Steal You Away

Chapter Twelve

Mackenzie leaned up against the bar waiting for the bartender to fill another round for her table and the Coke she had ordered for herself. Although she had sipped a beer with the rest of the girls, it wasn't really something she enjoyed, never having acquired a taste for it. In fact, she wasn't much of a drinker period and the one she had already drunk, had went straight to her head making her feel sort of fuzzy.

Sighing, she moved to the side as yet more people squeezed their way up to the bar to place their orders. The Mustang was overflowing tonight. Of course, it beings ladies night with two for one drinks, probably had a lot to do with it, she thought. Getting elbowed sharply in the boob, she stepped to the side again. As she rubbed the sore spot, she wished for the umpteenth time she had stayed home. Instead of being pummeled in the chest, she could be home curled up on the scruffy but comfortable pull-out sofa she had purchased at the Second Time Around Store.

Turning to the side to make room for two large men who jammed into a space that wouldn't have fit a small child, she looked around the bar. The Mustang had a huge dance floor in the very center which was surrounded on three sides by a mixture of high-topped tables and leather booths. The bar she was cramped up against, ran along the whole opposite wall. Suspended above the bar, an encased DJ booth pounded out country beats, keeping everyone moving on the dance floor and tapping their toes.

It was actually a very nice place and she wouldn't mind coming back. Her thoughts were interrupted as she got jostled again, grimacing as somebody stepped on the toe of her tennis shoes. Maybe, she winced, she would like to come back on a not so busy night, she amended, as her toe started to throb.

"Hey there, gorgeous," a slurred drawl crooned from her right. Turning, Mackenzie came face to face with a grinning cowboy. He leaned close into her space, smelling rather sweaty and foul. "How about I be Burger King and you can be McDonald's. I'll be pounding in you my way and you'll be loving it."

Mackenzie's mouth dropped open in shock as he waggled a set of bushy eyebrows at her that sort of converged in the middle, making it one long line of hair. Which, unfortunately, was more than he had on his head. It wasn't like she hadn't ever been hit on before...lord knows she ran into a lot of that in her time of waitressing, but, honestly, she hadn't ever heard anything quite like that come-on before. It was both crude and humorous, leaving her unsure how to respond.

"Here's your drink, Curtis. Now go back over to your buddies before I call Rowdy over here and have him take your sorry ass home." The tall, unnervingly handsome bartender leaned against the counter, giving him a look that made Mackenzie fidget. It was cool, demanding and nothing you wanted to trifle with. Frankly...he scared the pants off her.

He was built with enough rippling muscle for twenty men and probably worked out like it was a religion. His dark hair was cut military short and he had a no-nonsense way about him that was emphasized by his size. And if that wasn't enough intimidation factor, then those hard glittering hazel eyes of his would do the job just fine.

Both she and Curtis took a step back.

"I...," the man paused and looked at Mackenzie and then back to the imposing bartender. "Thanks for the beer, Blake," Curtis muttered, throwing his money up on the bar and shuffling off to disappear into the crowd. Obviously, he had decided she wasn't worth effort.

"Sorry about that, Miss..." Blake raised a questioning eyebrow, patiently waiting for her to fill in the blank.

"Uh...Mackenzie." She winced at the hesitancy in her voice. The steadiness of his gaze made her uncomfortable and she shuffled from one foot to the other.

His mouth quirked up into a little grin which really didn't soften his face. "You're new here." He said as he put a pitcher under the nozzle and pulled the tap.