Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

DAYRA

Zane’s eyes never leave my body from across the room. It’s as unnerving as it is exhilarating. Something in him is softer towards me and it scares the fuck out of me. I know how to handle him being an asshole, that is that behavior I’m accustomed to for the last two years. This? This fondness or whatever it is? It’s fucking weird. And kind of hot. I’m a mess. I’m sweating profusely beneath this cardigan, and not because it’s warm in here. Partly from the alcohol in the punch, but partly from my nerves being shot as Zane continues to stare at me.

I want to ask him what the hell he wants from me, but I’m scared of that answer. So, here I stand. Beneath the burning gaze of the very attractive, completely tattooed man that a month ago I would have never believed would’ve been fucking my brains out in the stairwell at work. A stairwell that is only a mere few feet from this lounge.

“So, with that being said, we have this year’s Christmas bonuses for you all. Please see myself and Zane to retrieve them and thank you for all of your hard work this year. We appreciate each and every one of you,” Mark says, concluding the speech that I tuned out.

Everyone applauds as his speech concludes, myself included. I glance in Zane’s direction and those piercing grey eyes are still burning a hole through me. I feel like he can see my soul. And I don’t like it. I pull my cardigan close to my sides, needing to feel shrouded in some way.

I need to get out of here.

I still haven’t responded to his email about the new position they’re opening. I know that Mark wants me in it, since he’s hinted at it at least four times in the last day since telling me that they were opening it up and urging me to apply, despite the relationship that Zane and I have. Oh, if he only knew.

He wouldn’t be recommending me for that position. Star employee caught fucking boss in the stairwell for promotion. I can see the headlines now. My stomach churns. What am I fucking doing? I can’t. I can’t do this. This is my career.

The air in the room feels so heavy. Thick. It’s hard to breathe. I take slow and steady breaths, trying to conceal the sheer panic rising inside of me. I find a seat at the table with Jade and Xena, taking a sip of water from the bottle in front of me. The tables are set with bottled waters, plates, and cutlery at each seat. The water is cool and is refreshing as it goes down, slowly cooling me down.

I want to pour it on top of my damn head, but that would be quite attention getting. Wet t-shirt contest is not on my bingo card for Christmas this year. I pull my phone out and send a text to my best friend.

Dayra: Can we meet for drinks this evening? Scotty’s?

Maia: Umm, yes! What time?

Dayra: 7? I need to get some things off my chest about THD.

Maia: Done. See you at 7. Drive safe. Love you!

Dayra: Love you!

I’m caught up in my phone and don’t realize that Zane is standing directly behind me. He’s looking over my shoulder at my phone, open to my text messages.

“THD?” he asks, a confused look on his face.

I can’t fight the smile that forms on my face because I’m about to tell him his nickname.

“Tall hateful devil.”

I watch as it registers that he is who I’m referring to.

“That’s what you call me?”

“It’s fitting, is it not?”

His blank stare gives away nothing to how he feels about it, and I don’t care. He’s been the tall hateful devil since the day I got here.

“Classy,” he says, handing me a check then promptly walking away.

I shove it into the pocket of my cardigan and fix a plate of food. The party dies down and most of the others are going to a bar across the street called the Salty Dog Saloon. It’s an interesting name and an even more interesting place. I’ve been a handful of times but it’s just not my scene. I’d rather make the drive out to Scotty’s.

I don’t see Zane for the rest of the party and I say a silent thank you as I slip into the driver’s seat of my car and head home to check on Piecie before I head to meet Maia. Maybe she can shed some light on the feelings I have, or at least give me some bad advice about sleeping with him again.

I feel bad only stopping at the house for ten minutes to let my tiny girl out and give her a few pets, fill her food and water bowls, then head out again.

Scotty’s is packed, but I expected nothing less on a Friday night, especially the Friday before Christmas week. I sit for twenty minutes before Maia comes strolling through the door.

“Bitch. First, let’s take a shot,” she demands, hopping into the barstool beside me.

Her short red hair bounces as she plops down. Both of her hands are placed on the edge of the bar as she gets situated in her chair.

“Shots? Fuck,” I huff.

“You’ve got shit to tell me and I don’t want you filtering shit !”

I laugh at her logic. “Okay, okay. Fair enough.”

She raises her hand and the bartender walks over. Cassidy’s behind the bar tonight and I haven’t seen her here in forever. I also don’t come out here as much as I used to. Well, I have been here more in the last month than I have in the last year.

“Hey! What are you two drinking?” she asks.

“Two shots of Tequila 1800,” Maia says, sliding a twenty on the bar.

Fucking hell.

“Salt and lime?” Cassidy asks.

I nod enthusiastically. There is no way I’m taking a tequila shot without a chaser. She disappears to fix our shots and Maia turns to face me.

“You look cute today. Work Christmas party, right?”

I nod. “Right.”

“Okay. And…?”

“And Tall Hateful Devil was being fucking weird. He was staring at me the entire time.”

“Because you look hot in this outfit,” she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Because we had hate sex in the stairwell.”

Her jaw drops and she squeals, kicking her feet against the bar.

“You did what?! ”

“I—It just sort of… happened. And now I’m fucking terrified and I want to disappear for forever and never look at him again. Professionally. Personally? Personally I want to fuck him all day every day.”

“Dare, you haven’t had sex in forever! Oh my god!”

Cassidy approaches and sets the shots down just as Maia is announcing my lack of a sex life.

“It’s sixteen,” she says, swiping the twenty from the bar. She returns with Maia’s change and chimes in as she sets the ones on the bar in front of us.

“If you haven’t had sex in forever, maybe you should consider it. You know, for science… excuse me for one moment,” she says, storming down the bar to the man beating his hand on the bar for a drink. She grabs him by the neck of his shirt and says something close to his face before shoving him back. A cheer erupts around them and then she grabs a beer and sets it on the bar in front of him.

Joy to the World by Three Dog Night blares through the jukebox and Cassidy smiles, looking over at AJ sitting at the bar a few seats down from us. This has been his favorite song to play since I’ve been sneaking in here when I was seventeen and still in high school. Almost as long as Cassidy’s been working here.

He smiles and belts out the first line, making the rest of us want to join in with him. Jeremiah was a bullfrog will never sound quite this good anywhere else. The entire bar has a concert, with AJ as the lead singer and everyone else as the back ups. Maia clinks her shot glass against mine and we shoot them down. The tequila burns all the way down my throat but the salt and lime set it off perfectly.

“ Ugh !” I groan, setting the shot glass down.

Maia nods, her face scrunched up in distaste as she bites into the lime wedge in her hand.

“This was your idea!” I chastise.

“I know, I know. You needed it though!”

“I did.”

“Okay, so give me the damn details, lady.”

I tell her everything. From Zane getting drunk and me driving him home, meeting his mom, running into him in the same vicinity as our moment. I spill it all, over a few shots and mixed drinks. I’m buzzing by the time I’m done spilling my guts to Maia and partially to Cassidy when she was able to listen in between fixing drinks and yelling at drunks.

The only advice either of them have given me is to fuck him again and then go from there. The more alcohol that courses through my system, the more apt I am to listen to their advice. Hate sex was fucking amazing. I’m thinking drunken hate sex has to be just as good if not better. One more time won’t hurt, right? Right.

I open my phone and send him a text.

Dayra: I hate you.

I lock it and set it on the bar, tossing back another shot. I’m warm and relaxed and laughing at Maia being drunk beside me. I forget how much I love this bar and this feeling. I’m not sure how I’m getting home or where I’m going if I don’t go home. I can always call Uncle Ken. He and Aunt Cindy would be happy to come rescue the two of us.

I lock eyes with a man across the bar and smile at the familiar face. Zane’s brother Johnny is standing at the bar next to AJ. He grabs his drink and approaches the corner of the bar where Maia and I are seated.

“Hey! How are you?”

I smile at his warm greeting, so very much unlike his brother.

“I’m good! No unwanted assholes hanging around this evening,” I note, waving my arm around my general vicinity.

“Good to know. My hand hurt for two days after hitting that jackass,” Johnny says, shaking his hand for effect.

Maia stares back and forth between me and Johnny, giving me a glare. I know what she’s asking. Who the hell is this and how do I know him?

“Maia, this is Johnny. Zane’s brother. Johnny, this is my best friend, Maia.”

Maia smiles kindly at him and shakes his hand.

“Wow, you’re so much nicer than your brother,” she blurts out.

Johnny erupts into laughter. “Yeah, I get that a lot lately.”

“Too bad you’re the married one,” Cassidy chimes in from behind the bar.

I whip my head in her direction, a giggle escaping my throat.

“What? It’s true. Zane’s so broody and closed off.”

Johnny stares at the three of us. “It is wild that that’s the version of himself he shows the world. Absolutely fucking wild. That’s not the Zane I know.”

“Oh, you should see him in here all dark and mysterious looking,” Cassidy says, running a wet rag across the bar where a lime made it sticky.

“I did. When Dayra was being hit on by that asshole and he got drug out of here after I knocked his lights out,” Johnny beams, proud of himself.

“Thanks again, for that. I was worried you two were going to get kicked out.”

“Oh hell no. Leon is always starting some shit. Scotty was happy to have a reason to finally bar him.”

The more the conversation continues, the further away it sounds. I zone out and then realize I haven’t checked my phone. I open it and see one notification for my messages. I’m nervous to see what Zane responded with.

Zane: Ditto, babygirl.

That pet name again. God, it makes me weak. I close one eye and try to squint to see what time he sent that and what time it is now. An hour and a half have gone by since he responded. Shit. How does time warp so fast when I’m drinking?

Maia is tapping my leg frantically, trying to get my attention. I lock my phone and set it on the bar.

“What?” I ask, looking up at her. She’s pointing to someone next to her. I look up again and am met with those piercing grey eyes.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing him in person. He is real. He exists!” she says, laughing through squinted, mostly closed eyes.

“Jesus Christ. How long have you two been here?”

“Too long,” Cassidy yells from down the bar.

I flip her the bird. Tattle tale. She gives it right back with a shit-eating grin.

“Who called you?” I demand, standing up on wobbly legs.

Zane catches me by the arm, helping steady me so I don’t come crashing down to the floor.

“Call it intuition,” he says, grinning down at me.

Yep. I’m totally hate-fucking the shit out of him.