Page 20 of Allegiance
Lena
Saturday
Many of theSanta Teresita bars lined the streets on lower Union Street, and Crawley’s sat on the corner, its yellow neon sign a beacon for those in search of good bar food and cheap drinks.
Lena folded one leg over the other, dangling her high heel, and brought the cocktail glass to her lips. Crawley’s was known for its all-night happy hour, and sometimes she’d stop by after a long day at work and order one of the bar’s famous drinks—Snarky Ghost Breeze, a concoction of tequila, Strega, lime, and cinnamon.
Laughter drowned out the jukebox, and Lena tuned out the noise by going through the numerous emails cluttering her inbox. She’d arrived earlier than their agreed upon time, and she had to do something to quell the first date nerves that’d been wracking her mind and body for most of the day. Never had she been this anxious about going out with a man, so it irritated her that her emotions were getting the best of her.
Maybe it wasn’t the date, but the thought of the two hoodlums coming back into the bistro to snatch up her hard-earned money with their grubby hands. Her anger spiked every time she thought about those bastards.
“Another Ghost Breeze?” the bartender asked as she picked up Lena’s empty glass.
“Yes, please.” Opening her satin clutch, she took out two singles and laid them on the counter.
Normally, one cocktail would’ve been her limit, especially if she was meeting up for dinner and more drinks, but the sweet, tangy beverage worked wonders on helping her to relax. And most people would agree that she’d had a really shitty week. Bile rose in her throat at the memory of the two thugs pressing up against her. Lena squeezed her eyes shut, willing the carousel of images from that night to evaporate. There was no way in hell she’d let those cruel animals ruin her night out with Tank.
Tank.Just the thought of him pushed the ugliness of that night into the shadowed corners of her mind. Despite her somber mood, a small smile lifted her lips. The man was captivating, but at the end of the day, hewasjust a man, and there were plenty of handsome, muscular men out there. A walk along the beach any day of the week attested to that fact. But no man had intrigued, or had such an effect on her as Tank had, and she didn’t know why. Maybe tonight, she’d be able to unravel the mystery.
“Here you go.” The bartender placed the drink down in front of Lena. “Is your party late?”
Lena picked up the glass and took a sip. “My party?”
The black-haired woman smiled. “You keep looking at the door.”
She laughed. “It’s a habit, but Iammeeting a friend. I’m just early.”
The woman nodded. “If you need anything else, let me know.” She rapped her knuckles on the bar top and left to attend other customers.
Another wave of anxiety washed over her.Maybe coming early wasn’t a good idea.
Maybe this whole date thing is wrong.Every doubt she had about going out with him bombarded her, and she fought them off one at a time.I’m being ridiculous. This is just dinner, and Iamhungry.
When Fe had spasmed over the news of her date, Lena acted like it was no big deal, and she kept up the façade for the rest of the week. Though she kept telling herself that it was just a casual dinner and not a big deal, Lena had asked Adalyn to close the bistro that night so she could rush home and get ready. She’d taken extra care by blow-drying her hair and putting on eye shadow before slipping into a mid-length swingy chiffon sundress with spaghetti straps. The floral pattern was in shades of orange, which complemented her olive complexion, and the thigh-high front slit was sexy, but not in a trashy way.
Looking down at her bare leg, she tugged the fabric of her dress over it and downed the rest of her cocktail.
When someone tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around and saw Tank standing behind her barstool, the day-old scruff dusting his strong jaw, defining his cheekbones. For an instant, all coherent thought disappeared as she looked at him. Dressed in a black button-down shirt that clung to broad shoulders, and crisp black jeans that emphasized his muscular thighs, the man looked damn good.
Heat licked over her skin as his gaze traveled down the length of her body. She bit her inner lip, forcing her eyes to stay put and not wander down to his dick.
Slipping his arm over the back of the barstool, his fingers grazed her upper arm, making her shiver. Every inch of herwasaware of his closeness.
“Hi.” His warm breath ghosted across her face.
Straightening in her chair, she leaned forward a bit. “Hi. You’re early.”
“So are you.” Tank gazed down and back up. Meeting her eyes, a small smile played on his lips. “Nice legs.”
She looked down to see that the side split in her dress had ridden up and parted, revealing a little too much of her thigh. Twisting on the stool, she fidgeted with the hem of the dress while cursing her choice of attire for the night.
“You look beautiful,” he told her.
“Thanks.”
The female bartender leaned against the bar and eyed them both. “Would you like something to drink?” She gave Lena a wink. “Now I know why you were early. I’d be early for him too.”
The soft rumble of hisdeep chuckle sounded in her ear as he dipped his head so low, his mouth lined up next to it.
