Bright Eyes (20 page)

“Have you considered making a few changes to increase your clientele?”

“What kind of changes?”

“If I step on your toes with what I’m about to say, just tell me so. All right?”

“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

He didn’t smile. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but this club seems to have the Patterson stamp all over it.”

“The Patterson what?”

“Stamp,” he repeated. “It’s classy all the way—formal dining, tasteful decor, complete with a first-class entertainer dressed to the nines in an evening gown or cocktail dress. The usual country-western joint has a relaxed atmosphere, and the entertainers are far more likely to be wearing jeans, riding boots, and a Western shirt.”

“Your point?”

“That maybe, just maybe, you compromised when you opened this place, trying to please your husband and in-laws.”

Natalie swept her gaze over the room again. It was true, she realized, though she’d never consciously thought about it at the time.

“The piano player, for instance,” Zeke went on. “Piano’s fine, don’t get me wrong, but that highbrow shit he plays during your breaks is a total shock after the songs you sing. What is that he’s pounding out right now, anyway?”

Natalie listened for a moment. “That’s Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata.’ ”

He nodded. “It’s not ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie,’ that’s for damned sure.”

The disgruntled look on his face made Natalie laugh. “I guess I did aim for a classier atmosphere to pacify Robert and his mother. It seemed like a good plan at the time—a one-of-a-kind country-western club, a place where enthusiasts could enjoy both the music and fine dining.”

“You still worried about pacifying Robert?”

“No. Why?”

He plucked his hat from his knee to put it on the table and sat forward on his chair. That serious, down-to-business expression suited him, she decided. Dark brows pleated in a slight frown, his eyes razor sharp on hers. Little wonder he’d just purchased a lovely home and still had money to make loans to the neighbor kid. She had a feeling that he was a force to be reckoned with in retail.

“I think you have a fabulous idea going here—great entertainment, fine dining, classy atmosphere. But what if you toned it down just a hair and offered something more middle of the road?”

“Then the club would be ordinary. I wouldn’t have anything special to offer.”

“I’m not talking about making it ordinary. Keep it fancy enough to pull in Yuppies who like country-western, but relaxed and reasonable enough price-wise to appeal to working-class guys as well. Shit kickers who want to put on the dog for their ladies but can’t afford filet mignon once a week.”

“Go on,” she said softly.

He rested his folded arms on the table. “The ordinary Joe can’t come in here on a regular basis, and if they splurge for dinner, they’ll go elsewhere afterward for entertainment—someplace where they can shuffle their boots on a dance floor and get cozy with a main squeeze.”

Natalie glanced around again. “Too stuffy, huh?”

“Not stuffy, exactly, just a hair too ritzy. For mass appeal, you should knock out that wall so people in the bar can enjoy the live entertainment, too. What are they, second-class citizens because they prefer a beer and some smoke in the air? You can slap in a good filtration system if you don’t already have one. Offer a few inexpensive entrées on the menu. Hold karaoke competitions a few nights a week. Move the tables back to make room for a dance floor. Don’t turn it into a honky-tonk. Crystal Falls is crawling with those. Just make it friendlier, a place where people from all walks of life can enjoy themselves. I think you’d be packed every night of the week.”

A thrill of excitement moved up the back of Natalie’s throat. She turned on her chair to better survey the room. “You know, it just might work. Karaoke is a lot of fun. I never thought of that. A lot of people go from bar to bar, just so they can get up and sing to an audience.”

“Damn straight. And you’ll be providing a first-class place for them to do it. People love to make fools of themselves.”

She laughed again. She seemed to do a lot of that around this man.

“Karaoke a few evenings a week would give you more breaks between numbers to take care of orders and paperwork. You might even find some time to write some new songs.”

She threw him a wondering look. “Like anyone will ever buy them.”

“You ever tried to sell one?”

Her face went hot under his searching gaze. “Well, no. I’m not even sure how to start.”

“By starting,” he said simply.

Natalie laughed again. He made her feel as if she could do almost anything. “Cheaper entrées, huh? I’m
terrible
at doing menus.”

“I’ll help. And don’t change the subject. I want you to pick your favorite out of all the songs you’ve ever written and give it to me, no questions asked. Will you do that?”

“Why?”

“That’s a question. Just do it, and keep your focus on this club before it goes tits up.”

Natalie chewed on her bottom lip. “I can’t afford to have that wall knocked out, Zeke. It’ll cost a small fortune.”

“Nah. Give me a crowbar and hammer, and I can have it down in no time. You added it when you leased the place, right? It doesn’t look like a bearing wall.”

“You’ve been scoping out my club, thinking of structural changes?”

Looking sheepish, he rubbed his jaw. “The place isn’t exactly hopping. I can testify to the fact that it’s not the entertainment. The businessman in me can’t help but ask himself why, and once I start doing that, I think of ways to remedy the problem.”

“I did all right until Robert siphoned off half my working capital.”

“I’ve offended you.”

“No!” Natalie protested. “Not at all. It’s just—well, there’s a space deficiency, for one thing. How can I keep all the tables and have room for a dance floor? And I have to observe the fire regulations. I have a capacity limit of two hundred in here, fifty in the bar.”

He took a quick head count. “Sweetheart, you presently have twenty people in here.”

“It was busier earlier. After dinner, a lot of people leave.”

“My point exactly. That’s what you do in a restaurant, eat and shag. You don’t want to occupy the table all night when you’ve finished eating, no matter how much you’re enjoying yourself.”

He was right; she knew he was. Only his suggestions would cost money—money she didn’t have.

“You don’t need a large dance floor,” he speculated. “You might lose a few tables, but not many. Just put them closer together. If you’re worried about overcrowding, have a cover charge, maybe five bucks a head. Almost anybody can afford that. You’ll make money the instant they walk through the door, and people won’t be inclined to leave once they get here. Clubs turn most of their profit on drinks. Right?”

“Yes.” She stared dubiously at the wall.

“It’s no big deal,” he assured her. “I can slap up some trim to hide where it was, fix the floor somehow, and it’ll be done. Do you have enough money to do a little advertising to bring new people in and rent some karaoke equipment?”

Natalie’s heart sank as she recalled the mess her books were in. “No, not really.”

“How much do you think you’ll need? I have some extra stashed away.”

“No way, Zeke. Don’t even go there.”

“Why not? I’ve got the cash just sitting in the bank. You can pay me back with interest. How’s that?”

“At what rate?”

“A garter belt and nylons once a month.”

She burst out laughing. “You’re
terrible.”

“I’m hornier than a teenage boy on prom night, is what I am.” He arched a dark eyebrow. “Nothing else. Just the garter belt and nylons. Heels, of course.”

Natalie saw the twinkle in his eyes and knew he was teasing. “Do you really like garter belts?”

“Not really, but we’re bargaining here. You’re a hard-headed woman.”

“It’s sweet of you to offer, Zeke, but I’d feel funny.”

“Better to feel funny than go broke.”

Natalie shook her head. “I don’t want to muddy the water between us by borrowing money from you.” She tried for a lighthearted smile. “I’d feel like a kept woman.”

“Works for me.” The smoldering glint returned to his eyes. “I’ll have a vested interest, that way, until I can snub you down with a ring and promises.”

Natalie gaped at him.

He grinned and lifted his glass to her in a mock toast. Winking at her over the rim, he said, “Close your mouth, honey. You’re gonna catch flies.”

Natalie was almost giddy with nerves by the time she started across the field to Zeke’s place later that night. She was still wearing her work clothes, the black dress she’d had on the first time she met him and the same high-heeled sandals. It was treacherous walking. When her spikes weren’t sinking into the dirt, she was stepping into holes. She thought about going barefoot, but she didn’t want to show up at his door with dirty feet.
Not sexy
. It was extremely important to look her best tonight.

When she reached his driveway, she stopped to fluff her hair, which she’d let down before leaving the house. Then she smoothed her dress. Her stomach squeezed and butterflies fluttered at the base of her throat. All of a sudden, she no longer felt certain this was a good idea. Maybe she should just go home, call him on the phone, and tell him she’d changed her mind.

“What’s that you’re carrying?”

His deep voice came unexpectedly from the inky shadows and made her jump a foot.

“I’m sorry,” he said. She heard his boots crunching on the gravel, the sounds growing louder as he approached. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Her heart hopped around in her chest like a frog on hot cement. “What’re you doing out here?”

“Waiting for you.” He emerged from the shadows into the moonlight, taller than she remembered and broader across the shoulders. His dark hair looked frosted in the silvery moonbeams, and his eyes gleamed like polished pewter. “Do you have any idea how long a minute seems when you’ve got to wait two hours for someone?”

Some of the tension eased from her body. “Sorry. I got here as soon as I could.”

“You were in the house for fifteen minutes. I was starting to worry that you’d changed your mind.”

She ran her fingers through her hair. “Last-minute touch-ups. I didn’t want to look shopworn.”

“You worry too much.”

Her sister had told her exactly the same thing last night, giving Natalie cause to wonder if they both weren’t right. She did worry a lot, especially about her appearance. Maybe it came from being onstage five nights a week, with people staring at her from all angles.

“I’ll happily take you any way I can get you.” He stepped so close that she could feel the heat coming off his body. “What’s that you have in your hand?”

She glanced down at the drugstore sack. Then she smiled as she handed it over. “A gift for you.”

“A gift?” He opened the bag, tipped it toward the light, and squinted to see the contents. Then he threw back his dark head and barked with laughter. “A whole carton?”

“Just so you’ll have plenty on hand.”

He gave her one of those heart-stopping grins. “That’s two.”

“Two what?”

“Cartons. I went to town, too.”

It was Natalie’s turn to laugh. He slipped a strong arm around her waist and led her to the kitchen steps. “No more repeats of last night. We’re well equipped now.” He bent his head to nibble the side of her neck and then her shoulder. “I remember this dress, by the way.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.” He kept a firm hold on her as they ascended the steps, then leaned across in front of her to throw open the door. “You had it on the first time I ever saw you. You were so beautiful, I damned near swallowed my tongue, and then, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why the hell I’d gone over there.”

“Huh-uh.”

“God’s truth, I swear. All that saved me was seeing tomato pulp on the toe of my boot. You weren’t what I was expecting to find when I rounded the corner of the house. I wanted to touch you”—he dipped his head to kiss her cleavage—“right there.”

Liquid heat pooled in her belly. Her legs went a little wobbly as she stepped ahead of him into the kitchen. He tossed the sack onto the table, caught her by the elbow, and swung her back around into his arms, his mouth hot and hungry on hers before she could even gasp in surprise.

She’d expected to feel tense the first few minutes after she arrived, imagined that they’d make stilted conversation and ease their way into this.
Not
. His arm was like a band of steel around her, his large hand splayed over her back to press her firmly against him. No preliminaries. No opportunity to feel nervous. He just took control.

He kissed her as if he never meant to stop. Searing heat. His hands skimmed her dress, setting her nerve endings afire. His tongue teased her lips, making her quiver clear to her toes. As he tightened his embrace and molded her body to his, she felt as if she were going to melt right on the spot. He delved deeply into her mouth with his tongue, his body quivering, desire evident in every hard line of his torso.

He drew away with such suddenness that Natalie was startled. Taking her face between his hands, he trailed his lips over her cheek, then kissed her eyelids closed. “You’re so beautiful.” His voice had gone husky with need. He ran his hands into her hair and bent his dark head to feather his lips down the column of her neck to the V of her collarbone, then lower to the swells of her breasts just above the bodice of her dress. “So damned beautiful.”

His breathing had become more rapid, shuddering from his chest, warm and steamy against her skin. He hooked an arm under her bottom, lifted her as if she weighed no more than a child, pulled her against him, pelvis to pelvis, and went at her mouth so feverishly that she thought he was going to take her right there.

And she was ready. More than ready. She’d never ached like this in her life. Her desire for him went beyond feverish. It was a primal need deep within her. She ran her hands through his hair, pulled his head down so she could more thoroughly take his mouth with hers, and absorbed the heat of him, pulsating into her like shock waves.