told me about needing this job, because she had to help her dad out. I wanted her close. It was this strange, sudden, but very strong sensation in me. It was as if this feeling I had toward Korrie was ingrained in my very DNA.

Not having her work for me—not keeping her close—seemed like the worst possible idea I could’ve ever come up with.

“Just like that,” I responded and gestured toward her application, even though she probably couldn’t see it clearly. “You’re qualified for the job. And your references checked out or I wouldn’t have given you a callback.” I stared right into those gorgeous eyes of hers. “And I like your attitude, your personality. I think you’ll fit in perfectly at Lyrics.”

She beamed at me, which had her becoming even more beautiful, because it was this most genuine thing. There was relief on her face that tugged at my heart.

I may not be able to know the future, but what I did know with utter certainty was that this woman was special and that she was meant to be in my life.

3

Korrie

One week later

I was nervous, butterflies in my stomach, palms sweaty, hands shaking, the whole package of anticipation and fear for my first day on the job.

I couldn’t even understand why I was so scared. It wasn’t as if I’d never waitressed before. Although it had been far too many years since I’d done it, it should be like riding a bike.

But as I stood in the staff break room at Lyrics and stared at myself in the mirror that hung on the wall across from the worn, comfortable-looking couch, I knew what I was feeling had nothing to do with the actual job and everything to do with my new boss, Bishop.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him these last couple of days, and when I'd gotten my work schedule, I’d been surprised—and excited—by the fact that Bishop was on during every one of my shifts.