Maybe This Time (7 page)

“There's more
in the pan,” I tell them, laughing when they both instantly get up
to load their plates with second servings. The tension now broken,
we all chat as we watch music videos.

“Ryan told me
to come into work today, I think,” I tell Reid. I was a little
drunk, but I’m pretty sure he told me to.

“I’ll take you
in, I gotta drop by anyway,” he offers, which I think is sweet.

“What the fuck
is going on between you two?” Xander blurts out, looking curious
rather than angry.

“Nothing,” I
say incredulously, turning to look at Reid, who remains quiet.

“What’s your
issue, Xander?” Reid asks him, the atmosphere thickening.

“Reid, let’s
go,” I say, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. I walk
out the front, and leave them to say whatever they need to. I feel
like this whole thing has nothing to do with me. I lean against
Reid’s Jeep, waiting for him. He walks out about ten minutes later,
and opens the door for me. He rounds the car and slides into the
driver’s seat and slams the door shut. He doesn’t say anything for
the entirety of the journey, but I can feel his mind at work as he
mulls over his thoughts. I choose to stay blissfully ignorant,
looking out the window and pretending I can’t feel the tension in
the car.

“Ry’s not here
yet,” Reid says as he pulls into the car park.

“Who’s here,
then?” I ask, seeing that the bar is open.

“Tag.”

“Tag?” I
repeat, my eyes widening when I see a sexy guy walk out of the bar,
lighting up a smoke. He has a shaved head, and a hot body, dressed
in a wife beater, dark denim jeans and black motorcycle boots.

Reid stares at
me and scowls. “He has a different bitch every night, don’t even
think about it.”

“That’s Tag?”
I ask, wide eyed. And I’m working with this man?

Perhaps I
should pay them.

I didn’t
realize I had said this out loud until Reid curses and gets out of
the car, slamming the door shut. I get out of my side and storm
over to him.

“And don’t
call me a bitch,” I snap.

“When did I
fucking call you a bitch?” he asks, looking confounded.

“You called
women bitches, and if you haven’t noticed, I’m a woman, and I don’t
fucking appreciate being called a bitch!” I sneer at him.

“Oh, trust me,
I know you’re all woman,” he says in a smooth tone, staring at my
breasts and then my hips.

“That was a
seedy look,” I lie. Really, it was hot and smouldering. Reid
chuckles, like he knows what I’m thinking.

“The way your
body reacts to me, beauty, I’m pretty sure that’s not what you
think. You’re gonna be so responsive, I can hardly wait for a
taste,” he says softly so only I can hear.

“Yeah, trust
me, that’s not gonna happen, especially after last night,” I snap,
crossing the road without him. Tag's brows furrow as he watches
me.

“Hey, Tag,” I
say, smiling widely at him.

“Tag, you
don’t get to touch this one,” Reid says from behind me,
smirking.

Tag chuckles
huskily, pulling out another cigarette from the packet. “There’s a
first for everything, I guess.”

“You’re… hot,”
I blurt out. Reid shifts on his feet, taking me by the arm and
pulling me inside. “You even look at him and I’ll fire him. He has
a kid, you want that on your conscience?"

“You’re a
dick,” I tell him, looking around the bar.

“Summer, I
didn’t fuck that girl last night, so retract your claws,” he
whispers into my ear. He didn’t? This man is so damn confusing. I
can’t help but feel relief, but when you look at it, does it really
change anything between us?

“So what did
you do, then? Play Monopoly?” I say sarcastically. I purse my lips
waiting for his answer.

“She started
to kiss me and I pushed her away. I couldn't go through with it, it
wasn’t her I wanted.”

“So, kissing
means nothing to you? Maybe I should go and kiss the next guy that
walks by and see how you like it?”

“If you want
to see a fight, sure,” he says, narrowing his eyes a little.

“Hypocritical
bastard,” I mutter, gritting my teeth. Why do I like him again?

“Look at me,
hey,” he says, holding my chin in his palm. “I shouldn’t want you.
I’m not good enough for you. I know it and you know it. But that
doesn’t stop me from wanting you. Just being near you… You bring me
peace, beauty,” he says in a soft unwavering tone, briefly resting
his forehead against mine. I stand there in shock.

Speechless.

Reid heads
behind the bar, leaving me standing there, gaping like a goldfish.
Ryan walks into the bar, saving me.

“Hey, Sum, you
remembered,” he says, tugging at a lock of my hair.

“Of course I
did. What kind of employee would I be if I didn’t show up my first
day of work?” I ask in a saccharine sweet tone.

“Probably like
the employees I’m used to,” he says, chuckling. He bounces on his
feet, full of energy.

“It’s just the
three of you?” I ask, looking around. There are about five
customers, three of them sitting alone and staring into their
drinks. Must be drowning their sorrows, because it's only two
pm.

“Yeah, we had
another girl, but as of last month she quit,” he says, his eyes
darting towards Reid. Or was it Tag?

“Which one of
them chased her off?” I ask, dying to know.

“Work gossip
another day.” He chuckles. “Today, let me show you the ropes. You
ever worked at a bar before?”

“Not exactly,”
I admit, but how hard could it be?

Four hours and
two broken glasses later, I'm getting used to everything. There's a
chart telling me exactly what to put in each drink, and Reid showed
me how to use the cash register. A customer told me I wasn’t very
good at pouring beer, but apart from that, I think I'm doing pretty
well. Tag went home, leaving me alone with the twins.

“Can I help
you?” I ask the next customer, cringing when I see it’s the woman
my dad was with here last night.

“Vodka
orange,” she purrs, a smug smile on her face. What the hell does
she have to be smug about? So, you’re fucking my dad, congratu-
fucking- lations.

“So, you’re
Jack’s kid,” she says, handing me a fifty. I wonder if this is my
dad’s money she’s using.

Probably.

I don’t answer
her, because I have nothing to say.

“I didn’t even
know he had a daughter until last night,” she says, searching my
face for a reaction. I school my expression, not wanting her to
know that her comment stung, because it did.

“Are you gonna
be my new mommy?” I ask sarcastically, handing her the change.

“You’re not
gonna get in the way of Jack and me,” she sneers, her face turning
red with the hatred in her expression. She storms off, back to her
table where her minions sit.

“You okay?”
Reid asks, coming up behind me.

“Why would she
think I'd get in the way of her and dad? What the fuck?”

“She knows
Jack loves you, it’s easy for anyone to see, Summer,” he tells me,
grabbing my hand and rubbing my knuckles with his thumb.

“Jack could
care less about me,” I say, walking towards the end of the counter
where a customer stands. I serve him his drink, and then watch as
another familiar face walks up to me. The blonde haired girl from
last night. I remember Reid was talking to her just before I left.
Apparently the same people come here every day. Great, just
great.

I’m about to
ask what can I get for her when Reid walks up to me. “I’ll serve
her. You go ask Ry if he needs you to do anything,” he says,
waiting for me to leave before he says another word.

What the
hell?

Who is this
woman?

I find Ryan in
the office, actually doing work instead of his usual activities in
here.

“Need me to do
anything else, Ryan?” I ask him, walking in and plopping down on
his desk.

“If you can
write down your availability that would be great,” he says,
pressing buttons on his calculator.

“Does Reid
have a girlfriend?” I ask, not looking him in the eye as I say
it.

“Nope. Why?
You interested in the position?” he asks, chuckling like it’s
hilarious. And what if I was?

At my silence,
Ryan lifts his head to look at me, the smile falling off his face
as he realizes why I’m asking.

I'm
interested.

In fact, I’m
already a little invested.

Ryan stares at
me for a second. “Reid is my brother and I love him. He’s a great
guy, but he’s also very complicated. I’m not sure if you should
head down that road with him, Sum. Especially with your dad and
Xander, and yeah, I don’t think it’s the best idea.”

“And if I
decided not to heed your warning?” I ask him, tapping my foot on
the floor.

“I support
Reid with anything he chooses to do, but I’m also most probably
going to say I told you so in the end.” He offers me a sad smile,
and then looks back down at his work.

“Where’s your
mum?” I ask him.

“Dead,” he
answers, his expression darkening.

“I’m sorry,” I
whisper. I’ve always been awkward in these moments, having no idea
what to say or to offer comfort. I shift on the desk.

“Its fine,
Summer,” Ryan says, his lip twitching at my obvious discomfort. I
pick up a piece of paper and pen and write down the hours I can
work, which happen to be twenty four seven until two months’ time
when my course starts.

“Here,” I tell
him, handing him the piece of paper. He quickly scans it and grins.
“So we have you all day, every day, for two whole months, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Perfect, cos
this Thursday Reid and I have somewhere we need to be, so you and
Tag can man the bar,” he says.

“Alright,” I
say, dying to ask where they need to be but refraining.

“Where’s
Reid?” he asks, handing me another paper asking me for my bank
details.

“Serving
customers at the bar,” I sulk.

Ryan chuckles.
“Who’s there? Rachel or Kyra? Or Tegan?”

I turn my head
to glare at Ryan. “What the hell, Ryan?”

“What? You’re
a nice girl and…”

“Ryan,” Reid
seethes, walking in and glaring at his brother. They have a silent
conversation, until finally Ryan sighs, obviously giving in.

“Summer, watch
the bar for a sec,” Reid says, dismissing me. His eyes are still on
his brother. I jump up off the table and walk out, making sure not
to touch Reid as I exit. I close the door behind me and stand in
from of the cash register. There are no customers waiting to be
served, so I just wipe down the table, wondering what the hell
those two could be talking about. A shiver runs down my spine
alerting me that Reid is behind me.

“You okay?” he
rumbles, his body close but not touching mine.

“Fine,” I
huff, looking around for something else to clean.

“Summer…”

“Who is that
girl?” I ask, cutting him off. I sound like a jealous wife but
seriously, I know that everyone is keeping things from me. I just
want to know why, or in this case who.

“Don’t worry
about her, Summer,” he says in a bored tone, and I can tell it
annoys him that I’m questioning him, demanding answers. Well, too
freaking bad.

“What’s her
name?” I ask, spinning to face him.

“I don’t
belong to you, Summer,” he says, putting me in my place.

I swallow
hard, having a hard time maintaining eye contact with his intense
gaze. “You’re right.”

I step away
and around him, walking back into the office. “Hey Ryan, do you
still need me?”

“No babe, you
can go. Tag will be back here in about twenty minutes anyway. I’m
about to head out, too,” he says, stacking papers into a neat
pile.

“Can you give
me a lift home?” I ask him, shifting on my feet. He gives me a
curious look before nodding.

“Of course I
can. You know I can never turn down a pretty face.” He smirks.

“Trust me, I
know,” I mutter, earning me a chuckle from the man in question.

“I’ll meet you
at your car.” I walk out of the bar without glancing at Reid,
although I can feel his eyes on me. I stand in the car park,
suddenly realising I have no idea which car Ryan drives. I’ve seen
him driving Reid’s Jeep but obviously he didn’t come in that today
because Reid did.

When Ryan
walks out holding two helmets, a slow smile spreads on my lips. I
could almost do a happy dance, that’s how much I love being on the
back of a bike.

“I didn’t know
you had a bike,” I say as he puts the helmet on me.

“We all have
bikes, babe,” he says, shaking his head at me.

Reid has a
motorcycle?

“Yes, Reid has
one. It’s a beast of a bike, too,” Ryan says.

Did I say that
aloud?

“Your face
shows everything you’re thinking, Summer,” he says, that perpetual
grin on his smug face.

I roll my eyes
and jump on.

Reid is absent
for the next few days, working different shifts than me. Every time
our paths do manage to cross, I try not to look at him, which is
harder than I thought it would be.

Thursday rolls
around, and Tag and I are alone in the bar from six pm until
closing, which can be anywhere from midnight til three am,
depending on how many customers we have. I’m making a cocktail when
I see Reid walk in, looking agitated. His eyes shift as he looks
around the bar, before he stares straight at me. He shakes his head
slightly from side to side, as if to clear it, and then heads into
the back. He comes out moments later with Ryan, who is also acting
a little off. Ryan approaches me and offers me a smile that doesn’t
reach his ocean blue eyes.

“We’re off. If
Tag wants to close early, that’s fine. Also don’t go anywhere
alone, alright?” he says, placing his hand on my shoulder.