Still Water Read Online Free Page B

work in a bar." Tiffany's tone was incredulous.
    My smile couldn't have been any bigger as I stepped through the swinging door toward the back offices and the small kitchen. Blue Bar was huge inside and offered a full-service bar. It was almost exactly like the club I worked at back home in Tampa, except this place was older and had more charm. The exposed brick, glass shelving, and can lights created a modern feel, but the dark wood was old and somewhat dingy, giving it away that the place had been there for ages. You could still slightly smell the lingering odor of cigarettes from when they used to allow smoking inside. I loved it because it felt like… home.
    I walked through to the break room, made a quick cup of coffee, and plopped down onto the sofa. I almost didn't want my skin to touch the fabric. The couch looked well-used. The floral pattern was stained and brown in places. I cringed to think what had happened on this couch. The back wall of the room was covered in pictures of bands, parties, co-workers, and families. Without thinking, I stood and took in all the photos. I wonder? My eyes rapidly started scanning the pictures. The photos on the left were obviously older. Wouldn't you know it? My mom and Frank sitting on that same stage out front holding my sister. She must have been six?
    "Eve," her name whispered from my lips. She looked so little. My chest felt tight and my breathing was shallow. I started absentmindedly, rubbing my chest while struggling to breathe. The sound of the break room door clicking behind me snapped me out of my memories as I turned just in time to watch Todd as he took a large swig of beer from the bottle he was carrying.
    "Drinking on the job?" I looked at him appraisingly, my eyes wide.
    "I'm the boss; I'll do what the fuck I want, Red." His boyish grin was at war with his severe tone.
    "Lily is my name. Lily Spring."
    He chuckled. "Lily Spring? You sound like a stripper."
    I was immediately angry. "You sound like a prick." I turned on my heel and tried to move past the jerk.
    "Simmer down, sweetheart." His tone was softer, but it did nothing to help my irritation.
    "Let's get this straight. My name's Lily…" I said like I was talking to a third grader. "…not sweetheart, princess, sugar bottom, darling, or Red. Got it!" I tried again, unsuccessfully, to get past him. He stepped in front of me. I was toe to toe with him, my furious heaving chest almost touching his. The atmosphere changed, and the crackle in the air between us could almost be heard. The pull was ridiculous, and the silence was deafening. "I need to get back to work." My voice sounded smaller than it should have. He stepped out of the way just enough for me to inch past him toward the door. My breast grazed his arm, and I about died of embarrassment. I was sure my face was at least ten shades of red.
    I heard him laugh lightly as the door shut behind me. My annoyance boiled. He was trouble all right.
     

     
    T HE NIGHT SEEMED TO drag after my encounter with Todd in the break room. His intense amber eyes only left me once when he had to throw out another couple of rowdy customers. The way we watched each other in a silent dance of wills left my skin feeling scorched. It was almost two in the morning when the night was finally over; I was beat. As Jace shut and locked the doors, the biting outside air rushed in and cooled my heated skin as the last stragglers finally left. Spring in Utah was a fickle bitch. It could be warm one day and snow the next. A storm was coming in, and the warm weather shorts I had on had been a bad choice. I rolled my eyes. Oh well, there was nothing to do about it now.
    The side work checklist was sitting next to the register. I grabbed it and started working on stocking the beer fridge when Jace came back behind the bar to help.
    "Shit, let me get that." He grabbed the crate of bottles from my hands. "How about you start washing those glasses." He threw me that nice guy smile