One Foot in the Grave (Carly Moore #3) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,7
and Ruth so disrespectfully?”
“He didn’t, and since he’s not launching himself over the bar, I suspect he didn’t hear. Go get yourself a beer, and I’ll go take care of this asshole.”
Marco shot a glare across the room. “I’m right over there if you need me.”
I gave his arm a playful push. “Careful or they’ll think you really are my boyfriend.”
“I don’t have to be your boyfriend to look out for you, Carly.”
“I know. You’ve proven that already,” I said with a soft smile. “Still, I’m capable of fighting my own battles.” I leaned closer. “But it’s nice to know you have my back if I need you.”
I headed over to the table of the rowdy guys, preparing myself for a confrontation.
“What the hell took so long?” the guy asked. He’d been coming around at least a week, so surely he’d heard the Max’s Tavern rules lecture, which Max had issued several times at this point.
Putting my hand on my hip, I shot him my best takedown glare. “My name is Carly or Ms. Moore. Feel free to use either. Being served here is a privilege not a right, so I suggest you pull out the manners you learned back in kindergarten, dust them off, and start usin’ them, or I’ll kick your rude ass out onto the street.”
The men at his table began to laugh, while the man who’d yelled at me turned beet red.
“She told you, Webster!”
“Webster’s gettin’ schooled by a girl.”
I turned to address the man who’d made the last comment. “A girl? Do I look like a girl to you? I’m a grown woman who will kick your ass out too, so you’d do best to remember that.”
The men roared with laughter again.
“Now, if you’re ready to behave like gentlemen, I’ll be happy to take your order.”
I spent the next five minutes taking down their drink and food orders, then dropped off the drink ticket at the counter. Wyatt had been filling my orders without comment for the past hour, but he stopped what he was doing and looked me in the eye. “Are those guys bothering you?”
I released a bitter laugh. “That concern is about four months too late, Wyatt.”
He scowled. “I don’t like how we left things.”
Which meant he didn’t like that I’d told him I wouldn’t put up with his crap anymore, but this wasn’t the first time I’d seen him since our official and final breakup, so I wasn’t sure where this was coming from.
“That’s a moot point, and this isn’t the time or place to discuss it. I’m a little busy.” I turned on my heels and headed to the food counter.
Tiny was working alone tonight, but he preferred it that way. We stopped serving anything but bar food after eight, and he ran things like a well-oiled machine, slinging wings and fries and the occasional burger.
I hung up the ticket and turned around, surprised to see Blake standing behind me, albeit a little wobbly.
“I been tryin’ to talk to you all night,” he said, his speech slurred.
I gave him plenty of attitude. “Well, I’ve been a little busy, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“Why didn’t you come wait on me? I got something to show you.” There was a gleam in his eyes, and I knew there was a double entendre in there.
Gross. If I hadn’t already decided I wasn’t interested in him, this would do it. Sloppy drunk was a huge turnoff for me—probably part of the reason I’d remained single for the past four months since all the men I met came into the bar. It took everything in me not to curl my upper lip in disgust.
“Wellll…” I drawled, trying to figure out how to discourage him without pissing him off.
“I can show you now,” he said, pushing me back several feet. Before I could react, he had me pinned against the wall in the hallway to Max’s office, completely out of sight of everyone. The only way I’d be seen was if Ruth came back to the order counter.
This was unexpected, and I fought every instinct to shove him off me. “Blake, honey,” I said in a light tone, giving him a little shove. “I’m workin’.”
“This will only take a minute.” He leaned his left forearm across my chest, restraining me against the wall, while he reached for his pants. He pressed all of his weight into my chest, making it difficult for me to breathe.
“Blake, let go of me.” I used more force this time as