T H R E E

Artificial lights illuminated earthy brown eyes and the glint of white teeth behind thick lips as Jon smiled, his steps noticeably shorter in an attempt to maintain her pace. It was hard for Zoe to focus on much else.

"Are you a new waitress?"

Zoe let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "No, I've worked here for years."

"Bullshit." Austere features softened as he laughed, almost incredulously. "I would've noticed you well before now."

"I usually work behind the bar."

"What's your deal then?"

Scrunching her nose in confusion, she tilted her head. "My deal? What does that mean?"

"Yeah, I mean, you seem like a nice girl, and the joint isn't really filled with up-and-coming members of society. Surely there's other job you could do that don't involve a bunch of fuckin' criminals?"

This wasn't a conversation Zoe wanted to have in general, let alone with the handsome stranger she'd just met, and she silently thanked the universe when the neon blue lights of Roz's dinner brought a halt to their conversation. Jon held the door open, allowing her to slip inside the retro diner, her body brushing dangerously close to his. The smell of his cologne - leather, cedarwood, maybe a dash of cinnamon - infiltrated her already heightened senses, and she had to suck in a gulp of air as she entered to clear her head. 

Leading them to a table hidden from view in the corner, Jon pulled out a weathered leather chair for her to sit. Thanking him, Zoe grabbed the laminated menu wedged between the old-fashioned salt and pepper shakers. A soft grunt echoed from across the table as he sat down opposite her. The chair creaked beneath him. Warmth crept across her cheeks as she tried desperately to stop herself from replaying the sound over and over and over again. What the fuck was wrong with her? She had to pull it together. Training her eyes on the menu, she struggled to focus on the words while her body screamed that he was looking, taking her in. She swallowed hard, refusing to glance up. Not when her cheeks were almost certainly a dark shade of crimson by now. 

"So?" The roughness of his voice shattering the silence that hung between them.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe prayed her cheeks had returned to a normal color as she hastily met his gaze. "I'll get a cheeseburger. The burgers here are the best."

His eyes flickered towards the door, the hollows of his cheeks filling in as he smirked. "I meant so, you didn't answer my question earlier, but I'll take your word for it on the burgers."

The crimson heat she had been silently praying was dissipating, was now burning hotter, morphing into what Zoe could only imagine was a deep shade of scarlet. She was struggling to function, and it felt far more humiliating than it should’ve. For the second time that night, however, Roz’s diner had provided her a reprieve, when an unimpressed older woman sidled up to the table. She scowled at the pair, scribbling down their order of two cheeseburgers, a side of fries and two Cokes, before hastily darting off, back into the brightly lit kitchen.

“So…” The word drawled out, his fingers thumping rhythmically on the table. “What’s your deal, Zoe?”

“The pay is better than other bartending jobs, for reasons I’m sure you can guess,” she shrugged in a hopeless attempt to come off casual. She hoped the excuse was enough to give her a reprieve from Jon’s stubborn line of questioning, as broadcasting that she was thousands of dollars in debt wasn’t something she felt like doing. “And I was already used to working night shifts, so the late night roster wasn’t too much of an adjustment.”

“Working night shifts where?” he quizzed, shadowy eyes watching her intently as his forearms rested against the cool metal of the table.

A smile danced across her lips as she shook her head. “What’s with all the questions?”

“Isn’t that what people do when they’re on a date? Ask lots of questions, show you’re interested?” While his head dipped, his gaze remained on her, analyzing her reaction.

Her breath cinched in her throat, her mouth popping open, although she couldn’t be sure of what was about to come tumbling from it. She watched Jon’s lips curl into a satisfied smile, as his head bobbed up, acknowledging the return of the surly waitress. Her large bosom shifted between them as she dropped their orders onto the table with a heavy clink, the air heavy with the smell of powdery florals and grease.

“Thanks, uh, Betty,” Jon smiled, charmingly, his eyes squinting to catch the name on her tag. “I’m sure it tastes delicious.”

Flat, green eyes narrowed at him, her portly hands wiping against her stained, yellow apron, before she let out an irritated exhale, pivoted and scurried back to the kitchen. Zoe glanced down at her burger, delicate fingers picking off an overhanging sliver of cheese. She cleared her throat. “This isn’t a date.”

“I’d take you somewhere a lot nicer than here if it was,” he smirked, motioning to the dingy, chipped walls of the diner. “Although, when two people like each other, and you know, spend time together, it’s usually called a date.”

Taking a bite of her burger, Zoe licked away the crumbs smattering her lips and snorted. “What makes you think I like you?”

Broad shoulders slumped, plump lips sealed together for a brief moment before Jon regained his composure, his cocky smirk returning with such speed that Zoe was left wondering if she had imagined the fleeting glimpse of disappointment. He remained quiet though, grabbing his burger and taking a large bite. Ketchup oozed from the side, smearing across his stubbled chin, and without thinking, Zoe leaned forward, wiping the stain away with her napkin. The bristles poked through the flimsy paper, tickling her fingertips and sending a jolt of electricity tingling up the length of her arm, shocking her heart into a thunderous beat. Lustful brown eyes met azure for a split second before Zoe cleared the hard lump from her throat, retreating back to the cool steel of her chair.

“And that,” he grinned, teeth shining beneath fluorescent lights as he bit into a fry, “is how I know.”

Recognizing that denying the magnetic attraction she felt for him was futile, Zoe simply shook her head. “There’s a code of conduct we have to follow at the club. We’re not supposed to be alone with members, conversations should be professional and romantic relationships are absolutely prohibited. Regardless of how you think I feel about you, if I want to keep my job, and I do, a date is out of the question.”

“You’re well on your way to breaking all the rules.”

Zoe was unable to stifle the giggle that escaped her. “Technically, we’re not alone.” She motioned to the kitchen, where Betty sat beneath the harsh light reading a novel, her scowl ever present. “And our conversations haven’t been unprofessional, I don’t think anyway.”

His lips curved into an impressed frown, lines wrinkling his forehead as his brows raised, his head bobbing in acknowledgement. A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the tinny eighties music playing from the small speakers and the liquid rattling against ice in their cups.

With her plate empty and her soda dredged, Zoe glanced at Jon, noticing the small bite of his burger lingering between his fingers. “Finished?”

He nodded, still chewing as he rose from the table, the metallic squeal of his chair against the weathered linoleum piercing the stillness of the diner. Betty glanced up from her book, eyes once more narrowing on the pair. Digging in his pocket, Jon threw some notes onto the table and pressed his palm against her back, nudging her towards the door as she fumbled in her handbag for her purse. Warm breath wisped past her ear as he murmured, “I should make you pay half, considering this isn’t a date, but I’m a gentleman.”

Frosty air whipped against her bare legs as she stepped out into the night, and she shivered through her laughter. She attempted to cinch her jacket closer to her body in a desperate attempt to warm up. She turned to thank him for dinner, her gaze meeting his long coat thrusting towards her. The blood-stained white shirt he had removed earlier in the night was replaced by a gray one that hugged his biceps and flaunted the hard lines of his abdomen. She could see the small bumps forming quickly across his olive skin, and she made an attempt to push it back toward him.

“It’s a jacket, not a marriage proposal, Zoe. Your legs must be freezing.” Noticing her gaze on his skin, he chuckled. “Told you I was a gentleman.”

A fresh whistle of wind pinched her thighs, and she gratefully accepted the heavy coat, draping it over her slender frame. It dangled against her ankles, blanketing her in a warmth that smelled like Jon’s cologne. “Thank you,” she murmured, her arms folding across herself to contain the heat. “For the coat and for dinner.”

“You’re welcome.” His hands patted against the pockets of his jeans, a furrow to form in his thick brows. Zoe felt her fingers twitch, the instinct to reach up on her tiptoes and smooth it almost overpowering her logic. She knew this was a bad idea, all of it, but every part of her wanted to touch him, to stay with him. It was like he had sucked her into his force field and she was finding herself powerless to resist it.

His muscular arm snaked toward her, time slowing as his fingers brushed against her hip. Zoe’s breath hitched in her throat, her gaze falling dreamily on to his pink lips. He stepped closer, and she felt streaks of electricity tingling through her, her pulse hammering with such intensity she was sure he could hear it. Lust intertwined with the recognition that this was wrong, and as the thought of his lips on hers radiated through her mind, she knew lust was winning whatever battle was being fought. Just as quickly as he had reached her, however, his hand retreated, rough fingers slipping against tender skin. The pack of Marlboros glinted in the headlight of a passing car, and he shimmied one from the packet, settling it between smirking lips.

You fucking idiot.

Closing her eyes, Zoe could feel her cheeks burning and she swallowed hard. Running her fingers through her hair, she sucked in a breath and turned away from him. As they walked, Jon a step behind, the silence hung heavy like a thick veil of fog, a stark contrast to the comfortable quietness they’d enjoyed in the diner. It only took a matter of minutes before the innocuous building came into view. Zoe had always found it so unsettling, how plain it looked from the outside and what it hid in the interior.

Flicking his cigarette into the shadows, Jon’s gaze lingered on the ember, watching it burn for a moment before clearing his throat, “What about a real date?”

Scrunching her nose, Zoe tilted her head, her body shifting to face him. Her mind screamed at her to say ‘yes’, to give in to the urges coursing through her but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. “Were you not listening when I said I could lose my job?”

“I did.” His gaze drifted to the pavement, focusing on the patch of grimy gum beside his shoe. He dragged his foot over it, his hand coming up to rub his head. “There’s something between us though. I know I’m not the only one that feels it. We can keep it PG, nothing personal.”

Zoe bit on her lower lip. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Jon.”

Just as he’d done in the diner, he faltered momentarily, shoulders slouching and lips pursing before he rolled them back up, the cocky smile plastered back on. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your car.”

“No need for that, Moretti. I’ll take it from here.” The fatherly tone of Elford interjected, tanned hand resting on Zoe’s shoulder causing her to flinch. She wondered how long he’d be standing there, listening to their conversation, and she felt her stomach drop.

As she began to shrug off Jon’s coat, he waved her off. “You keep it. Stay safe, Zoe.” Dusky eyes glanced up at her once more, intense and overwhelming, before he smiled, disappearing into the darkened parking lot and out of sight.

For the second time that night, Elford guided her toward her car. This time, however, he seemed unhappy, perhaps disappointed in her actions. It was only once they reached her silver sedan did he stare down at her, venerable hazel eyes boring into her. “You need to stay away from him, Zoe. He may seem like a nice guy, a real charmer, but he is dangerous. Far more dangerous than you could even imagine.”

The dryness of her mouth suddenly felt obvious, her head spinning slightly as she realized the attraction she had felt had dissolved any notion of danger. It was only in the presence of Elford’s unyielding frown did she realize how foolish she’d been. He was a criminal, allowed access to an elite club for only the worst people in society, and she’d been alone with him for close to an hour. It was idiotic.

Elford kindly pet her shoulder, breaking her out of her self-admonishment. “Go home, get some sleep and be careful, okay?”

Zoe nodded sheepishly, sliding into her car and locking the doors. She watched Elford grow smaller and smaller in the rear-view, thankful for not only his protection but his understanding. In her industry, knowing someone more responsible was looking out for her was comforting. She let out a long exhale, releasing a breath she hadn’t known she was holding, and vowed to heed Elford’s advice. For her own safety, she needed to keep her distance.