X-Treme Measure (9 page)

“Aren’t those shorts a little too short?”

“No, dad. I'm ready! Let's go, dad.” She tugged on my arm and I just rolled my eyes. I was going to regret this. I just knew it. I turned to my mom and spoke.

“You going to ride with us?” I asked as we walked out of the apartment and towards the elevator.

“Since you're off, I'll drive so I can head home afterwards.”

Getting there, I could tell Reighlyn was in an excited mood as if she couldn't sit still. Like she was amped up on something. Whenever I looked in the rear view to see her, she was practically bouncing with hyped-up energy.

“Everything okay, Reighlyn?”

“Yup! It's great, dad.”

I shook my head, not caring, just glad she was in a great mood.

The three of us walked inside the restaurant, and when the host greeted us, the boy was about to lead us when Reighlyn said, “We want Moriah as our waitress please!”

What. The. Hell?

“What did you just say?”

I fucking knew it.

Both mom and Reighlyn had shared a smile and then innocently looked back up at me. Great. I was double teamed.

“Right this way.”

Then the host turned the other way and led us into the lounge, and into a corner booth.

“I will get you both back for this.”

Mom just chuckled, knowing I wasn’t going to do anything, but I turned to Reighlyn and gave her my death stare. In which she just smiled and leaned in, hugging me. Gosh, I couldn’t stay mad.

The host explained something about the minicomputer on the table before telling us to enjoy our meal. Yeah. Like that was going to happen now. Reighlyn and mom were talking about the movie when Moriah came around the corner. She was wearing her glasses, bare minimum of makeup, which only made her look youthful and shiny and beautiful. Her long hair hidden in a bun, gave her that hot, sexy librarian look again. And just like that—Detective Dick rose again.

This was so messed up. She hadn't even got to us yet so I haven't even had a good look at her. Not that I needed one, I could imagine her in nothing but those glasses as she sat on top of me, grinding and gyrating on my dick. Fuckity fuck shit.

She sat something down at another table and then her eyes made contact with mine. Her brows rose a fraction in bewilderment, but then her eyes moved to the two women with me. A small smile lifted on her face and she shook her head before addressing the couple in front of her. She nodded and then made her way over to our table.

“Daniel. Hello Reighlyn, Mrs. Greensboro. What brings you in today?”

“We were hungry.” I couldn’t help the deep rough sound my voice became.

I didn’t bother looking over to my mom and daughter, I could feel my mother’s surprised stare looking back at me as if I was losing my mind. And I was. This girl affected me like no girl has ever affected me and all I wanted to do was take her home and do naughty things to her she probably had no clue how to react to.

“Okay. Well, you came to the right place.”

I looked over her, her sweet, little body tempting and I couldn’t keep my hands from clenching and fisting tight. This night needed to be over and done with. And quickly.

Why did he have to come with them? When I invited Reighlyn and Mrs. Greensboro, I had really only meant the two of them. I told Reighlyn about picking up the cosplay items and she was crazy excited. Whatever had happened a few weeks ago, she had let go of. She had become excited again and I told her I signed us up for a volunteer weekend next month. I hadn’t gotten Daniel’s approval yet but that Diane was on board and I knew Daniel just had to agree.

Even though I just met her grandmother, she seemed pleased with my idea and she’d have a talk with Danny.

The way she was looking at Daniel right now, though, it was like she was witnessing something out of the ordinary. The way his voice thickened with a rough cadence sent a thrill down my body and straight to my core. Igniting a slow burn. I couldn’t help but want to get closer, but I knew this was so not the right time or place. If there ever was one. He seemed to not want anything to do with me so I took their drink order and moved on.

It was getting into early evening, and everything seemed to go fine, until
he
walked in.

Ugh.

This guy was one of the bar regulars and even though I did my best not to react to the man, he still treated me like I was an inevitable piece of ass. He was a little older than me. His name…even more unappealing. George. I had seen him around campus and eventually learned he was a student.

A student who paid his way through college from the privileged jerks of his parents and a pedigree that made him think everyone was available to him. I didn’t know why he always came in here, but he was here every time I worked. He never openly approached me as he sat at the bar, drinking himself into a stupor. Like what girl could want that?

Not this one, that’s for sure. But that never stopped him from staying my entire shift and trying to come on to me whether it be here in side as I waited tables or after my shift and cornering me outside. Doing his best to flirt and get my number. Asshat’s never been successful. I was always able to brush him off and get away.

Today, somehow, he must have been feeling brave. I was coming around the Togo station to bring Daniel the check when George leaned back and swatted my ass. Everything inside of me stilled as my eyes widened. Never had he ever been that bold before.

Luckily no one was sitting in the booths across from the bar where he sat and most of the other bar guests were engrossed in the Astros game and talking to the bartender.

My eyes floated over to Daniel’s table, and just the look alone could have sliced a man in half. His eyes became feral and he bared his teeth in rigid anger. Then he shoved himself out of the booth. My eyes widened further and I shook my head, trying to convey to him not to worry about it. I got it. I got it.

George was harmless and I could take care of the little cretin.

I could see Daniel’s neck redden, his jaw tighten and the muscles in his arms coiling as his fists curled tight. I hurried over to see Reighlyn and Mrs. Greensboro looking at Daniel with avid curiosity and shock at the way her son was reacting.

I stood in front of Daniel and said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about that guy.”

But Daniel wasn’t looking at me, he was looking right at George with a rage I’ve never seen on a man’s face before.

Looking over Daniel’s body, it seemed like his heart was pumping furiously, the way his neck was pulsating.

“Daniel. Your daughter and mother are right here. Staring at you like you’re crazy. Don’t make a scene.”

His eyes narrowed and the dark obsidian irises of his locked on me.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Pretty boy fucking touches you again, I will punch him in the face.”

But the whisper was harsh enough to float over to his family and they definitely heard by the wide eyed look of his mother.

I looked over at his mom and daughter and they had definitely seen what was going on.

“Daniel. Don’t worry about that guy. George is harmless.”

Then I felt a hand on my hip. What the? I looked down slightly to see Daniel’s hand fasten on my hip, gripping and holding me almost against him. His hand was large enough that his fingers grazed my ass in greedy possession. He looked back at the object of our conversation with a fury expression of retribution. “He touches you, Moriah? I will make good on that promise.”

I placed my hand on his and slowly slid him off. His hand flexed, squeezing the edge of my ass before letting go.

“Daniel, relax. I can take care of myself. Your daughter is watching you. I’m fine. No one saw anything. I can handle him.”

“Handle him?” His hand caressed up my arm creating the most delicious shiver to cascade down my spine. Nerve endings ignited, the calloused, rough feel of his index finger as it caressed the underside my bicep, where the skin was delicate and soft. Daniel bent his head again, where his mouth was dangerously close to my ear once again and I felt the warm brush of it tickle my ear. “He tries anything—

“Daniel, don’t worry.” I backed completely off, Daniel’s face radiating a small amount of shock at my defiance. What I had to be defiant about it didn’t know, but I didn’t need to be handled by him either. “You can go back to ignoring me just like you have been. Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl.”

I turned around and went to go deal with a new table.

Of course, I was right. George didn’t stay long and I was surprised to see him leave so soon. He usually stayed the whole shift and waited until I got off to say something to me. This time he just looked at me, smirked and nodded his head as he walked past. The night wasn’t busy and since there was two of us in here, I got off about an hour earlier than I expected. I looked down to my phone and saw I had a few missed text messages and a few phone calls.

The phone calls came from my parents and a few texts came from my mother, and then from Reighlyn.

I was avoiding my parents like the plague. I didn’t want to have to answer any questions right now. They only wanted to talk to me to weasel money out of me. Money I didn’t have anymore.

I gave the manager my check out and made my way out to my car. Uneventful. Like the rest of my life.

I hadn’t expected for Daniel to react the way he did when George was being a complete douche but in a way, when Daniel had leaned into me, I felt completely safe and secure. And the look he gave George would have scared the pants off of anybody. Don’t know what got into him. He was acting like an angry father. Or a way too overprotective brother. Or if my day dreaming brain would allow, a possessive lover. But ha. None of which I needed. When I told him he should just continue on ignoring me the way he’s been, he became tense, quiet and I could see a silent fury building within him but he kept it contained and controlled.

It made me wonder what a girl could do to unleash all that build up. To release all that tension coiling in his veins.

I got home, showered and Ashley was sitting at the dining room table, pouring himself a glass of wine and looking over several papers.

“Everything alright, Ashley?”

He looked up at me, smiled and said, “Of course, darling. Just a long day. Everything okay with you?”

Ashley became a good friend in the last few weeks of me living here. I saw that he hid a lot of himself, not that he was secretive, but there was an underlying tension that never seemed to truly go away. He didn't really talk to me about personal things but then I didn't either. He was older than me, so it didn't seem like it would be welcome, me prying.

“Yes. Of course. Waitressing has its ups and downs.”

“Yes. How is our neighbor?”

Whoa. That was a 180. “How would I know how our neighbor is doing?”

“Because every time you are outside, he has a way of knowing exactly where you are.”

“What?”

Ashley chuckled as if he knew a secret. “Don't pretend like you haven’t noticed. He watches you. He can't keep his eyes off of you.”

“Ashley, you are definitely seeing things. Besides Daniel doesn't see me as anything anyway.”

He interrupted me by asking, “Do you want him to see you as anything?”

I scoffed, not wanting to answer but instead I rolled my eyes and lied. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because.”

Ashely lifted his eyebrows, waiting for a better explanation than the one I gave.

“That’s all I got."

He just laughed and shook his head. “You sure about that?”

“Ashley, he doesn’t see me as anything but a neighbor anyway who watched his kid when he was in a jam. That’s all it is. Was. I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me. We are strangers.”

“Strangers that are seriously hot for each other.”

“Am not.”

“Oh, sweetie. Your inner child is showing. Don’t whine and just acknowledge it.”

“Yes. He’s good looking. But he has baggage—

“His daughter?”

“That and I’m young enough to be her sister.”

He just rolled his eyes.

“That’s not the point. That doesn’t mean anything. Nothing is ever going to happen out of it.”

“Of course it doesn’t. And of course it won’t.”

I rolled my eyes right back at him and let my inner angry child out. “I’ll be in my room, Ashley. Thanks for the lively and sparkling conversation.”

“So spicy in the midnight hour. FYI—he’s just as into you as you are into him, girl.”

I turned, grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and hurried to my room. I closed the door and tried to shake off the feeling of being cornered. It’s not like I had feelings for the guy. I didn’t know him.

Daniel was just the neighbor. Albeit, a very hot one, but he did have baggage to bring into a relationship and it’s not like he’s ever really said what he did for a living. I mean, he’s could be some mafia guy. Mafia? Ugh. Great imagination there, Moriah. He didn’t know about my school situation or about my parents. Look at his mother! She was perfectly put together. Beautiful and youthful for a woman in her fifties. My parents? Ugh.

Eh. Speaking of which, I’ve ignored them for long enough. They’ve called every day since the day I was ‘supposed’ to be home weeks ago. I hadn’t really wanted to reach out to them yet. With the move, picking up every spare shift I could so I could make some school money, I had barely enough time to relax. And my birthday was just around the corner.

How was I supposed to celebrate my twenty-second year of birth? The girls at work wanted me to go with them for a night out on the town. Rosa mentioned X-Treme Measure, a club where men did the stripping and dancing. It made me curious, but I didn’t know how I was going to take a bunch of men and their…uh things, flapping in the wind in front of my face. Hopefully by then I’ll be too shit faced. If I even drink.

I didn’t really drink. Well, hardly ever. Like never, okay? Ugh. Whatever. Maybe I will just drink it up. She did mention we would have a designated driver. Her sister wasn’t into that scene so she was going to drop us off downtown where the strip club was located, then pick us up later that night.

I didn’t have anything to wear either. I never went to clubs. The few guys I’ve dated had been nerds. So our ‘having a good time’ was the library, or art/history museums, which were awesome. I actually loved it. That’s how I discovered the Discovery Green Park.