of their youth. Back then, they were three foolish and arrogant young men who thought they ruled the world. Jack had always been the fun one, relentless in his pursuit of all things hedonistic, while Randy had been the more sensible, serious one who kept them grounded. But David? David was the one who had big balls and even bigger aspirations, a few of which landed him in a minimum-security prison in upstate New York with a little help from Karly’s brother. Trouble followed David everywhere he went, and now it was on a direct flight to Felony.
Chapter 15
The band left the stage for their first break, and the crowd jammed the bar area. The fast-paced work kept Karly’s thoughts from straying. Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. As soon as the band started again, Luke went outside for a smoke break, muttering beneath his breath. Randy rolled up to help her, a curious look of introspection on his face. They worked side-by-side in silence, pouring drinks and ringing them into the register, squeezing around each other in the narrow space. She was painfully aware of his proximity, adjusting her stance to prevent physical contact when he reached behind her for vodka on the speed rail or over her head for the premium liquors.
“Hey, Karly.” At the sound of a familiar voice, Karly lifted her gaze from the cocktail shaker in her hand to find Amber smiling back at her from a barstool. She looked cool and put-together in a short red dress with matching come-fuck-me pumps, her shiny blond hair twisted into a messy updo. Perfect red lips parted in a predatory smile when Randy hovered at Karly’s shoulder. “Hi, Randy.”
“Hey.” He jerked his head in greeting and leaned into Karly, reaching for the bar towel beside her. His forearm grazed her breast. Tingles raced through her nerve endings. Randy froze, and their eyes met. “Sorry,” he said, looking quickly away. “What’s up, Amber?”
“You never called me back. I thought we might hook up later,” Amber said. Her smile faded as her gaze flickered from Randy to Karly. Jealousy bristled the hairs on Karly’s nape.
“Yeah, well, thanks, but I’m pretty busy,” he replied. Karly moved a few paces away, to the couple waving a twenty at her, but strained to hear Randy’s answer. “Maybe another time.”
“Oh, come on, big guy. You know you want to.” Amber leaned over the counter, pressing her breasts into the bar, exposing her cleavage to maximum effect. “We had fun the other night, didn’t we?”
Karly rolled her eyes and tried not to scowl. She didn’t want to think about Randy with another girl, especially Amber. A sick feeling twisted her guts. She had to ask the customer in front of her to repeat his order twice before she got it.
“Not now, Amber. It’s busier than fuck in here.” Randy’s front rubbed across Karly’s back as he squeezed between her and the register to reach for another cocktail shaker.
The heat and hardness of his chest against her back brought a flush of crimson into her cheeks. Working in such close proximity stirred up memories of their night together, the way his body felt against hers, the gentleness of his fingertips on her skin. The glass in her hand slipped, and she almost dropped it. Randy didn’t look up but raised his eyebrows. She cleared her throat and refocused her attention on pouring shots.
“Are you always so rude to your girlfriends?” she asked, secretly pleased by his displeasure with the other girl.
“She’s not my girlfriend.” He stopped moving for a fraction of a second and flicked a glance at her.
“Really?” It was her turn to flick a glance at him with raised eyebrows. She fought to keep the jealousy from her voice. “Sounded that way to me.”
“We’ve hung out a few times. But we’re not fucking, if that’s what you mean.” The directness of his reply brought a startled burst of embarrassed laughter from her. “Is that funny?”
“A little
Chapter 15
The band left the stage for their first break, and the crowd jammed the bar area. The fast-paced work kept Karly’s thoughts from straying. Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. As soon as the band started again, Luke went outside for a smoke break, muttering beneath his breath. Randy rolled up to help her, a curious look of introspection on his face. They worked side-by-side in silence, pouring drinks and ringing them into the register, squeezing around each other in the narrow space. She was painfully aware of his proximity, adjusting her stance to prevent physical contact when he reached behind her for vodka on the speed rail or over her head for the premium liquors.
“Hey, Karly.” At the sound of a familiar voice, Karly lifted her gaze from the cocktail shaker in her hand to find Amber smiling back at her from a barstool. She looked cool and put-together in a short red dress with matching come-fuck-me pumps, her shiny blond hair twisted into a messy updo. Perfect red lips parted in a predatory smile when Randy hovered at Karly’s shoulder. “Hi, Randy.”
“Hey.” He jerked his head in greeting and leaned into Karly, reaching for the bar towel beside her. His forearm grazed her breast. Tingles raced through her nerve endings. Randy froze, and their eyes met. “Sorry,” he said, looking quickly away. “What’s up, Amber?”
“You never called me back. I thought we might hook up later,” Amber said. Her smile faded as her gaze flickered from Randy to Karly. Jealousy bristled the hairs on Karly’s nape.
“Yeah, well, thanks, but I’m pretty busy,” he replied. Karly moved a few paces away, to the couple waving a twenty at her, but strained to hear Randy’s answer. “Maybe another time.”
“Oh, come on, big guy. You know you want to.” Amber leaned over the counter, pressing her breasts into the bar, exposing her cleavage to maximum effect. “We had fun the other night, didn’t we?”
Karly rolled her eyes and tried not to scowl. She didn’t want to think about Randy with another girl, especially Amber. A sick feeling twisted her guts. She had to ask the customer in front of her to repeat his order twice before she got it.
“Not now, Amber. It’s busier than fuck in here.” Randy’s front rubbed across Karly’s back as he squeezed between her and the register to reach for another cocktail shaker.
The heat and hardness of his chest against her back brought a flush of crimson into her cheeks. Working in such close proximity stirred up memories of their night together, the way his body felt against hers, the gentleness of his fingertips on her skin. The glass in her hand slipped, and she almost dropped it. Randy didn’t look up but raised his eyebrows. She cleared her throat and refocused her attention on pouring shots.
“Are you always so rude to your girlfriends?” she asked, secretly pleased by his displeasure with the other girl.
“She’s not my girlfriend.” He stopped moving for a fraction of a second and flicked a glance at her.
“Really?” It was her turn to flick a glance at him with raised eyebrows. She fought to keep the jealousy from her voice. “Sounded that way to me.”
“We’ve hung out a few times. But we’re not fucking, if that’s what you mean.” The directness of his reply brought a startled burst of embarrassed laughter from her. “Is that funny?”
“A little
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