Page 33 of Betrayed In Crimson
“Oh my,” Julia breathes.
“If I were Ken, I wouldn’t let you leave the house, or my bed,” he flirts.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mutter, rolling my eyes behind him while serving drinks to other customers.
“I, I, I…” Julia stutters, her cheeks now a deeper shade of crimson.
“Careful, Ken, or Clutch here will be stealing your woman,” I warn jokingly.
“If it gets her off my back, then have at it, son. I’m sixty-five, and the woman still wants to ride me like I’m a young buck! Reading these smut novels, you know what, there’s a twenty. Take her out back, give her a good time, maybe it will shut her up for a while,” Ken mutters, in between drinking his beer.
“Kenneth!” Julia chastises him, clipping him around the back of his bald head.
My mouth hangs open, stunned, awkward laughter bubbling from me. Clutch smirks and shrugs. “Keep your money, sir, I’d fuck her for free. I just don’t fuck married women. Plus, she’sonly flirting with me to get your attention. I would suggest putting down that beer and maybe letting your wife take control for one night. You might find you enjoy yourself,” Clutch advises with a wink before moving around the bar to a group of middle-aged women seated at one of the booths, who have been watching Clutch like a hawk all night.
Ken looks to his wife, Julia, who is looking flustered. He sets his beer down, stands, and chucks some money on the bar. “Come on, then, woman, before I regret my decision.”
Julia’s eyes light up. She pats her tightly curled hair and grins at me. “Go get him, Julia,” I grin. She follows him; he lightly slaps her behind, making her yelp in surprise. Clutch walks back behind the bar, carrying a tray of empty glasses.
I place my hand on my hip and look at him. “What?” he asks with a shrug.
“What?” I repeat back to him. “You some kind of marriage sex counsellor now?” I mock.
He shakes his head. “No, but your boy Ken was getting off on the thought of me fucking his wife. Would probably want to watch while jerking himself off,” he shrugs.
“Eww, god, please don’t say that again,” I mock gag.
“Now he has that image, he’s ready to go, and Julia should get a good ride in,” he winks as he makes a fresh batch of drinks for the booth.
“If you weren’t already dead, you’d be dead from syphilis by now,” I tease.
He shrugs. “Luckily for me, I’m very much dead. Meaning I can still backseat bingo my way through all the beautiful women.”
I arch my brow at him. “Just because you use a softer term for fucking doesn’t make what you said any less pervy.”
He winks. “Times may be different.” He pauses, lifting the tray full of drinks in one hand. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t still be a gentleman while being a perv.”
I chuckle and shake my head. The table of women practically screams when he arrives with their drinks.
“You got any more of that imported beer, Lil?” Marvin asks.
“Er, let me check out the stores out back,” I say, grabbing the keys.
Clutch comes over. “I’ve got to go back to the club tonight. So, once we’ve closed up, we’ll head straight there.”
“We?” I counter.
He sighs. “You know I can’t leave you on your own.”
“Just go, it’s one night. And if you go now, you could be back before dawn. I’m surrounded by people,” I point out.
He grits his jaw tight. “Let me clear it with Prez, because I will be a dead man if something happens to you.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever, I’m just going out to the stores for Marvin,” I yell over my shoulder, walking through the back and out into the yard. The trees surrounding the back of the bar rustle loudly in the wind, like giant dark shadows moving in the night. I enter the store, grab the last case of imported beer we have, and make a note to order more in. I step out, locking the door behind me. The sound of a twig snapping startles me. I turn swiftly, my eyes darting everywhere. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, like I’m being watched. I shake my head and move quickly back into the bar, slamming the back fire door shut behind me. I take a calming breath before walking through the bar. “Got them!” I crack one open and hand it to Marvin, who smiles a thanks. Clutch takes my elbow and pulls me to one side.
“Deal is, lock up now and wait for me to come back. I should only be a couple of hours max,” he states.
“I can’t lock up now. Everyone is still halfway through drinking,” I argue.
