The Real Me (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 4) (4 page)

Chapter 4

Jax Overstreet was two hours into her Saturday night shift at Bing's when she noticed a guy she'd seen the night before. He was easy to recognize because he had a long beard, but the reason she took note of him was because she caught him staring at her constantly the night before.

She was relatively sure he
left with a girl, but that hadn't stopped him from looking at her. Bearded guy wasn't the first customer to make fancy eyes at her. She was used to it. She didn't think it was because she was extraordinarily pretty or anything. It was probably just because she had no interest at all in hooking up with a customer, and somehow that came across in the way they perceived her. There's something about a girl with no interest that makes guys inexplicably interested. She was approached by at least ten guys per shift with some pick-up line or another, and she figured her lack of interest was to blame for that. Guys could smell a challenge from halfway around the block, and they flocked to her section of the bar in an effort to try to be the one who could change her mind.

Anyway, this bearded guy had stared at her from further down the bar last night, and now here he was, sitting directly in front of her. He must have known the couple she'd been serving because he stood right next to them at the bar and started talking to them as
if they were friends. When he first walked up, they looked stunned to see him and they all had a big laugh about something. She assumed they were just surprised to see him. They must have invited him to stay at the bar with them because he got in there like he was planning on staying.

"What can I get ya?" she asked, putting a
coaster in front of the bearded guy. She had walked up while he was preoccupied talking to his friends, and he stopped to regard her when she asked. He stared at her for long enough that she thought he might not have heard her. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

He gave her an easy smile that made it obvious he was used to getting what he wants.
"I'll have an IPA in a bottle—doesn't matter what kind. Your choice."

She smiled and took off for the beer cooler. Jax grabbed a Green Flas
h IPA, opened it, and put it in front of Cam.

"Do you want to just open a tab?" she asked.

"Definitely," he said. He smiled at her, and she found it difficult for the slightest of seconds to take her eyes from him. "Who's playing tonight?" he asked.

"Easy A."

"Are they any good?"

She shrugged. "If you like that kind of thing."

"What kind of thing do you like?"

"I'm okay with anything as long as I can feel the beat. I'm not much on free jazz." She smiled and turned to help another customer.

Cam hated that she was so busy. He wanted her attention to be focused on him and felt frustrated that he was just another customer to her. Maybe a big tip would get her attention. He was tempted to put a few hundred-dollar bills on the bar in front of him in exchange for a few minutes of uninterrupted conversation with her. He watched her make drinks and interact with the customers. She poured, shook, stirred, and served like a pro.

Jason and Hannah were holding a conversation. Cam chimed in a couple of times, but mostly he just watched the girl he was so enamored with. There were a few other guys at the bar just like him, and she handled them all with the same level of indifference.

He couldn't take it any longer.

He raised his hand to be helped even though he still had half a beer left. She came to stand in front of him with a huge smile. "Another one?" she asked.

"Not really."

She gave him a curious cock of the head, but was still smiling. "What can I help you with, then?"

"Nothing really. I just wanted to call you over here."

"Well
, you'll have to put me to work or I'll be in big trouble."

He leaned over the bar
like he wanted to tell her something in private. "I'll tip you a hundred dollars right now to ignore everyone else for one minute and just stand here and talk to me."

Her gaze shifted around as if she thought
there might be a hidden camera somewhere.

"I'm serious. One minute." Cam reached in his pocket and took out a wad of cash. There was a hundred dollar bill on the outside of it, and he
peeled it off and passed it to her.

"One minute and no other strings attached?" she asked, looking
down at one of the digital clocks they kept under the bar.

"One minute."

She took the bill from under his hand and put it into her apron. Then she looked at him, wondering what he'd possibly say or ask. She stared into his blue eyes. His shaggy hair and beard made him look like a beach bum, and she found herself being drawn to him—drawn to the way he looked. The people he was standing with were talking to each other. It seemed like they might be purposely avoiding looking their way because they had hopes that their friend would be able to score with the bartender. She had to nip that in the bud.

"Before you say what you're gonna say, you should know that I never have nor will I ever date
a customer."

"I know. I heard that last night."

She gave him a relieved smile. "You sure you don't want your hundred dollars back?"

He stared at her for what must have been ten full seconds without responding.
Then finally one corner of his mouth rose in a wry grin that she could barely see under that mustache. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Why are you trying to front like you're a good girl? Jax is a bad girl's name."

She tilted her head and gave him a slightly disappointed expression. "It's short for Jacqueline." She glanced at the clock under the bar. "Minute's up," she said, faking a smile.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I take it back.
Jax is a good girl's name. Here." He took another hundred-dollar bill out of his pocket and threw it on the bar. "Is there anything I can do to make you give me a few minutes?"

She leaned over the bar. "I promise I'm not that great," she said conspiratorially. "You just think I am because
you heard that I don't date customers. Do yourself a favor and move on. There are a ton of beautiful ladies here tonight who are probably a lot more interesting than I am." She smiled like nothing had happened and used her fingertips to slide the second hundred-dollar bill back across the bar in his direction. Without a word, she walked off to help someone else.

"Oh, here we go." Jason said.

Cam looked at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"
I mean I already know how this is gonna end. You're gonna have her if it takes telling her who you are and putting on a concert to prove it."

Cam sat back on his barstool and took a sip from his bottle.

"I'll get her without all that."

Jason and Hannah both laughed.

"What?" Cam asked.

"
What, are you serious? You don't stand a chance as Luke or whatever your name was."

"It's Owen, and I'm totally gonna get her."

Jason shook his head and laughed under his breath as if Cam was delusional. "I'll bet you a grand she won't even give you the time of day."

Cam stuck out a hand. "I'll have a date with her before I leave here tonight."

Jason smiled and stuck out his hand. "That's the easiest money I've ever made."

"Don't go countin' it yet."

Jax was constantly moving. If she wasn't pouring a drink or speaking directly to a customer, she was putting away glasses or wiping the bar. She was like a smiling fireball—full of this attractive energy that teetered on the edge of flirting. Nothing at all like Mother Theresa. He watched her work, being careful not to come across as a stalker.

He was talking to Jason when she approached. There was a lull in the action at the bar, and Jax took
a second to stop moving. She put the bar towel down and leaned against the bar in front of Cam. She was breaking her own rule by doing that, but she was really attracted to the guy with the beard, and felt like giving in to the slightest temptation for once. She liked how he looked at her. It was like he was so certain with himself that she had no choice but to fall into play.

"You need another?" she asked. She glanced at Cam, but used her fist to push her chin to the side as if she was popping her neck.

"Quit trying to act like you came over here to ask me if I wanted another," he said. "You can see I still have more than half."

She looked at him with wide eyes, but he just returned it with that gorgeous, mischievous grin.

"You came over here to talk to me, and that's something that scares you."

She just stared at him in disbelief that he hit the nail on the head. Her first instinct was to lie, but she was a good girl to the bone and just gave him
a
yeah right
look instead of verbally denying it. Instead she looked at Hannah. "You know this guy?" she asked, throwing a thumb in the direction of Cam.

Hannah smirked and giggled. "
Depends on if he's behaving," she said.

Cam leaned between Hannah and Jax to draw Jax's attention. "Tell me where I can meet you besides here," Cam said. "I get it that you don't give your number to guys at work. I'm happy to meet you
at a boat show, or a restaurant, or a church, or community project or wherever you hang out other than here. I just need you to tell me where that place is."

She glanced over at Hannah and gestured to Cam. "What am I supposed to say to this?"
she asked.

Hannah laughed. "He's not accustomed to being told no, and he doesn't take it too well." Hannah knew a statement like that wouldn't give anything
away, but Cam still cut her the evil eye.

"What's your name anyway?" T
he question was out of Jax's mouth before she could reconsider asking.

Cam stuttered at first, but finally got it out. "C-Cole." He couldn’t bring himself to use Owen on her. Using his brother's name made him feel a little bit better about lying. He figured using an almost-true name made it only a half-lie.

"Cole what?"

"Huh?" he was
stunned
by the question, which made her laugh.

"Cole what? What's your last name Cole?"

"Bisset…Matthews. Bisset-Matthews."

"Oh, like hyphenated?"

"Yes."

Jax stared into his eyes wondering what it was about him that had her wanting to break all of her own rules.

Cam didn't like lying to her. He usually never had problems telling women what they wanted to hear, and he was pissed at himself for not keeping his cool as his bearded counterpart. Bisset-Matthews? Really? Thankfully, Jax didn't skip a beat.

"I like the name Cole,
" she said smiling. Cam actually felt jealous of his brother for a second, which caused him to shake his head absentmindedly.

"Why are you shaking your head?"

"I just can't believe you still haven't told me where I can run into you."

She laughed
, knowing he was just making that up. She gave him one last smile before turning to help another customer.

"Jax," he called. She put a finger into the air as if to tell him she'd be back.

Hannah cracked up laughing. "Why don't you just tell her who you are?" she asked. "It's obvious you'd do just about anything to have her, so why not just tell her the truth?"

"Because I can get her to like me for who I am."

Hannah gave him a sarcastic expression. "Cam Bishop
is
who you are."

"I know what he's saying," Jason said. "I can see the appeal in someone like Cam wanting to start from scratch with a girl."

"Exactly," Cam said. 

"She's coming," Hannah murmured from behind her glass.

Jax stopped in front of Cam and leaned on the bar.

"You keep coming over here." Cam noted.

"You're in my section."

"Yeah, but you don't stop like this in front of anyone else."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes I do."

He leaned closer and regarded her as if he wanted to eat her alive. "No you don't," he whispered.

She stared at him for a few long seconds before she looked over at his companions to see if they'd overheard. They either didn't hear or pretended not to.

"Let me
have the little note pad in your apron."

"What?"

"I need a piece of paper. I'm giving you my phone number." He held her gaze. "I want you to use it, okay?"

She shook her head in denial even though part of her really wanted to have his number. Another customer caught her eye and she was glad for the excuse. She started to walk away without handing him the tablet.

"Hey!" He snapped at her. Not like snapped verbally… he literally put his thumb and forefinger out in front of him and rubbed them together, causing a noise to crack in the air. She heard him and turned back with a look of confusion as if she couldn't fathom being snapped at. Cam didn't mean to be an asshole.  He just wasn't used to having such a hard time with women, and it was frustrating. She stopped in her tracks and doubled back to stand in front of him.