Bad Rep (5 page)

“Yeah, you can't hide, I know where you work,” I joked and wanted to slap myself in the forehead.  I sounded like an idiot.  Ugh!

Jordan just laughed and looked at Riley.  “Same goes for you too, Riley,” he added.  Riley gave him a knowing look. 

“Yeah, sure,” she said, looking between the two of us.  Jordan cleared his throat.

“Okay, well then.  See ya later,” he looked at me one last time and then headed off toward the bar.

“Good god, the sexual tension is giving me hives,” Riley griped.  I pulled on her ponytail. 

“Will you just shut up already,” I sighed, looking over at the bar.  As though he could sense me staring at him, Jordan looked up from wiping down the counter.  I quickly looked down at the paper in front of me, knowing that if people could die from embarrassment, someone had better start digging my grave.

Chapter Three

I tried to finish up the paper work but it was difficult considering I could feel eyes burning into my skin.  But I was proud of myself that not once did I look up to watch him.  Not once did I cave to the masochistic need to ogle his fine ass.  Nope, I played non-nonchalant.   Someone give me a friggin Oscar, because that kind of acting deserves some sort of award.

“You Maysie?” a gruff voice barked from beside me.  I looked up, startled.  A petite girl, not much older than me stood beside the booth, hands on her hips, looking annoyed. 

“Uh, yeah?” I said more as a question than a statement.  Something about this girl's vibe completely intimidated me and I wasn't even sure of my name at that point.

“You need to follow me.  I'm not gonna be slowed down because of you and if my tips suck, I will kick your ass.  Do we understand each other?”  Ah.  This must be the delightful Evian.  I looked at Riley who was biting down on her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing.

I gave her a look of death and slid out of the seat, following Evian the Terrible into the kitchen, where she clocked in.  Evian clearly had a case of little man syndrome.  She was tiny.  Like seriously tiny.  The top of her head came up to my chin and I wasn't an Amazon woman by any stretch.  Her dark brown hair was styled in a pixie cut and her arms were covered in tattoos.  All in all she was one bad ass mama.  And not someone I wanted to piss off.

“Hey Ev.  Get over here and let me see those fine tits of yours!” Pocco called from the back.  Evian whipped around and pointed her finger in his direction. 

“You so much as look at my boobs, Pocco, and I will gnaw off your testicles and have them for dinner,”  she growled.  I swallowed audibly.  This chick was scary.  Pocco only laughed. 

“Ah, chica.  You know you want to ride Pocco's bone coaster.”  Evian looked like she was about to go over there and carry through on her threat but was distracted by Moore calling to us from his office.

Thank god.  I didn't want to see Evian gnawing anything off of anyone's body.  I shuddered.  Moore gave Evian the run down.  I was to shadow her this evening.  Evian was to let me watch for a while then let me handle a few tables on my own.  We were to split the tips 50/50.  Evian looked like she wanted to spit nails. 

I gave Moore a weak smile and followed a thunderous Evian back out into the restaurant.  She was mumbling under her breath and then came up short.  Her tiny face was dark.  “If you think I'm splitting my tips with you, you're fucking mental.”  Okay, well so much for any cash ending up in my pockets tonight.  I knew better than to argue with Evian.  I wanted to keep my appendages, thank you very much.

Evian stormed off and I leaned against the bar, already exhausted and the night had just begun.  “Don't let her bully you.”  Jordan appeared at my shoulder and leaned in, his elbows propped on the counter.  I tightened my ponytail and straightened my shirt. 

“Easy for you to say.  That chick is gonna eat me alive,” I groaned, sitting on a stool and laying my head down on the bar.

Jordan rubbed my shoulder and I tried not to tremble as he touched me.  I looked up at him and he gave me a smirk as though he knew the affect he had on me.  He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper.  “Well, just so you know.  Evian has her boyfriend dress up in her bra and panties and likes to whip him with a riding crop.” 

My eyes widened.  “You're making that up,” I scoffed, shooting a look over my shoulder at Evian, who was hounding one of the high school bus boys about how to set the tables in her section.  Jordan shook his head. 

“No, trust me.  Ev has a serious dominatrix side.  Her boyfriend, Greg, is this uptight accountant.  I think he's forty or something.  But yeah, they're into some serious kink.”  Jordan chuckled.

I shook my head.  “How the hell do you know all of this stuff?” I asked him.  Jordan tapped his ear with his finger.

“I keep my ear to the ground, my friend.  It's amazing what you can learn when no one thinks you're listening.”  I frowned at Jordan and got up from the stool, knowing I should go over to Evian before she tracked me down. 

“Remind me to keep my deep dark secrets close to the chest then,” I joked. 

Jordan's eyes smoldered at me suddenly and I found it hard to breathe.  “Ah, but Maysie, I want to know all of your deep, dark secrets.  I look forward to figuring them out.”  His voice was husky and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.  Shit.  He was going to be difficult to stay away from. 

But who says I even wanted to?  We had chemistry and he was fucking hot.  I was a hot blooded college girl, why shouldn't I indulge?  So I shot him a saucy look before turning around to leave.  “Well, you'll have to work for it then,” I told him over my shoulder.  I could hear him laughing as I walked away with a little extra sway in my hips and I knew he was watching me as I did.

Once the evening shift started, we were slammed.  Barton's was hugely popular and there was a 45 minute wait by 5:30.  I was running around like crazy.  It was official, I was Evian's bitch.  Sure she took the orders and greeted the tables.  And it was more than a little fascinating to watch how seamlessly she transformed her militant persona into a people pleasing, syrupy sweet, good ol' gal.  Once she had played up the people at her tables, I was expected to punch the orders in, expedite the plates and take them to the tables.  I had to handle the drink refills and getting orders from the bar.  And that nasty bitch-face kept all of the tips.

Riley on the other hand lucked out and was paired with Damien.   He was a cute guy who was also a junior at Rinard.  They seemed to hit it off and she had already earned a wad of cash.  I tried not to hate on the fact that my feet hurt and I had nothing to show for it. 

The noise in the place was deafening and I could barely hear myself think.  My calves ached and I was getting a headache because I had forgotten to eat before the shift started.  My mood was going straight to the toilet. 

I hollered out a beer order to Jordan and Lyla, who were slinging drinks like they were in Cocktail or something.  They had a crowd three people deep all the way around the bar.  They knew how to work the room, that was for sure.  I watched them while I waited for my order.  Lyla had turned up the volume on the speakers and was gyrating to a Bon Jovi song.  The guys were hooting as she turned around to shake her ass.

I couldn't help but start to move myself.  I loved to dance.  Most weekends, I'd drag Riley or a few of my sorority sisters into the city to find a club.   And I was pretty damn good at it, if I do say so myself.  So, I started to move my hips in time with the pounding base. 

“Damn, that's hot.”  Jordan called out, watching me.  I flushed red and stopped dancing.  Jordan came out from around the bar and put his hands on my hips. 

“No, don't stop,” he whispered in my ear and started to move behind me. 

There were a bunch of catcalls as I caved and started dancing with him in time to the music.  My ass swirled back against his hips.  We rubbed against each other and Jordan snaked his arms around my waist to hold me and pull me back against his chest.  We swayed together, our bodies moving in a perfect rhythm.  The hot press of his hands mixed with the musky sweet scent of his sweat was intoxicating.  I felt his lips brush the bare skin at the back of my neck and we both trembled with a need that threatened to consume us.   I could feel the hammering of his heart against my back as I pressed even closer to him.   I lost all sense of time and place and for a moment I forgot that we were in Barton's, and we were
supposed
to be working. 

All I could feel, all I could think about was Jordan Levitt, with his arms around me, pressed against my back like he couldn't tear himself away. 

“What the hell are you doing?”  My head whipped up at the sound of Evian's terse question.  She looked murderous.  I moved away from Jordan instantly. 

Jordan cleared his throat.  “Aw, give her a break, Ev.  You've been running her ass off.”  I noticed his voice was ragged and I chanced a peek at him.  He met my eyes and winked at me.  I looked away, feeling suddenly embarrassed for dancing with him like that.  In front of a room full of people.  Shit, what had come over me?  This was my work place!  Not a damn club!

I was feeling flustered when Lyla brought the drinks to me that I had needed for one of Evian's tables.  She gave me a knowing grin, looking between Jordan and me.  I grabbed the order and practically ran from the bar.  After delivering the drinks to the table, I went up to the hostess stand to grab a mint.  And to catch my breath.

Riley came up beside me.  “What was that?  I think I got pregnant just watching you two,”  she snarked.

I laughed it off but was quietly mortified that everyone in the place had been witness to our lascivious spectacle.  “Great, just the kind of first impression I wanted to make,” I muttered.  Riley snorted. 

“Yeah, well, apparently that's Jordan.  Damien says he's a notorious flirt.  So I wouldn't worry about it too much,” she commented, sending my stomach to the floor.   Good to know that Jordan wasn't acting any differently toward me than he had with anyone else.  Nothing like feeling like the next in a long line of shameless flirting girls to make this gal feel all warm and fuzzy.

“Yeah.  I guess it was nothing,” I agreed, going off to find Evian. 

“Mays...” Riley called out but I waved her off.  I didn't want her to see how much her words had bothered me.

I spent the next couple of hours staunchly ignoring Jordan.  He tried to catch my eye a few times, but I would quickly look away.  My pride was hurt and I felt like nursing my wounds secretly.  Around 8:00 I finally had fifteen minutes to kill.  So I scavenged some bread sticks, nearly inhaling them.  Grabbed my cigarettes out of my purse in Moore's office, and headed out back.

I sat down heavily on an overturned milk crate and lit up.  The first drag provided instant relief.  Thank you nicotine.  Jordan had knocked me off balance and I didn't like the feeling.  I pulled out my phone and frowned when I realized Eli still hadn't texted me.  Hell, he was probably balls deep in another girl by now.  I really needed to reevaluate this so called relationship of ours.

I heard the kitchen door open behind me and turned to find Jordan taking a seat on the stoop.  He took the cigarette from behind his ear and put it to his lips.  I tried not to stare as he inhaled.  How did he make smoking look so sexy? 

“How's it going?” he asked after we had sat in silence for a few minutes.  I leaned over and put out my smoke. 

“My feet are on fire, but other than that, I'm doing fine,” I replied, looking at him as he stared off in front of him.

He finally glanced over at me and smiled.  “Let me help you out there,” he said, pulling my foot into his lap. 

“What are you doing?” I gasped as he slipped off my black sneakers and started kneading the soles of my feet with deft fingers.

I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips.  Jordan raised his eyebrows at my response and then grinned as he moved his hands up my legs and started rubbing my calves.  “You're so tense,” he murmured as he rubbed me. 

“Damn, you're good.  I'm gonna have to take you home with me.” I moaned as he worked the kinks out of my feet and lower legs.