Jessica
After the movie, Matt, Belle, and Cara get ready to leave. I hug the girls, and kiss Matt on the cheek.
"You going to be okay?" he asks me, pulling his Mizzou hoodie over his head.
"I'll be fine. I'm just going to curl up in bed and read for awhile. I don't have anything to do tomorrow." He pulls me in for a hug and kisses my forehead.
"I love you, girl, but if you ever pull a disappearing act like that again, it won't just be Belle yelling at you."
"I know. I really am sorry."
"I know you are sweet cheeks. Talk to you tomorrow."
"Bye guys," I tell them as I shut the door behind them and lock up for the night. I head to my bedroom. Walking to my dresser I grab some panties, a pair of PINK sleep shorts, and a tank top. I walk into my ensuite bathroom, and decide I want a bath instead, and start running the water.
Mmmm. The bathroom, or more specifically the bathtub, is the reason I signed the lease on this place to begin with. The trust my grandparents set up for me, meant I could pretty much live where I wanted. This bathtub had me offereing ten thousand more than the asking price just to make sure nobody could buy it out from under me. It's a huge antique clawfoot tub, that can easily fit four. I can practically swim in it.
Once the water is nice and hot I pour in some lavendar bubble bath. I go back to my bedroom and grab my Kindle, then head back and strip out of my clothes, dropping them into the hamper. Being sure not to drop my Kindle in the water, I lower myself in and lean back. I bring up Legon Awakening by Nicholas Taylor.
After losing myself in the land of dragons and elves for about an hour, my water is now cold, and the bubbles have dissipated. I place my Kindle on the toilet seat lid and run the hot water for a minute to warm the bath back up. I quickly wash my hair and body, then shave.
I pull the plug and get out, quickly drying myself, and put my sleep clothes on. I pad my way to my bed room. I shut off the light and climb under the covers, snuggling into my pillow, and was out before I knew it.
***
I wake up with the need to pee. I climb out of bed , walk to the bathroom and switch on the light. I do my business and turn to the sink to wash my hands. As I glance up in the mirror, I scream, my hands coming up to rest on my chest. Behind me in the mirror is a face. It's a beautiful face, but instead of normal grey shadows lining the face, her's are tinted blood red. I quickly turn around. There's nobody there. I turn back around and it's just me in the mirror. I shake it off. I walk back into the bedroom when everything goes hazy, tinged in red. I glance around the rooom. What the fuck is happening?!? My eyes scan across the dresser mirror, and that face is behind me again. I turn around to see who it is, but it suddently blows through me, leaving me cold. "I'm coming..."
***
I sit straight up in bed and flip on the light, looking around me, my eyes wide open in fright, terrified to look in the dresser mirror. My eyes finally land on it and relief floods through me when I don't see anything but my tired reflection.
I never have nightmares. Horror movies don't scare me. Never have. Maybe it's just the stress. I glance at the clock. It's only 5 a.m. I turn the light off and lie back down to get a few more hours of sleep. Hopefully it's dreamless.
***
I yawn, stretching to wake my body up. I rub my hand over my face and sit up, glancing at the clock. Wow. It's almost noon. I can't remember the last time I got this much sleep. I throw off the blankets and walk over to the closet when my phone beeps with an incoming text. I abandon my plan to get dressed, and walk over to my phone, sitting on the edge of my bed as I enter the pin.
Matt: Hey sweet cheeks! Wanna come play bartender with me tonight? Beth's kids are sick.
Me: Hells yeah! What time?
Matt: 9
Me: I'll be there with bells on 🔔🔔🔔
I'm giddy. Because of my trust, I don't have to work if I don't want to, but I love bartending. It's so much fun. Matt taught me flair a few years ago, and I couldn't get enough of it. So I work a couple shifts a month, and cover other's shifts when they have an emergency.
I don't do much for the day. I mostly just lounge around catching up on Legon and his adventures. About 7:00 I get up and heat up some left over chicken and dumplings for my dinner. After eating and cleaning up after myself, I head for a quick shower. I washed and shaved last night, so this is mostly to get my hair wet and rinse my body. I shut the water off, wrap myself in a towel, and go to my closet. I pull out a pair of tight, black leather pants and a black, low cut Jagermeister t-shirt. I grab my all black Nike sneakers (trust me, you want comfy shoes when you're going to be on your feet all night), and a pair of no peek ankle socks.
After getting dressed, I sit down at my vanity to do my hair and make-up. I've never really worn much make-up, so I just apply some black eye-liner and mascara. For my hair, I just massage in a little mousse. I grab my comb and part my hair on one side, combing my hair flat to my head, leaving a slight swoopy bang that barely touches my forehead. All done. I give myself another once over. I reach for my jewelry box. Everything I own is silver. I've never really been into gold. It looks weird against my light skin tone. I grab some bangles and some giant hoop earrings. I grab my leather jacket, slip my ID and debit card into my bra, snatch up my keys and lock the door behind me.
***
I smile at Jake, the bouncer, as I walk in the club. We went out a couple of times, but I called it off after the second date, when it became clear that he was uncomfortable with us being the same height. I make my way to the back, waving or smiling at a few people along the way.
"Hey, Matt, where's my gear?" I yell over the loud music. They're playing Top 40 right now, but later they'll throw in some 80s and 90s pop. Right now Ride by twenty one pilots is playing.
"Here," he yells back, and hands me a shirt apron. It's equipped with a wine opener, mambo, and a bar towel.
"Where do you want me?"
"Front bar, baby girl. Gotta make some money, and your gorgeous face is going to do it," he says with a wide grin and exaggerated wink. Tonight his hair is pulled back into a low pony tail. It's wrapped in a long leather band to keep it from flying everywhere.
"Okie dokie pokie." I walk up to the front bar, positioning myself so our patrons can see me.
A couple of guys walk up and order a pitcher of Boulevard Wheat and three glasses. They are not the typical type of guys we usually get in here. Meaning they aren't dressed like douche bags. They are both tall and have brown eyes, but that's where the similarities end.
The pale skinned guy has a swimmer's build, lean but muscular. The mocha skinned guy is as bug as a fracking house. Easily as big as an MMA heavy weight. But he's not trying to show it off like the rest of these douchey wanna-bes.
"Got ID?" I yell over Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya. "I'm gonna need to see your third's ID, too!"
"Sure thing, Snow!" I do a mental eye roll. Snow. Like Snow White. Yes, I have black hair. Yes, I have pale skin. I'm not short. I'm not a princess. And I don't live in a house with seven men!
I take his ID. Kansas. Dane Richardson. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. (More like whiskey than brown, really). 6'2", 195 pounds. I do the mental math, 23 years old. I give him back his ID.
Dark Eyes hands me his ID. Kansas. Samuel Thompson. Brown hair. Brown eyes (really more like dark chocolate). 6'1". 270 pounds. Mental math again, 24 years old. I give his ID back.
A third guy walks up, and where I didn't have to look up too much to look the other guys in the eyes, I have to tilt my head back to look at him. Man, oh man! Tall, tall, tall. He has tan skin, with full sleeves down both arms that seem to revolve around a dragon theme. One arm is taken up by a single dragon. It's beautiful black and grey work.
I hold my hand up, making a rectangle with my thumb and forefinger in the universal sign for "Got ID?" He nods, passing it over. Kansas. Leonidas Saunders (oh my god, do his parents hate him?). Brown hair. Hazel eyes. My eyes fly up to his. They're green now. I wonder what color they turn to. I look back to the ID. 6'5". 260 pounds. Mental math, 24 years old. I hand it back. "Thanks, Sparta!" He looks taken aback for a second, before grinning, and sliding his ID back in his wallet.
I pour their pitcher of beer, then hand it and their glasses over to them.
"That'll be $18.50!" Blondie hands over his credit card, indicating they want to run a tab. I take it and their ticket, clipping them to a clothes pin behind me.
They grab the pitcher and glasses and head over to a table. Damn! All three of them are gorgeous. And sexy as hell without even trying. I can't help but watch them walking away. As if he could feel me watching, Blondie turns around and winks at me. My face heats up in a wicked blush and I turn to greet the next person. This is going to be a long night.
***
A few hours later, I had just poured Sparta and his friends another pitcher. I had been glancing at them all night, and always got caught by one of them. Matt gets my attention and arches an eyebrow. I sigh. Busted. Again. I walk over to him.
"Ready to put on a show?"
"Hell yeah!" I say as I turn around and start lining up shot glasses on the edge of the bar. Matt motions to the DJ to put our song on after this one's over, then turns to grab everything we need. Special flair bottles, two lighters, and two shots of Bacardi 151.
Matt moves to the other end of the bar, and we face each other as the opening chords of Jackyl's My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine's Ass comes on. We both grab three bottles and start juggling them. We've done this so many times, we instinctively know the correct beat to toss a bottle to each other, juggle, then toss again. We both toss a bottle to the floor, only for it to bounce back up, where we catch it and juggle some more. As the song comes to an end, we drop the bottles, grab the lighters, and take the shot, holding it in our mouths. As the last word of the song is sung, we flick our lighters, and spray the liquor through the flame creating twin fire sprays.
The customers cheer and whistle as I wipe my mouth on my shoulder. Matt and I grab whiskey bottles and start pouring shots into the glasses I had lined up earlier.
"Come get a shot on us!" I yell. I look up from pouring and see Blondie, Sparta and Dark Eyes standing there.
"Well take three of those," a deep, bass voice says. It takes me a second to realize who spoke. It was Dark Eyes. He speaks! And that voice so fits him.
"That was quite a show you put on there. It seemed so natural," Blondie says as I pass over three shots.
I smile him. "I don't know about natural. It took a lot of practice, but we've been doing it a long time. It's a lot of fun."
"Do you do this full time?" His bangs have fallen over one eye, and I have a strong urge to reach over the bar and brush them aside, but I resist it. I don't know him.
"No. Just every once in awhile. I'm a full time student. Or I was. I'm taking the semester off." A strong wave of grief courses through me, and my eyes start to water. I blink rapidly and turn my head away from the guys.
"Hey. Are you okay?" Sparta asks me.
I give him a watery smile. "No. But I will be. Thanks for asking."
He gives me a sympathetic look just as Closing Time by Semisonic starts playing.
"Last call everyone. Last call!" The DJ says overhead. "Close out your tabs and tip your bartender. If you need a cab or Uber, there are phones on the back wall. Have a good night and be safe!"
I turn around to start closing tabs. I run Blondie's card through the reader, and turn back with a smile and hand him his card, receipt, and a pen to sign.
"Thanks a lot guys. Have a great night. Come back and see me sometime!" I turn around to start closing other tabs, and I swear I heard a deep voice say "You can bet on it." I finish running the credit card in my hand, and when I turn back around the guys are gone. In their place is a $150 tip and phone number. The tip is a bit over the top, but I put the number in my pants pocket. I probably won't call, but hell, they were all gorgeous! Weirder things have happened.
Kriss
I'm rubbing my metaphorical hands together. She met her hearts. It's going like it's supposed to. I can't wait to watch this happen.
A/N: Sooo... we met the guys! Finally! I'm thinking of doing the next chapter in their POV. What do you think?
Thanks for reading!