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Tuesday, August 19th
As she drove up to the bar Tuesday afternoon, Nat found Judd and Trista already waiting on the front steps for her. They were both smoking, but Natalie ignored this flouting of local health department standards.
She alighted from the Highlander and faced them, searching their faces for disaster.
“Hi,” she said. “Everything okay?”
Judd nodded. “Yup. We just wanted to be here early to help you open up. Moral support.”
“Yeah,” Trista agreed. She rose and dusted off the seat of her tight jean shorts, then dropped her cigarette butt and ground it out on the pavement. “You ready, boss lady?”
Natalie blew out a breath of relief so strong she nearly wept. She nodded, and sniffled. “Yes, I am. Thanks, you two.” She’d been certain they were both ready to follow Gaye.
They grinned at her.
The first thing Natalie did was send Trista back outside with a plastic bucket to fill it with sand and gravel from the riverbank and place it discreetly behind one of the junipers near the corner of the front walk, where smokers could see it, but others could ignore it. She already had buckets by the back patio, but she did not want any more cigarette butts on her front walk.
The next thing she did was call the two women who had answered her ad for another barmaid and arrange interviews for that afternoon.
The first was dressed like a slut, and not a sexy one. Nat thanked her and sent her on her way. The second was Becca, a wiry young woman with nearly as many tattoos as Judd, long curling blonde hair and a surprisingly lovely smile. She had experience too, which had made Natalie snap her up with an alacrity that clearly surprised the girl.
Nat took Becca on a quick tour of the bar, and then sat her at the bar with Nat’s laptop to study the website with Judd.
“This is a cool website,” Becca said. “But where’s the list of food places to order from?”
Nat exchanged a look with Judd. “There aren’t any ... so far. Working on that.”
“Oh, hey,” Judd said. “Almost forgot to tell you. I got a hankering for pizza last night. Drove up here.” He jerked his head in the direction of the shopping plaza. “Talked to a real nice woman, one of the owners. You may be getting a visit from her.”
That evening, a few couples and two single bar customers wandered through Rambles’ doors, drank a few craft beers, a margarita or two, ate some peanuts and popcorn, played a game of pool and wandered out.
Nat blew out a breath as the last of them left. Well, not exactly a rousing success, but although she’d been subjected to curious and speculative stares, no one had actually offered to tar and feather her.
* * *
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20TH
On Wednesday, Nat had no sooner unlocked the doors for the evening than she received the visit Judd had promised.
Ava D’Auloria was a tall, plump Italian-American dynamo with blonde and burgundy streaks in her luxuriant brunette hair, tight jeans and a snug tee with a cartoon pizza smiling from the front.
She marched up to the bar, set down a pizza box emanating the odor of hot Italian, shook hands with Nat, then smiled tightly.
“I just learned that my husband declined to do business with you,” she told Nat. “And I want you to know, that is no longer true.” She gave a huff of displeasure. “We’ve been open a year, and we’re doing okay, but we want your business.”
“Thank you,” Nat said. “I’m ... so pleased. You’re sure this will work out?” She didn’t want to be the cause of trouble in another marriage.
Ava narrowed her eyes. “Oh, I’m sure. That boys’ club shit is gonna stop now. I’m sorry for your loss, but your late husband ...” She gave Nat a wary look.
“Right,” Nat said with a grimace. “He was friends with your husband?”
“Yes, which I did not like. Danny started hanging out over here when we were still working at his parents’ restaurant in Vancouver, came home with lipstick on his collar one night. I told him, me or Tony and his crowd. Wisely, he chose me.”
Nat laughed, and then covered her mouth, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. But that’s how it was, I know. Tony attracted people like bees to honey, and there were always women hanging on him.”
“More like flies on horseshit,” Ava D’Auloria said, but she smiled at Nat, this time more naturally. “Anyway, I’m glad for you that you’re carrying on.”
She looked around. “This place is nice. Looks good, and I predict you’re going to do well here. And what’s good for you is gonna be good for D’Auloria’s.”
She held out a manila folder. “Here are some menus. I’ll get you some laminated ones as soon as I have extra. And we’d love to link websites and social media pages with you, if that’s all right.”
It was more than all right with Nat. She smiled, hoping it looked serene and professional, rather than like a teen who wanted to jump up and down and scream ‘Wahoo!’ at the top of her lungs.
Ava nudged the pizza box closer to Nat and smirked at Judd, who was gazing down at it with a glazed look of hunger. “Here’s a sample of our pizza. We make the best pies in Clark County.”
She was not wrong. Nat and her staff had hot, gooey pizza laden with everything for their early supper. It was delicious.
“Oh,” Judd moaned. “This is even better than I remembered.”
“’s great,” Becca mumbled. “We’re gonna sell so many of these for them.”
“And lots of beer and wine and drinks to go with it,” Trista added, licking her fingers. “Win win.”
Nat smiled at them as she chewed. For the first time since last Saturday night, she had hope that was actually true.
The week seemed at once to crawl by and race at warp speed. Their evening business was enough that Natalie was cautiously optimistic that she might, just might after all, pull success out of the ether or wherever it hovered, just without or within reach of those who strove for it.
Her afternoons were spent racing from one task to the next, her nights working the bar. Every evening brought a trickle of customers.
* * *
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST
Mase sat in the empty main room of Club 3. The club would be opening soon. He should be checking that the cleaning staff had done their job, that all the rooms were stocked and ready for another busy night at the club, but instead he was staring blearily into a glass of Coke and melting ice cubes.
He should also be thinking about what the fuck he was gonna do about his job, keeping it after the extremely unpleasant interview he’d had that day, in which shit had hit the fan, and hit it hard.
Instead, he was thinking about Natalie. Okay, maybe this was deflection, but he could use some of that. She was like a song he couldn’t get out of his head, always humming in the background, no matter where he was or what he was doing. This was new for him. He’d had a few crushes as a kid, been with a lot of women since he reached adulthood, but he’d never been this pre-occupied with one.
He thought about her, he remembered how it had been the last time they were together, he found himself smiling at things she’d said and done, beaming with pride at the way she’d submitted to him, right there with Dack and Trace in the room, watching her every move. As a sub, she was a treasure—just about perfect for him.
And although he might be the one in charge when they scened, even when they just fucked, she had him right in the palm of her slender, capable hand. And by the heart. He wanted her dream for her more than he wanted anything for himself right now.
She’d worked so hard, and invested all her money in her dream. Rambles had the potential to be a great bar, and a good moneymaker. He was doing all he could at the moment, and so were his friends. He hoped it would be enough. He’d have to make sure it was enough.
“Darling, whatever is the matter?” drawled a seductive voice in his ear.
Mase turned and looked up. Xander was in his signature black, this time skintight leather pants and vest, his hair pulled back in a tail, his makeup minimal.
“Hey, X.” For once, Mase couldn’t even think of any of the smart-ass remarks he and the other Dom so enjoyed exchanging.
“You look like someone told you never to bare your big cock here again,” Xander observed. “But since I’m sure that’s not true, tell Brother X why you’re wearing such a long face.”
Mase snorted, and rubbed a hand over his face. “Just personal shit.”
“Does it have anything to do with a certain peach-skinned blonde sub?”
Mase guessed it wasn’t worth denying. “Yeah. Hell, you were there the other night. You saw how those assholes treated her. She’s working her pretty ass off to make a go of that place, but with that crowd against her, it’s an uphill battle.”
“Those bozos.” X dismissed the group with a wave of his hand. “They think they’re still in high school, like Natalie’s friend said. So what if they don’t patronize the place? It’s in reach of two major cities. Vancouver and Portland are full of beer drinkers.”
Mase shook his head, and told him about Blues & Brews, and the publicity it guaranteed for Ridge businesses.
“They’ve locked her out of that along with all their other shit? Damn, that is low. Those events are golden.” Xander sipped his drink. Then he leaned back in his chair, tipping it onto the back legs, and regarded Mase from under his heavily mascaraed lashes.
“You know, I like Natalie,” he said. “And I like how you are with her.”
Mase looked at him, touched. “Well ... thanks.”
Xander shrugged, and a crafty gleam lit his dark eyes. “You know that money I owe you?”
“Yeah?” Since Xander had just been bitching about his lack of a steady job the day before, Mase didn’t expect to see the money any time soon.
“If I could get the late husband’s sister off your sub’s back, could we consider that payment?”
Mase stared at him, his mind nearly exploding with the possibilities of how the exuberant cross-dressing Dom might ‘persuade’ Cassidy to back off. He raised both hands, palms out and shook his head. He didn’t even wanna go there. “Wait, wait, man. What are you thinking?”
Xander smiled. It was not a nice smile. “I’m thinking I employ my seductive powers—which we all know are legend—to dissuade, ah, Cassidy? You said her name was Cassidy? Yeah, to dissuade her from bothering Natalie anymore. Maybe I can even get her to call off her obnoxious twat of a boyfriend.”
“Holy shit,” Mase said. “You’re willing to prostitute yourself for money?”
“Pretty much,” Xander said.
In spite of his foul mood, Mase laughed. “Christ, X, that is a new low, even for you.”
Xander winked, not at all insulted. “Hey, I saw the woman in action. Ms. Cassidy’s a bitch, but she’s hot.”
Mase groaned. “Oh, God, please don’t tell me anymore. I don’t want anything to happen to Cassidy. I just want her off my woman’s back. So if you have to dress up as Xania and become her best friend, do it. But don’t even think about seducing and humiliating her, or any shit like that.”
X made a ruminative sound. “I get it. You’re a lawman. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything ... too bad.”
Mase sighed heavily. “That’s what I’m worried about, man. When your idea of a date is slapping ‘em and cracking ‘em, your idea of ‘too bad’ may be a little skewed.”
“That’s why my subs ‘date me’, as you so poetically put it,” Xander said. “Because I’m skewed. I won’t do anything that might blow back on you.”
As Mase glared, the handsome Dom raised his hands placatingly. “Or anything that will hurt or otherwise endanger this Cassidy. For God’s sake, just trust me on this one, Mase. Whatever you may think of me, I am not into coercion. My subs are willing all the way. All the way.”
“I hear you. But, really,” Mase said. “Forget the whole thing. Keep the money, I don’t need it.” Not like he had it to burn, but no sense worrying about a loan to a friend. “Cassidy’s causing trouble, but from what I’ve seen lately she’s ... fragile emotionally. Nat says she depended on Tony too much, was lost when he died. I don’t want anyone pushing her toward the edge.”
Xander rose. “All right,” he said mildly. “I hear you too. You’re a good man, you know that, Mase? And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a sub arriving soon. I must go and heat the wax. It’s going to be a hot time tonight.”
He sauntered away toward the stairs, his black satin equipment bag over his shoulder.
Mase drained his glass and set it down. “Hey,” he called after Xander. “Maybe you could work on Buzz Allen. He has that look of homophobic rage, y’know, like secretly he’s attracted to drag queens and hates himself for it?”
Xander turned to stare down his nose at Mase with a hauteur only a queen could summon.
“I’ve seen him too,” he said. “And the answer is no. Hell to-the-fuck, no. Body aside, he has the eyes of a mean little boy.”
Mase grinned as his friend stalked off, narrow hips twitching. He imagined Xander plying his sadism on Buzz Allen’s chunky body, and winced. Now there was a mental image he did not need.
* * *
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND
Nicki Belt did not like her boss. Buzz Allen had mean eyes, a fake laugh and wandering hands. She’d armored herself thus far in her job as chamber receptionist with careful politeness and the knowledge that Buzz knew her dad and brothers would be on him in a heartbeat if she complained about inappropriate behavior.
But she couldn’t do anything about the way he treated other people. Like the owner of Rambles. Nicki had been all ready to hand over the paperwork and sign Natalie Cusco up for the fall festival when Buzz bulldozed his way in and shut that down.
Nicki didn’t believe his version of events. She’d heard all the old gossip, sure, but she’d had experience with a cheating boyfriend herself and she’d sent him on his way with his ears ringing. From what she’d heard, this Natalie had had good reason to leave her cheating excuse for a husband, and while it was really sad he’d driven his pickup into the river, it was more like the refrain of an old country song than reality, and Nicki was not a country fan, even if Blake Shelton was the hottest guy ever.
On this lazy, hot Friday afternoon in late August, Nicki was tidying up her desk and counting the moments until she could walk out the door and start her weekend. Nedra Farr, the chamber president, had just left after a tense consultation with Buzz during which Nicki had taken notes and refrained heroically from rolling her eyes each time the two wrangled over some crappy little detail of the fall festival.
Now Buzz was sulking in his office, no doubt plotting more evil, and Nicki was bored.
When the tall, hunky guy who looked like Gerard Butler and his girlfriend with the short platinum hair arrived, Nicki perked up right away. She did not usually get to speak with glam people like this, stuck here in the Ridge.
“Hey,” the guy said with a smile for Nicki. “We heard there’s a new bar up here somewhere, but we can’t find it. Rambles, wasn’t it, baby?” he asked the woman. He had one hand on her back, like he couldn’t stand to be so close and not touch her. It was hot and romantic.
The blonde nodded. “That’s it. It sounds so fun, you know.” She leaned over the counter, giving Nicki a friendly smile. “So do you have a map or something?”
Nicki opened her mouth to tell them they could map the location on their phones, when she heard Buzz walking out of his office behind her.
“Howdy,” he called in that fake-ass friendly voice that made her teeth grind. “You folks are looking for a drink, we have some places right here in town.”
The blonde shook her head. “No, we want to find the new place.”
Buzz shook his head, while Nicki pondered just pounding her head on the counter. “Sorry to say, folks,” he said sadly, “but I’d stay clear of that place, if I were you. Hear they’ve been having some troubles getting the place running. Not the most pleasant experience for you all.”
Okay, that was it. “Excuse me,” Nicki murmured. She turned and hurried back into Buzz’s office, closed the door and made a phone call.
“Hello?” said Nedra, sounding surprised, as she would because although Nicki had her number, she’d never called Nedra before.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Nicki said. “But I really think you should hurry back to the chamber office. We have a situation in which River Ridge is not being shown in the best light, if you know what I mean.”
There was a short silence. Then Nedra spoke, her tone puzzled but alert. “Thank you, Nicki. I’m still in the parking lot. I’ll be right there.”
Nicki hurried back into the outer office to find the hunk scowling at Buzz with a look that said he’d like to use him for boxing practice. The blonde looked puzzled.
“Wow,” she said to Buzz. “I thought the chamber’s job was to help local businesses. You don’t seem very invested in that.”
The door behind them swung open, and Nedra walked in. She walked to the end of the counter, and gave them all a big, Realtor’s smile for the couple. “Hel-lo. I hope you’re getting help with whatever you came in for.”
“No,” the hunk said. “We’re not.”
Nicki stood back to watch the fun. She was not disappointed. Nedra went for the bait like a hungry salmon.
“A new bar,” Nedra said. “I was not aware. I’ve been busy with a big project north of town. Now, let’s get that location for you folks.”
She whipped out her tablet, and put her head together with the couple to locate the bar, and to admire the website with them.
“Thanks so much,” the blonde said to Nedra. “You’ve been so great. Now we can go and have a nice drink.”
“Yeah, thanks,” the man echoed in a voice that said whatever his lady wanted, he was going to give her, and spread his joy on all who aided in that. He winked at Nicki. “You all have a nice weekend, now.”
He directed another scowl at Buzz. “And, dude, you need to look for another line of work.”
They left in a rush of hot air from the swinging door. Nicki stood quietly to the side and watched as Nedra turned on Buzz, her eyes narrowed.
“There is a new bar and nightclub opening here in town and we’re doing nothing to support that?”
“Like I told the people, the owner is having some problems,” Buzz said. “Big ones. The place isn’t worth a damn, maybe never will be. I’m not steering customers there. It would be a disservice to the community.”
His pious tone made Nicki’s lip curl. Behind his back, she shook her head.
Nedra betrayed by not so much as an eyelash flicker that she’d seen this. She tightened her glare on Buzz.
“What are you up to?” she demanded in a low, hard voice. “And how much damage have you managed to do that I’m going to have to clean up?”
“Don’t you talk to me that way,” Buzz said, his face red. “Let’s not forget who I am.”
Nedra snorted. “Who your daddy is, you mean. You listen to me, Bradley Allen. I have known you since you were in diapers, and frankly, I liked you better then.”
She slapped her open hand on the counter, and Nicki jumped.
“You are a representative of the chamber,” Nedra went on. “I do not know, nor care to know what is behind this prejudice of yours, but it is not how we do business in River Ridge. And I want it stopped.”
“Or what?” Buzz demanded, sounding so much like a pouty little boy Nicki wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Nedra straightened. “We’ll discuss this at the next chamber meeting. By then I’ll have a better understanding of the matter. Now, Nicki, why don’t you go and have a nice weekend.”
“Sure,” Nicki agreed. She knew when to make herself scarce. She walked out of the office with a small, satisfied smile.
“Score,” she murmured to herself. Then she pulled out her phone and texted her best girls. “Want 2 hit new bar Sat nite?”