Undercover Barmaid Page 2

  “Hello ladies.” Liam smiles and positions himself between Gwen and I. He sticks his elbows out and offers each of us his arm as a crutch, “Shall we?”

  Gwen and I look at each other. She shrugs and hooks her arm around his, so I follow suit. We walk in as a trio and Liam with an even bigger ego—if that’s even possible.

  The club is more crowded than I expected for a Monday. I guess living in a bubble and eating TV dinners on weekdays has sheltered me more than I thought.

  “Let’s just find a table and casually blend in.” I whisper in Liam’s ear.

  “Nah, I always sit at the bar. Besides, you’ll be able to get a better feel for the place.” Liam takes the lead and we walk towards the larger bar in the back.

  “Geez, how often do you come here?” Gwen asks.

  “Couple times a week.”

  We take a seat and I’m instantly drawn to the ambiance of the white string lights that hang over the top.

  “Liam, my favorite customer.” The bartender winks. “Who are your friends?”

  “This is Gwen, and this is Sadie,” he pauses, “Sadie Blackmore.”

  I about choke on my spit and look dumbfounded at Liam. Gwen presses her lips together tightly to hold in her laughter, once again. This is all too comical for her. Maybe I’d prefer the tree segment and she can have this club fiasco.

  The bartender takes our drink orders and when she walks away I swat Liam. “Sadie Blackmore?!” I huff.

  At this point, Gwen is engulfed in full blown laughter.

  “It’s perfect, and much more edgy than Sadie Mitchell.” Liam chuckles.

  I just shake my head and keep my words to myself when the bartender re-emerges with my martini.

  We are enjoying our drinks and discussing Gwen’s assignment when Liam nudges me. I assume he’s being flirtatious again so I ignore it, until he does it again.

  “What?” I ask, trying not to sound too rude.

  He gestures his head towards a few bigger guys, bikers maybe, who walk alongside the bar and disappear through a door in the back.

  “I wonder where they’re going.” I say with my eyes still observing the door.

  Liam mumbles something but I can’t make it out.

  “Huh?”

  He leans over and whispers in my ear, “I said we will talk about it later. Just observe.”

  I’m still having a hard time hearing him with the music blasting in my ear.

  “Observe?”

  Gwen and Liam both shake their heads.

  Liam laughs, “Rule number one, be inconspicuous. Something you are definitely not.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I scoff, turning my whole body towards him as if he’s just insulted me.

  Gwen chimes in, “Don’t take it personally hon, he just means that you don’t need to be so...obvious.”

  “I’m not.”

  They both break out in hysterics. I know that I can be a little oblivious, and maybe even a little clumsy, but I’m not a complete idiot.

  I just ignore their comments once again. I’ve got this. I don’t need their help and I certainly won’t blow my first assignment by being conspicuous.

  “I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I decide to use the bathroom at the other end of the club just so I can walk around a little bit and get a feel for the place. The club is huge and people are dancing all around me. All I had to do was spin around twice before I lost track of the restrooms.

  “You look lost? Looking for something?” I look to my left and find a tall, dark haired man with his gorgeous blue eyes on me. He’s wearing a tight shirt with muscles that look like they could tear through the sleeves at any moment—something I wouldn’t normally be drawn to, but he wears it well. Very well.

  “Looking for something?”

  He knows. I blew it already.

  “Your friends, bathroom, a drink perhaps?” He smiles.

  “Oh, right. Sorry.” My face feels hot and I’m not sure if it’s the way his eyes on mine makes me feel or if it’s the temperature of the club.

  “Well, what it is it?”

  “Bathroom.” I spit out.

  He doesn’t say a word but points behind me instead. I turn around and directly behind me is a big neon sign that says restrooms. I can feel the heat rise in my cheeks again.

  I slap my hand on my forehead, “Ahh, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy your night.”

  I turn and walk awkwardly toward the bathrooms, shaking my head at my oblivion.

  Ten minutes later, I’m back at the bar and Gwen and Liam are on their second drinks. I’ve barely touched mine. “Everyone doing good over here?” I look up and I’m swallowed up by those eyes again. The handsome man is now behind the bar. His mouth curled at the seams and his eyes on me.

  I slam my drink quickly, “I’ll have another.”

  “I’m happy to see you found your friends.” He flashes a smile.

  I’m not sure what it is but this man makes me feel giddy all over, in places that I haven’t felt giddy in years.

  “Here they are.” Here they are. That’s all you’ve got Sadie, oh my gosh could I be any weirder!

  His eyes are still on me and I’m feeling flustered, puzzled, I can’t speak. “My friends.” My friends! That’s what I come up with. I really need to work on thinking before I speak.

  He simply nods and resumes making my drink. I put my face in my hands to avoid anyone noticing the pretty shade of pink on my cheeks. I look over to find Liam and Gwen both staring at me like I’m an absolute mess. “What now?”

  “What the hell was that?” Gwen chortles.

  “Nothing.”

  He returns with my drink and at the risk of making myself look a fool again, I thank him without even lifting my head. If I look at him, I’ll get lost in his eyes again. And if he talks to me, I’ll say something stupid.

  After finishing my second drink, I’m feeling a little bit of a buzz. I’m not used to drinking very often and I know if I continue then work will be hell tomorrow. “We should get going.” I say to Liam and Gwen.

  “Yep, I agree.” Gwen says with her feet already on solid ground.

  “You all go ahead. I’m gonna have one more. We’ll catch up in the morning.”

  Just as Gwen and I turn towards the exit, a waitress emerges from the mystery door with two serving trays in hand.

  Something is definitely going on. I need to find out what’s behind that door.

  I look over at Gwen as she watches me with wide eyes. “We have to find out what’s down there.” I tell her.

  “Ok, let’s go.” She grabs my arm and gives me a tug towards the door.

  “No.” I yank it away, “Not like that. We can’t just walk in there.”

  “Why not? We’ll just pretend we were lost.”

  “Gwen, it will never work. It says private.” I point to the sign.

  And that’s when it hits me. I know what exactly what I have to do.

  “Wait here.” I instruct her.

  I approach the bar and flag down our bartender.

  “What are you doing?” Liam asks.

  The bartender makes her way towards me. “What can I get you?”

  “I was wondering if I could get an application.”

  “Sure.” She smiles and walks away.

  “Sadie, what the hell are you doing?” Liam grits.

  Gwen has already made herself comfortable with another drink and I can clearly see that she’s not leaving with me.

  “I’m getting a job.”

  Three

  It’s past midnight before I finally fall into bed. The night wasn’t a total bust, I made some headway and got my application filled out with plans to return it tomorrow.

  The idea of working in a nightclub intimidates me immensely but it’s a great way to get inside so I can dig into the core of the club's secrets.

  My alarm buzzing in my ear forces me to open one eye. I’m hopeful that it’s a flu
ke, but I’m proven wrong when the morning sun shines through my blinds. It feels as though I’ve just fallen asleep. I slap my alarm to snooze it just once, and once more, before dragging myself out of bed.

  A quick shower and a blow dry, and I’m headed down the elevator, coffee in hand. I give my pants a double take, zipper up. So far, this morning is off to a good start. Now let’s see if Mrs. Hallston agrees to the next phase of my plan.

  “Aren’t we chipper this morning.” I say to Gwen as she skips towards me, with a smile as long as the Golden Gate Bridge.

  “Just happy to see my bestie.”

  “Uh huh.” I grin, taking a sip of my coffee and hoping for even the slightest bit of energy that she has. I’ve never been much of a morning person. It takes at least two cups of coffee before I can fully function, and two more for an afternoon pick-me-up. “Alright, spill. We usually spend our mornings bashing all of the lively people who love mornings, and now you’re one of them.”

  “About that, I think it’s time to start embracing the beauty that 8am offers.” Gwen beams as she walks over and pulls the cord that sends my office blinds flying up.

  “Ah, too much. Too early. Close them.” I squint my eyes and stir away from the bright light like a vampire.

  Ignoring my plea, Gwen takes a seat atop my desk and kicks off her stilettos. “So, are you still sticking with your insane idea of applying for a job at The Square?”

  “It’s not ridiculous, it’s genius. Think about it. I’ll be front and center for all the action. If anything illegal is taking place I’ll be ...”

  A knock at the open door interrupts me. I look over and find Mrs. Hallston standing there.

  “Ladies.” She greets us before walking in.

  Gwen scoots off my desk and we both straighten ourselves up. Mrs. Hallston isn’t a total browbeat, but she enjoys barking orders and keeping us all on our toes.

  “Good morning.” I acknowledge her as she watches me neatly stack the scattered papers on my desk.

  “Gwen, could you give us a moment. Correct me if I’m wrong but you have a meeting with Dave Meyers about the Central Park petition in ...” she glances at her watch, “Twenty minutes.”

  “It’s thirty—but yep, let me just get out of your way.” Gwen nervously grabs one shoe and searches for the other that somehow managed to make its way underneath the desk.

  I bend down and grab it, handing it to her with a grin and fighting the urge to laugh. Mrs. Hallston crosses her arms—realizing we just wasted thirty seconds of her precious time.

  Once Gwen exits, Mrs. Hallston closes the door which heightens my discomfort. It’s not often that she does personal office visits. We usually only see her during Monday morning meetings and anything in between is expressed through email.

  “Is everything ok?” I ask, switching gears to a more serious side.

  “That’s what I’m here to find out. This is a very big case and while I feel confident in my choice to let you lead it‍, I want to be sure that you possess the same level of confidence.”

  “Actually, I’m feeling great about it. I’ve already started proceeding with my plans and things are moving along as expected.”

  “Wonderful. Because I need this wrapped up and on my desk in exactly thirty days.”

  “Thirty days!” My jaw drops to the floor.

  “I spoke with an insider at NYC News and they’ve caught wind of the story. If we don’t wrap this up sooner than planned then we may lose all headway.”

  I pick my jaw up off the floor and try and hold my composure, although I feel like I was hit by a train. Here goes your job, Sadie. You are going to blow this right into the water.

  “Mrs. Hallston, I won’t let you down and I will get this story. You can count on me.” I lie. I want to believe my words, but I’m doomed. There is no way I can get this done in thirty days. Even if I discovered what’s going on behind closed doors, or underground, I still need facts—proof, and a story.

  “I knew I made the right decision. So, tell me, what’s your next step?”

  “I’m glad you asked because I’m going to need some time away from the office.” I inhale deeply before proceeding. Remembering Gwen’s words, ridiculous plan. “I’m applying for a job at The Square. I know it sounds crazy but it’s the best way to get into the action.”

  “I love it!” She clasps her hands together with a smile.

  “You do?”

  “Absolutely. Take all the time you need. Shoot me an email with your schedule and alias information and we’ll recap on Monday.” She turns to walk away.

  “I sure will. Assuming I get the job.”

  “Oh Sadie, they’d be crazy not to give it to you.”

  With those words, she’s out the door and I’m standing here in awe of my first ever compliment from Mrs. Hallston.

  The smile slowly fades from my face when I remember that I have only thirty days to deliver a solid and reliable story. If I don’t, I may sit behind this desk for the rest of my life, writing about trees.

  I swing by my apartment to change out of my office clothes before heading to The Square to hand in my application. A simple pair of jeans and crop top will do the trick. I don’t want to overdress and look like the wrong person for the job. I let my long dark hair down from the bun that was placed on top of my head and give my head a shake to fluff out the mess.

  I flag down a taxi and climb into the backseat with knots in my stomach. What if I actually get the job? I mean, that’s the plan but I don’t know a thing about mixing drinks and tending a bar. After seeing what the servers wear to work, I’ll definitely need to do some shopping.

  I take a deep breath and slowly exhale before stepping out onto the sidewalk of 17th Street. The club is quiet, just some soft music playing in the distance and a few customers seated at a table. I approach the bar and stop in my tracks. It’s him. The guy from last night. The bathroom tour guide. I can’t do this. I turn around hoping that he didn’t see me come in and begin to walk back the same way I came in.

  “Can I help you?” A voice echoes through the quiet club. But it’s not his voice, it’s a woman’s.

  I close my eyes and collect my composure. You’ve got this, Sadie. I swing back around and trot towards the bar with confidence and sass. The mystery man is gone.

  “Yes, I just wanted to hand in my application for a bartender position.” She takes it from my hand. “Are you currently hiring?”

  “Unfortunately, we’re not. We can keep this on file if something comes up, though.”

  Dammit. Just my luck.

  “Look, I really need a job. Could I speak with the manager, owner maybe?”

  “I’m the manager and I just don’t think we have any extra hours to spare. I’m sorry.” She responds as she continues to smack on her gum, blowing a huge pink bubble that pops on her face.

  I glance to my left and notice the mystery man emerging from the door; and he’s walking towards me. “I see you found your way out of the restroom and wearing new clothes.”

  I look down at my outfit, “Oh no, I went home last night and…you’re joking. It was a joke.” I shake my head at myself. Why do I keep getting so flustered around him? It couldn’t possibly be his gorgeous blue eyes, or his tanned biceps, or his sexy hair that looks like he just combed his fingers through it.

  “It was a joke. I’m happy to see you’ve returned.” he smiles. “Has Ava taken care of you already?”

  “Ava?” I ask.

  “That would be me. And..” she peeks at the paper in her hand, “Sadie was here looking for a job.”

  “A job, huh? Well, we may be able to work something out. Right, Ava?”

  “Really?” I gasp, “That would be amazing. I’ll do anything. Wash dishes, clean tables.”

  “Let me look over your application and talk with the managers. I’ll see what we can come up with.”

  “Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing from you.” I give a nervous wave and turn towards the door. A sen
se of relief floods over me when the fresh air hits my face. That went well. Now I just wait and hope that I get a call.

  Four

  REED

  Those eyes. I feel like they swallowed up my soul and spit it into one of these liquor bottles. I stand here contemplating the different positions and which one I can get her in, for the job and my bed. Quit it Reed, a woman is the last thing you need in your life.

  “Ava, has Amy called in again recently?”

  “Not since yesterday when you helped fill in.”

  Yesterday...The first time I saw her. She looked like a lost puppy who needed to be leashed. And those eyes... damn those bright blue eyes.

  “That was her last chance next call in and she’s done.”

  “I’ve already warned her, boss.”

  “Boss, huh?” I laugh at her attempt to make me feel superior. Even though the club is mine, we all know that Ava runs the show up here. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, not even me.

  “Don’t let it get to your head brother.” She smirks, tossing her damp rag at me.

  “Ahh, there’s my delightful sister.”

  Ava makes a face and I toss the towel back at her, “I’m leaving for the night. Oh, and give me that application, I need to look it over.”

  “I see what’s going on. You want Amy out so little Miss. Sunshine can take her place?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I play dumb.

  “Uh huh, I saw the way you looked at her. She seems sweet, too sweet for your games.”

  “I looked at her the same way I look at all my female employees.” I leave it at that and grab the application before walking away.

  “That’s the problem.” Ava shouts.

  Sure, I’ve hooked up with a couple of the ladies here, but they were all more than willing. It was never a game. It was sex. They knew it before, during, and after. It may not be the most professional approach on my end, but I’m a man with needs—and considering the club is my life, I don’t get out much. Well, with one minor exception.

  I make a quick stop at The Den to check in with Lance. It's a top priority to make sure Friday night events go off without a hitch.