The door opened and a guy who resembled a hairy bear walked in. He was more tattoo than skin. Brown hair covered his head and half his face. Lucky imagined it probably coated his chest as well. Even though Lucky recognized him by face, no name came to mind. He was a regular at Road Clan, but they had never spoken. He smiled when he caught sight of Lucky behind the bar. He had a great smile. It was sweet—like someone could climb into the guy’s lap and get read a bedtime story.
“Hey, there. Where’s Damon this morning?”
“He had a few errands to run. What can I get you?”
The guy settled onto a barstool before he answered. “Miller.”
Damon eyed the counter. They had things on tap and in the fridge. There was a possibility he wouldn’t be that great at this. “Glass or bottle?”
“Glass. Your name is Lucky, right?”
Lucky nodded as he filled the glass.
The guy kept talking. “I’ve seen you in a few television shows. I’m Zeppelin. Everyone calls me Zep.”
Of course he was. “You look like a Zeppelin.” Lucky set the drink on the bar. “What do you do for a living, Zep?”
“I’m a doula.”
Lucky blinked. Of all the things in the world he expected Zep to do, delivering babies didn’t even rank. “That’s amazing. Do you enjoy it?”
Zep beamed. “I love it. Of course, I’ve always loved babies and new life is miraculous.”
Lucky found himself leaning his elbows on the bar and hanging on every word Zep spoke. He was soft-spoken and animated. Lucky completely understood why a woman would choose him to bring their baby into the world. Zep was intelligent as hell and Lucky lost track of time listening to him talk. He was so engrossed in Zep’s stories that he startled when Damon materialized behind him, having slipped inside the bar from the storeroom.
Lucky tried to hide the way his hands shook from being sneaked up on from behind. He had a bit of PTSD from his childhood... and his adulthood.
Damon set his hand on Lucky’s shoulder and massaged. He kept his gaze locked on Zep. “Hey there, Zep. Are you having a good day so far?”
Zep never stopped smiling. “Yep. I was just telling Lucky that I delivered two babies last night.”
“You’re amazing.” Damon finally focused on Lucky. His blue gaze stirred butterflies in Lucky’s gut unexpectedly. Lucky didn’t know if it was still his bad nerves or something more. “Run upstairs and put away the things I bought, please.”
Without thought, Lucky headed for the stairs inside the storeroom before it hit him that upstairs was the apartment. His steps faltered. Surely Damon hadn’t spent the morning buying the stuff on that list. That was insane. Lucky found himself jogging up the stairs. As soon as he came through the door, he spotted bags upon bags scattered on the entire living room floor. His throat swelled as he crossed the room. He hadn’t thought Damon had been serious about grabbing the stuff Lucky needed.
Lucky started unloading the bags. He found everything on his list along with things he hadn’t considered but definitely needed. During one of his many passes around the bar as he carried things from the living room to the kitchen, he spotted a note on the countertop. Lucky picked up the scratchpad.
Lucky,
The apartment is $400 a month, if you’d like to stay. There’s no need to pay a deposit or utilities. I know you won’t destroy the place and the bar needs water and lights. You’re no extra burden. While I realize that sounds cheap, you’ll be living above a bar, so there’s some noise involved in that. It’s not like I could rent the place out to a stranger. Plus, having you there is like an extra layer of security after hours. Think about it and let me know. You can stay this first month for free until you’re on your feet no matter what you decide.
—D.
Goddamn. Lucky had known Damon would let him crash for a few weeks because he always did. This was different. It was a fresh start. He didn’t know how to accept. Lucky couldn’t turn it down. He turned in a slow circle and inspected the tiny apartment with fresh eyes. The place was fully furnished since Tobin had married a millionaire. It came with a small TV and a comfortable brown couch. Lucky’s throat swelled again. It was his place. He wasn’t a guest or fucking anyone for a place to sleep. Lucky had a steady job and would pay rent. A pressure grew in his chest. It felt like pride. He could never thank Damon enough for this. All Lucky could do was be the best goddamn employee Damon ever had. Otherwise, Lucky had nothing to offer someone like Damon. Damon didn’t want him sexually. In fact, Lucky didn’t think Damon liked him at all, even as a friend. Lucky would have to change that last part. Everyone needed someone like Damon in their life. Lucky wanted to be the guy Damon needed in his. He could do it.
Three
Two months of Lucky helping out at the bar had Damon more rested than he had been in years. He had stopped coming in at the crack of dawn to clean up after nightshift and intercepting early morning deliveries. Lucky handled everything now, leaving Damon to sleep in before heading out to pick up coffee for them. Each day, when Damon showed up with a cup of Lucky’s favorite brew, Lucky would turn brighter. It was almost as if he relished seeing Damon. That fucked with Damon’s head more than he would admit, even under the threat of torture. Today was no different.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to greet your boss that way, but I’ll take it.” He passed Lucky his coffee. “Sorry I’m a little later than usual. The line at the coffee shop was around the block.”
“You don’t have to explain.” Lucky sipped the specialty coffee. His eyes fell closed. “Mmmm. Totally worth the wait.”
Damon’s mouth went dry as he watched Lucky’s orgasmic enjoyment of a drink. Lucky’s eyes opened. He caught Damon staring. Neither of them looked away. The past two months had been hell.
Damon forced himself to move along. “If you’ve got all the pre-opening things under control, I have some payroll shit to do in my office.”
Lucky set his coffee aside, as if determined to be all business. “Actually, there’s something wrong with one of the taps. Tommy left a note that it’s broken. I know nothing about any of that, so...”
Damon moved behind the bar and checked the tap with the sticky note attached. Lucky watched over his shoulder. His body heat seeped into Damon’s back. Damon pulled open the steel door beneath the taps and checked the hoses. “It’s just loose.” He retightened the hose and turned away. Lucky was still in his space.
Lucky motioned toward the cabinetry. “Do you mind showing me what you did? In case it happens again.”
Damon drew a steady breath and moved aside, making space for Lucky to stoop next to the hose. “Sure. Get down there and take a look. Tommy should’ve been able to do this too. It’s pretty simple. If the hoses aren’t tight enough, everything loses pressure.”
He watched as Lucky inspected the system, figuring everything out by himself.
From his knees, Lucky turned his face up toward Damon. “That seems simple enough.”
As Damon stared down the line of his body, he recognized his mistake. He liked the sight of Lucky on his knees way more than he ever wanted to admit. “Yeah. It’s an easy system to keep flowing.” Without thought, he helped Lucky to his feet. He held Lucky’s hand for longer than necessary. His thumb brushed over Lucky’s knuckles before his brain accepted what he had just done. Damon quickly stepped away. He tapped his knuckles on the bar. “Like I said, paperwork and all that. I’ll be in my office.”