Tuesday night.” Ray sighed. “Lara, honey, you okay?”
“I’m good, thanks. I’ll be right back in.”
“No, she won’t,” Johnny said and pried his arm from Rena while Ray ducked back inside.
“Oh, sorry, Johnny.” Rena shook her head. “No, Lara. Go home. We’ve got tonight covered.”
“I’m fine. Really.” Having some ape of a brother-in-law assault her should have pissed her off. She wanted to hold on to anger, to not feel like a victim. God, she knew better than to go out the side exit with the clientele that normally frequented the place. But most guys knew not to mess with Ray’s staff. She just hadn’t considered Ron would actually touch her.
He never had before.
Johnny’s voice softened. “You’re not fine.”
Oh hell. She was shaking again.
“I can take her home,” Rena offered.
“I’ve got her.” Johnny put his arm around her shoulders. “That okay, Lara? I can see you home.”
“I’m fine, I said.” She tried to sound mad, but her voice came out shaky. “Fuck.”
Johnny chuckled. “That’s a quarter for the swear jar.”
She smiled, and a tear escaped. “Damn it.”
Rena came over and hugged her. “You take her home. I’ll finish up. And, Lara, don’t worry about tomorrow night either. Sue will cover.”
“But I—”
“Thanks, Rena.” Johnny steered Lara back inside, following Rena before she peeled away. “Hey, let my dad know I had to bail, okay?”
“No problem.”
Ray reappeared and handed Johnny Lara’s purse. “Sorry about this, Lara.” Her boss clumsily patted her on the shoulder.
She felt stupid, so many people apologizing and walking on eggshells around her. “I’m okay, Ray. Maybe just a little tired. I’ll be fine to work tomorrow though.”
“Nah. Sue’s got it. Rena’s orders.” He grinned. “You know she’s really the boss around here.”
“I thought I was,” she tried to joke.
“You are when I say you are,” Rena yelled from the kitchen.
Johnny tugged Lara with him back out the side exit, and she could have kissed him. She didn’t want to show everyone what a wuss she was being. She subtly wiped her eyes and sniffed. They were halfway through the parking lot when he stopped and turned to face her.
“I am so sorry.” He wiped her cheeks. “No one should mess with you like that.”
“I’m really okay,” she said, trying to convince herself. “It’s just been a long day, and I’m tired. I wasn’t expecting him to attack me is all. I’m fine.”
Johnny just stared at her.
“What? Do I have snot coming out my nose?” She wiped her nose on the shoulder of her T-shirt. “Better?”
His slow grin made her heart race. Bruised and no doubt buzzing off the altercation, Johnny Devlin looked better than any man had a right to. “You’re so pretty, even when you’re crying. It’s weird.”
She managed a laugh. “Thanks. I think.”
He took her by the hand and led her to his car, a loud, dark green muscle car. She had no idea what it was, an old Chevy, maybe. Something that said, “I’m a man.”
“I drove here.”
“One of the guys will drop it off later. Don’t worry about it.”
“I have to. I need it for class tomorrow.”
He unlocked and opened the passenger door for her, helping her get in.
“I said I’m fine. Jeez, Johnny. You’re the one who got hit. I just got lip-locked by a rich sissy in ugly clothing.”
He laughed. “He hit like a girl, for sure. No offense.”
She flipped him the finger, and he laughed some more. When he got in the car, the space seemed intimate, and way too small, despite his roomy bucket seats.
He drove her home, apparently not needing directions.
“How do you know where I live?” she asked suspiciously.
“I asked. Duh.”
“Oh.” A pause. “When?”
“A while ago. I believe my exact words were, ‘Who is that bartender with the long brown hair, heavenly rack, and tight ass? Because that’s the future Mrs. Devlin.’”
Her cheeks heated.
“I’m good, thanks. I’ll be right back in.”
“No, she won’t,” Johnny said and pried his arm from Rena while Ray ducked back inside.
“Oh, sorry, Johnny.” Rena shook her head. “No, Lara. Go home. We’ve got tonight covered.”
“I’m fine. Really.” Having some ape of a brother-in-law assault her should have pissed her off. She wanted to hold on to anger, to not feel like a victim. God, she knew better than to go out the side exit with the clientele that normally frequented the place. But most guys knew not to mess with Ray’s staff. She just hadn’t considered Ron would actually touch her.
He never had before.
Johnny’s voice softened. “You’re not fine.”
Oh hell. She was shaking again.
“I can take her home,” Rena offered.
“I’ve got her.” Johnny put his arm around her shoulders. “That okay, Lara? I can see you home.”
“I’m fine, I said.” She tried to sound mad, but her voice came out shaky. “Fuck.”
Johnny chuckled. “That’s a quarter for the swear jar.”
She smiled, and a tear escaped. “Damn it.”
Rena came over and hugged her. “You take her home. I’ll finish up. And, Lara, don’t worry about tomorrow night either. Sue will cover.”
“But I—”
“Thanks, Rena.” Johnny steered Lara back inside, following Rena before she peeled away. “Hey, let my dad know I had to bail, okay?”
“No problem.”
Ray reappeared and handed Johnny Lara’s purse. “Sorry about this, Lara.” Her boss clumsily patted her on the shoulder.
She felt stupid, so many people apologizing and walking on eggshells around her. “I’m okay, Ray. Maybe just a little tired. I’ll be fine to work tomorrow though.”
“Nah. Sue’s got it. Rena’s orders.” He grinned. “You know she’s really the boss around here.”
“I thought I was,” she tried to joke.
“You are when I say you are,” Rena yelled from the kitchen.
Johnny tugged Lara with him back out the side exit, and she could have kissed him. She didn’t want to show everyone what a wuss she was being. She subtly wiped her eyes and sniffed. They were halfway through the parking lot when he stopped and turned to face her.
“I am so sorry.” He wiped her cheeks. “No one should mess with you like that.”
“I’m really okay,” she said, trying to convince herself. “It’s just been a long day, and I’m tired. I wasn’t expecting him to attack me is all. I’m fine.”
Johnny just stared at her.
“What? Do I have snot coming out my nose?” She wiped her nose on the shoulder of her T-shirt. “Better?”
His slow grin made her heart race. Bruised and no doubt buzzing off the altercation, Johnny Devlin looked better than any man had a right to. “You’re so pretty, even when you’re crying. It’s weird.”
She managed a laugh. “Thanks. I think.”
He took her by the hand and led her to his car, a loud, dark green muscle car. She had no idea what it was, an old Chevy, maybe. Something that said, “I’m a man.”
“I drove here.”
“One of the guys will drop it off later. Don’t worry about it.”
“I have to. I need it for class tomorrow.”
He unlocked and opened the passenger door for her, helping her get in.
“I said I’m fine. Jeez, Johnny. You’re the one who got hit. I just got lip-locked by a rich sissy in ugly clothing.”
He laughed. “He hit like a girl, for sure. No offense.”
She flipped him the finger, and he laughed some more. When he got in the car, the space seemed intimate, and way too small, despite his roomy bucket seats.
He drove her home, apparently not needing directions.
“How do you know where I live?” she asked suspiciously.
“I asked. Duh.”
“Oh.” A pause. “When?”
“A while ago. I believe my exact words were, ‘Who is that bartender with the long brown hair, heavenly rack, and tight ass? Because that’s the future Mrs. Devlin.’”
Her cheeks heated.
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