Page 4 of Minotaur Bar
“Hey, bossman!” Cash says as he strolls in for his shift. I nod, continuing to shine the glass I’m working on.
“You have a trainee tonight,” I say as he pauses and then looks at me full-on. He cocks his horns to the side, his brows furrowing as he slams a hand on the bar.
“What did I tell you, Havoc?!” he shouts, exasperated. I set off his white ear. Only the white one moves, always giving him away instantly.
“Not to think with my cock,” I answer him steadily.
“And?!” he replies, looking at me like I’m a fucking idiot.
“That’s exactly what I did,” I admit, shelving the glass. “You don’t understand. Just wait until she gets here.”
“I’m happily taken. But you better be open to my honest opinion on whether or not she can hack it come the end of shift!” he says seriously as I nod.
“I promise. For real, Cash. I don’t want a liability in here,” I answer him as he rolls his eyes.
“Then you shouldn’t have hired the human,” he mutters angrily.
“As true as that probably is, let’s see how it goes for one night. You never know,” I say. Cash begins to cut up garnishes, the scent of lime permeating the air. Fuck, I love that smell.
“Whatever, bossman. I hope you haven’t fucked me over tonight,” he growls. He shakes his head, stewing in his anger, throwing limes into their spot in the container in front of him. “Fucking humans never last here.”
He may be right, but I’m willing to sacrifice one night to see if Tess can make it work. Something inside of me is deeply attracted to her. And I feel like she can handle it. If she could deal with me so effortlessly, I know she can at least learn to handle the rest of the patrons. But again, tonight’s trial will reveal it all and I owe it to Cash, who has been working his ass off extra hard, to be truthful with my thoughts on whether or not she’s a good fit.
I look at the minotaur, his black hair shining beneath the light. He’s got a patch of white beneath his chin that runs to his chest, with that one ear that's ivory to match. He’s younger than me, but a hell of a lot wiser. I appreciate him and don’t want to lose him due to me having the hots for some fucking human. I sigh.
“Cash,” I say quietly as he grunts in reply. I’ll take it. At least he’s listening. “I know it’s stupid to try and act like I don’t think this broad is beautiful. She is. And we both know I’m being a sucker for some ass.”
“That’s for damn sure,” he snorts. “But?”
“But know that if she really isn’t a good fit, this is over. Done. She will never step foot in my bar again.” Cash looks up and assesses my face for sincerity. He must find it, smirking before he waves me off.
“I trust you, bossman. And honestly, even though it’d be a miracle, it would be nice to have some fucking help,” he says, grabbing more limes. “Let’s hope it’s a win/win for us both.”
“Agreed. I can get behind that.” I grab some oranges and lemons, helping him prep. “She’ll be here at nine.”
“Cool.”
Tess:
I’m sitting in my car in front of the bar, watching the bulls pour into its doors. Massive bodies and sets of horns fill my vision, the clock steadily ticking forward as my heart races quickly. Now that I’m here and getting a glimpse of what to expect inside, I think I’m a fucking dumbass for being so confident in myself. These minotaurs are huge. I’ve never seen so many of them in one place and it makes me increasingly aware of our size difference. I’mtinycompared to them. They’d squash me without giving it a second thought.
I don’t want to be late. The clock says it’s fifteen minutes before I’m supposed to arrive, so I take off my seatbelt and give myself an internal pep talk. Inhaling deeply, I open the car door and hop out, locking it behind me. I step out from where I’m parked and almost collide with a group of bulls ambling towards the entrance.
“I think you’re lost, princess!” a hulking minotaur yells over my head, cackling deeply as his friends do the same. He’s large with one of the biggest sets of horns I’ve ever seen, jutting out over each shoulder and curving at the ends. His hide is a russet red with patches of white. He appears to be older, but I’ve always had trouble telling the age of minotaurs, as their hair covers normal signs of aging on humans.
“I’m right where I’m supposed to be, thank you,” I say with a bit of bite, making the male arch his brow. “Mind holding the door for me as we walk in together?”
“Uh, sure,” he says, taken aback by me asking for his help. He holds his hand out, ushering me forward with the motion.
“Thank you,” I say as I throw my red hair over my shoulder, whipping it back. When I peek behind me, they’re all exchangingglances. “Y’all coming?” I ask as they trip over themselves to follow me in. I smile to myself. Even minotaur males like to feel useful, much like humans. Multiple hands reach out to grab the door. The bull with the biggest horns reaches it first and pushes the others out of the way with his bulk.
“She asked me!” he grunts territorially, swinging the door open and looking at me with softer eyes than he was giving his friends. “After you, miss.”
“What a gentleman,” I coo, batting my lashes and making the big bull swoon. “Thanks boys,” I call behind me as I walk to the bar and they all follow me like the lost puppies they are.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“No, I’m buying her a drink!”
