16.🍸 Old Fashioned

**KEKE**

The next night is again busier than usual. When I come from the restroom in the back, I pass Justice handing a drink to some woman with hair so red and evenly colored, it has to come from a stylist.
She coos something, then flips her hair and bats her lashes.
He answers with a vague smile.
Innocent enough.
However, a sharp spike of jealousy enters my heart, making it beat a painful tune.
Well, at least I don’t feel as bad as when he talks that Pippa.
No, those feelings are white hot and full of spikes that grip my entrails and pull in opposite directions.
Dramatic but true.
Any mention of that woman’s name sets my teeth on edge.
Take that time one regular made the mistake of calling me by her name.
I jokingly told him Pippa hadn’t worked at the bar in over four years and although we all look alike, we have different names. Everyone within hearing distance laughed except for Justice.
His dark look in my direction and the tick in his jaw said it all. I grew chilled to the marrow in my bones.
It’s a wonder how he stands me day in and day out if he hates me so much.
I have little time to think on it as Joe calls out my name. I turn to head towards him, stopping when I take in the gorgeous man next to him.
Joe had jokingly said his brother had gotten the best genes.
He wasn’t lying.
Nico has the same wiry frame as Joe, but he flaunts it to the best advantage. He’s wearing a black shirt made from that stretchy workout material. The fabric clings to every ridge and line of his chest. With large gray eyes, an angular chin, and pillow lips, he’s a handsome man. His hair, though, gives me pause.
It’s dark, thick, and wavy, reminding me of a person I would like to forget.
Joe is the first to speak while his brother stares with his mouth slightly open. “This is my baby brother, Nico. The one I told you about.”
I reach over the bar to shake Nico’s hand. “Nice to meet you, baby brother,” I say, keeping the flirt from my voice. Nico is something I would go for, but I’m not about to encourage him. “What can I get you?”
“Pellegrino with a twist of lime.”
His voice is nice, but not as resounding as Justice’s.
Stop already!
“Sure thing,” I say, answering my inner voice. I squat to get a bottle from the small drink fridge. Heat from a pair of eyes, roams my backside. When I whirl around, Nico’s eyes are fixed on his brother as they talk in low tones.
If he wasn’t looking, then who was?
I set the glass on the bar top, casually scanning the room. After coming up empty, I ask Joe if I should run a tab.
“Sure,” Joe says easily. “I expect we’ll be here a while.” Nico bobs his head in enthusiastic agreement.
“So how long have you been working here, Keke?” Nico asks, leaning forward as if he’s truly interested in hearing my answer.
Before I can reply, sturdy hands grip and squeeze my shoulders. I do my best not to lean into them.
“I hired her for the holidays,” Justice says, his voice a deep rumble.
Saddened by his casual words, I move from under his grip. Justice’s hand trails down my back to glance away at my backside.
It’s futile to wonder if he did it on purpose. He’s made it quite clear what I am to him—nothing more than a paid employee he hired to help him with the seasonal rush.
With my stomach in uncomfortable knots, I reach under the counter and place a tin of peanuts in front of the Volkov brothers.
Nico snakes out a hand, pulling the bucket close. With a thumb and forefinger, he plucks out two husks and shells them in record time.
I can’t help but watch, fascinated.
Joe laughs. “You should see what else he can do with his hands.”
“Like what?” I ask, curious.
“If you have some time, I can show you,” Nico says, giving me a lopsided smile before popping a peanut into his mouth.
Justice cuts off my response by interjecting his two-cents. “Maybe another time. Keke has work to do.”
Justice dips down to whisper in my ear, “Can you get some peanuts from the back?”
I shiver, I can’t help it. His breath is so warm.
So damn sweet.
In a trance, I do as he asks. Less than five minutes later, I duck-walk the heavy-ass sack into the bar. I’m no lightweight but lugging fifty pounds takes the wind out of a girl. Setting the bag down, I take a moment to catch my breath.
Suddenly, Nico is there, reaching over the bar with a long, sinewy arm, relieving me of my burden with one hand.
“Let me help you with that,” he says, carrying the bag to the end of the bar.
He smiles as I lift the wooden divider. When he sets the peanuts on the floor, Nico takes a relaxed stance against the bar-top, traveling his eyes from my neon green Converse, up my ripped jeans, and stopping at the word Clancy’s spread across my chest.
On my first day behind the bar, Justice laid a stack of slightly worn t-shirts on my bed for me to wear to work.
Come to find out, they were his old ones. The knowledge gave me a tingle—straight to the center of my legs.
That’s why there will be no man until I leave New York. How can I focus on anyone else when Justice occupies my every thought?
I’m about to tell Nico to move along, albeit in a nice tone, when Justice comes over.
“Hey, Nico. You need an extra job or something? Those poor taxpayers you’ve been swindling aren’t earning you enough?” On the surface, his tone is as smooth as glass, but below is a bed of steely spikes.
“I’m helping Keke out, Justice. You shouldn’t have her carrying those heavy sacks. What kind of boss are you?” His mocking laugh makes Justice narrow his eyes. Turning to me, he says, “Keke, if I were you, I’d file a complaint. I have a few friends at OSHA I can put you in contact with.”
It’s lucky Nico’s attention is on me as the volcanic look in Justice’s eyes would set him ablaze.
“Keke doesn’t need a man helping her,” Justice snaps. “She’s more than capable of doing her job.”
Nico is around my height—a good four inches shorter than Justice—but he doesn’t back down from under my boss’s rather frightening glare.
“Well then,” Nico says, the picture of casual, “why don’t I help Keke get more peanuts? Seems with all these empty tins on the bar you’ll need them.”
He grabs my hand, lifts the divider and we’re in the storage room before I can find my voice to say, “What did you do that for?”
Nico laughs. “Yeah, Joe had it right. He said Justice has it bad for you. Said he’s been eyeing you all night, every night. So much so, the man can hardly hold a conversation let alone make anyone’s drink.”
My mouth flies open. For once, I’m speechless. I don’t know whether to be amazed at Nico’s audacity or to thank him for his intervention.
I don’t do either.
Instead, I let my inherent suspicion take over. “Why are you so interested?” I ask, hoping he takes my words with less salt than I meant to sprinkle them with.
Nico doesn’t seem to notice my animosity as his smile remains. “It may seem crazy to you,” he says, squeezing my hand before letting go, “but I want everyone to be as happy as I am. This past week has been a revelation to me, Keke. Before, I was like Justice, ignoring my feelings until someone made me see my woman for what she is—an amazing, smart, and beautiful soul.” He shakes his head in disbelief, “I don’t deserve her. I know I don’t. But since she’s willing to put up with me...” He shrugs and gives me a winsome grin. “Now, if you want to use me to get Justice-the-pig-head to see you...well, I’m all about paying it forward.”
My mom says that sometimes, in a person’s time of need, an earthly angel will help them. At this moment, with Nico’s eyes gleaming with mischief and the need to do right, I think I found one.
And although fake flirting isn’t something I’ve ever needed to catch a man... I’m willing to let my principles slide in this case. Given Justice’s track record of one-night stands—which have been confirmed by more than one source—I won’t last long.
And that’s fine.
After visiting my parents, I’m off again—headed back to Singapore to pick up where I left off.
That’s all I want, right?
Damn straight.
Justice and I will not turn into Dubai.
No.
I won’t let it get that far. I won’t allow myself to fall in love with him. That would be a kamikaze move of epic proportions.
Stupid beyond belief.
Danger to the nth degree.
And I’m all about skirting danger.
Before Dubai, it was my practice to not get burned. When things took a serious turn, I’d run away into the night.
I can do this. No sweat. One night won’t affect me.
Full of bravado, I start the operation in motion. “Okay, Nico.” I reach for a bag of peanuts. “If you really want to help, just keep doing what you’re doing. If he doesn’t make a move after tonight...”
“Oh, Keke,” Nico says, brushing my hands away and lifting up the bag with ease, “he will. I guarantee it.”
I shake my head in denial.
How could I miss what everyone else sees?
Is Justice interested in me?
I’ve been played before, and I nearly died.
What would happen this time? Something worse?
No...
Nothing could be as bad as losing a child.