Southern Charm

Chapter 7

JESSIE

A week later, Trace had been by the house about every day to help our family, which was terrific. I could also open the bar up each night and make more profit to go towards bills.

Tonight, I opened Rowdy's up around six o'clock, and the people were happy to start drinking earlier than usual. Sometimes, the bar opened at four or five. Today was a little later, but that was okay because I'd stay open longer.

Trace, Bailey, and Dane all joined me at the bar. Of course, I was working, and they were drinking. They were there to keep me company even though I had a lot of regular customers that I talked to. Some new ones, too.

"Hey Jess, will you open a beer and slide it down here for me?" Dane asked, sitting on the end bar stool of my bar.

"Sure thing," I said. The beer slid down the bar, and Dane caught it with his right hand just before it hit the ground. "Careful now, or I'll make you clean it up. Any other requests?"

"Gin and Tonic!" Bailey shouted. I laughed because it was her favorite thing to order aside from shots of vodka. I fixed her drink and slid it to her even though she was directly in front of me.

"I'll take a whiskey," Trace said. Somehow, I knew that was what he would order. He did last time, and Trace seemed like a whiskey guy. I fixed his drink and slid it to him.

"Hey, can I get a round of shots over here?" A customer yelled from across the bar. I was down a bartender tonight, and that was my friend Candace. She usually stepped in to help when things were hectic, but I let her have the night off because it was her anniversary with her boyfriend, Milo.

"One second!" I called out. I finished serving the drinks to the people in front of me and then walked down to the opposite side of the bar to take those customer orders. I ended up fixing eight vodka shots for the first round and eight tequila shots for the second. I didn't know who would pay that tab at the night's end, but I hoped they had some money.

As I finished dropping off the last round of shots at the table, someone behind me bumped into me, making me fall forward into someone else who caught me. "You okay?" I glanced up and saw a handsome man in his early thirties.

I nodded. "Thank you for not letting me face plant to the floor. It's a little bit crazy in here tonight," I said. I removed my grip from the man's arms and smiled.

"I'm Andrew; why don't you let me buy you a drink?" Andrew asked.

I chuckled. "While I appreciate the offer, I'll have to pass. I'm in the middle of working." I picked up the tray I had dropped when Andrew grabbed my wrist. "Um, can you let go?"

Andrew's eyes suddenly turned dark. "It's just one drink, and this is a bar. Is it such a problem to stop what you're doing and chat with me?'

"Yes, it is because this is my bar, and I will not run it while intoxicated, not even the slightest bit. I have customers to tend to." I tried to jerk my hand back, but Andrews's grip was more potent. "Let go!" I shouted. My voice was loud throughout all the other noise, and I could see it caught Dane and Trace's attention. Then, in the blink of an eye, Andrew was knocked out cold in the middle of my bar floor.

"You alright?" Dane and Trace asked. They glanced at each other and then back at me. Andrew lay on the floor still, where he could stay until he woke up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for sucker-punching him in the jaw. Jerk wanted me to stop working to have a drink with him. I'm too busy for that crap."

"Anytime," Dane said. He examined his fist from where he punched the guy, and it was read. "Can I trouble you for some ice?"