Touching Scars (10 page)

I plopped down on the dingy dark red chair, which was actually more black than red from the men coming in covered in dirt and oil like I was. Looking at him from across the desk, he seemed more serious than the day I’d first met him for the job interview. I braced myself to be grilled about his niece when he took me completely by surprise.

“The reason I called you in here, Timber, is because I want to give you a raise.”

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. That was not what I expected to hear from him.

“A raise? But I’m not even past the three month probationary period,” I said in confusion.

“Well, the big bosses got wind of you and they are impressed with the work you’ve done on their field. You’ll keep the same title, but the money is going to be significantly more.”

“More as in how much?”

Roger wrote something down on a piece of paper and slid it across the desk to me. When I looked down at it, I damn near choked. “Roger, this is almost double my pay. They couldn’t possibly think I’m worth
this
much money. It doesn’t even make sense.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, that’s what landed on my desk. The raise takes effect immediately and you’ll see the difference in next week’s paycheck.” He stood and reached across the desk to shake my hand. “Congrats, son, you’ve been a damn fine worker for A&S Emissions. We’re glad to have you as part of the family.”

I stood and took his hand in mine in a firm shake. “Thanks. I’m floored.”

He smiled. “Go out and celebrate tonight. I’m giving you tomorrow off.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need tomorrow off. I’ll be here bright and early.”

I turned to start making my way out the door when he said, “Nelson, if I see you out in that dirt tomorrow, I’m firing your ass!”

I chortled. “Whatever you say, boss.”

Leaving work, I went home to change my clothes and take a quick shower. While the water sprayed down on me, I tried to figure out why the executives at headquarters would want some semi-newbie making so much money, or valuing me so highly. With the raise I was given, I could literally move out of my hole in the wall apartment and buy a house, except I didn’t want something so permanent in this town. Speaking of a hole in the wall… I needed to dry off, get dressed and head down to the bar. Just thinking about seeing Kat again kicked my nerves into overdrive. Yesterday at the beach I could barely contain my erection that was straining against my swim trunks when I saw Kat stand up and take her shorts off. She’s a small little package, but those legs were long enough for me to imagine them wrapped around my waist while I drove into her. For someone that seemed to spend a lot of time on the beach, her skin was still pale porcelain. It was beautiful. She had more tattoos that I got a clear view of yesterday without her shirt on. On the side of her ribcage was a willow tree. It looked whimsical in design and the branches looked like they were blowing with the wind. I wondered why she chose it, and if she drew it for herself.

Jumping out of the shower I threw on a black v-neck t-shirt, dark wash jeans that had worn spots, and my trusty black Chucks. Looking in the mirror, I ran a hand through my jet black hair and spiked it. It wasn’t completely dry yet, but it would stay how I styled it. Ready to go, I grabbed my keys and made the short walk to the bar. It was just past ten o’clock and the place still had a few people hanging out. Walking in, I was greeted by Beaver.

He had a big smile that matched his large stature. “Hey, Timber. What’s going on, man?”

He reached out and we clapped hands. I tipped my head at him and said, “Not a lot. Kat mentioned a card game tonight?”

His grin got even wider. “Ahhh… she’s invited you to our exclusive card night. Interesting.”

“Exclusive?” I questioned.

“Well, it’s technically just Kat, Mel, and me, but still… we’ve never had anybody join the three of us before.” He rubbed his hands together in front of his chest. “You ready to go down, Nelson?”

His taunting caused a smile of my own. “I can hold my own.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, we’ll see. Oh, if you’re looking for Kat she’s in the back with Ed. Mel can get you whatever you need though. We’ll be closing up a little early tonight.”

I looked at him questioningly. “Why?”

“We always close early on game night. The locals know, so it won’t be a problem.”

I nodded. “I’m going to grab a drink while I wait then.”

“Sounds good, man.” Beaver raised his hand and got Mel’s attention and pointed to me. She smiled and walked to the bar.

Mel was a stunning woman. Normally I’d find myself attracted to her, but I currently only had eyes for a particular brunette with red streaks. Placing her hands on the counter, it appeared she was checking me out. “Let me guess, Crown and coke?”

I lifted my eyebrow. “Good memory. Actually, tonight I think I’ll just stick to beer.”

“You being a light weight tonight? That’s no fun.” She pouted but was teasing.

“Something like that, but I’ll stay fun, promise.” I winked at her.

She flushed red. Yep, definitely flirting with me. While Mel worked behind the bar after getting my beer, Kat came out from the hallway I’d stopped her in the other day. When her eyes made contact with mine, she stopped moving forward. She looked shocked to see me. I knew I hadn’t gotten my nights mixed up after Beaver confirmed that it was card night. So why did she look so puzzled? Seeming to shake off whatever was going on in that pretty little head, she continued on her path behind the bar.

When she got right in front of me, she looked at me with a completely impassive face. “You got everything you need?”

“That depends. If we’re talking about my drink, then yes. If you’re referring to my
needs
then I’m far from being good.” I was totally aware that I was being a pushy bastard, but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to know if I had been reading her right. Judging by her eyes going as big as saucers and the slight gasp that came from her mouth, I’d say I nailed it.

“Well, hot damn cowboy! If you need any assistance with that, and my girl here won’t take care of you, I’d being happy to go a round with ya,” Mel practically shouted from the other end of the bar, causing Kat to blush.

Kat whipped around to face Mel and gave her a look that said ‘shut the fuck up or
we’ll
go a round later’. Mel gave her a knowing grin. Something was up between these two girls. I bet if I got them drunk enough I could figure it out. Which is what I’d intended on doing with Kat anyway. I was going light on the beer and I planned on wiggling some secrets out of my little tattooed vixen when she was good and buzzed. Was it deceiving of me to do it? You bet! But like I said, nothing about me is redeeming anymore. I wouldn’t use the harsh ways of interrogation I’d learned in the Army, but I could tweak them to work in my favor.

Just as Kat turned to face me again, one side of her mouth tipped up to give me a slightly shy smile and she nodded before she went around the bar to start picking up people’s trash and tell them it was closing time. I sat there, subtly nursing my beer while I watched her move around the floor, smiling at the locals and making casual conversation. These were the moments when she let herself go. There was no tension in her shoulders and she wasn’t looking around waiting for something bad to happen. She was stunning. Her innocence radiated out of her. I understood the need to be a hard ass, I just didn’t understand why
she
was being one. But, right in this instant, she was so pure. She was untouched and dazzling. She drew people in with her brightness.

Just when she turned to me, I saw that shield go back up in her eyes. She walked up to me and said, “Okay, Ruth and Sandy are going to take their ‘I hate men’ party somewhere else, and we are locking the doors. If you want to move over to that table over there,” she gestured at a table by the dance floor, “that’s where we normally set up.”

I stood right before she walked by me. Kat stepped right into my chest. My hands came up to her shoulders to steady her. Her hazel eyes shot up to mine, and I gave her a private smile. “Always almost falling around me, aren’t you?”

She jerked out of my grasp and maneuvered around me. “You wish,” she barely whispered as she walked away.

I chuckled. Grabbing my beer, I went to the table she had indicated and sat down to wait for the three of them to join me. It was only twenty minutes of watching them scuttle around before they came over with a couple of bottles of tequila, salt, and limes. Beaver pulled a small box out of his back pocket which contained the cards we were playing with. He sat down across from me before Kat got a chance to grab that chair. She either didn’t want to sit by me, or she wanted to be able to look at me. I’d pretend it was the latter.

Beaver started shuffling the cards while Mel poured 4 shots of tequila. “Ok, so here are the rules. Clubs are trump, aces are the highest unless it is played against a trump. Whatever is laid down first has to be played by that suit. If you don’t have that suit then you can lay down whatever you want. Highest card is a trick. Call the number of tricks you think you can make before the hand starts. Losers take a shot. Let’s do this.” He passed out seven cards to each of us.

I looked at my hand then looked across at Kat. She squirmed a bit in her seat. Whether she knew it or not, she was giving herself away. She had nothing. I had a decent hand, at least enough to make three tricks. As we went around the table announcing how many each of us thought we could take, it was Kat’s turn. She inadvertently chewed on her lower lip. Fuck, it was going to be a long game if she kept that shit up. I readjusted myself without anybody noticing.

“One,” was all she said, concentrating hard on the cards in her hand.

We all started laying down our cards, round and around. I took my three tricks right off the bat. Now I just needed to make sure that I didn’t get stuck with any other hands. As the last hand was played, Beaver won it and managed to get his two tricks he called. Unfortunately for Mel and Kat, they either overshot or undershot their number.

“Shot time!” Mel said loudly as they both took one. She grabbed a couple of lime wedges and handed one to Kat, keeping the other for herself. “If we keep this up, baby girl, it’s going to be a long night and an even longer morning.” Taking her shot, she looked at Kat expectantly.

Kat looked over at me, then back at the alcohol in front of her. “Can’t we just stick to beer tonight? You both know that tequila doesn’t sit well with me.”

“What are you talking about?” Beaver said. “We’ve always used tequila, so suck it up, princess.”

Taking another look at me, she carefully picked up the salt shaker and darted her tongue out to wet a spot on her wrist. She shook the salt over the dampened area and swooped her tongue out, licking it all off. Grabbing the glass, she tipped her head back and downed the liquid in one swallow, shoved the lime in between her lips and sucked the bitterness from the fruit. It took every ounce in me not to groan while watching her do it. My hands formed fists beneath the table. Yeah, it’s definitely going to be a long night.

Over the next hour, I managed to avoid all but one shot. Beaver was right behind me with having taken three. And Mel and Kat had both had half a dozen each. Mel was currently messing with the stereo that played throughout the bar, and put on some new song called
Royals
by Lorde. She shook and swayed her hips on her way back over to the table. I glanced at Beaver, who was completely enraptured by her. Poor bastard, he was drowning and he didn’t even know it.

Mel plopped down in her seat. Her and Kat started snickering at something, to which I quirked my brow and looked at Kat. “What are you two giggling about?”

“With those two, you never know. I stopped asking a long time ago.” Beaver piped in.

“I swear, after the second shot, tequila starts to taste just like a man’s come,” Mel announced to no one in particular. She began to lick her finger, and Beaver nearly spit his beer out of his mouth.

Kat let a small laugh seep from her lips. “Does it? I’ve never noticed.”

I looked at her, and her eyes darted to mine, refusing to look away. “That’s ‘cause you’ve never sucked a guy off before,” Mel said, interrupting whatever was passing between Kat and me.

 Her head swung around in her friend’s direction. “How do you know?”

Mel shrugged. “Baby girl, this isn’t my first walk in the park. I know a virgin mouth when I see one. You scream inexperience.”

Kat twisted her lip. “I’m not inexperienced. I’ve just never done
that.
”

Oh fuck, I didn’t need to be hearing this.

“Change the subject, please.” Beaver, who had been  sitting completely quiet, said.

“Thank you,” I added. Kat scoffed, and I tilted my head at her.

“Okay, subject change. Let’s see.” Mel tapped her finger on her chin. “Oh, I have a good story for you. It isn’t exactly changing the subject, but I still laugh thinking about it. Years ago when I first married my ex, he used to beg me to blow him.” Beaver sighed loudly. “I always told him no because I hated the way his spunk tasted. Finally, one night after practically crying about it, I told him I would but he had to find some way to prevent any taste from hitting my tongue. He looked around the whole house until he came to me with a roll of duct tape. The man actually peeled a piece of duct tape off and stuck it over his tip. I blew him just like I promised I would. But here’s the kicker. When he finished, I have no idea where it all went. He came and then nothing. I’m curious if it all went back into his balls or something because he walked around for days afterwards like he had a massive case of blue balls.”

Kat burst out laughing. She was snorting so hard that she was holding her stomach and laid her head on the table. Beaver and I sat there looking at Mel like she grew two heads. We both were holding our junk, probably thinking the same thing. Where the fuck
did
it go?

“What?” Mel said as she looked at Beaver.

Beaver coughed. “Did he uh… did he do that… you know, every time?”