Chapter 16

Legs spread wide and shaking like a leaf, Daisy lay atop her bed in the dark bedroom. As the universe slowed its smearing, the shivering fingers of one hand teased a spiky nipple. Each soft press flung jolts through her entire frame, and even the tiniest slurping swirl of the sticky digits still deep inside her drew hitching breaths.

“Mmm, babe,” she murmured while rolling her head to gaze at the empty pillow beside her. “I’m so lonely. Oh, umm, I miss you so much. I’m, oh, oh, so s-sorry.”

Although she shouldn’t be able to smell it, Caleb’s aftershave lingered despite a very long and very cold shower. Also, after who knew how many body-wracking blasts? With a curt sigh, she looked at the wall. Given the unrestrained screaming, it was a miracle the neighbors hadn’t pounded on it.

Suddenly, she gasped and spun her head back to stare at the empty pillow. The world was whirling faster again. What did Dan smell like?

“W-Where are you?” she moaned while tugging the shaking digits free with a loud slurp.

While sinking them into her trembling lips, she scanned the silent room. The card. Once more, it lay atop her dresser. Not that leaving it there meant anything; his number was in her phone. However, it was a symbol. No longer would she take it to The Hoot.

A frothy gasp left her, and she pulled the shiny fingers from her mouth. With a shaky sigh, she dropped her head onto the pillow.

“Oh, God.” She gulped, then drew her tongue around her lips, chasing the last sweetness. “That poor man.”

At memories of Caleb’s hardness pressing into her butt in the elevator, she crushed a nipple. While groaning, she writhed before twisting into a tight ball.

Then the sobbing began, and she hugged herself tighter. Loneliness, shame, hunger, need, abandonment; all whipped around inside her mind. Soon, louder wails escaped her as she shook atop the bed. At some point, exhaustion arrived, her eyelashes fluttered, and blackness ate the world.

By the time her heels clicked across The Hoot’s wooden floor, the place was full. Intense focused faces to the game playing on the screens, the crowd was raucous ... and distracted. Which let grinning Kennedy slide past a table with only the slightest drag of fingers along her thigh.

After meeting Geoff’s silent glare, Daisy slid from her coat while moving toward the Server Room. She’d overslept, then couldn’t move. If she hadn’t needed the money, the bed would’ve retained its warm grip on her shaking body. Right as she was about to step inside, Shelly burst from the men’s room, red-faced and licking her lips.

“Oh, hey there, Sweet-tits,” she said before leaning closer. “We, um, should talk.”

Just then, the bathroom door opened again. After a smile at Shelly and a quick scan of her, an older guy in a silk suit squeezed past them.

“Uh, later,” Shelly added before straightening her top and heading for the noisy crowd.

“Yeah, later,” she muttered with a slow nod.

Once in the Server Room, after peeling off her blouse, she yanked on the bra. Which was stupid! With its lace scraping her irritated nipples, she surged forward to grasp the metal locker as a massive jolt wracked her. The little room flip-flopped around her.

“Fuck,” she hissed as the tremors faded at last. “Still a fucking wreck.”

By the end of the night, the entire bar was in a slow spin. Despite constant glances at Dan’s corner, with the bulb lit and occupied by patrons, her heart ached.

Oh, hands wandered. She’d even let a drunken man who looked kinda like Caleb slide his fingers into her blouse. But one squeeze and she’d bucked before spinning away, eyes watering.

After the last customers had left, the trio of servers cleaned tables. Although Kennedy stayed in the back room, when the redhead moved to the hall to change, Daisy tracked her slender frame. She hadn’t said a word the whole night; nor had she glanced at Daisy.

“What’d you do to her?”

At Shelly’s voice, she jumped and found the older woman’s narrowed eyes.

“Who?”

“Stop it.” She crossed both arms over her chest. “Don’t play dumb. That ain’t you.”

“Nothing.” She huffed. “Well, nothing much.”

“She isn’t wearing a bra anymore.” She nodded towards the dark corridor. “Also showing that pretty little butt.”

“I talked with her.” Daisy shrugged.

“And?”

“Okay, fuck it.” Heat flaring up her cheeks, she unleashed a heavy breath. “She invited me home. To play with her and her boyfriend. And I said, ‘no.’ Happy? That’s it.”

“Jesus, Daisy.” She held up her palms. “Okay, calm down.”

“That’s the problem, Shel.” She sighed. “I can’t fucking calm down.”