Avery Razorback MC Book 4

3

AVERY'S POV:

I looked around the floor, saw the ladies doing their thing, some bouncers were just shooting the s**t and not paying attention until I walked towards them. I got to the end of the walkway and they all turned to look at me. "I was almost sure that we were going to run into problems. But let me make it clear again. this isn't happy hour for you guys. It's work. You had your posts, go stand there and keep an eye on the ladies, and make sure the men who are here aren't taking advantage." I watched them disperse and head to where they should have been the whole time.

I kept walking and when I got to the bar, Gemma smiled and handed over a glass of ice and waited with the soda gun. "Which one would you like?" I liked the fact she didn't assume I wanted a hard drink.

"Ginger ale is fine." I told her and she nodded, flipped it, hit the button, and filled it up. "So, I was wondering-"

"I've worked here for almost a year and a half. Less than Frank." She said quickly like she was worried that would matter.

"Not what I was going to ask. But that doesn't matter. Frank has been drinking on the job. He is getting his severance pay tomorrow morning when he comes in for his shift. What is your availability?"

"For the day? I am not sure. I have a morning job that lasts until about 2, maybe I can take less hours. You guys do pay more... it is going to be the same pay, right?" She asked and I nodded. "Well, yeah. I work early morning and might be able to get off at noon there." She told me and I just nodded. "I work tomorrow morning; I can ask about the hour change then and come in when I can. That way we can try and work something out. I do need to get off around 2:30 to get my sister from school-"

"If she is 18, she can come with you if you have issues with your parents needing to be home or something-"

"No... my sister is 7." She told me quickly and I nodded. "Not really appropriate. I could probably take 2:30 to 3:30 off as a lunch if I work here full time and do the morning job part time." She told me and I just nodded slowly. "Does that mean you will need to hire someone for a swing shift? Maybe I should just stick to this shift and try and cover holes in the schedule."

"Gemma, calm down. You're not going to get fired for not being able to cover a shift. We will work it out, but first thing first, we were just trying to find out if you had classes, or another job, or if you were open to taking the early shift." I calmed her down, tapping the bar and she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We're mean, but not that mean." I got her to laugh and I smiled at her. "So why did you want to work here?"

"Here as in a Strip Club, or here as in behind the bar and not on stage?" She asked and I realized that I had meant the latter.

"Either." I told her and she laughed. "Both." She looked at me, in the eye this time and I waited, smiling away at her, using my dimples and everything.

"Well I saw the help wanted; I had taken a class in bartending. Came in, made three drinks, got the job." She laughed lightly and rubbed her hands on her black jeans, and I waited to see if she would go on. "And as for the stage... apparently, I didn't have the right look, Joey G never said I could be up there." She blushed hard as she looked up and I turned and saw one of the girls shaking her ass.

"You never asked? Or you never wanted to give it a try?" I asked and she paused in her movements and fidgeted.

"I don't really... I don't think I could do that. Any of it. The girls up there are all confident, nails done, hair done, and me?" She gestured to herself and I took a long look. Not sure which part she was referring too, but she was thin, nicely built, a good catch for any guy at a bar looking for a hookup. Her hair was done, not too long where it looks like it will be filled with little clips of hair extensions. Her eyes were bright green and seemed to shine a bit with the lights above the bar.

"What? Chip a nail?" I asked and she rolled her eyes but kept her smile.

"Let's just say... I am not big enough in the right areas." She gave me a look and I disagreed entirely. Sure she wasn't a huge hourglass like most of the ladies in the back or going on stage, but she was sort of the ideal, 'I'd like to take you home tonight and have fun with you for hours' kind of girl for me.

I should probably stop thinking that. She was a worker and not just some girl in a bar. f**k she was a bartender. At least I could say she wasn't nervous around me anymore. I looked around and saw a guy standing like he was going to touch one of the girls on stage and I waited, just waited to see if he would do it.

There had been some of the girls saying that the men always got touchy even if they were in the middle of a dance on the main stage. I watched him start to throw money, and as soon as he reached out and skimmed his hand down her backside as she shook it, I was moving. I was glad I wasn't the only one. There was one bouncer that noticed the same as I did and got there before me.

He told the guy to sit down and not to touch unless he paid for a private dance and she encouraged his hands. He said it calm and the man sat back down, shook of his hand and waved him away with a few short words telling him to just back off and that he was ruining the mood.

"First and last warning sir. Next touch means you're kicked out." I added when the bouncer forgot to mention that. I backed off and headed straight to the bar to drink my ginger ale. "What is that guy’s name?" I asked Gemma and her eyes scanned before she blinked.

"I think his name is Dean. He is still new. I think Joey hired him a week before you guys took over." She told me and I just nodded and made sure to add that to my mental list of things to ask Marcus about. He should know when and where Joey hired these guys. Especially if they were drinking, or possible drug use.

I knew that there was a drug problem in the men's bathroom. I had gone through everything and we were hoping to get that sorted as well with a drug test tomorrow morning for the bouncers that were coming in. Each of the ladies would be drug tested, and Gemma. If any of them tested positive, they would be gone.

I looked over at Gemma as she smiled at a new customer and she chatted as she poured them a beer on tap. I don't think she would be a drug user, but sometimes people just hide their problems really well.

GEMMA'S POV:

I cracked my neck, looking around and noticing some guys getting up to leave, their glasses empty. I walked over with my little tray and stacked them up before heading behind the bar. I checked the sanitizer in the sink and realized that it needed to be drained and filled back up. I got down on my knees, pulled as hard as I could and twisted the handle so it would start to drain and I waited for it to be done, and then I was getting up and turning on the sanitizer.

I checked the soapy water and thankfully it was still hot. I started cleaning, knowing I was out of here in 15 minutes. I cleaned all the glassed, kept my ears open in case someone was asking for their last shot or beer, and then when things were drying for a moment, I went towards the bar, grabbed a rag and started to clean and wipe things down. I went around and made sure the chairs were clean, and I started to stack them as well.

I was almost done when I saw Avery walking over with a couple glasses in his hands. I smiled as he set them down and I turned, cleaning them, rinsing them, sanitizing them and moving to set them down so they could dry. I got my rags out and hit all the tables, the booths, and tried to make things around here as clean as possible before we were closed for sure. I had two last glasses to clean and then I got the mop out and started doing the floors, and I got the sanitizer out for the stage floors. I got it all done and when I was done breaking my sweat, I went, slid my card, clocked out before half the girls were gone, and I headed out the front door.

I pushed it open, not seeing a lot of cars in the parking lot and seeing some people still wandering around. I didn't take anyone's keys tonight. I just hoped that every night that I didn't do that, everyone made it home ok.

I looked back and didn't see anyone ready to lock the door behind me, so I left the door closed and locked and moved to the manager’s office. I knocked and heard them both shout that I could come in. "I was just leaving. I did my check list I always do... I know I shouldn't just leave the door unlocked when I leave." I waited and looked from Marcus to Avery before waiting.

"I will walk you-"

"I got it." Avery tapped him on the shoulder, making sure he stayed sitting, and walked around the double desk and came towards me. I turned as he got to the door and walked ahead of him. Getting to the door he let me unlock it before I pushed it open and turned to make sure he was locking it, not like that was really my worry. But I did want to look at him again.

Avery smiled at me, dimples and all, his hazel eyes made my entire body feel a bit lighter and I just turned when the door closed, and I marched away. Not wanting to make a fool of myself I kept my head down and kept walking until I got to the bus stop and waited less than ten minutes before it arrived.

I paid my way in tips and sat in the front. This was probably going to be the last bus of the night. If I end up running late I usually see if any of the girls will be willing to drive me home for gas money, and if not, and I was too late to catch any of them, I would just walk the 7 blocks.

I kept my eyes on the road and made sure to hit the button to get off as soon as we pulled away from the curb. I thanked the driver and got off fast, moving the couple steps back towards the house before going right to the door, unlocking it, and getting inside.

"I am home." I called out and knew that Felicity, the babysitter, might be napping or doing homework. Monica was most definitely asleep.

"Hi. She went down easy. She had a scoop of ice cream for snack, and I made sure she brushed her teeth really good and she hasn't been awake since." She told me and I nodded slowly. I moved to drink some water, I pulled out the rest of the tips I had and handed over 40 bucks and she took it with a smile. "See you tomorrow."

"I will watch you." I told her and followed her to the door. I kept my phone in my hand as she moved quick down the street, into the complex she lived in with her mom and brother and as soon as her porch light flickered I knew she was in and safe. I went back in and closed the door, locking it up with the dead bolt and chain.

I went to drink the last of my water before heading right to the bathroom. I brushed out my hair, braided it tight, and brushed my teeth.

I was laying in bed when I started to think about Avery again. He was cute, and he didn't treat me as bad as Joey did, Marcus was a little aloof but I was sure that he was just busy and trying to get things under control and understand what Joey was doing with the entire business. Maybe he could make more improvements like the security, or maybe raises for us would be good.

My last real conscience thought was that Avery was better looking than Marcus, but I wasn't sure if he was nicer. Avery really gave off f**k boy vibes.