Page 30 of Small Town Firsts
Stef typed on his handheld. “Grilled vegetables okay?”
“Works for me.”
“Cool. I’ll just go get your brew.”
“Thanks.”
Just as my server turned to go, the crash of glassware and the tinny thunk of a steel shaker hitting the patio tile had both of us swiveling our heads toward the bar.
“Idiot,” came the whispered growl from the server.
I pushed the table out of my way to get to Kira.
NINE
KIRA
WOULD YOU QUIT CARRYING ME?
“Back off.”
“C’mon. I saw how you were showing off for me. I just want a better perspective.” He leaned into the bar. Obviously he was standing on the footrest in front of the bar stools. One of the shot glasses tipped as lemon tinged water pooled on the gleaming teak.
I’d switched him to water two drinks ago and the moron couldn’t even tell.
The tequila-laced slur of his voice pissed me off. I’d come in for Mason to make a few extra bucks because I couldn’t settle after…well, just after whatever today was. There was only one man I was interested in checking out my tits, and it wasn’t this asshat.
His buddies were laughing uproariously, egging the taller bald guy on. I could feel all eyes on me and the scramble of stools and glasses scattering as the guy tried to hop onto the bar.
My shoulders wanted to hunch up at the spectacle we were obviously making. Distantly I heard the other bartenders trying to get to me, but the U-shaped bar was crowded and now glass shards and tequila were splattered all over the rubberized mats that usually kept us from slipping.
Kelly slipped and crashed her hip against the metal shelf behind the bar as she tried to push back one of the other guys who tried to come around the side. Which in turn caused a chain reaction behind the bar. My other bartender, Lisa, tried to save the bottles of liquor from hitting the floor.
I heard Mason’s roar from the back of the patio to try and break it up, but it seemed like everything was happening in slow motion. The drunk guy trying to cop a feel had no coordination—full-blown inebriation made him a wild card.
He crashed over the bar toward me and I had seconds to decide if I was going to rescue the idiot from breaking his neck or let him hit the floor.
“Fucking idiot,” I growled and grabbed his arm which took us both to the floor, with me under him.
His laugh was chaotic and brash as his long, ape-like arms came around me.
“Kira!”
Distantly, I recognized the voice, though it didn’t make sense to be here at the bar. But I was too busy flipping the drunk guy over and pinning his arms behind him as I landed a knee square into the middle of his back to keep him immobile.
My hair had fallen out of the messy bun I’d clipped it up into and curtained around my shoulders. All I could hear was yelling and the crash of the aftermath of the idiot knocking over the garnish station.
Cherries, lemons, and limes rained down on us as the drunk guy laughed hysterically.
“Holy shit, are you okay?” Kelly yelled from behind me.
I flipped back my hair to see Ronan standing at the other end of the bar.
I frowned. What the hell was he doing here?
He hustled forward, his eyes burning with malice.
“I’m fine—” I broke off as Mason came from the other side of the bar and an angry Viking came from the front. I glanced around to see where I could put my foot and not end up falling on my face.
