Ashton

"Listen to me, you dumb fuck. I'm usually just annoyed at how stupid you are, but at the end of the day, it's your life. You know, why do I fucking care? But when you try messing with mine? Now we really have a problem."

Living with Stacy's roommate? Ha. Kevin had lost his mind. I spit on the ground behind the nightclub as he yapped on the other line.

"Sorry, man. I just didn't wanna leave you hangin' last minute with me moving out. You feel me? Plus, I feel so bad, bro. This girl has nowhere to go, man. She's literally homeless."

Oh. So Stacy was more of a cunt than I thought. I scoffed.

"Then you shouldn't move in until she finds a new place, should you? What the hell are you doing, man? Come on, this is embarrassing."

What was wrong with people nowadays? All they cared about was their own benefit. Then they wondered why they were so depressed.

"I can't." Kevin whined.

"Yeah, 'cause Stacy has you by the balls, doesn't she? If you even fucking have them." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Okay, listen. We're done here. Do me a favor? Don't come home tonight, alright? I might break your face and you just got engaged..."

I wasn't a total dickhead. Deep inside, Kevin was a good guy. He was just insanely dumb. Maybe he was dropped on his head or his mom smoked while pregnant, I don't know. But it didn't give him the right to be selfish and hurt others.

"Okay, no worries. I won't—"

I hung up and headed back to the bar. It was past midnight, so the space was cramped. Vicky smirked at me behind a tray of glasses, sticking her ass out as she served the VIP. On the right side of the bar were my regular patrons enjoying their whiskey, on the left was a bachelorette party apparently giggling for attention.

One or two of them were sort of hot, I guess. But was I down for those games tonight? No, thanks.

Sure, sometimes it was fun. But I wasn't in the mood for that shit: the ego stroking and fake talk. My cup was full after that wonderful phone call with Kevin. The last thing I needed was to be around a chick who would remind me of Stacy or the roommate I didn't even know she had.

An approaching girl with honey-brown locks sat next to the bachelorette party. At first, I thought she was one of them, but no. She just stayed on her phone like she wanted to go unnoticed.

When they laughed, she looked up at them and my eyebrows shot up. Well, well, well. She was actually pretty cute. She had a really petite face with small features. Small nose, small lips, small cheeks. Except she had these big eyes and long eyelashes, so when she blinked really fast, I had to look away to not burst out laughing. She looked like a God damn cartoon character.

As she focused her gaze back on her phone, I lowered mine to the rest of her body. She was in a sexy little white top and her breasts were a perfect handful. Her arms and shoulders were so delicate, like she needed protection.

She probably didn't, but it didn't stop me from thinking it. It also didn't stop me from thinking that if this girl had a boyfriend, he needed to be disciplined. Where was that idiot? Fuckers like me wouldn't hesitate to earn her attention.

"Can we get five tequila shots with salt and lime?" The tiara with 'fuck me' eyes asked.

"Sure, anything else?" I was already pouring it as I slid along a bowl of lime and salt. The lonely girl was still deep in her phone, but there was no way she couldn't hear us.

"Yeah, actually." The soon-to-be bride smirked. "Are you doing anything after work?"

Seriously? Do I look fucking interested to you?

To my pleasant surprise, the girl looked up at me and unlike the come-hither gaze from cake face over here, she had light brown eyes like a lost baby deer. I blurted out whatever came to mind.

"I don't know. Are we?"

It was too dark to tell if she blushed, but her eyes rounded even more and her mouth fell open.

"She's my girlfriend." I pointed my chin, turning back to the bride. I handed her the tab so she could sign and fuck off. "Anyway, congratulations on your wedding. Good luck." To your husband.

"Oh, thanks." She still gave me a suggestive look as she slid off the chair with the rest of her friends. "Bye, sorry about that." She wiggled her fingers at the girl who was still gaping.

"Ugh, I'm really sorry." I grabbed the tab and turned it toward her. "At least she left a nice tip, huh? Can I get you anything to drink? On me for bothering you."

Her lips formed different letters but none of them made it out of her mouth. Then she word vomited, looking down at her screen.

"No, thank you, I'm good. I don't want anything."

"Well, that's a first." I laughed, wiping the counter tops. "You waiting for someone?"

"Me? Oh, no. I'm just killing time." She suddenly gasped like she realized something and jumped off the stool, tucking it back in. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm totally taking up this spot. Somebody else should sit here, right? Otherwise you're not going to make any money."

"What?" I furrowed my brows. Why did she care whether I made money?

"Of course! It's all about tips. My God, I'm so stupid⁠—" She was talking to herself at this point and turning around to leave.

"Whoa! Excuse me? Come back here." I pointed my chin down at the wooden bar top. "Who said you're taking up this spot? Sit."

"No, it's fine." She turned her face to the side, a wrinkle etching between her brows. She was like an angry kitten. Her voice wasn't even icy enough for me to believe she wanted me to fuck off. It was soft and feminine, and a little bit needy.

"Please, come back here?" I smiled, leaning my forearms on the counter. I opened my hand and curled it at her. "Come."

She hesitated forward, folding her arms like a student in a classroom. Then she tapped her heel on the floor and looked away with indifference. As if she didn't just obey me right now.

"Are you single?" I asked.

"What?" Her stoic composure cracked.

"Are you single? You're really hot." I lowered my neck to her eye level, softening my voice since she seemed so nervous. "Beautiful, actually. I just didn't want to sound too cheesy."

"You think I'm—" She pointed at herself, then looked left and right, and leaned closer. "If this is one of those bartender tricks to earn more tips, I swear I would, because obviously you're so"—she circled her hand over my face—"and, of course"—she motioned over my body, then kissed her fingers like an Italian chef. "God's work, but I really can't. I'm super broke."

For the first time tonight, I genuinely laughed, and with it, a layer of annoyance melted off.

"Thank you, I'm very flattered." I highly doubted a taken girl would say something like that.

New patrons rounded the corner by the bar to order their drinks and I nodded in acknowledgment that I'd help them soon.

"Sit tight, I want you to think of something I can make for you. I'll be right back." I hoped to God she stayed put as I hurried to take their orders, whipping up five different kinds of drinks.

Took me maybe two and a half minutes. The pretty girl was still waiting for me, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face when I returned.

"What's your name, gorgeous?"

"Samantha..." She squinted like she was trying to figure me out. "Yours?"

"We'll see, won't we?"

I waited for it to sink in and from the shocked, angry look she gave me, I was not disappointed.

"Ashton." I chuckled, shaking her hand. I would've expected her nails to be manicured, but they were actually unpolished and short.

She pulled away self-consciously and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Did you decide what you want?" I asked.

"Water."

"Seriously? I think I could do better than that, come on. Give me a challenge."

"What are you, a dog?" She crossed her arms.

"Apparently." I chuckled. "Tell me what you want."

Her lips tugged into an annoyed smile. She didn't smell of perfume or body spray like women usually did at the club. The mystery made me inch closer like she was made out of a magnet.

"So?"

"Water."

I sighed and straightened up. "Fine, you want water? Coming right up."

She climbed back on the stool and rested her chin in her hand as she watched me get to work.

My boss was going to think I was an idiot if he saw me right now, but I had a girl to impress. I bent under the counter, pulled out a block of ice from the freezer, then set it on a cutting board.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked like I had grown two heads.

"What does it look like?" I picked up a saw and cut the block into a cube. This was reserved for a VIP experience and it always gathered a crowd. Usually people took their phones out to film a video, but I didn't pay anyone else attention.

Sam tried to mask that she was liking it, but as I scraped the sides with a knife and formed it into a diamond shape, she could no longer hold back her giddiness. The apples of her cheeks lifted like she wanted to giggle and she stared at the diamond ice like a kid at a birthday cake.

I put a black napkin under a glass of water, balanced the diamond over the narrow rim, then spun it as I slid it toward her so it would shimmer in the dark under the moving lights.

"Tada." I spread my arms. "Do I pass?"

"You sculpted ice with your bare hands, you definitely pass." She tapped the glass with her fingertips, looking down with a smile.

"Yes!" I fist pumped the air.

"Ashton!" My boss yelled behind me, scowling at my masterpiece. "Are you serious right now?"

"Alright, calm down." I waved him off, turning back to Sam. "Want to go out?"

"W-what?" She laughed.

Oh man, I had to tread carefully here otherwise I'd lose my shot. The patrons were pilling up left and right, demanding my attention. Any second now and they'd start to complain.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, it's getting really busy. I won't be able to stand here and talk to you."

"You don't have to?" She titled her head like I was mentally challenged.

"I want to, dumbass." I snapped, which just her laugh. Okay, so she was a dumbass. "I just made you a fucking diamond!"

She lost her shit, laughing behind her hands and I slowly started smiling like an idiot. What the hell? She was so easily entertained and all I was doing was just being myself.

"You're going out with me." I lifted my finger, whirling behind the bar. "Don't you dare move."

If she tried to run away, I'd just throw her over my shoulder. I didn't care, it was going to happen.

"Bye, Lenny. I'm leaving right now," I said to my boss on my way out.

"What? You're leaving right now?" The short man snapped, smelling like sweat and sausage.

"Jesus, get a deodorant, will ya? You'll make the customers throw up." I grabbed my black bomber jacket off a chair and put it on. "I had a shitty day, Lenny. If I stay, I'll beat someone up. It's too much headache."

He sighed. "When will you cool down, huh?" He studied me for a moment. "You good? Need any help?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

I rushed out to where Sam was waiting on the stool. She must've not expected me to come out, because she jolted and held onto her chest, rolling her eyes like I gave her a heart attack.

"I've never seen a bartender on this side..." She studied my lower half which was in black jeans and sneakers. I stood still, but inside I was itching to run my fingers over my rings.

"Yeah, well congratulations. It's your lucky day." I put my hand on her low back and nudged her to get off the stool. "Now let's get out of here."

"Whoa, whoa whoa. Wait a minute." She put her palms up and smiled. "Listen here, mister. I said you're attractive and I'm beyond flattered you're flirting with me or whatever this is." She squeezed her shoulders up to her ears. "But I'm not the type to sleep around, okay? Not because I don't want to! Nothing wrong with it, don't get me wrong. But I'm just...not bold enough for that kind of stuff. It'll bring me more problems, and honestly? I got so much of that already."

I looked her in the eyes. "The last thing I want is to create a problem for you. I'm just an upfront guy, I say what's on my mind. But I'll never disrespect you. I'm not that type of a guy."

Of course, she had no reason to believe me and I didn't expect her to. But she didn't scowl, she didn't laugh it off. She just gave me a hopeful look and that meant something to me.

"I guess, we can grab something to eat." I rubbed my jaw, thinking of what would be open around this time. "Yeah, let's go get something to eat. What are you in the mood for?"

"That's impossible. It's past midnight and I'm vegan. There's nothing op—"

"What?" I snapped. "No, you're fucking not. You're kidding me."

"I'm vegan." She giggled, checking if anyone noticed my outburst.

"Ugh, fucking great." Every place I knew and liked was useless now. I took a deep breath. "Okay, so what do you eat? Besides grass."

"You're so freakin' mean!" She lightly kicked my leg with her nude heel. The movement caused the slit of her peach-color silky skirt to open more, flashing a creamy thigh. 

"You're so fucking hot." I peeled my eyes away, running a hand through my hair. "Okay, please decide what you want. I need to distract myself."

She bit her thumbnail, watching me like I was a puzzle piece. "McDonald's."

"First you want water, now you want the cheapest food? What's wrong with you? Pick something expensive."

"They have the best fries!"

"No, they don't. You want fries? I'll make you the best fries in the world. You'll never want McDonald's again after you have mine."

"I swear, you're the cockiest guy on this planet." She crossed her arms, pushing her breasts up.

"No, I'm just honest. You can ask my little brother if I'm lying, he lives right next door."

"I'm not going to your apartment!" She laughed.

"You're still here?" My boss barked behind the bar, steam blowing out of his ears.

"Oh, crap. I forgot." I grabbed Sam's hand and helped her off. "Let's go, you're getting me in trouble."

~A/N~
God bless Ashton, hahaha I think he's my sassiest love interest so far xD

Thank you guys so much for reading!