016. JEALOUSY

Harry hated to admit it.

For someone so irritable as she was, Rory was good at her job.

He hadn't seen much of her the past week due to his time being consumed by other business ventures. But he heard the nightly reports from the staff that watched her that she was doing well and had started bringing in quite the flow of businesses. Customers at her other job only showed up for her. And without her there to serve them, due to the lower number of shifts she was now receiving, they were willing to go wherever she was. Which meant her customers were now regulars of NOWHERE.

From his spot on the second floor, Harry looked down at the sea of patrons, desperately trying to get her attention.

Pathetic, he thought to himself.

Either they were all too stupid to catch on to her tricks, or they were that desperate to order more rounds of drinks than necessary just for the chance to converse with her for a minute or two.

Men will do anything for a - highly unlikely - shot at some pussy.

Their desperation meant two things. 

One, they spent far more money, resulting in more cash flow at the bar, which helped the other businesses. 

And two, Harry had some entertainment. 

He found it amusing to watch how Rory perfectly played every one of them. She would smile and flirt her way through the orders, giving them a personal moment of undivided attention. But the moment she turned, the disgust would find a way to momentarily spread across her face.

Bambi was quite the actress.

Sipping his drink, Harry leaned his frame against the railing and watched her work. As Rory moved on to another table of men in suits, she followed her usual routine of smiling and flirting. When her attention moved to one of the men sitting at the end of the booth, Harry noticed how she lingered a bit longer with him - she wasn't sticking to her usual one to two minutes. And when she finally turned and walked off, her smile didn't fade.

That was odd.

"Enjoying the view?"

Harry turned his head to the side. "Just watching over the staff. Someone has got to keep an eye on them with the busy night we are having."

"Sure you are," Colson sarcastically muttered under his breath. He wanted to point out there was only one staff member in particular that Harry was watching but resisted the urge. "We have been making our way through the stuff we found."

"And?"

"We need to go in again."

"Why? You were in there far longer than we originally planned. Did you mess something up?"

Colson's jaw clenched at the accusation. "No. There was more shit than what we expected. You would know that but you don't want us to give you any updates."

"I want the complete picture. Not bullshit bits and pieces."

A moment of silence lingered, allowing Colson to collect himself. He didn't come to argue. "Kip got access to an older record of the building plans. There's been no work done to it in fifty years but the original copy was buried," Colson explained. "Something doesn't make sense. We need to go in again."

"Alright." Harry took a sip from his glass. "I will let you know."

Colson muffled his annoyed sigh, unable to understand Harry's obvious disinterest in the current situation. It was standard practice for him to want updates every step of the way. But now, it was like he had no desire to learn anything about it. At all.

Left alone once again, Harry returned his attention to the first floor. He noticed Rory at the bar, her attention occupied by a customer. But it wasn't any customer, it was the one she willingly spoke with longer than necessary not too long ago; the one who didn't cause her face to wash with disgust the moment she turned away.

An odd and unknown feeling spread through Harry's chest. And the longer the man lingered at the bar, the worse it became.

Draining the rest of his drink, Harry looked down at the empty glass in hand. He needed a refill. And suddenly, he concluded that the booze in his office would not suffice. What he needed was behind the bar on the first floor.

And that's exactly where he went.

Rory leaned closer to her customer, her eyes glued to something on his phone as the two had a quiet conversation.

"Oh, no way! I had no idea you were a fan!"

"My grandfather used to take me to games all the time. I loved it."

"Really? Well, uh, if you're interested, they will be in town next-"

Harry cleared his throat, earning a pissed-off expression from his employee for the interruption. "Last time I checked, Rory, there was a bar full of customers waiting to be served. Don't you think it would be wise to attend to their needs instead of being distracted at the bar?"

"Harry!" she hissed his name through a clenched jaw.

"If I'm not mistaken, that is part of your job. Is it not?"

Rory was mortified as she turned back to her friend. "Sorry," she muttered, forcing a sympathetic smile. "My boss isn't usually so up my ass about a one minute conversation."

"That's alright," he replied, pocketing his phone. "I shouldn't have distracted you on the job. I'll just, uh, get back to my seat."

She watched him walk off and back to his table. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she began working on the few drink orders she had, doing everything in her power to not acknowledge the lingering presence beside her.

"I'm surprised, Bambi. After all this talk about how good you are at your job," he took a step forward, "I never would have thought you would let yourself get distracted and take such interest in a finance douche."

"Are you jealous or something?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Great. Then if you're not jealous, why do you care?"

"I care what my employees do while on the floor. If you want to waste your time conning guys in suits like him, that's fine. But don't do it during your shift. There are plenty of tables waiting to be served."

"I'm not trying to-" she looked over her shoulder and dropped her voice to a whisper, "con him! I was having a normal conversation with him! I know it's an unknown concept for your little robot brain to handle but people have those sometimes." Pulling out a cloth, Rory wiped down the bar. "You realize this is how I work every single time, right?"

"Clearly I should have been watching your performance more closely then."

The two hadn't been around each other since their date night - more specifically, since their kiss. And while that kiss had been the last thing Rory let herself think about, it was constantly on Harry's mind. Playing on repeat in a torturous loop.

Seeing her now, worked up in a fiery state of passion, reminded Harry of why he was so intrigued by the vixen in the first place.

She was a challenge; unreadable.

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Rory looked over her shoulder. "I'm taking my break, Big Mike."

"Slacking on the job already?"

"What are you going to do about it? Fire me?" she asked with a laugh. "Besides, you sufficiently annoyed me enough to the point of needing a smoke. So, unless you want a pissed-off bartender serving and ruining your chances of actually making a profit tonight, I suggest you step aside."

Brushing past him, she disappeared behind the exit door. It wasn't long until the door creaked open again and her head popped through, a cigarette dangling from her lips.

"Got a light? Mine's busted."

He could have simply tossed her the one in his back pocket. But instead, he found himself walking towards the door to join her. She was already on the phone by the time he stepped outside.

Damn - she moved quickly, he thought, helping her light up the end of her cancer stick.

He noticed the way her brow slightly furrowed when taking in her first drag and watched as she turned her head to the side with pursed lips to release the smoke.

Noticing that he was standing by with no intention of heading inside, she said, "You don't have to babysit me, you know."

"I'm making sure you don't go over your break."

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but was distracted by whatever was said to her on the other end of the call. "I have my stuff with me. I'll just change at work and meet you down there."

Harry took a step forward. "Is little Bambi going out tonight?"

Covering the speaker, her head cocked to the side. "Do I have to ask you permission for what I do after hours now, Boss?" Her attention was back to her phone, "Yeah, right," she scoffed. "The big bad boss man is in a pissy mood tonight. I highly doubt he will let me leave early, let alone want to go."

"Go where?"

Rory lowered her phone. "A place Benny's promoting tonight. He asked if you wanted to come out again."

Watching as she raised the cigarette to take a drag, Harry noticed something odd. Her cheeks flushed with colour and the corner of her mouth twitched into a nervous smile. "No, uh, we only got the chance to talk for a bit," she quietly said, "I don't know about that... I think it's a little too soon to ask him."

Harry cleared his throat. "I'll go."

Her eyes found their way back to him. "Where?" she mouthed.

"To the place Benny is promoting at or whatever you said."

"You want to come?"

Harry nodded.

"Actually, he said he wants to come," she said into her phone. "No, not him. Harry."

No. Not him. Harry.

He hated how that sounded.

No. Not him. Harry.

It made him sound like the second option.

No. Not him. Harry.

And if there was one thing Harry hated more than his ego bruised, it was coming second. Second was the first to lose.

Taking hold of the cigarette from between her lips, he took a hit of his own and tossed it onto the ground, rubbing out the half-used stick with the bottom of his shoe.

"Hey," she whined. "What did you do that for?"

He didn't give her an answer. Instead, he stepped toward her. 

Leaning closer to remove the remaining gap between them, he pressed his lips against hers. 

The small gasp she released from his action caused her lips to slightly part, making the perfect space for his tongue to slip through. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she bunched the material of his shirt as a moan escaped her. A beautiful sound to his ears. Cigarette smoke mixed with scotch - that's how their kiss tasted. Harry wanted more. He was craving more. Knowing he couldn't give in - at least, not at this particular moment - he regretfully pulled back.

Her breathing was rapid, her chest rising and falling at a quickened pace. The look across her face exposed the dazed thoughts she had running through her mind.

"Meet you out front at eleven?"

She nodded, unable to form any words. He caught a glimpse at her from over his shoulder as he reached the back door. That kiss had done a number on her, Harry could tell that easily just from the look in her eyes alone.

He liked the effect he had on her - although, it was obvious he didn't want to admit what she caused in him.

And as he watched her from his spot on the second floor, a pleasing realization came to mind.

Rory didn't spare another glance at the finance douche for the rest of the night. 

HAPPY MONDAY EVEN THO MONDAYS SUCK