Page 15 of SEAL's Sky
“Umm, what is the usual?” Knowing if she ordered her usual, he’d know she was Jen or at least be suspicious she’d be happy to have it any way he made it.
“Lettuce, tomato, cheddar, pickles, banana peppers, bacon, and my special sauce?”
“Special, hunh? Are you sure you’re not McDonald’s?”
“Positive, my sauce is so special no one else has the recipe.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a go.”
“You got it. Pam said she’d be behind the bar. I can have one of the servers bring it out to you if you want?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
What was that old adage, “no time like the present?”
Making her way out to the bar, Jen couldn’t believe the number of people. She’d bet they were close to capacity. Great for business, but her mom didn’t have enough staff scheduled to handle it. Stepping behind the bar, she smiled at her mom who looked relieved to see her. She wasn’t sure if it was for help or to know she was okay. Either way, it didn’t matter. It felt like old times when she’d tended bar during summer vacation once she’d turned twenty-one.
“Hi. What can I get you?” Jen asked one of the women waiting.
“A martini, extra dry, two olives and no ice. Oh, and Beefeater if you have it. You really need more people working here. I’ve been waiting for over five freaking minutes.”
“I’m sorry you had to wait. I’ll have that right up.” Rolling her eyes as she grabbed a martini glass and mixed the drink, she wondered why her mom loved the bar so much. People were freaking rude. The overdressed woman with perfectly coiffed hair was definitely not a regular.
Using a toothpick to stab two olives from the garnish tray, Jen dropped it into the glass and placed it in front of the snooty woman. “That’ll be five dollars.”
The woman didn’t answer, she just left a ten-dollar bill on the bar and walked away without waiting for her change. Did it mean she wanted to run a tab, or had she left the tip after bitching? Working in the bookstore was a lot easier and people were never rude.
Sandy brought Jen’s burger to her behind the bar, but it was too busy still for her to stop and eat. It took another fifteen minutes before they’d caught up and the place started to clear out a bit.
With her mouthwatering for the tasty burger, she grabbed the plate from near the register and turned around and caught a glimpse of her face in a reward poster on TV. Horrified, she dropped the plate with her burger and the crash seemed to echo in her brain.
Her mom was there a moment later. “It’s okay Jen, go to my office. I’ll pick this up and have Tony make you a new one.”
Jen couldn’t speak, not even to remind her mom that she’d used the wrong name. Horrified and shaking, she ducked out from behind the bar and closed herself in her mom’s office.
Chapter 7
“What the fuck?”
Murph heard Ryan but didn’t stop to answer or even acknowledge his question. Focused on one thing, he wove his way through the crowd as he kept his eye on Pam and Jen, or Sky, or whoever she really was, as they walked down the hallway. He needed to catch up before he lost sight of them. She might not want his help, but if his gut was on target like usual, she sure as hell needed it.
The door to Pam’s office was ajar as he approached and listened for a moment before knocking and entering. He had big brass balls going in without waiting for permission, but the fear on Sky’s face when she saw the TV was too much for him to ignore.
“Murph, now is definitely not a good time,” Pam said as he stepped into her office.
“But I figured out her secret and if I can, it’s sure as shit someone else will too.”
As his words sank in, Sky’s eyes grew wider and filled with unshed tears. “How is that possible? I hardly recognize myself,” she demanded.
“Jen, this is Murph, he’s one of the members of the Black Eagle Team. You know him.”
Pam calling her Jen cemented it for him. He’d been pretty sure she was her daughter, the one who’d worked at the bar in the summers. She was pretty and smart and not for him. Jen was a keeper, not a fuck and chuck.
“When I saw your face outside I knew you looked familiar. It just took me a bit to figure it out.”
“Damn, it’s not supposed to be like this. I just freaking got here,” she ranted.
“Easy, I’m not going to turn you in. For fuck’s sake, what kind of a man do you think I am?”
