must be Taylor. I’m Chastity.” Her eyes twinkled and her smile was warm and genuine. “Ruger said Bull had hired a new bar girl. Welcome to crazy town.”
She was sweet and I immediately felt at ease with her.
“Thank you. What can I get you?”
“Four beers for my girls, and a Coke for me, please.” She rubbed her huge belly as she eased herself down onto the bar stool.
“When are you due?” I asked, flipping the tops off four beers.
“Not for another month, can you believe it? I’m already as big as a whale. Can you imagine how huge I will be in another four weeks?” She smiled as she fanned herself. “Ruger warned me that his mama had big babies, and her mama before her. I should’ve known this one was going to be big, too. Although, it kinda feels like this one is going to come out with a beard and be ready for college.”
Chuckling, I placed the four beer bottles on the tray in front of her. “You look gorgeous.”
She smiled. “You’re sweet, thank you. So, tell me, how was your first week? Has old Davey tried to cop a feel yet? I mean, he’s harmless but you have to let that big ol’ teddy bear know he can’t get away with being handsy.”
“Cherry warned me. And no, he hasn’t. Actually, they’ve all been really respectful.”
“That’s because my uncle warned them to keep their hands off you, or they’d have him to deal with.”
“He did?” The idea of Bull warning a room full of bikers to keep their hands of me made my skin flush and my belly tighten.
“I probably shouldn’t have told you that. Oh well, I can always chalk it up to pregnancy brain if he finds out.”
“Your secret is safe with me; I won’t tell anyone.” I gave her a wink and she rewarded me with a huge smile.
“You’re nice, I like you. I think we’re going to be good friends.”
“Thank you.”
“See…pregnancy brain. I just think something and it falls right out of my mouth.”
Grinning, I scooped ice into a highball and filled it with Coke and a piece of lime. I added it to the tray. “Want me to carry that for you?”
“Oh, hell no. Ever since he knocked me up, my husband treats me like a porcelain doll. Like I’m going to break if I show any signs of exertion. Carrying a tray of drinks is going to be a novelty for—”
Before she could finish, Ruger walked up behind her and took the tray from her. “Here, baby, let me take that for you.”
Chastity gave me a pointed look.
“See?” She shook her head. “It was nice to meet you, Taylor. When you get a break, come over and meet the girls, okay?”
Not long after Chastity walked away, a blonde in a barely there pink dress and sparkly diamond choker that spelled TIFFANI came over.
“You’re new,” she said, leaning two elbows on the bar.
“I started a few days ago,” I said, looking up from pulling two beers from the refrigerator.
“Wow, Bull really threw you in the deep end making you do a clubhouse party so quick.” She pulled a packet of cigarettes out of her handbag. “Speaking of which, I saw you talking to him earlier. How do you two know each other?”
Her eyes glittered across at me. Studying me. She was trying to work out how much competition I was.
“He offered me this job,” I said, uncapping two beer bottles and passing them to one of the band’s roadies.
“So, you’re his latest?”
“That depends on what you mean,” I said, laying out two shots glasses and pouring bourbon into each of them. “If you’re asking if I’m his latest bartender, then yes. Anything else, then no.”
The shots of bourbon went to a second passing roadie.
“That’ll change. A pretty young thing like you…”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “You’re pretty forward, aren’t you?”
She shrugged, unaffected. “What’s the point of beating around the bush? You’ll get used to me. I’m like a permanent fixture around here. The boys like to keep me around, if you know what I mean.” She winked, then put a cigarette between her glossy pink lips and lit it. “So, you really aren’t riding the Big Man’s pony?”
I presumed she meant Bull.
“He’s my boss. That’s all. I have no interest in him other than that.”
Which was a lie because I’d been undressing him with my eyes all night.
“Hmmph, that’s a shame. He must still be schtooping our lady mayor,” she said, looking