Billionaire Bartender: A Second Chance Romance (The Buckeye Series) (11 page)

“Gayle kissed him once,” Helen blurted out. “He was drunk. Had to be.”

“Quiet, Bitch!” Gayle threw an half-empty drink at Helen. It splashed in her face, changing her attitude to one of a scorned cat.

“You ruined my cigarettes.” Helen burst up out of her chair and tossed the wet pack at Gayle. “I’m going to bum a smoke off Jim.”

“You do that, sweetie. Run back to your two-ton boyfriend.”

“He’s more of a man than you have.”

“Whatever.” Gayle rolled her eyes and dismissed Helen with a flick of her fingers. Then turned her attention back to Liz. “Are you still here?”

“Looks like it and I’m not like Helen or you or any other woman in this bar. You see, I don’t sit in dark corners dreaming of kissing men. When I decide I want something, I take it. Including Oscar. So step out of my way.”

Liz’s heart pounded in her chest. Her divorce wasn’t even final yet and she’d just challenged a woman to fight for a man she’d met less than a week ago. Thinking she’d gotten the last word in, she turned to walk back to Mitch and calm down, but didn’t get far before there was thunderous crash behind her.

Gayle’d stood up and pushed the table aside in one movement. With one step forward she was on Liz. She shoved hard with both fists on her back, sending Liz down bent over a chair in front of her path.

“Listen, Bitch.” Gayle towered over her, her fist raised ready to pound down into her skull. Liz braced for the impact, but the swing was stopped by the blinding light of the front door opening.

“Get off me!” Gayle screeched.

There’d been no punch. Liz dared to open her eyes. A man stood behind Gayle. He’d grabbed her wrist and wrapped her arm behind her back. Gayle’s wild hair covered his face for a moment while she wildly struggled to free herself from his grip.

“This is where I find you?” the man yelled. It was a familiar voice. It was Chris’s voice.

“What are you doing here?” Liz scrambled up from her knocked down position.

“No thank you, for saving me? This tramp was about to pummel you.”

“Who you calling a tramp?” Gayle spat out.

Angela who’d whizzed out from behind the bar, was now standing next to Gayle. “We don’t want any trouble in here,” she said to Chris.

“Neither do I. I’m just trying to talk to my wife.”

“You’re married!” Gayle lunged at Liz again. “You lying whore!” She clawed at the air, but several patrons had interceded and helped in holding Gayle back.

“Ex wife! We’re getting a divorce!” Liz yelled to the crowd. “That is if you’ll stop postponing!”

“That’s why I’m here. Can we talk? Outside?”

“Shit! Sure. Let’s go.” She pushed him toward the door. Before leaving she turned to Angela and said, “I’ll be fine.”

Outside, Liz stood with her hands on her hips against the front window of the Buckeye, not far from the door. “We’re here. What do you want?”

“You look frazzled.” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Stop it.” She swatted at him and shook her hair into a bigger mess.

“Sorry. I forget.” Chris stepped back and paced on the sidewalk. “I need you, Liz.”

That was the first time he’d said that.
Did he suddenly have emotions? Hardly.
“It’s too late for that now. I’m not coming back.”

“I know. It’s just hard.”

This was not a conversation she’d ever planned on having with Chris. She’d spent years worrying about how he wanted her to act for him. She couldn’t do that anymore. Life wasn’t an act. She was ready to start living for herself, not for any man. Of course she’d never dreamed he’d actually miss her.

“This needs to end.” She grabbed his wrist and pulled him back against the wall next to her. “Can you stop worrying about dotting every I and let a judge sign off on our divorce?”

“Perfection’s just an excuse.” Chris tapped his foot against hers. “Judge Warner is an excuse. I guess I’m just trying to keep you close.”

“It’s too late.” She turned to look at him face to face to ensure he’d hear her. “I’m already gone.”

“But. Liz. No one takes care of me the way you did. We’re out of those little tablets for the dishwasher. I can’t seem to find the squeegee for the shower and . . .”

“Let me guess,” she interrupted, stepping away. She took a deep breath, taking in the core reason why he’d really shown up at the Buckeye. “You’re still out of conditioner.”

“Actually, Judy picked that up.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah it is.”

“Asshole! You don’t need a wife. You need a maid.” She shoved him with both hands as hard as she could and knocked herself off balance. Tripping off the curb, she fell in between two cars. Brakes squealed behind her. Before she could stand, Oscar ran past. He converged into Chris. With his forearm pressed against his chest, Oscar had him pinned against the wall.

“Don’t hit him. It’s Chris.”

“Your ex-husband, Chris?” Oscar turned to her, keeping his grip tight. She nodded. “Why is he here?” Oscar turned and repeated the question. “Why are you here?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Because, I’m the one holding your skull against the bricks. Answer the damn question!” Oscar was fierce even though Chris was easily half a foot taller than him.

“I’m trying to talk some sense into her.”

“By asking me to come back to be your maid?” The air was thick with accusations. Liz was on fire and Oscar was willing to pound Chris for her. Whatever his intentions were, they got lost in translation.

“That’s not what I wanted.”

“It’s what I heard.”

“I think you need to leave,” Oscar said.

“Stay out of this.” Chris shot back to Oscar.

“Can’t.” Oscar kneed Chris in the groin and released his grip on his chest. Chris doubled over, dropping to the ground.

“This is my bar and I care about the people who come here.” He tilted his head sideways and squatted next to him. “You not so much. Don’t come back around here. I won’t be so nice next time.”

“I’ll call you,” Chris moaned, limping off to his car.

“No need. I’ll see you in court at the final hearing, Friday.” Liz took Oscar’s offer of comfort and eased in next to him under his shoulder.

“I make one ice run and all hell breaks loose. What else happened?”

“We’ll talk about it inside. Where is the ice?”

“Oh shit! My truck’s still running out there.”

Chapter Twenty One

No one announced Liz’s return into the bar. She checked around the tables for Gayle and found her at the end of the counter playing on the table top game with Helen. Liz chose to sit in the barstool on the left side of Mitch and furthest away from the women.

“So that was your ex?” Mitch asked, sipping on his beer. “Interesting fella.”

“Not really.”

“I could use him in a story.” Mitch took another drink. “Tied up? Gagged?”

“Now you’re talking.” Liz waved at Angela who had nodded for her drink order. She’d had enough for the night. After Gayle and Chris, she was just ready to call it an evening. She only reentered the Buckeye to say bye to Mitch. “Just water.”

“Slut,” Gayle hissed from her seat at the end of the bar.

“Don’t let her bait you,” Mitch said in Liz’s ear.

“Tramp,” Gayle exclaimed louder in Liz’s direction.

“Maybe I should I leave.” Liz had underestimated this momma bear’s growl. Mitch could only protect her so much. Angela was busy with drink orders. The trio couldn’t hear Gayle over the sound of the crowd and Oscar wasn’t back from parking his truck yet.

“Cheating ass whore,” Gayle kept spewing insults at her.

“Mitch,” Liz said, pressing her lips into his shoulder to contain her anger over Gayle’s outbursts. “Stop her.”

“Always hiding behind a man. Where’s your husband now?”

“Parking—his—truck.” Liz couldn’t stop herself from screaming.

“Hey, Oscar drives a truck,” Helen said, poking Gayle on the shoulder.

“Shut up,” Gayle said between her teeth.

Liz spun around to face the fight, but Gayle was faster and yanked Liz off her seat. She flung her on the floor and pinned her down. With the wind knocked out of her, she struggled to breath under Gayle’s weight.

The bar crowd was stunned and slow to react to Gayle’s actions. But Oscar had entered the back door in time to see the altercation play out and rushed over to the fight.

He had his hands on Gayle in seconds and pulled her off before she could get a punch in, but not before she spat at Liz. Lucky for Liz, the spit’s trajectory curved, landing in her hair instead of on her face.

“What’s your problem?” Oscar flung Gayle to the side. She took down a barstool and landed with her back against a crowd of legs near the pool table.

“She’s married. She can’t love you like I do,” she cried, stumbling to her feet.

“Gayle, there’s nothing between us.”

“There could be. Give us a chance.” She grabbed Oscar by the shoulders.

He shook her off. “I’ll never love you. It’s just not there.” His words were harsh, but she needed to hear them. Oscar was finished with her antics. “I need air. Don’t be here when I get back,” he said, storming out the back door.

Gayle took the pint of beer out of Helen’s hand and polished it off.

“Hey,” Helen protested.

“Shove it and let’s go.”

“I’m not. . .” Helen started, but Gayle glared at her. “Screw it.”

Gayle stomped off to exit out the front of the bar.

“Nice to meet you,” Helen said, softly to Liz with a small wave, before following Gayle out the door.

Finished with drama for the night, Liz climbed back up into the seat next to Mitch. He offered the last swallow of his beer to her. She downed the much needed drink.

“Glad that’s done.”

“Is it?”

“Shows over,” Angela said in a loud voice. “Who needs a refill?” she added to the patrons of the bar.

A short time later, Oscar returned, but instead of coming to Liz, he walked straight to the dark corner of the bar and spoke to the man who sat alone on the barstool in the shadows.

Liz had a feeling he’d returned and turned to watch the conversation take place. They nodded as they spoke. The man offered a reassuring hand on Oscar’s shoulder. “Who is that?” she asked, tearing her eyes off the secret meeting.

“Bob,” Mitch said with a shrug.

“She wants more than his name,” Angela said, tossing a napkin at Mitch. “He’s my dad. He owns the Buckeye.”

“That explains a lot.” This brought clarity to the stranger in the corner. He wasn’t a helpful patron cleaning the floors. And Mitch wasn’t really in charge the other night. Bob was protecting his investment. In the Buckeye and in Oscar. “So he’s your father?”

“Why do you think a smart girl like Angela hangs out here with us duds all the time?”

“For a job.” Liz was puzzled. “Sorry I don’t know many bartenders.”

“Nothing goes on in here without my dad knowing about it.”

Liz turned back around. Oscar leaned against the wall facing Bob. He nodded his head and Bob patted him on the arm. “What are they talking about?”

“You. But if you really want to know?” Angela poured a glass of ginger ale and handed it to Liz. “Take dad a fresh one.”

“What do I say?”

“Be yourself.”

“It’s how you won me over,” Mitch added.

Liz made her way over to Oscar and the owner who watched from the shadows. When she approached, their conversation stopped. Oscar kissed her, but with less passion then he had earlier in the evening.

“Here you go, sir.” She handed Bob the non-alcoholic drink.

He laughed heartily. “No one calls me sir. It’s Bob. Have a seat.” His voice was jovial, but firm and his smile peeked out from behind a bushy mustache.

She pulled up a chair from a nearby table and Oscar excused himself back to the counter. The chair height difference combined with Bob’s oversized frame brought back memories of sitting in the principal’s office. But Liz sat, smiling and waited for him to speak first.

“I’ve been watching you, Liz. You’re good for this place. You’re good for Oscar.”

“Thank you. I’ve caused a little of a stir.”

“All in perspective.” He took a drink. “Liz, we all have skeletons in our closets. But everyone’s welcome at the Buckeye in spite of their past.”

“Is that your secret to success here? Welcoming everyone?”

“The secret is acceptance. He placed his hand on her shoulder like he had on Oscar’s “If the man who showed up tonight is all you’re hiding. Then you’re doing pretty good. And more than welcome in my bar.”

“What about Gayle? She doesn’t like me.”

“She doesn’t like anyone, but I haven’t given up on her.”

“And Oscar?” she asked hopefully. She wanted to know more about the man she’d fallen for. Bob obviously knew what he was holding back, but she doubted he’d tell her.

“His closet’s full, but everything in there is forgivable. Love him for who he is today, tonight, and forget the rest. Can you do that?” He employed her to agree with him with a pat on the knee. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“Thank you.” He turned his gaze away, back to the crowd. Their talk was done, so Liz excused herself.

Ready for this night to be over, Liz hugged Mitch from behind when she returned to her seat. “I’d better call it a night.”

“See you tomorrow?” Mitch asked.

She kissed Mitch on the cheek and lingered again in the scent of his cologne. “Maybe,” she said in his ear.

“Thank you for rescuing me. Twice, in one night,” she said to Oscar.

“My pleasure. Can I drive you home?” Oscar asked.

“That’s not necessary. I’m—hey!”

Angela had snapped a towel across Liz’s back. “It’s slowed down. I’ll close up,” she said, widening her eyes and scowling at Liz.

“I guess I’d love a ride home.” Before leaving out the back door under Oscar’s arm, Liz waved goodnight to Bob.

Chapter TwentyTwo

The cold night air rushed over the couple as they exited. Liz shivered and Oscar tightened his grip, pulling her in closer. She felt secure with him and it felt right, even to walk across the parking lot in his arms.

With a punch of his key fob, the lights of his red pickup flashed. She stopped, taking in the moment. She closed her eyes, for a second, half expecting her alarm to sound and wake her up. She was getting in the truck of the man of her dreams. The man who was a mystery, now held her in his arms. She wasn’t dreaming. He was real and tonight she could make her fantasy come true.