she finished her shift at Maude’s so he could go over everything slowly. Serving didn’t put her on edge, though. It was the customers.
More than once on her first night, she felt a pinch on her ass or a hand running down her back. Horrified, she forgot orders and spilled drinks. Wade told her to let the guy working the door know if anyone crossed the line. But Kristina didn’t like the way Wade’s eyes darkened as he said it. She learned to deal with it her own way, making jokes or avoiding the groping hands altogether. If Daniel knew even half of what happened at Dirty Truths, he’d have killed her.
By her third shift at Dirty Truths she’d stopped working at the convenience store, and worked her last shift at the restaurant the next morning. She couldn’t wait to be down to just one job. Two weeks of juggling had left her exhausted and relieved she’d quit the gas station before starting at the bar.
She surveyed the room. The bar held more people than she imagined it could and they drank a lot. She was glad her mother kept Cadence so she could crash when she went home. The tips made the stress bearable. Even with the errors she’d taken home close to two hundred dollars each night so far, she could never make as much with her other jobs. Leaning against the wall, her legs and feet screaming in protest at the thought of one more step, she longed to climb into bed for a couple of days and just sleep.
The band bustled around on the tiny little stage setting up for their second set, and she took advantage of the distraction to gather her thoughts. The men from the golf tournament had proven a rowdy bunch, with lewd comments and propositions ready each time she passed their table. She considered asking the girl working the bar to trade with her. But the tips were better on the floor and Kristina didn’t want Wade to know they’d given her a hard time. In the end, she endured the men’s unwanted advances and prayed the night ended soon so she could go home.
Taking a deep breath and gathering the drinks for the group at the farthest pool table, she set them on her tray. Balancing it on one hand she moved out from behind the bar. The thought of passing the golfers’ table made her nervous, but she had no choice.
Kristina lifted the tray above her shoulder and passed the table, letting out the breath she held as she made it past the worst of them. Then a hand on her free arm forced her to stop.
“Hey, sweetheart. Where do you think you’re going?”
Kristina closed her eyes and squared her shoulders before turning. “I have to take these drinks to the front, but I’ll be back in a minute.”
She tried to pull her arm from his grasp but his other arm snaked around her waist and he laughed. “Don’t be like that. I just want a little sugar.”
The tray tipped and Kristina struggled to right it, allowing him to pull her into his lap in the process. Her free arm became wedged between his body and hers. She felt him growing hard. Of all the bad luck in the world, she must have most of it. Sam was a big man, arms like steel, and her attempts to push away while still holding her tray only made the situation worse, as she unintentionally ground her bottom against his groin.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he slipped his hand into the waistband of her jeans.
Kristina jumped.
The drinks came crashing down on them.
The man leapt out of his chair, dumping Kristina on the floor. “You stupid bitch,” he yelled.
“I told you—”
He stepped toward her. Shocked at his fury she closed her mouth and cowered. He raised his arm and Kristina prepared for the blow.
***
Wade sighed at the crash, but smiled as he pictured Kristina tripping over her feet again. He stood and walked out of the office into the bar. As he emerged, his gaze found the reason for the noise. In a rage, he strode toward the table near the bar.
“You stupid bitch,” Sam Thompson yelled.
Kristina sat in a heap on the
More than once on her first night, she felt a pinch on her ass or a hand running down her back. Horrified, she forgot orders and spilled drinks. Wade told her to let the guy working the door know if anyone crossed the line. But Kristina didn’t like the way Wade’s eyes darkened as he said it. She learned to deal with it her own way, making jokes or avoiding the groping hands altogether. If Daniel knew even half of what happened at Dirty Truths, he’d have killed her.
By her third shift at Dirty Truths she’d stopped working at the convenience store, and worked her last shift at the restaurant the next morning. She couldn’t wait to be down to just one job. Two weeks of juggling had left her exhausted and relieved she’d quit the gas station before starting at the bar.
She surveyed the room. The bar held more people than she imagined it could and they drank a lot. She was glad her mother kept Cadence so she could crash when she went home. The tips made the stress bearable. Even with the errors she’d taken home close to two hundred dollars each night so far, she could never make as much with her other jobs. Leaning against the wall, her legs and feet screaming in protest at the thought of one more step, she longed to climb into bed for a couple of days and just sleep.
The band bustled around on the tiny little stage setting up for their second set, and she took advantage of the distraction to gather her thoughts. The men from the golf tournament had proven a rowdy bunch, with lewd comments and propositions ready each time she passed their table. She considered asking the girl working the bar to trade with her. But the tips were better on the floor and Kristina didn’t want Wade to know they’d given her a hard time. In the end, she endured the men’s unwanted advances and prayed the night ended soon so she could go home.
Taking a deep breath and gathering the drinks for the group at the farthest pool table, she set them on her tray. Balancing it on one hand she moved out from behind the bar. The thought of passing the golfers’ table made her nervous, but she had no choice.
Kristina lifted the tray above her shoulder and passed the table, letting out the breath she held as she made it past the worst of them. Then a hand on her free arm forced her to stop.
“Hey, sweetheart. Where do you think you’re going?”
Kristina closed her eyes and squared her shoulders before turning. “I have to take these drinks to the front, but I’ll be back in a minute.”
She tried to pull her arm from his grasp but his other arm snaked around her waist and he laughed. “Don’t be like that. I just want a little sugar.”
The tray tipped and Kristina struggled to right it, allowing him to pull her into his lap in the process. Her free arm became wedged between his body and hers. She felt him growing hard. Of all the bad luck in the world, she must have most of it. Sam was a big man, arms like steel, and her attempts to push away while still holding her tray only made the situation worse, as she unintentionally ground her bottom against his groin.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he slipped his hand into the waistband of her jeans.
Kristina jumped.
The drinks came crashing down on them.
The man leapt out of his chair, dumping Kristina on the floor. “You stupid bitch,” he yelled.
“I told you—”
He stepped toward her. Shocked at his fury she closed her mouth and cowered. He raised his arm and Kristina prepared for the blow.
***
Wade sighed at the crash, but smiled as he pictured Kristina tripping over her feet again. He stood and walked out of the office into the bar. As he emerged, his gaze found the reason for the noise. In a rage, he strode toward the table near the bar.
“You stupid bitch,” Sam Thompson yelled.
Kristina sat in a heap on the
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