Annie looked torn. She was quiet for a minute before a smile crept across her face and she nodded. “Sure.” She poured two more shots and grabbed two more lime wedges.
“Ladies first.”
Annie brought her hand to her lips. Her tongue darted out of her mouth to quickly to lick the back of her hand. She took the salt shaker and covered the spot she just licked. Setting the salt back on the bar, Annie said, “Your turn, ball boy.”
Raising an eyebrow I smirked. “Sweetheart, I am in no way a ball boy. I could show you just how anti-ball I am.”
Annie slowly shook her head and smiled. “I’m sure you could, but I’ll take your word for it. I already have a guy who keeps me very happy. He’s very over protective and could probably whoop your ass if he found out you’re hitting on me.” Her mouth raised on one side and she tried to hide her smile
Fuck me. I should have known that guy from earlier was Dropping the subject I lick my hand and shake some salt onto the spot.
Both reaching for our glasses I held mine up. “Here’s to wild nights and single parents.”
Annie’s smile faded as she clinked her glass to mine. “Cheers.”
We tossed our shots back and sucked on the lime. Seeing Annie suck the lime made me picture her full lips wrapped around my dick.
And my boner was back.
This girl was going to occupy my dreams. She would be in my bed before I left to start my season. I had to have her.
“One more?” I asked, hopeful.
“Not for me. Some of us have to work around here. We can’t all be gazillionaires and sit on our asses, hitting on bartenders, and getting drunk.” Annie said.
“I’m not a gazillionaire and I am not hitting on you. Trying to get you into my bed, yes. Trying to ask you on a date,” I paused and slowly shook my head. “No.”
Annie’s cheeks turned a light pink before she said, “With an attitude like that, I can see why you’re a single parent.”
Drawing back, I let my gaze fall to the gold band on my finger. I felt like I was cheating on Cobie in some sick and twisted way.
“My wife died from cancer five months ago. We found out when she was pregnant that she had Osteosarcoma. She couldn’t take treatments while pregnant.” Pushing my tears back, I ran my finger around the brim of the glass. “Three months after our daughter was born she died. Nothing to do with my attitude.”
Annie covered her mouth. “Shit. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
Shrugging to play it off I smiled and said, “So, how about that other shot?”
Annie filled our two glasses up again, grabbing two more lime wedges.
Eight shots for me and five shots for Annie later we were both getting sloppy. I needed to walk away. She was my employee, but she was also gorgeous and funny.
“I think your shift is over, Barker can handle the bar for another hour. Let’s get outta here.”
Annie rested her elbows and forearms on the bar, leaning forward just enough that I could see down her shirt. Biggest ‘all natural’ tits I had ever seen. I wanted to rip her shirt off just so I could suck her nipples into my mouth as I let my hands wonder down her curvy body and into her little shorts. I could just imagine sliding my fingers into her tight, wet pussy. The noises she would make, the way her body would shake as she came in my hands.
“We need to get outta here, now. I need to get you in my bed and underneath me,” I gruffed.
Annie’s tongue darted out and wet her bottom lip. “I’m not that easy Mr. Tucker. You’re going to have to try harder than that.” Annie grabbed the towel she had tucked in her back pocket and tossed it on the bar. “I’m out Barker. See you tomorrow.”
Without giving me a second glance she was gone. Shit.
And then I had an idea…….
16
Annie
Did I just walk away from the hottest man I have ever laid eyes on? Yes, yes I did. And for a damn good reason. It wasn’t like he was interested in getting to know me. He wanted me for one reason and I wasn’t going to fall into his bed like most women would. I have respect for myself. I have respect for him, even if he is kinda an ass. Besides, I don’t want to risk getting who knows what kind of disease or more importantly getting pregnant from a one night stand gone wrong.
Now, to figure out how in the hell I would get home. I could call Jase and he would pick me up, but that would leave Gabe with Tristan. I don’t want that. Standing in the middle of the still packed parking lot I looked up to the big night sky.
There is was. Derek’s star was twinkling right beside the moon. I always told Gabe that was Derek’s way of telling us hi and that he loved us.
“Annie, wait up!” Leigha called after me. Stopping I waited on my best friend. “Please tell me what I heard is a lie.”
Looking at her like she had three heads I asked, “Huh? What did you hear?”
Giving me her famous ‘cut the shit’ look, she put one of her hands on her hip and waved between me and the bar with her other. “That you told one very sexy Mr. Tucker no. Barker told me that owner man got all up in some guys Kool-Aid for messin’ with you then kicked him out. He also told me that owner man couldn’t take his eyes off of you and that your eyes seemed pretty distracted as well.”
“Barker is an idiot and needs to learn how to keep his damn mouth shut.”
Leigha squealed, jumping up and down. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Gage Tucker has the hots for my best friend.”
“Um no. He was drunk. He got me drunk. And now I have no idea how I’m getting home.”
“I’ll drive and crash at your house tonight.”
I handed Leigha my keys and sunk into the passenger seat. When my car started the song that always made me think of Derek filled the silence. So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold. “Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if Derek hadn’t been killed?”
She held my hand and gave me a sad smile. “Sometimes. Especially when I see Gabe playing the guitar. He is a mini me of his dad.”
“I hate Tristan. It’s been six years and I still hate him. A little part of me hates Derek too. He knew what he was doing that night when he got in the car with Tristan. He knew the risk he was taking. He knew he was going to be a father.”
“Oh sweetie. Tristan hate’s himself too. You know he blames himself. We were all young and stupid. You got lucky and ended up pregnant. Derek was so proud he was going to be a dad.” Leigha looked out of my sunroof. “You know as well as I do that if he thought for one minute getting in that car with Tristan would take him away from you and Gabe he never would have went.”
She was right. Derek loved the idea that I was having his baby. I was only seventeen, he was eighteen, but we were in love. “I know. That doesn’t stop me from thinking ‘what if’. Would the boys have made it big and would we be sittin’ fat on our asses on some private island. Would the guys still be playing in the garage and we barely scraping to get by? Or maybe we would be comfortable having nine to five jobs with a couple of kids.”
Leigha shrugged. “Maybe. But we will never know. You can’t keep thinking ‘what if’. Eventually you have to let go and move on. Close that chapter in your life and start writing a new one.”
I didn’t want to move on. I didn’t want to forget Derek. He was the only chapter I knew. I feared change, despised it. Moving on meant starting something new which meant leaving Derek behind. I wasn’t ready for that and didn’t know if I ever would be. Gabe was the guy I snuggled with and loved. He was the spitting image of his daddy with his shaggy light brown hair and soft hazel eyes. His attitude dead on. Gabe did what he wanted and said what he thought. He was a good kid but I could already tell when he got older I would be put through hell.