Sanctuary { a javier peña fanfiction }

Chapter Two

He came in every day, sitting at that same barstool, flirting with her like he was fucking born to antagonize, not just women, but her specifically.

He was so fucking handsome it was almost upsetting. Those brown, puppy dog eyes offset by the sharpness of the rest of his features-- that strong, wide nose, the deep v between his eyebrows, the razor-sharp line of his jaw.

He was driving her fucking insane.

But... she didn't date. No, not after Robert. She was just lucky he hadn't shown his face in that bar for a while. But his absence was making her soft, making her think stupid, stupid thoughts, like, how good Javier's face would look peering up at her from between her thighs.

Goddammit, no, don't go there.

Still, she didn't have a hard rule against casual sex... but she did have one when it came to her customers. Fuck, none of it was fair.

"Bonita." Javier's voice snapped her out of a daze as he slid his empty glass across the bar. "Penny for your thoughts?" He asked, his head tilting slightly to the side as she grabbed the bottle of bourbon from the well-- she'd started keeping it there to fill his glass more easily after the third consecutive day that he came in.

Was just thinking about you running that smart tongue over my pussy, that's all.

"Just tired." She said, and it wasn't a lie. She hadn't slept much the night prior, or the one before that... the construction going on in the building next to her apartment started at the crack of dawn, which most certainly violated some kind of city ordinance.

"Going back and forth between the afternoon and closing shift will do that." Javier said, peering over his shoulder, out the door of the bar, where the sun was just beginning to dip down toward the horizon. It had taken him a week to learn her schedule and adjust his to match. Which certainly didn't align with his promise to himself to keep things casual between them.

"It isn't that." Emma shook her head as she slid his refilled glass toward him. "They're still hammering away at that building next to my apartment. Can't get any fucking sleep no matter what time I work."

Could come sleep in my bed... though I doubt we would get any rest there either...

"Sorry, chiquita... You could file a noise complaint." He suggested, wrapping his hand around his glass.

She scoffed, "All that would do is make the construction workers start threatening me rather than simply catcalling my ass every time I walk by."

His jaw twitched at her words, but he played it off, "Can't say I blame them." He shrugged, a sly smile occupying his plush lips.

She swatted at him with the rag she had been using to dry off the bar.

He chuckled, swallowing a good portion of that amber liquid. "Kidding." He said, holding his hands up in a display of mock innocence.

He liked when she worked the afternoon shift, he had more time to talk to her, more time to occupy the bulk of her attention. When she worked evenings, she was stressed, rushing around the bar, trying to do five jobs at one time, occasionally stopping to smoke a cigarette with him and complain about the college kids' choice in music that they blared from the jukebox in the corner, or Nick's wandering eyes. He tried to help her, though she rarely let him.

The one time she'd given in was on an especially crowded Saturday night. She was trying to serve ten different people at the bar at once when one of the college kids dropped his beer while trying to place it on the edge of the pool table.