The Club

Sawyer, ten years later

There he is, right in the middle of my club. The man used to have a crush on him. My best friend's older brother. A beautiful woman with hair the color of blood hangs off his arm.

I've been in love with him since I first saw him when I was eight and he was eleven. He was handsome then, with chestnut hair that liked to flop in his face and eyes the color of moss in a rainforest.

I haven't seen him since he left. Wow, he grew! His simple navy V-neck stretches tight across his shoulders, well-defined his arms with muscle, and his jeans are tight over his hips and thighs. He has one arm covered in tattoos with four lip rings, two rings in each eyebrow, and his septum pierced. All the hardware is in navy, matching his shirt. If I thought he was hot before, my panties are soaking wet now just looking at him.

I'm sitting on a couch, drunk, with my best friend, Carmen, clinging to me. We are curled up together. He doesn't notice us until Jeremy, Carmen's boyfriend, points at us. I hold my breath, closing my eyes, hoping he doesn't bring the girl.

"Hello, little sister," he addresses Carmen in this sultry velvet voice.

"Oh look, Sawyer, it's my asshole big brother who couldn't bother to visit me on holidays but now conveniently lives across the hall from our apartment." She nudges me sarcastically. "Oh, goody." The vitriol oozing out of Carmen's mouth does not surprise me.

She has been hurt and angry at being abandoned by her older brother for the past ten years. I get it. He left me, too.

"Sawyer?" He asks, staring at me in disbelief.

I guess he didn't recognize me at first. I've changed a lot over the years. My breasts have gotten large, and my slight body has filled out over the years. I no longer look like a toothpick of a girl.

I meet his eyes. "Hey there, Jensen, it's been a long time," I respond coolly, even though my heart is pounding thunderously.

"Hey there, Jensen," he drawls. "Is that all I get, cher? Seriously, Juliet?" Jensen asks in a taunting voice.

I shrug my shoulders at him, then uncurl from the couch, standing up. "What did you expect, Romeo? To be welcomed with open arms when you didn't even bother to grace me with a phone call all this time you've been gone."

I pat him on the shoulder, turning my head to wink at my bestie. "Holler if you need me, babe. I'm going to get us something else to drink." With all the calm and self-confidence I did not have, I walked away from my childhood friend and former crush.

I stroll to the bar. "What will it be, boss lady?" Cruise, my ex-con bartender, and my right-hand man ask. 

"The usual," I tell him as he gets to work with a wink. The usual are two rum and cream sodas. It's mine and Carmen's go-to drink.

I inherited this club from my father when he was imprisoned three years ago. Then, it was a biker bar, and my father was the bookie for the MC.

My father raised me on his own when my mother left us when I was a baby. My father never remarried, and he didn't bring women home. He is overly protective of me, and I love him dearly for it.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Damn, did you get hot, my Eurydice," says a purring voice next to me.

I glance to find another man who left me when I was sixteen, one of Jensen's best friends, Carter.
Carson Moreau. He has gotten huge too, no longer the rail-thin boy he once was when I first met him when he had just turned fourteen. He is no longer the gaunt, hollow man he was when I dropped him off at a mental health facility years ago. 

I meet his baby blue eyes before taking him all in. His hair is styled sea green. He has on a leather jacket over a band tee and leather pants that fit his muscular thighs. I would love to see how well these pants cup his ass, considering they are doing the bulge in his pants justice.

At least Carter didn't entirely abandon me. He would call me at least once a month to catch up after two years had passed. On those nights, we would stay awake until the sun arose.

I grin broadly when he holds his arms out to me. I jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist while he cups my ass.

"What are you doing here, Orpheus?!" I'm so excited to see this man in the flesh, not the pictures he sent me.

Carter nuzzles my neck, taking a deep inhale. He groans. "I missed the rose and leather scent of your skin, Sawyer. You smell better than I remember. You feel better than I remember, all soft curves and firm ass," he groans again.

I laugh as he lowers me to the floor. I lightly punch Carter in the shoulder. "Answer the question."

He tugs on his two lip rings with his top teeth before a mischievous grin stretches across his handsome face. "I thought I would surprise my favorite person in the world."

I snort at that comment.

Carter arches a single eyebrow at me before continuing. "I moved in with Jenson two weeks ago. Looks like we are neighbors now, baby girl."

This time, I punched him hard in the peck, which was so solid I had to shake my hand out with a slight grimace. "You could have told me you were moving back, you idiot," I huff at him.

He shrugs his massive shoulders and then runs a hand through his once-blonde hair. "I should have, but the four of us thought it would be more fun to surprise you and Carmen. We are all back to stay."

"Four?" Cruise sets my drinks beside me on the bar tops with a questioning look.

"I'll explain later," I tell him with a head shake.

Cruise is Carmen's other boyfriend. The three of them are perfect for each other. They are my favorite throuple in the entire world. Well, the only one I know, anyway, so that makes them my favorite automatically. Those two men are so good to my best friend that I adore Cruise and Jeremy like brothers, not just employees.

Behind me comes another masculine voice from my past. "Doll Face?" I spin around on my heels to find Jonathan Thomas Brandt behind me in a three-piece pin-strip charcoal suit. His dirty blonde hair is gelled into place with a fedora on. His ocean-blue eyes are fixed firmly on me. "It is you," he breathes.

My eyes narrow at him, glaring. I'm not thrilled with JT, just like I'm not too impressed with Jensen. I punch him in the nose, making it bleed. I didn't break it, but I know it hurts.

He didn't bother to pick up the phone, either.

JT smiles at me, but it's a forced smile with hidden sorrow in his eyes. Or maybe regret? "I deserved that from you, Sawyer. If I wanted a response like the one Carter received, I should have called, huh?"

"You think?" I ask sarcastically with my hands on the curve of my hips. "If you couldn't be bothered to call me and keep in touch since the four of you abandoned Carmen and me, then I don't feel the need to talk to you now, Capone."

I grab our drinks, walking away from the boys of my childhood who have turned into men.

Carmen's face is red with anger while Jeremy rubs her back, telling her to breathe deeply. I guess her brother got to her. Asshat Jensen.

Carmen notices me, holding her hand out for her drink. "Gimme that drink, stat, babe. I need it after dealing with Jen. He expects me to welcome him like I've missed him so much. Well, screw that jazz!" I hand her the drink.

"The other three are here, too. I've already punched both Carter and JT. Carter got punched for not telling me he moved, but I made JT bleed." I have a satisfied smirk on my face.

"You should have punched Jen too," she signs after taking a drink.

"I didn't realize he was Jensen when I was pointing you, ladies, out him," Jeremy says, then kisses Carmen's temple. "I'm sorry, Cheri. If I'd known, I would have kicked him out," he tells her sincerely.

Jeremy makes an excellent bouncer for me. The man is stacked and great at picking people up and tossing them out. Jeremy is also an ex-con that I've hired as well. I believe in giving them a chance.

"It's fine, honey. My brother and his friends must work extra hard to get into our graces again. If they can." Carmen wiggles her brows at me, then cackles like the wicked witch she is.

I love this woman. I would have wife-ed her years ago if we were into women.

I hum under my breath. "Carter will have a much easier time earning forgiveness than the other three."

"Yeah, at least his quarter-bouncing derriere knows how to pick up a phone," Carmen proclaims, and I arch an eyebrow at her. "Don't give me that look. You know you want to try it. He is here in the flesh."

My best friend isn't wrong. My Orpheus has a rear that I will enjoy testing that theory on. I bet he would let me, too, while I record it.

I shrug my shoulders at that proclamation. "I cannot deny it. That thought has crossed my mind." I grin.

Jeremy stands up. "Okay! With that line, I'm returning to work now." He gives Carmen the sweetest kiss on the forehead before addressing me. "Holler if you need me, boss." He stuffs his hands in his jeans pockets before sauntering off, barking orders at another bouncer in his headset.

"We can head out and stop by for burritos, Cary. I know I could use some bean and cheese goodness," I suggest to Carmen now that we have both downed our drinks.

"Yes, please, bitch. Go grab my man now that his shift is over so his fine, sober derriere can drive." 

I chuckle at her, do as she suggests, and head back into the employee's only part of the club. It's much quieter back here, so I don't have to shout when I talk. I unlock my office door to grab my billfold from my locked drawer. 

Cruise is just walking by when I exit as I lock it up tight. "We want burritos, and you're driving, ombre."

I hand him the keys to my truck. Cruise rode with Jeremy tonight, so Jeremy will need the car with him since he is closing tonight.

Cruise chuckles softly, "Yes, ma'am." He smirks, taking my keys from my hand.

We grab Carmen and head for food, then home.