Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 80261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“What time will you be back?”
“Late.”
Before he could interrogate me with a hundred questions, I flew out the door faster than a bat out of hell. Not prepared to answer questions of what I was up to yet.
By the time I arrived at the bar, it was ten minutes till noon. It was my first day at my new job and I wanted to give a good impression, arriving earlier than I was supposed to. I locked my car, making my way inside.
Billy said Mark was going to train me. At least I was somewhat familiar with him. Even though we didn’t say a word to each other the night Hayes kicked me out. I tried not to think about Hayes, I didn’t want him to damper my happy mood. I wasn’t going to let him ruin this for me. He’d already messed with my head enough and I needed a break from him taking up residence in my brain.
The door dinged when I walked inside, coming face to face with the last person I wanted to deal with.
I didn’t pay him any mind, asking, “Where’s Mark?”
Hayes replied, “Don’t worry about him.” Simply adding…
“Just worry about me.”
Hayes
“You know for someone who doesn’t want me around,” she taunted, “you sure find ways to be near me.”
“You leave me no choice.”
“I’m not your responsibility. I’m a big girl, Hayes. I’ve been doing fine for the last eighteen years on my own.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“So, this is going to be fun,” she remarked sarcastically. “Is there anything else you’d like to offend me with before we begin my training? Is my lipstick okay? Is my outfit too slutty? Do I need to address you as sir? Please enlighten me before we start, oh wise one?”
“Are you done?”
With a snide expression, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Can we just get this over with?”
“Finally, something we agree on.” In three strides, I was standing in front of her, looming over her petite frame. Next, I gripped onto the back of her neck, and she gasped as I firmly held her in my grasp.
“What the hel—”
My thumb wiping away her pink lipstick shut her right up. At the last second, she tried to jerk her face away, but I tightened my hold.
“You don’t have to manhandle me. You could have just said you didn’t like it.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Oh, this is what you call fun? Being an asshole is entertaining for you? What about my outfit? You want to take that off too?”
“Not as much as you want me to.”
She pitifully tried to tug away again. “You arrogant bastard.”
“You’ve developed quite a big girl mouth, Peach.”
“What can I say? You bring out the worst in me.”
I chuckled. “You sure are feisty little thing.”
“It’s a casualty of growing with five older brothers.”
I let her go and her eyebrows pinched together, surprised that I did. “Something I said?”
I ignored her question, stating, “You don’t need makeup.”
Her lips parted. “Is that a compliment?”
“It’s not an insult.”
“Why can’t you just say yes?”
“I’m bad company, sweetheart.”
“Then why are you training me?”
“If I want something done right than I have to do it myself.”
“I’m not dumb. I know how to wait a table.”
I grinned. “Who says you’re waiting tables?”
She narrowed her gaze at me. “What do you—”
“I don’t have all day.” Nodding, I turned around. “Come with me.”
I heard an exaggerated breath as she followed my lead like a good girl, but I knew it wouldn’t last long.
“You have got to be kidding me?” she exclaimed once we reached our destination.
“You wanted a job. This is where you’re starting.”
“I didn’t apply to clean bathrooms, Hayes.”
“Take or leave it.”
“Does your daddy know what you’re having me do?”
“I don’t answer to him.”
“How long are you going to punish me before I get to host tables?”
“You’re organizing the storage room next.”
“This isn’t training.”
I smiled. “It is now.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I know.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Make sure to scrub the toilet. Someone threw up in it last night.”
“Hayes…”
“Know your role, Peach.”
“You obviously have yours down pat.”
“You could have worked at the mall or some shit. For some unknown reason, you decided on my bar. You want to play hostess. Prove to me you know how to listen. I’ll be back to check on you. Try not to get into any trouble, I don’t have time to babysit you today.”
She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to. Her mad expression spoke for itself.
“Got something to say about that?”
She bit her tongue, shaking her head instead.
“That’s a first,” I muttered. “Be a good girl.”
“I’m not a dog.”
My cellphone rang.
“Yeah?” I answered, watching as she peered into the toilet. Making a disgusted face.
I hid back a laugh, handing her the gloves from my pocket.
She grabbed them, mouthing, “Gee, thanks.”
For the rest of the afternoon, she did as she was told. When it was time for the bar to open, I found her in the storage room. Except she wasn’t alone. Taz was with her. He was a prospect for my old man’s club.