Bad Rep
Page 18
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He watched me as I smoked my cigarette. Finally I looked at him and arched my eyebrow. “Can I help you with something?” I asked snidely. Jordan smirked, as if amused by my bitchiness.
“Is this how it's going to be between us now?” he asked. I looked at him, refusing to drop my eyes. No sense in him seeing how much he had screwed with my head in the short time I had known him.
“Well, how do you expect me to act? I mean, it's not every day the guy you may or may not be interested in, asks you out, but conveniently forgets to inform you that he has a girlfriend. It puts a bit of damper on things, don't you think?”
Jordan raised his eyebrows at me and smiled. “May or may not be interested in, huh?” he teased and I could smack myself for my monumental slip up.
“It doesn't matter how I feel. This...” I gestured between us with my hand, “is off limits.” I finished, not liking how this conversation was going. Jordan looked down at the ground and kicked a rock.
“Why does it have to be off limits?” he asked quietly. It was my turn to smirk.
“Do you even need to ask?' I questioned in disbelief. How could he be so dense?
Jordan cleared his throat. “What if it wasn't? Off limits, I mean. What if...” He was cut off by the kitchen door opening and Jaz and Leo came out, immediately lighting up their cigarettes.
“Maysie, you just got sat,” Leo told me, taking my seat as I stood up.
Jordan got to his feet as well and he was still watching me as I picked up my lighter. It annoyed me that I was curious by what he had been about to say. What did he mean about not being off limits? I met Jordan's eyes again but dropped his gaze a second later. Without another word, I turned and went back to my section.
Chapter Five
I successfully avoided any further contact with Jordan for the rest of the night. I was proud of the fact that I had resisted the urge to check him out behind the bar. Which, was a feat unto itself because I hadn't been sure I was capable of such self-restraint.
The crowd in Barton's started to thicken as the night wore on. Devil's Stone started playing at 8:00. They were clearly a local favorite, though I didn't really enjoy their screaming rock. The noise volume was deafening and I was fighting a killer headache but my tips had been stellar! Jaz and I did a little happy dance as we stood waiting for drinks at the bar.
“I've made $250 already! And I still have another two hours on the clock!” Jaz yelled over the music. I grinned at her, pushing back my sweaty bangs.
“I know! I've made almost $300! It's insane!” Jaz gave me a pout.
“That's not fair. The new girl should not be getting more tips than me!” She tried to come across like she was teasing, but I knew her well enough to see the irritation on her face.
“Well, when you look like Maysie, guys will throw money at you.” Jordan said as he brought our drinks over to us. He smiled at me but I quickly looked away. Jaz did not like his comment at all. She huffed.
“Well, thanks Jordan. You sure do know how to make a girl feel good,” she sulked.
Jordan reached over the bar and squeezed her arm. “You know I think you're pretty, Jaz.” He grinned at her and Jaz instantly melted. She wore a goofy smile as she turned back to her tables. I rolled my eyes to try and cover the flash of jealousy I felt at the compliment Jordan had given her.
I yanked my tray off of the bar, my annoyance obvious. “Hey, Mays,” Jordan yelled from behind me. I grudgingly turned back around, my back straight and my face blank.
“Yeah?”
Jordan cocked his head to the side, his eyes burning into mine. “Jaz may be pretty, but you're f**king gorgeous,” he called out loud enough for me to hear over the thumping base of the band. He grinned at me and then he freaking winked. I hated and loved it when he did that.
I couldn't help but blush at his flirting. We held searing hot eye contact for what seemed like an eternity until someone called out Jordan's name and he turned away from me. Damn, he was going to be the death of me! How the hell was I going to stay disinterested and unaffected by him when he said shit like that? The obnoxious thing was he knew he got to me. Just like he knew he got to every girl he came into contact with. I hated like hell that I was just another chick in a long line of flirtations. It hurt and it sucked that it hurt.
I had to rein in the anger that reared up. I painted a happy smile on my face as I continued to tend to my tables. Things stayed steady while Devil's Stone played. I was able to forget about Jordan Levitt and his endless mind f**ks as I was lost in the Barton madness. And I was relieved when the band finished around 10:30. The lead singer's screaming was driving me nuts!
Fifteen minutes to 11, there was a ripple in the atmosphere. A noticeable elevation in mood around the restaurant as a group of three guys came in the front door, rolling amps and guitar cases. Tables had been moved back in the large dining area to create a make shift stage.
Jordan hopped over the bar and went up to the three guys, giving them a fist bump, guy hug thing. These must be the other members of Generation Rejects. I watched Jordan interact his band mates and could see the easy comradery between them.
Jaz stopped and saw what I was staring at. “The guy with the tattoo covering his head is Mitch. He moved to Bakersville a few years back. The guy with the long blond hair and guitar case is Garrett, he's a townie. Then there's Cole. He's the lead singer, though Jordan sings sometimes too. Cole is a bit of jack ass. He plays the whole lead singer thing up a bit. But they're all cool,” Jaz told me.
“Is this how it's going to be between us now?” he asked. I looked at him, refusing to drop my eyes. No sense in him seeing how much he had screwed with my head in the short time I had known him.
“Well, how do you expect me to act? I mean, it's not every day the guy you may or may not be interested in, asks you out, but conveniently forgets to inform you that he has a girlfriend. It puts a bit of damper on things, don't you think?”
Jordan raised his eyebrows at me and smiled. “May or may not be interested in, huh?” he teased and I could smack myself for my monumental slip up.
“It doesn't matter how I feel. This...” I gestured between us with my hand, “is off limits.” I finished, not liking how this conversation was going. Jordan looked down at the ground and kicked a rock.
“Why does it have to be off limits?” he asked quietly. It was my turn to smirk.
“Do you even need to ask?' I questioned in disbelief. How could he be so dense?
Jordan cleared his throat. “What if it wasn't? Off limits, I mean. What if...” He was cut off by the kitchen door opening and Jaz and Leo came out, immediately lighting up their cigarettes.
“Maysie, you just got sat,” Leo told me, taking my seat as I stood up.
Jordan got to his feet as well and he was still watching me as I picked up my lighter. It annoyed me that I was curious by what he had been about to say. What did he mean about not being off limits? I met Jordan's eyes again but dropped his gaze a second later. Without another word, I turned and went back to my section.
Chapter Five
I successfully avoided any further contact with Jordan for the rest of the night. I was proud of the fact that I had resisted the urge to check him out behind the bar. Which, was a feat unto itself because I hadn't been sure I was capable of such self-restraint.
The crowd in Barton's started to thicken as the night wore on. Devil's Stone started playing at 8:00. They were clearly a local favorite, though I didn't really enjoy their screaming rock. The noise volume was deafening and I was fighting a killer headache but my tips had been stellar! Jaz and I did a little happy dance as we stood waiting for drinks at the bar.
“I've made $250 already! And I still have another two hours on the clock!” Jaz yelled over the music. I grinned at her, pushing back my sweaty bangs.
“I know! I've made almost $300! It's insane!” Jaz gave me a pout.
“That's not fair. The new girl should not be getting more tips than me!” She tried to come across like she was teasing, but I knew her well enough to see the irritation on her face.
“Well, when you look like Maysie, guys will throw money at you.” Jordan said as he brought our drinks over to us. He smiled at me but I quickly looked away. Jaz did not like his comment at all. She huffed.
“Well, thanks Jordan. You sure do know how to make a girl feel good,” she sulked.
Jordan reached over the bar and squeezed her arm. “You know I think you're pretty, Jaz.” He grinned at her and Jaz instantly melted. She wore a goofy smile as she turned back to her tables. I rolled my eyes to try and cover the flash of jealousy I felt at the compliment Jordan had given her.
I yanked my tray off of the bar, my annoyance obvious. “Hey, Mays,” Jordan yelled from behind me. I grudgingly turned back around, my back straight and my face blank.
“Yeah?”
Jordan cocked his head to the side, his eyes burning into mine. “Jaz may be pretty, but you're f**king gorgeous,” he called out loud enough for me to hear over the thumping base of the band. He grinned at me and then he freaking winked. I hated and loved it when he did that.
I couldn't help but blush at his flirting. We held searing hot eye contact for what seemed like an eternity until someone called out Jordan's name and he turned away from me. Damn, he was going to be the death of me! How the hell was I going to stay disinterested and unaffected by him when he said shit like that? The obnoxious thing was he knew he got to me. Just like he knew he got to every girl he came into contact with. I hated like hell that I was just another chick in a long line of flirtations. It hurt and it sucked that it hurt.
I had to rein in the anger that reared up. I painted a happy smile on my face as I continued to tend to my tables. Things stayed steady while Devil's Stone played. I was able to forget about Jordan Levitt and his endless mind f**ks as I was lost in the Barton madness. And I was relieved when the band finished around 10:30. The lead singer's screaming was driving me nuts!
Fifteen minutes to 11, there was a ripple in the atmosphere. A noticeable elevation in mood around the restaurant as a group of three guys came in the front door, rolling amps and guitar cases. Tables had been moved back in the large dining area to create a make shift stage.
Jordan hopped over the bar and went up to the three guys, giving them a fist bump, guy hug thing. These must be the other members of Generation Rejects. I watched Jordan interact his band mates and could see the easy comradery between them.
Jaz stopped and saw what I was staring at. “The guy with the tattoo covering his head is Mitch. He moved to Bakersville a few years back. The guy with the long blond hair and guitar case is Garrett, he's a townie. Then there's Cole. He's the lead singer, though Jordan sings sometimes too. Cole is a bit of jack ass. He plays the whole lead singer thing up a bit. But they're all cool,” Jaz told me.
