Page 56 of Real Dirty
“Was that Law? What happened to your shirt? What did he want?”
“Yes, and some asshole spilled on me. I don’t know what he wants.”
Hope raises an eyebrow as she glances over my shoulder. “He wants one thing, girl, and that’s you. His eyes are glued to your ass.”
I roll my eyes. Of course they are. Law loved my ass. The sex hadn’t been off-the-charts amazing ... unlike with someone else whose name I refuse to mention, but it hadn’t been bad either. Just average, I guess.
“Can I beg you for another tank? I’ll pay for it out of my tips.”
Hope scoffs. “You get five. I’ll get you one if you want to run down to the basement and grab another keg. It’s going to get your shirt filthy anyway. I made Brian bring up the last three, and he’s apparently on his period now and told me it’s someone else’s turn.” She shoots a sharp glance toward the assistant manager.
“No problem. Where am I going?”
She gives me directions, along with the key to the storage room, and I make my way through the crowd again toward the stairs. I’ve been hauling kegs for as long as I’ve been able to lift them, so it’s not a big request.
But of course, because today can’t get any shittier, Law follows me down into the basement.
“Rip, babe, I mean it. I want to talk. You’re the one that got away, and now that my life is everything I’ve always wanted, I need someone to share it with. You wouldn’t even have to work in a bar; you could go to school if you want.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, searching for patience somewhere deep inside, and come up empty. “I can’t have this conversation right now. You should go back to your friends.”
“Promise you’ll call me tomorrow, and I’ll leave you alone tonight.”
“Sure. Fine.” I’m lying, but he could never read me well enough to know that.
Hoping this conversation is well and truly over, I turn toward the door markedPrivate: Employees Only, but Law lays a hand on my shoulder and spins me back around before his lips slam down on mine. Completely stunned by the fact that he’s pulling some kind of alpha move, it takes me a few seconds before I push him away.
“Whoa. Hey. What the hell?”
I can taste the alcohol he’s been drinking, which explains his sudden display of masculinity.
“Needed to give you something to think about.”
“Got it. Thinking. Go back to your friends, Law.”
With a self-satisfied smile, he gives me a jerk of his chin before he trudges up the stairs. I wait until he’s halfway up and shoots me a backward glance before I unlock the storage room and slip inside.
I slump against the door and stare up at the ceiling.
Seriously? Tonight, of all nights.
Law’s words echo in my head like a slap.“You wouldn’t even have to work in a bar; you could go to school if you want.”Me working as a bartender is still not up to his standards, obviously. And if I were considering going back to him for even a second, that would ensure a big fatnopeof a response from me.
This is who I am.If that’s not good enough for anyone, they can go fuck themselves.
With a grunt of frustration, I lift the keg Hope asked for off the floor and maneuver the door open with my elbow, then hip check it shut before setting the keg on the floor and making sure the door locks behind me.
The stairs look even steeper now that I have a keg to lug up them, but tonight, I’m all about proving I can do whatever I put my mind to, even if it’s as simple as moving something from point A to point B.
I have worth. I have something to offer, I remind myself, even though I feel like a bottom-feeder right now.
As I get to the top of the stairs, Law is waiting near the end of the bar with his friends. When he sees me, he charges toward me.
“Hey, let me help with that, babe.” He reaches out to snatch the keg from my arms.
The sudden loss of the weight throws me off-balance and I stumble backward ... right down the stairs.
I’m too stunned to tuck and roll. No, I just flop and tumble, my arms and legs flailing until I crash to a stop at the bottom, jamming my legs against the floor.
