writing down orders for food, sure, but this was a different ballgame.
“Kristina,” Wade’s deep voice startled her. He emerged from a little door to the far right of the bar and neared.
She smiled. “Hey.”
“You went shopping I see. Nice to see you haven’t learned to do as you’re told. Let’s get you suited up and Sheila will give you the rundown.”
She jumped when he placed a large hand on her lower back.
He frowned. She looked away, embarrassed, but he didn’t remove his hand. Instead, he pushed her toward the door he’d just exited. They passed the bar, full of curious stares. She avoided their eyes, but their gaze burned into her back as Wade ushered her into a little room, his office.
She looked around, shocked at the chaos. “This is your office?
“Yeah, when they’re not trying to turn it into a closet.” He pushed a pile of paper off a metal folding chair in front of what she assumed would be a desk, if one could find it beneath the liquor bottles and paper.
“I don’t know about this—” she started.
He turned and shook his head, stopping the words before she could get them out. “Don’t say no until you’ve tried it. Here, your shirt.”
Kristina took the white shirt, holding it up in front of her. It would cover, but only just. It looked impossibly skinny. “What size is this?”
“The only one there is. It’ll look fine. I’ll leave so you can change, and then come on out to the bar and you can start.”
Kristina set her purse on the chair, and then waited for the door to click shut before removing her t-shirt. She struggled into the one Wade had just given her. Tight was an understatement. It clung to her, leaving nothing to the imagination. She looked down the low-scooped neck, with “Dirty Truths” written in red across her left breast. She smoothed the soft cotton down, tugging from the bottom to stretch the material. It sprung back, hugging her body like a glove.
The hem just touched the top of her jeans and when she moved, about an inch of flesh peeked through. God, she could not go out there in this. She hadn’t put a bathing suit on since getting married and only started wearing tank tops after leaving Daniel. Although this covered more than the strappy shirts, she felt exposed. None of her clothes fit her like a second skin.
A knock at the door made her jump. She leaned over and opened it to the smiling woman from the bar.
“You ready?”
“Um, I don’t know.” She backed away.
The woman entered, her eyes running down Kristina’s body. She let out a low whistle. “Shit, I wish I filled out my clothes so well. Look at your tiny little waist.” She reached over and poked Kristina’s stomach. “You just had a kid?”
“Almost a year ago,”
“Damn. I’m jealous.”
Jealous? Kristina stared at the woman, unsure whether she was making fun of her or not. “I think I made a mistake. I’m not really made for this.”
“Don’t be silly, we’re all made for this. It’s fun. I’m Sheila by the way. I know you’re Kristina. Wade’s talked of nothing else since he hired you.”
“I just don’t want you to think I know what I’m doing, because I don’t. I’m terrified actually.”
“Of course you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why I’m training you. Come on. Let’s show those rednecks what a real woman looks like. I think I’ll be losing some of my best tippers.”
Kristina let Sheila drag her into the bar. If the stares were unsettling when she entered, nothing compared to the heat in Wade’s gaze when she walked behind the bar.
***
Wade struggled to focus on making drinks and taking money from his customers, but Kristina’s presence made it almost impossible. She looked like a frightened deer, ready to bolt at the first opportunity. Twice she’d caught him staring, and both times caused her to drop the drinks in her hands.
“Earth to Wade,” Thomas’s voice. What was Thomas doing in his bar?
Wade tore
“Kristina,” Wade’s deep voice startled her. He emerged from a little door to the far right of the bar and neared.
She smiled. “Hey.”
“You went shopping I see. Nice to see you haven’t learned to do as you’re told. Let’s get you suited up and Sheila will give you the rundown.”
She jumped when he placed a large hand on her lower back.
He frowned. She looked away, embarrassed, but he didn’t remove his hand. Instead, he pushed her toward the door he’d just exited. They passed the bar, full of curious stares. She avoided their eyes, but their gaze burned into her back as Wade ushered her into a little room, his office.
She looked around, shocked at the chaos. “This is your office?
“Yeah, when they’re not trying to turn it into a closet.” He pushed a pile of paper off a metal folding chair in front of what she assumed would be a desk, if one could find it beneath the liquor bottles and paper.
“I don’t know about this—” she started.
He turned and shook his head, stopping the words before she could get them out. “Don’t say no until you’ve tried it. Here, your shirt.”
Kristina took the white shirt, holding it up in front of her. It would cover, but only just. It looked impossibly skinny. “What size is this?”
“The only one there is. It’ll look fine. I’ll leave so you can change, and then come on out to the bar and you can start.”
Kristina set her purse on the chair, and then waited for the door to click shut before removing her t-shirt. She struggled into the one Wade had just given her. Tight was an understatement. It clung to her, leaving nothing to the imagination. She looked down the low-scooped neck, with “Dirty Truths” written in red across her left breast. She smoothed the soft cotton down, tugging from the bottom to stretch the material. It sprung back, hugging her body like a glove.
The hem just touched the top of her jeans and when she moved, about an inch of flesh peeked through. God, she could not go out there in this. She hadn’t put a bathing suit on since getting married and only started wearing tank tops after leaving Daniel. Although this covered more than the strappy shirts, she felt exposed. None of her clothes fit her like a second skin.
A knock at the door made her jump. She leaned over and opened it to the smiling woman from the bar.
“You ready?”
“Um, I don’t know.” She backed away.
The woman entered, her eyes running down Kristina’s body. She let out a low whistle. “Shit, I wish I filled out my clothes so well. Look at your tiny little waist.” She reached over and poked Kristina’s stomach. “You just had a kid?”
“Almost a year ago,”
“Damn. I’m jealous.”
Jealous? Kristina stared at the woman, unsure whether she was making fun of her or not. “I think I made a mistake. I’m not really made for this.”
“Don’t be silly, we’re all made for this. It’s fun. I’m Sheila by the way. I know you’re Kristina. Wade’s talked of nothing else since he hired you.”
“I just don’t want you to think I know what I’m doing, because I don’t. I’m terrified actually.”
“Of course you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why I’m training you. Come on. Let’s show those rednecks what a real woman looks like. I think I’ll be losing some of my best tippers.”
Kristina let Sheila drag her into the bar. If the stares were unsettling when she entered, nothing compared to the heat in Wade’s gaze when she walked behind the bar.
***
Wade struggled to focus on making drinks and taking money from his customers, but Kristina’s presence made it almost impossible. She looked like a frightened deer, ready to bolt at the first opportunity. Twice she’d caught him staring, and both times caused her to drop the drinks in her hands.
“Earth to Wade,” Thomas’s voice. What was Thomas doing in his bar?
Wade tore
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