My Mind's Eye (Pub Fiction #1) (7 page)

Luckily for me, Pub Fiction is always ripe for the picking when I need to bury myself in the warmth of a woman’s tight, hot body. It’s a hangout for the type of women I’m looking for right now. Women who are looking for a quick, no-strings attached hook-up just as much as I am. Ones who know and respect the score.

We tend to get a lot of regulars at the bar, groups of girls who have made Pub Fiction their stomping ground. This is great for business, but not great for my extracurricular activities. That means I need to be extra careful when choosing who I hook up with, like making sure I don’t end up with a crazy stage-five clinger. You know the type, the one who will be there every week, drunk with her girls, trying to convince me to take her home one more time. The same one who will have the ability to make it look like I’m taken to the other prospects. And that shit is the last thing I need, some chick who thinks she can change me…to be the one to tame Ryker Eddison.
It ain’t happenin’.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m this super douche or anything. But, truth be told,

I’m…a guy. A guy who, like all men, likes to fuck.

Like most other guys my age, I’m a horny motherfucker and I do not do relationships. Definitely not serious ones, anyway. At best, if you’re something extra special, maybe we can be fuck buddies for a while. But the number of girls to hold that status is currently zilch. I haven’t had anything other than a one-night stand in years. At least, not since my ex, Melissa. That girl did a real number on me. It really messed with my head and, honestly, my heart, too. Melissa and I dated somewhat exclusively for just over a year during my first year here at Brock. I use the term exclusively loosely, because apparently, people have different interpretations as to what the word actually means.

In the beginning, things were great. I couldn’t have been happier. Melissa was smart, attentive, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous, to top it all off. Complete with a sexual appetite that rivalled my own. Yeah, she was a dream…until she became my nightmare.

Now I refuse to put myself in that position again, not unless she is my perfect girl, my very own Holy Grail:
The future Mrs. Eddison.
And right now, I can safely say I’m not looking to meet her. One day I want a wife and family, the norm I guess, but not anytime soon. I can’t allow myself to get so caught up in a woman like that again. I simply want to fuck. A lot. It’s never more than fucking. I’m only looking for Ms. Right Now.

Walking into Pub Fiction, I immediately spot my brother behind the bar. God, I love the smell of this place—lemons and leather with the slight hint of beer—always lingering in the air.

“Hey, man, we’ve missed you around here,” Levi says, shaking my hand and giving me a typical man hug. “It’s nice to have you back. I think a few of the regulars will be happy to see you, too. They’ve been sulking without their main eye candy behind the bar. They’ve had to settle for the boss and Lukey. We aren’t nearly as fun as you, buddy,” he adds with a wink.

Levi and I have always been close, eventhough he’s two years older than me. We’ve hung out in the same circles, especially once I hit high school and he realized how cool I am, so being away for a month has sucked for both of us. “Well, of course you missed me. I’m the one who gets you all the tail. How the hell have you and Luke survived without me?” I deadpan.

“You wish, man. I’m the one with the big dick, and you know it, you little fucker. You’re just the tag along, and always have been,” he says, tossing the towel at me.

“Asshole, is what you are,” I say, throwing a bar lime at his head.

While neither of us would ever admit it, Levi’s my best friend. He knows me better than anyone, and he shares the same mentality when it comes to women and commitment. I’d say he’s more committed to not being committed than me. I can’t name a single woman Levi has dated, not ever, not even in high school.

“Ryk, dude, you must be dying? A month at Mom’s with only Palmela and Handula to tide you over must have killed you.” He chuckles. “Good thing you’re back. The girls are going to be all kinds of batshit to see you tonight. They’ve been going stir-crazy waiting for their favourite bartender to return. I actually think Naomi had to replace your message cup with a bowl behind the bar.”

I laugh, picturing Naomi with a message bowl. With so many girls trying to give Luke, Levi, and me their numbers, many of the staff were done with “being our receptionists,” as they eloquently put it. One of the main shooter girls, Naomi, thinking she was funny, set up two stations at each end of the bar with three labelled cups and a sign saying, “
If you wanna get a HOLD of Levi, Ryker, or Luke, drop your sales pitch here
.” Despite it starting as a joke, you wouldn’t believe how many chicks actually put their info along with a blurb into those cups!

“Good, that’s what I was hoping for,” I say, reaching for my bowl, sifting through the messages. “I’m hoping to find a girl to make myself happier later tonight.”

I put the bowl back on top of the bar and quickly turn to face Levi with my hands in front of my face, studying them intently. “After all, I need to give these blisters some healing time.” I laugh, and then display my pristine hands. He just shakes his head. I clasp his shoulder, squeeze his neck, and give him an all-out shit-eating grin.

“How’s Mom? She sounded like she was doing good on the phone. She told me she’s been a lot more mobile than she figured she’d be.”

I quickly fill him in on how well our mom’s doing, sharing how the doctors are pleased with her progress to the point where they might begin her physio sooner than expected.

“You should go see her, Levi. I can hold down the fort here for a few days.” I look around the club. “I mean, really, this place is a well-oiled machine. Besides, with my easy course load, I have some extra time, so I can cover you no problem.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave you in charge for a week while I go see her. I think I can trust your ass to take care of the place for that long. Thanks, Ryk—”

“Aw, shit!” someone yells from the front entrance, followed by the sound of something clanging, interrupting us.

“Who the hell is that?” I laugh. “Naomi being her klutz-assed self again? Shit never changes around here,” I say, shaking my head and picturing Naomi all flustered.

Levi shrugs as he polishes glasses for tonight. I crane my neck to see what the hell is going on. I freeze, not at
what
, but rather
who
I see. It’s not fucking Naomi.
Shit, this girl is gorgeous
.

“Holy shit, Levi, I’m serious, man. Who the fuck
is
that?” I nod toward the door again. My eyes are glued to the girl who’s just come barrelling in. “Fuck me,” I mutter, more to myself than to Levi. I feel like I’ve seen her before, and the more I look at her, the sooner I realize it’s the same girl I saw not twenty minutes ago. She’s still wearing that fucking jacket in the dead of summer, but those killer legs, I’d recognize them anywhere. Shit, I wonder if she spotted me too and followed me here? It wouldn’t be the first time a girl has followed me to work.
Goddamn clingers.
But as she unzips her jacket, I catch a glimpse of the Pub Fiction logo stretched across her impressive rack.
Fuck, are you kidding me?
She works here. “Levi, dude, again, who the hell is she?”

“Newbie shooter girl,” Levi says, then growls the next bit, “and keep your fucking hands off her, brother. I need this chick, and I can’t afford to lose her ’cause you’re an asshole.”

Asshole.
I slap his back. “Ha, okay. Whatever, man. Like you’ve never fucked your own staff.” He ignores my jab, but shakes his head.

Turning back just in time, I smile, ’cause I’m such a lucky bastard. I catch the sweet curve of this chick’s ass as she bends over to retrieve her keys. Fuck me, that ass is perfection, instantly giving me wood, even from a distance.

I’m staring, completely rooted in place, unable to peel my gaze from her. She is, without a doubt, the most stunning creature I have ever laid eyes on.

I see her pausing, nervously taking in her surroundings. The reaction I’m having to this girl is not one I’ve experienced before. Never have I been this stunned by a woman to the point of near immobility.
Yep, I’m gonna need this one beneath me. And soon.

As if he can hear my thoughts, Levi leans in. “Easy there, fella. Don’t go scaring off my newly hired help before she gets through the door. Like I said, I need her, man. I’m short-staffed as it is,” he says, turning toward the dishwasher, beginning to empty it.

“No, I know, Levi; it’s a crazy time. I’ll be good.”

“I hope so, Ryk, with Marie moving back to Toronto for work in her field and Stacey quitting because Luke doesn’t want to give her the time of day after they slept together.” He raises his eyebrows, knowing I’m shocked he knows about those two. “Yeah, yeah, don’t think I don’t know. Fuckin’ Stacey told me when she quit. Told me how she was in love with the little shit and he didn’t want her. Said she couldn’t bear to look at him every day. So yeah, I need the new girls, especially this one and the new bartender, Claire, who happens to be her roommate.”

“Okay, okay, man. I get it. Relax, Levi,” I tease, “I’m just looking…for now.” I grin.

“Ryker,” he grits. “Believe me, I know she’s some real eye candy, and you can thank me later, little brother. I think I’m actually going to be getting a lot of thank yous for adding these two to the staff. I can only imagine the cock parade that will start once the men around here feast their eyes on them. Big Jim and the team are gonna be extra busy for a while,” he adds.

Levi prides himself on security and his staff feeling safe. Sure the girls might wear short shorts and tight tees, but he won’t take anyone messing with his crew. Levi has hired the best security staff he could find. Big Jim is just that,
big,
and his team of Ruck, Sam, and Dalton are just as tough and scary. We’ve never had any real issues. I think just their presence alone is enough.

For some reason, the thought of other guys checking her out, meeting her, doesn’t sit well with me at all.
I want to be the one to check her out, to meet her.
I clench my jaw and glare at Levi.
Whoa, shit, I don’t know this girl and I’m starting to be all kinds of pissy. What the fuck is that?

I listen to Levi go on and wonder if he’s noticed my little freak out. If he has, thank Christ, he hasn’t said anything. I don’t need Levi busting my balls about some girl I don’t know.

“I mean, you don’t need to tell me twice; she’s smokin’ hot,” he says, “but if you ask me, the new bartender hotter.” I simply nod, unable to find the right thing to say. He laughs, shaking his head, as we continue watching from behind the bar.

Jesus, she’s gorgeous.
She stops just inside the bar and looks up at the ceiling, checking the place out from top to bottom. It’s clear she hasn’t noticed us watching her yet. Well, I’d like to think not anyway. I know I should be here to introduce myself when she finally makes it to the bar, but my instincts kick in, telling me to flee while I still can. I bolt just as she catches me staring and our gaze lock for a few seconds too long.
Shit
. The last thing I want is for her to see she has any effect on me.

Chapter 5

Kat

“A
w, shit!” I yell, without having intended; it just slipped from my mouth. I dropped my keys while walking through the front doors of Pub Fiction, and I absolutely hate when I drop stuff. My butterfingers are my biggest pet peeve. I cover my mouth and glance around; thankfully, I don’t think anyone heard my trucker mouth. That would not make a great impression at all. I’m flustered and my hands are shaking. I need to stop for a minute and take a deep breath in order to recompose and calm myself down.

It really isn’t that big of a deal.
It was just a stupid text, and it’s just a goddamn shirt. Seth is hours away, so I really shouldn’t let him get to me like this in the first place. And I’m almost laughing at myself because, let’s be real, I know what sells, and that’s sex. With that, and this being a bar, I know there isn’t a chance in hell of me getting a bigger shirt.
Breathe, Kat. Just stop and breathe.

Claire is right. I really do need to work on not being too uptight. I let things get to me way too easily. Claire is always telling me not to let little things stress me out, and I normally just shrug her comments off. But now, I’m actually starting to see her point. My current situation reflects perfectly
one
of those instances where she would no doubt call me out for being an idiot. I can hear her:
You’re turning into stressor again.

I know I’m right on time, like on the dot, even after having stopped for gas,
I really need to stop playing the red line game
. I wasted too much time gabbing with Claire. Getting caught up like that again is not an option. I don’t like cutting it close. At least I’m not late, and that was my goal, I remind myself. So why I’m totally rushing and letting my nerves get the best of me, I’m not sure. It was definitely a close one between all the bullshit and traffic; I just made it. What I need to do is shake off this mood, and get excited to be here.
You got this.
I decide to put everything out of my mind. With renewed excitement, I move into the bar area.

I quickly scan this place where I’ll be spending most of my free time over the next school year. I make a mental note that the fire exit is, indeed, to my left, as I remembered.
I’ll need to check where the other ones are, too.
I wonder what type of evacuation plan they have here. I’ll need to ask Levi. I’d hate to not be prepared, should anything ever happen while I’m working.

It’s actually quite a breathtaking place. I can see why it’s popular. I take in the huge vaulted ceilings, which are painted completely black, and notice tiny fibre optic lights embedded throughout, which turn the black abyss into how I imagine outer space would look with millions of stars scattered in unfamiliar constellations. I love it immediately. I tilt my head back and seriously gawk at it. It’s just beautiful and unique; I’ve never seen anything like it before. The starry space feature must not have been turned on the day I came for my interview, because I definitely would have noticed. Best of all, I spot the tiny sprinkler heads hidden between the stars. I can’t help but feel my shoulders relax a bit more as I spot them all over the ceiling now.