Monica glanced around the room. "I wonder if that one guy who used to come in here looking for a bartending job has been back. Does anyone remember him?"
"I know who you're talking about." Heather held up her hand, cutting a line in the air. "He was short, right?"
Monica nodded. "He probably got a job by now."
Dinah slid off the stool before she thought of what she was doing or the consequences. "Excuse me."
The three women and Roar turned toward her. She moistened her lips. It was a stupid idea, but it would put her closer to Slag Motorcycle Club and also give her money to send directly to the apartment manager for rent to make sure she had a place to go to when the job for Tony was over.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help overhearing." She raised her shoulders. "If you're looking for a bartender, I'm looking for a job."
"Girl." Monica looped her arm behind Dinah's elbow. "You would be perfect for the job." She turned to Roar. "I'll recommend her. While I don't know her skills, she's awesome and friendly. Oh, and she lives close by. Right on the other side of the train tracks."
Roar's gaze narrowed. Dinah stood solid in front of him. His doubts and suspicions rolled off him. His scrutiny made her want to turn away and walk out of the bar and forget her crazy idea of earning money while doing Tony's stupid job.
"You're qualified?" said Roar.
"I worked two years at a sports bar in Idaho. I was responsible for not only pouring drinks but serving the customers on the floor. The customers...well, once they were in front of a screen watching a game, they weren't going to walk up to the counter to wait for their drinks." She looked at the area inside The Fire Ring. "It has been a year since I've tended bar, but your employees do a great job handling the customers now. It wouldn't take me long to get up to speed."
Roar grunted. "Care to put that to the test?"
"Now?" She swallowed.
"You'll be paid." He pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen. "Put in four hours, and I'll have a decision for you when the bar closes."
She nodded, speechless. Tonight had ended differently than she thought it would.
Monica squeezed Dinah's arm. "I'll introduce you to Peer. He can get you started."
"Thank you for the opportunity." She smiled at Roar before she chickened out.
Led behind the counter, she stopped to wash her hands in the sink while Monica handed her a full-frontal apron. With no time to get nervous, she listened to Peer's instructions and starting working.
Before she knew all the rules and procedures, she could only follow orders. Not knowing where the bottles were located, she examined each one, trying to get her bearings.
In a rush with no prep time to familiarize herself with the bar, she forgot the recipe for several popular drinks. The failures made her nervous.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she glanced around the room for Roar, needing to know what he thought of the job she was doing and found Brage standing by the front door staring at her.
She almost dropped the glass. Quickly putting the tumbler on the counter, she worked out what to add while her skin overheated. Without looking, she could sense him wondering what she was doing at the bar.
During her other visits, she'd never seen him come in. If he had, she would've known. There was no missing a man that sexy.
"When you're done with that drink, it goes to Table Three. That's near the pool table on the right side," said Peer.
"On it." She picked up the drink, stepped away, and stopped. She'd forgotten the number one rule that everything going out on the floor was carried on a tray.
Everything from breathing and walking was harder with Brage in the room.
Chapter 3
Dinah carried two empty trays behind the counter and returned to Peer's side. Brage texted Roar. He wanted to know what the hell was going on.
When Roar contacted him to come to the bar and oversee a possible new employee for The Fire Ring, he expected—hell, he had no idea what he'd expected. Certainly not to see the woman he'd fucked upside her Jeep trying to get a job through Slag.
"Ja?" answered Roar.
"I have problems with the woman wanting to work at the bar." He opened the door for customers leaving the establishment.
"Speak."
Waiting until he'd stepped back inside, he said, "What brought her here?"
"She lives nearby and is one of Monica's friends."
"Since when?"
"You'd have to ask Monica. I do know she and Joel brought her to the open Slag party. I'm willing to give her a shot if she can do the job. I don't have time to spend interviewing others while we're on high alert."
"Damn," he muttered. "I hear you."
"Tell me what the problem is?"
Dinah glanced over at him. He stared back at her. "I fucked her."
There was no other way to describe his encounter with Dinah. They took what they both were looking for that night. He wasn't looking for anything more. To have her in the bar working wouldn't disrupt his life. He could stay away.
"You're going to have to give me more than that," said Roar.
Dinah looked away from him and walked out onto the floor and picked up empty glasses left on recently vacated tables. Unable to see her with the fire pit in the middle of the room blocking his view, he ran his hand down his beard.
"Brage?"
"Yeah, I'm here. If the bar needs more help and she's taken the load off the servers, she's doing fine for her first night." He walked across the room and pushed through the swinging door into the hallway. "I couldn't find any faults, besides the obvious of not working here
