Three

Mike was a tall, grizzly, bear of a man. He owned the bar & grill and was -- for the most part -- friendly towards Eliza. She could tell he secretly had the hots for her but knew she would never give him the time of day. So, he focused his "needs" on the other waitress, Amy. Eliza knew that Amy was sleeping with him and it made her want to hurl. The man had a long grey beard, three chins, and a stomach the size of two beach balls. Just picturing Amy lifting his belly fat to "find" anything had her dry heaving the first time she realized what was going on. She wouldn't have suspected anything but she caught them together at the bar one night, groping each other, when they were supposed to be stocking and counting inventory in the back.

Ever since then, she hadn't looked at Amy the same. But regardless of her personal thoughts towards the woman, she had to pretend to get along with her while at work. It was the proper business thing to do.

Eliza hated the fact that it was only Amy and her who did the cooking, cleaning, and serving the majority of the time. Because of Mike's weight, he had trouble handling anything more than the easy behind-the-counter work. The bar & grill was a big place and was swarming with hungry drunks every night. That's why Eliza's eyes lit up when Mike told her that he was hiring a new employee.

His name was Charles Reynolds. When Eliza caught the first glimpse of him one bustling night at work, her heart raced wildly. He was a breath-taking man. Tall, with shaggy brown hair and caramel eyes. He had a muscular build and was well tanned. She couldn't help but blush when Mike introduced him to her. He would be cooking mostly and helping out behind the counter. Eliza didn't mind. She was happy to be relieved of the kitchen duties for once.

Charles followed her around for the majority of his first night at work. If it were anyone else, Eliza would have told that person to kick rocks. But for some reason she was intrigued by this man. His deep voice gave her chills and his eyes were menacing to a stranger.

It was nearing two a.m. and the bar & grill was preparing to close for the night. There were a few people left who were finishing their drinks and paying their tabs. Eliza busied herself wiping down tables as Charles followed beside her, collecting any loose trash on the ground with a broom and handheld dustpan.

Eliza tossed a glance at him and smirked as she began scrubbing the last table. "So what made you decide to work here?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.

Charles looked over his shoulder to make sure she was the only one listening, and then spoke. "He's my uncle," he nodded his head in Mike's direction.

Eliza coughed back a laugh and nodded, wondering how on earth two men so opposite in appearance could be related. "I see," she said softly, inspecting the table to make sure she didn't miss any spots.

She tossed her long black ponytail over her shoulder and watched Charles as he finished sweeping. She folded her arms over her chest and snickered. "So, Mike has you doing the dirty work around this place?"

Charles raised an eyebrow as his lips curved upward in one corner of his mouth. "I suppose he does," he stopped cleaning and held up his wrist, studying the silver watch he was wearing. "Looks like I'm done for the night though," he smiled at Eliza, sending chills up her spine. "Thank you for showing me the ropes in this place."

Eliza nodded, smiling back. "Anytime. If there's anything else you need me to show you, just let me know. I'm very experienced." As soon as the words escaped her lips her cheeks flushed. She hadn't meant for it to come out the way it sounded.

Charles raised both eyebrows this time, still smiling. "Well, there are a few things I need shown to me. Like, for starters, where a decent place to hang out in this town is."

He followed her to the small walk-in sized closet behind the kitchen as she put away her cleaning supplies and grabbed her personal belongings. "Well," she said, biting her lower lip in thought. "I could take you out and show you around. I take it you're not from here, then?" Her eyes met his as he stood leaning against the wall, watching her.

"No, I'm not." He rubbed the bottom of his chin with his hand, flashing her that charming smile that she was slowly becoming addicted to.

Eliza grabbed her purse and closed the door to the closet. "So, when would you like to go?"

"Do you have any plans tonight?"

Her eyes widened. "No, but it's late. Are you sure?"

"I like the night life," he said, shifting from one leg to the other.

She nodded. "So are we taking your car or mine?"

Charles laughed as if she'd just told the funniest joke ever. He grabbed her arm and escorted her outside. "We'll take mine." He pointed to a gorgeous black Mustang parked next to Mike's truck.

Eliza admired the car before climbing into the passenger's seat. She sank into the leather comfortably and waited for him to start the engine.

"Where to?" He asked.

"If you take this street, go left and drive a couple blocks, we'll end up at a nice club," she told him, drawing an invisible map with her finger as she spoke.

"Got it," he said as he shifted into the right gear and eased out of the parking lot. They sat in an awkward silence as he concentrated on the road. Eliza's eyes explored what was in front of her. She saw a nice stereo and contemplated turning it on.

As though he was reading her mind, Charles broke the silence. "Music?" He asked, still staring straight ahead.

"May I?"

"Go ahead." He turned left on a corner and continued the drive to the club. Eliza entertained herself by flipping through radio stations.

When they reached their destination, Eliza pointed out the parking lot and Charles took over from there. He found a vacant spot in the back, making sure it was far away from everyone else's vehicles.

"Dark back here," Eliza muttered as she climbed out.

"I don't want some crazy driver wrecking my ride," he said with a shrug, then followed her inside. He was slightly surprised when he realized Eliza knew the bouncer and they were rushed right in.

She led the way past crowds of dancers to a small table in the back. It seated two and was in a perfect, relaxing spot. Charles scanned the crowd, bobbing his head a little to the music as he sat down.

"Drinks?" He asked, waving for a cocktail waitress.

"Of course," Eliza smiled, setting her purse to the side on the table.

"Thanks for bringing me here," he said, shifting in his seat to get comfortable. Eliza couldn't help but stare at his beautiful arms as he rested his elbows casually on the table.

"Not a problem." She drummed her fingers silently on her lap as they waited for their first round of drinks. She wanted to smack herself for being so nervous around this man. She had never reacted this way around someone before. She wondered if he noticed her strange behavior. She was constantly fidgeting with something, trying to avoid staring at him. Every time he looked at her she felt as though he was taunting her, teasing her, knowing she was melting in his presence.

Distracting her from her thoughts, he began to talk again. "So, Eliza, tell me about yourself. You seem like a very interesting lady, but you're quite mysterious." He eyed her, and then continued. "If you don't mind telling me, that is."

Eliza took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There's not much to tell. I live here, in this dull town, and work part time at some bar. My parents are dead and all I have left is my brother. I'm not very social. In fact, the only friends I have are really my brother's friends." She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Personally, I think I'm just as dull as this place I planted myself in." The waitress came by with their drinks and Eliza grabbed hers quickly, taking a big gulp to wash away the dry, bitter taste in her mouth.

Charles leaned forward and looked at her, with a sly grin on his face. "That doesn't make you dull. In fact, I find you even more interesting now than I did a few minutes ago."

Eliza felt even more disconcerted than before, but managed to hide it. This man was trying to find out "who she was". If only he really knew. Or maybe that's what she wanted? Maybe he was the one she was searching for. Eliza blinked, realizing that she was staring at him again, but this time he was staring back. She blushed, and then placed the now-empty cup in her hands on the table. He laughed and sat back, still looking at her.

"How about we dance?" He suggested. His eyes burned into hers and set off a spark of desire she hadn't expected. Without hesitation, Eliza nodded. They stood and made their way through the crowd until they were in the center of the dance floor. The music was loud and Eliza was thankful for it. She didn't feel like talking at the moment. She needed time to catch up with her thoughts and feelings.

The music was upbeat, and it was easy to get lost in the melody. Eliza and Charles danced, hips close, swaying side to side. Her eyes closed as the bass vibrated through her limbs. She could feel Charles' strong hands grab her hips and pull her closer. She didn't resist and wrapped her arms around his neck. Time seemed to stand still as they moved around the dance floor. Songs changed but they never stopped dancing, only slowed or quickened their pace.

When they had both consumed their share of the dance floor, and exhaustion had set in, they decided it was time to leave. Eliza found her purse and followed Charles as they made their way to the parking lot. She couldn't believe she had left it alone at the table and was grateful that no one had taken it.

"Are you hungry?" Charles asked once they were settled in the car.

Eliza was starving, more than he knew, but shook her head. "No, not really. It's four in the morning and I'm extremely tired."

Charles nodded and drove out of the parking lot, heading back to the bar & grill. "Well I had fun. How about you?"

"I did. It was nice to relax. I'm glad that club exists. It's like the only place in this town that stays open all night and continues to serve alcohol." She shook her head, musing over the fact that she hated where she lived.

"Really? Well we should go there more often."

"We should," she agreed.

Charles pulled into the parking lot and turned to take in one last look at Eliza before she left. "So, would you feel comfortable giving me your number?" He asked. If only he knew how captivating his smile was.

Eliza rummaged through her purse and found a pen. "Let me see your hand," she said, grinning like an adolescent.

He laughed and offered her his right one.

She took his smooth hand in hers, pressed the pen against the back of it, and began to write. A few seconds later there was a phone number in purple ink across his skin. He admired it then returned his hand to the steering wheel.

"Well," she sighed and zipped her purse. "I guess this is goodnight." She smiled and reached for the door handle.

"Goodnight, Eliza."

She hurriedly got out of the car and shut the door, waving to him before walking to her own car. She looked back to see that he was just sitting there, watching her as she climbed in and started the engine. As she pulled out of the parking lot, so did he. At first she thought he was going to follow her, but when she turned left he made a sharp right. She let out a sigh and drove the rest of the way home, lost in erotic fantasies of Charles.