Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I’m going to be doing some (hopefully) serious editing, so it might be a while before I update again. I’m very sorry about this. Do enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 8

“You’ll pick me up?” Natalie asked, turning to Blake beside her in the truck. They were stopped at the back entrance to Club Ambrosia. The truck was in park but the engine was still idling. Natalie had her hand on the passenger door, waiting for Blake’s answer before she exited.

Blake sighed and unbuckled his seat belt. He reached over her and took her hand from the door. Their fingers threaded together as he gazed at her. The message in his eyes was obvious; he didn’t want her to go.

Natalie shook her head in answer to his unasked question. “I have to.” She reached up and cupped the back of his head with her other hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll be okay.”

Blake nodded. His eyes were pained. He didn’t want to think about her, his girlfriend, with other guys. Especially guys like Brennan. Leaning over, he captured her lips with his own for a long kiss. He put all of his passion into it, all of his longing for her. He didn’t want Natalie to forget about him when she was in there, kissing others who weren’t him. It hurt to even think about that now. He wanted her to quit the job, but he didn’t want to take away what freedom that money gave her. If she wouldn’t be so damn stubborn…He sighed, pulling away from her. “Be careful, okay?”

Nat nodded, kissing his cheek in reply. “Twelve?”

“I’ll be waiting. I love you,” Blake said. He squeezed her hand before disentangling himself from her. “Bye.”

“I love you too,” Natalie replied shyly. She turned away from him, a sad smile on her face. She breathed deeply in preparation and then opened the door and slid out of the truck. She knew Blake would wait until she was inside before he left, so she hurried to the door and looked back briefly before entering and shutting the door behind her.

Once inside, Natalie made her way to the back. She slipped into the employee locker room and was immediately greeted by her fellow workers.

“Hey, Nat,” Melinda said, waving her friend over to her. She closed her locker door. “Have you heard about Terese?” She turned to Nat as she reached her locker.

“No, Linn. What about her? What are they saying?” Nat looked over at her friend. Genuine concern showed on her face, her eyes questioning. Her gaze shifted, however, when the door to the locker room opened. Terese entered, and the entire room went quiet.

“Hey, everyone,” Terese said, her voice soft and shaky. She sounded very self-conscious. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, avoiding making eye contact with anyone. She could sense the obvious tension in the room. She sighed and looked up. Her eyes shined with unshed tears. “It’s true,” she breathed.

Michaela, the only one of the girls with children of her own, went over and took Terese into her arms. “You’ll be alright. If I can do it, then you can too,” she told her. Terese smiled up at her and blinked the tears back. “Come on, let’s get you ready.” Michaela led her over to her locker.

Natalie turned to Melinda. “She’s pregnant?” She watched Melinda nod and felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face Terese, whose eyes didn’t betray for an instant that she was upset in the least. “Hey,” Nat said, giving her a hug on impulse. The two girls weren’t close, but they were friends. All of the employees were friends.

“You know what the worst part about it is?” Terese asked Nat from her place in her arms. It was a rhetorical question, but Natalie shook her head in reply anyway. “I don’t even know who the father is.”

Natalie pulled away and tilted Terese’s face up to meet her eyes. “A customer?”

Terese nodded. “I’m pretty sure.”

Natalie sighed and kissed the girl’s forehead. It was a gesture of friendship and understanding. “You’ll be okay,” she told her. She gave her another hug before Terese pulled away and went back to her locker. Natalie watched her go, sadness pulling her under. The girl wasn’t that much younger than her; maybe by a couple months. They were the same age at the moment. She turned to Melinda, who was still standing beside her. “And that is the reason why I don’t have sex with anyone who pays me.”

Linn nodded, understanding her point. “You know I don’t either.” She sighed. “Come on, we need to go clock in.” Natalie shrugged out of her jacket and shoved it into her locker. She slammed it shut before following Linn over to the time-clock. After they clocked in, they headed for the door and walked out into the club. It was going to be a long night. Nat knew that intuitively. Self-consciously, she pulled up on her fishnet gloves.

“Hey, Nat,” someone called. Natalie turned to find Michaela heading toward her. “Damien wants you to work the bar tonight. Serena called in sick.”

“Alright. That’s cool.”

“So, are you and Blake together yet?” Michaela asked. She was one of the only people besides Melinda who ever asked her about Blake daily. Apparently, she really wanted them to be together. “Well?”

“Actually,” Natalie said, “we are. As of Saturday night.”

“About time.” Michaela grinned at her. “So…when are you getting engaged?” Natalie smiled in reply, rolling her eyes. She shook her head. “You know what you should do though? You should apply for bartending fulltime. I heard Serena was thinking about quitting.”

“That actually wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Natalie replied. “Now that we’re together, I don’t think Blake is liking the idea of me kissing other guys very much.” Her smile widened. “I think it makes him jealous.”

“He was jealous before. He just couldn’t do anything about it.” Michaela laughed. “Not that he can do anything about it now, but you know.”

“Yeah, I do. I might just do that though. You think I’d get it?”

Michaela nodded. “Without a doubt. Unless they hire somebody new, but I highly doubt it.”

Natalie shrugged. “I’ll talk to Damien about it on my break.”

Michaela nodded. “We better get to work. I was informed earlier that I’m relieving you for your break,” Michaela said, rolling her eyes. “See you later.” She turned and headed for her corner of the club. Natalie smiled at her receding back. Michaela had worn her long blond hair down in waves tonight. She was sure to get extra tips; she was a club favorite.

Sighing, Nat made her way to the bar. She shook her head in disbelief when she saw who was leaning against it. Her eyes met his, and he smiled in response. “Aubrey,” she said, acknowledging him.

“Working the bar tonight?” Aubrey asked. He wore a jet black polo shirt and stone-washed jeans. He watched as Natalie pulled herself up onto the bar in a sitting position. Her legs swung out over the edge.

“Yeah…Serena called in sick.” Nat gazed back at him. His eyes were almost level with hers in the position she was in. She moved to slide down onto the other side of the counter, but Aubrey grabbed her wrist and she stopped. “What?” she asked. The smile faded from her mouth, but it still shown in her eyes as she looked at him.

Aubrey tilted his head up slightly, pulling hers down to meet him. He met her lips with his own. Natalie smiled against him, touching his face. She broke away from him gently. His eyes questioned her. “Something wrong?” he inquired.

“Have you talked to Blake lately?” Aubrey shook his head in response. “We’re together now,” Nat told him.

Aubrey smiled at her in congratulations. “Well, then I guess that means I have to give you this.” He reached into his back pocket before pressing a ten dollar bill into the palm of her hand. “For your services,” he teased.

“You’re bad,” Natalie replied. This time she didn’t resist when Aubrey pulled her into another kiss. He moved closer to the counter, and she parted her legs to allow his desire for nearness. His hands inched their way up her thighs before settling on either hip. He pulled her to the edge of the counter, his body pressing against hers.

“Natalie,” a male voice called. “Didn’t Michaela tell you I needed you to work the bar tonight?”

Natalie broke her kiss with Aubrey and turned to the voice. “Damien,” she said, greeting him. “It’s nice to see you too.” She noticed his arms were crossed, a sure sign of agitation. However, his gaze held obvious amusement, so she knew he wasn’t angry. “I was just…uh…finishing up with a customer. I’m coming.”

“I need you now. There are other customers waiting,” Damien replied. He gestured to the space in front of the bar. There was no one there.

“Very funny, Damien.” Natalie turned back to Aubrey. She sighed. “Sorry about this, but bartending duty calls,” she said, apologetic.

“It’s okay. I’ll live.” Aubrey gave her another short kiss on the lips. “Is Blake coming tonight?” he asked.

“He’s coming pick me up. He might come a little earlier. I couldn’t tell you for sure though,” Nat replied, shrugging. “I better get to work.” Aubrey nodded, sighing in reluctance. He removed his hands and backed away from the bar so that she could slide over to the other side. He sat down on a nearby chair. Natalie smiled at him from the opposite side of the counter. “Can I get you something?”

“Just a Coke,” Aubrey replied. He waited while she poured the drink and set it in from of him. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Natalie said. She moved to the back wall, reaching for glasses above the counter. She noticed Damien watching her and smiled but didn’t meet his eyes. She reached for another glass, and he turned to leave the room. She called to him. “Hey, Damien.” She watched him stop in mid-stride and turn back to her. She kept her eyes on her work and didn’t look at him. “Can I ask you a question?” She didn’t wait for an answer before she turned back to the bar and set the glasses on the counter. She glanced up at Aubrey. He gave her a small smile of encouragement before tipping his head to her. Then, he left his place on the barstool and wandered out into the growing crowd.

“What can I do for you, Nat?” Damien asked, prompting her to speak. There was something obviously bothering her. Natalie could feel his eyes on her back. She grabbed Aubrey’s abandoned glass and turned to him. Her green eyes met his unwavering brown orbs. His gaze was intense, and she could see the flirting and unrequited desire for her. She knew he would never act on those emotions, however. While he was only 21, Damien was very much a gentleman. “Nat?”

Natalie hesitated a moment before diving in. “What would you say to me working the bar…permanently?” She strode to the sink and set the glass inside. Her eyes never left his.

“Did Blake ask you to do this? Is this because of him?” Damien inquired.

Natalie shook her head in response. “He didn’t ask me,” she said, “But it is because of him.” Her eyes strayed from his. Apparently, the story of her and Blake had traveled farther than she’d realized. Even her boss knew. “How did you know?”

Damien smiled. “It’s obvious. I see you two in here together, you know.” He thought for a moment, weighing his options, before nodding consent. “You can work the bar from now on. I’m sure Serena is about to quit anyway, and it’ll save me the trouble of finding someone else. And I already know that you have the ability.”

Natalie’s eyes found their way back to his. “Thank you.” She sighed, relieved, before turning back to her work.

“Nat?” Damien asked. She didn’t look over at him, and he paused a moment, as though unsure of her attention. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Um…sure,” Natalie said. She grabbed a couple glasses and turned to place them on the counter next to the others.

“Would you have quit if I’d denied your request?”

Natalie considered the question. She refused to face him as she gave him his answer. “No,” she said, bluntly. “I need the money.”

“You do know that you won’t make as much working the bar,” Damien told her. It wasn’t a question but more like a statement of fact. It was true enough. But Natalie already knew the truth of it before he’d said it.

“I know,” Natalie replied. “But, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” She smiled, knowing he’d see it even though her back was turned. “Thank you.” Damien didn’t reply. He gazed at his employee for a long moment before turning and heading back into his office. Natalie sighed in relief after she heard the door shut.

The hours passed more slowly than usual for Natalie. Usually, before she knew it, it was time for her break and then time to leave. This night, she felt like she was checking the time every ten minutes when it was really only every two. It was driving her slowly insane. Eventually, it was break time.

After her 30-minute break, Natalie returned to the bar to relieve Michaela. The first thing she noticed was how much the crowd had grown. It had practically doubled in size while she’d been absent. The second thing she noticed was the guy sitting on the barstool closest to where she was standing. His hair was dark, his body muscular, and his intense brown eyes were staring right at her. He looked barely old enough to be out of college. Natalie recognized him immediately. He was the one who’d interrupted her and Blake at the club the other night. Natalie met his eyes for almost a full minute before she forced herself to look away.

“Excuse me,” a voice called. Another voice seconded that, and Nat had no choice but to serve the other customers their desired drinks. Mystery Guy was going to have to wait. It took her a little over 15 minutes to serve and satisfy everyone. Either Michaela hadn’t done a very good job, or there were more people present than she’d originally thought.

Natalie slid a rum and Coke across the counter to a customer and a twenty-dollar bill slid into her line of vision. She checked the line for drinks at the bar: sustained, for now. Glancing back at the bill, she then looked up into the eyes of the guy pushing it toward her.

“What can I get you?” Natalie asked, almost afraid of the answer. She had a good idea what he was going to say, if the last time he was here was any indication.

“Nothing,” Mystery Guy replied, surprising Natalie. “Thank you though.” His voice was deep, definitely masculine. “I just wanted to apologize for the other night. It was very rude of me to interrupt like that.” He gave her a genuine smile.

“Uh…thank you,” Natalie said. She looked away from him, not able to take the intensity of his eyes a moment longer. Mystery Guy had caught her off-guard with his words. She’d expected him to ask for a kiss, at the very least. His hand on her arm made her look back at him. He took her hand that was resting on the counter into his own and slipped the bill inside it before wrapping her fingers around it tightly, trapping it inside her fist.

“I’m Dane,” he said. His hands still held hers. They were warm and soft to the touch.

“Natalie,” she replied. She felt him squeeze her hand in his own before releasing it.

Dane smiled at her. “I’ll see you around, Natalie,” he said. And with that, he slid off the barstool and vanished.

Natalie let out the breath she’d been holding. Her hand opened, the twenty falling out. She stared at it a moment before picking it back up and sliding it into her back pocket. She smiled, thinking of Dane.

The rest of the night passed quickly, and before long, Natalie found herself being picked up by Blake. They didn’t talk much on the way back to his house. Natalie was exhausted; all she could think about was going to bed. The moment they arrived, Natalie headed for the stairs. Blake brought her bag in and set it on the sofa.

“Where are you going?” Blake asked after her. Natalie didn’t reply and continued her trek up to his room. Blake sighed, shaking his head. He headed into the kitchen for a glass of water before following after Nat. When he entered his room, he found her curled up on the bed with her eyes closed. Her jacket, skirt, top, and gloves were folded over the top of his computer chair. He kicked his shoes off by the door and stripped down to his boxers. “Natalie,” he whispered, lifting up the blankets and sliding in behind her. His arms went around her, and she leaned back into his embrace, her back to his chest. “Goodnight,” he whispered again, kissing her neck. His fingertips stroked her stomach tenderly.

Natalie smiled, still half-conscious. She put her hand over his to still the motion, and he threaded their fingers together. “Night,” she breathed in reply. It wasn’t long before she fell into a deep slumber.