- 4 -
I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning so I’m trying not to get involved in people’s conversations. Aimee kind of picked up on it so she was quiet with me for a bit but when classes were over and we headed to grab a quick lunch, Logan showed up and started asking way too many questions about my neck tattoo.
I don’t f-ucking know the guy so I don’t feel the need to explain why I got it. And I tried to brush him off but he kept talking. It’s like he’s high on caffeine or drugs because he won’t shut the f-uck up!
Aimee headed to the bathroom so my hand grabbed his arm and I squeezed without thinking. “Shut up!” I snapped. “Jesus. Your voice is f-ucking killing me.” That’s an understatement.
He looked at me like I was a different person. Yeah. Finally he sees that I’m not in the mood to listen to his bullshit. “Whoa, chill,” he said taking my hand off his arm. “Just because you’re on your period doesn’t mean I’m the scratching post.” Ugh!
I am not on my period. I’m a raging bitch when I’m on it. This is nothing compared to what is to come in a few days!
“Do you need to get laid? Some guys are into that. I personally can’t do it. The blood is a turn off,” Logan said leaning back into the chair, his eyes dropping to my ass. “But there are alternative ways if you need help.”
I grabbed my coffee and purse, and just walked away.
I’m not in the f-ucking mood for–
No, actually I am.
I’m in the mood to f-uck someone. It’s been a long time and I just need to f-ucking let go. Let go of what’s happening, what happened and what’s going to happen. I need to f-ucking forget for a bit.
So I bumped into someone.
And I straight up asked him if he wanted to have sex.
That’s how I ended up at his dorm.
I barely remember it but I know it was good.
Afterwards, I went to see Kelsey and I was pissed because I left my panties behind. I would. I got dressed way too quick because it was getting late.
When Kelsey fell asleep, I headed home and went to bed.
I wasn’t in the mood to do anything.
Not anymore.
***
I don’t even know how I went to class today. I must have been on autopilot. My laptop has notes and Microsoft Word has an open document with a writing assignment on it. I did that. I don’t know how.
Kelsey can’t have visitors today because she’s getting a test done so that’s how I’m sitting here, in International Village’s dining hall, with Aimee, Logan and some girl Logan picked up. She’s the kind of girl that links her arm through Logan’s for attention.
It’s pathetic.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw jeaned legs stop at the table we’re at. I looked up and the guy I had sex with yesterday was there.
“You left these at my place,” he said taking something out of his back pocket. When he dropped it on the table, I smiled. I f-ucking smiled.
Then he walked away.
Yeah, I picked that guy.
The guy who fucks anyone and likes other people to know it. I bet he hid my panties just for this purpose. To stalk me and give them back. In front of a full dining hall.
Am I supposed to be embarrassed? Ashamed?
“Ohmygod…” Aimee said looking at my crumpled panties on the table then me. “You had sex with him. He’s the biggest asshole Logan is friend’s with.”
I sat up straight, stuck a hand under my sweater and unclasped my bra. He thinks I’m going to be ashamed or something. Ha. He doesn’t know who the f-uck I am. Once my bra was off, I grabbed my panties and walked over to his table.
“Have the whole set,” I said tossing both at him.
His dark eyes met mine and I swear he was taken aback. I get that most of the time. I’m weird.
The guys at his table stared at me like I was a god.
I guess no girl ever stood up and basically said ‘f-uck you’ to this asshole. They probably turn really red and power walk out of the building, holding in the urge to cry until they’re in their own privacy.
I turned on my heel and walked back to my table. I grabbed my milkshake, don’t know why I grabbed a milkshake but I did, and sat back down. Back in Washington, I would have loved the attention I was getting right now. Everyone’s eyes are on me.
I leaned back in my chair and sucked on my straw as if I were alone. I checked my phone and saw Matthew calling so I answered. He told me to look outside. I did. He and Finn are waving at me through the car window of Dad’s car.
I laughed softly.
Oh, god.
I grabbed my purse and stuck my laptop in it.
“Thanks for letting me crash the party,” I said, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Their mouths are still on the floor and I’m not in the mood to talk about it.
“What are you doing here?” I asked my brother, once I got outside.
“Being a nice brother and picking you up,” Matty said, cocking his head to the backseat. I got into the car and let myself be taken away.
“So…” Finn said turning in his seat. “Tomorrow’s Friday and you are in college. Any parties?” His eyes dropped to my chest and I’m glad my sweater is kind of heavy. I don’t need my nipples telling me it’s cold outside.
Why did I leave my bra behind?
It was worth it though.
“I don’t know. I’m not a party animal,” I said.
“Yeah. Understatement of the year,” Finn said, laughing.
Matthew nudged his arm and I knew it was for him to shut up. This is what happens when you want to be wild in college. People hear and see the shit you do then when it all stops and something bad happens, they don’t bring it up.
I glanced out of the window because this can get very weird with the two of them staring at each other, and saw a ‘help wanted’ sign on a bar window.
“Stop here,” I said sitting up straight. This is perfect! I’m not being very useful at home so might as well I start looking for a job. What’s better than working at a bar? The tips can really help us out.
Matthew pulled over and I got out.
“Give me five minutes,” I said.
“Bring back shots!” Finn called out from the car. I laughed as I headed into the busy bar. The windows are small and covered with curtains, not showing much of the inside but the noise makes up for it all.
As soon as I walked in, I lost my hearing until I walked up to the bar. People were crowded everywhere so I had to squeeze through them and it wasn’t fun. Some of them got grabby and not wearing a bra at the moment meant they had all access.
“What can I get you?” the bartender, who has to be around my age, said throwing a towel over his shoulder. I went speechless as I found his hazel eyes and they crinkled as he smiled. Beautiful. That’s the only word that comes to mind. “I don’t want to rush you but it’s a full house.”
I snapped back to reality. “Are you still hiring?”
He stopped moving his hands as he prepared a drink for another customer when he looked at me again. “You want a job?”
“Yeah. That’s the point of asking,” I said. Why else would someone else ask if they’re hiring? To use the bathroom? Dumbass.
He finished the drink and slid it over to a guy three stools down from me then leaned over the bar and talked louder for me to hear. “This isn’t a job for girls who can’t get their hands dirty,” he said, eyeing me up and down.
I raised an eyebrow at him. Do I look like a f-ucking girly girl? I’m full of tats and I look like a bitch. Hello. I leaned in even closer and tried not to make what I was going to say sound sexual. “I’d show you that I’m perfect for the job but I’m not wearing a bra.”
Men and women started talking louder so the bartender can hurry up with me and get their drinks ready but he didn’t pay attention to them. He just stared at me for a bit then nodded.
“Come back in an hour. And lose the sweater.”
Dammit. I guess that was going to happen.
“Sure. I’m Rebeckah, by the way.”
“Peyton,” he said, with a smile.
Kill me now. You’d think that all the guys here would have normal names and now I’m being tossed into a job with a guy named Peyton. I always wanted to meet people that don’t have normal boring names.
“See you later, Peyton.”
I turned around and I walked my ass out of the bar with a spring in my step and a f-ucking idiotic smile. I must be on drugs. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“No shots?” Matthew asked when I got into the car.
“Better. I got a job,” I said. At least I hope I have the job. Peyton just said come back in an hour. He could just try to see if I practice what I preach.
“How is that better?” Finn asked, brows furrowing. “Now I can’t see your beautiful face when I stay at your house longer than necessary.”
Both Matty and I stared at him.
“Stalker,” Matty breathed.
Finn laughed and wiped his eyes. “One day, your sister will have sex with me. I’m just making it easier for her to do it.”
“Um, you know I’m sitting right here,” I said.
“I know, babe. Don’t worry,” he said winking at me.
Oh. My…
I blinked a few times then stared out of the window until we got home. I’m not even going to bring that conversation back up.
Dad was surprised that I got a job and I think he knows it’s because I know we’re having a hard time right now.
If only I didn’t have to go to school…
But Kelsey wants it and Dad won’t allow it. I’m twenty-one and I’m being told what to do by my dad and my fourteen-year-old sister. Wow.
An hour later, I was showered and dressed in a tank top and shorts and walking into the bar. Happy Hour. It’s the perfect name for a bar.
As soon as I walked through the door, I smelt the alcohol. Before, it wasn’t that bad because it was packed and cigarette smoke and body odor masked it but now it’s all I smell. It’s familiar. Bringing back old memories.
“Wow.” I followed the voice to the bar and found hazel eyes staring back at me. Peyton. “You weren’t joking,” he said, staring at every tattoo I have visible.
I lifted my hands up in mock surrender. I tried to hide my wrist but it’s harder to do without a sweater so I threw on a large bangle. It’s not my favorite but it’ll stop people from asking questions. Questions I don’t want to answer.
“Why would I lie?” I asked.
Peyton smiled and told me to walk through the kitchen to get to the bar.
“You’re wearing a bra,” he said.
“Sorry to disappoint.”
I should roll my eyes at Peyton noticing that but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I just smiled and bit my bottom lip as we walked to the bar.
“Alright, boss wants someone who knows what they’re doing. He left me in charge of hiring so please don’t make me look bad.” I glanced at Peyton and he was all smiles. Beautiful.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” I said. “I know what I’m doing.”
My first customer just wanted a pitcher of beer so that wasn’t hard. I handed it to him and his eyes took in my whole body. Rule number one of being a bartender, a female one, is that you have to show some skin. Men want something to look at so if they see b-reasts and skimpy clothes, they’ll order. So everyone started hovering over the bar, flirting, ordering, yelling and staring. It’s part of the job. You have to do it for the tips.
Happy Hour closes at five in the morning because it serves food as well as alcohol but since I’m a college student, I get off at twelve. Eh, I have five hours of sleep left. I cleaned up the bar and told the guys to wipe the drool off their face as I headed to the back and counted my tips. Half was Peyton’s but he wouldn’t take it. He said I deserved all of it because I did all the work. The customers even said so.
Two hundred thirty-nine dollars and fifty cents.
Not bad for a first day which was basically just training.
I headed out the back and got into Dad’s car. I locked the doors once I got in and drove home. The house was dark and Matty and Dad were sleeping so I crept into my room as silent as a mouse and threw myself into bed.