Love Her - Andrea Johnston Page 0,7
to the guy and begin to stand when I shake my head, indicating for them to stay put.
Stepping around the bar, I approach the guy, my hands loose in front of me. “Hey man, can I help you?”
Laurie is sniffling behind him, her tiny hand tugging on his arm. Her efforts are for naught because his focus is on one thing only. Me.
“You fucked with the wrong woman, pretty boy.” Pretty boy? That’s new. My beard and tattoos don’t normally qualify as “pretty.”
“I think there’s some sort of misunderstanding.”
“I don’t. You fucked my girlfriend, and now I’m going to have to beat your ass.”
This is when most people would try to talk their way out of a situation like this. Deny all knowledge of any such action, act confused or baffled about such an accusation. Unfortunately for me, I glance at Laurie and that’s all it takes. A split second of recognition, and I don’t even see the hit coming. But I sure as hell feel it.
Stumbling back, I right myself and instinct takes over. I draw back, my fist connecting with his jaw. This guy is big. No, huge. He’s a brick house, and I may be in over my head. I’m no shrinking violet but it’s been a hell of a long time since I’ve been in a fight. The last time flashes in my head and I stop. Chaos and commotion surround us. Screaming and yelling all around us, in a far distance I hear the tell-tale signs of chairs and tables sliding against the floor.
Realization of what is happening distracts me. It only takes seconds for me to take my guard down. Enough time for him to get in one final hit. Losing my balance, I stumble backward, landing on the floor. Laurie’s voice is louder than the rest as she screams “Stop” over and over.
Peering through the legs of the crowd, I watch as Joey and the other bouncers break up the crowd, escorting Laurie and whatever his name is toward the front door. A hand appears in front of me. Looking up at the owner, I note Landon’s smirk. Jerk. Minutes drag on as I right myself and accept the towel of ice from Owen while I settle in one of the abandoned stools. Both guys are laughing, and I attempt to give them a dirty look, but my eye isn’t cooperating. Fuck, my head hurts.
“I’d hate to be you when Taylor gets wind of this.”
“Thanks for the support, Landon.”
“Anytime, buddy. Oh shit,” he says as he looks down at his phone and then barks out a laugh. Before I can ask what happened, my phone buzzes in my back pocket. Fuck my life.
A quick glance at Owen who is tapping away on his phone, a smile on his face. I don’t have to wonder who the biggest gossip here is tonight. Tugging the phone from my pocket, I note the number five above the text message icon. It isn’t only my face that is hurting. My gut is a little sour now. This isn’t good. I bring the screen to life. Five words. All from Taylor.
Are
You
Fucking
Kidding
Me?!
There’s no point in responding, I know what he’s going to say. I brought drama into his bar. I didn’t heed his advice and stop hooking up with customers. I put myself in this position and have nobody to blame but myself. Hopefully he’ll have some sympathy, because if the throbbing in my head is any indication, I’ll have a black eye to go with the humiliation.
Chapter 4
Connor
After his text, I expected Taylor to show up at the bar last night. He didn’t. I’m sure I owe Scarlett more than a dozen donuts and a few nights of babysitting to thank for that. It’s a small price to pay for a few extra hours to come up with a plan to make this right.
Once I cleaned myself up and bought a few apology rounds for customers, I kept my head down and did my job. A black eye and splitting headache couldn’t distract me from the dread that sat in the pit of my stomach. I let down my friend. He trusts me with his business, his livelihood. Instead of protecting it, I put it in jeopardy. All because I’ve been selfish and too busy with whiskey-fueled one-night stands.
Slowly, I allow myself a minute to adjust to the bright light in the small bathroom. I miss the average size bathroom at my rental in Fayhill. At least that