Free Fighting by Cat Phoenix Page B

her brow line down and her lips squished together in thought. 
"No."
    I
hooked my thumb over my shoulder, gesturing behind me.  "She told me to
come on out and work my first shift with you guys, so that I'm not overwhelmed
'cause I'm new here."
    She
sighed and glanced at the people crowding the bar, asking for her attention. 
"Fine."
    I
could have simply lifted any wallet in the joint, it was that crowded, but I
knew I had to beat two hundred dollars and most everyone who frequents a bar
like this opens a tab with a credit card.  I had to work a little to make them
get more cash.
    I
watched my mark walk down and sit a few yards away from where I was standing. 
I slathered on a big friendly smile and made my way toward his end.  I tended
to two other patrons before letting him catch my attention.  I pointed my smile
toward him and tilted my head to the side slightly in a flirty way.
    "What
can I do for ya?" I asked, adding a little southern twang to my voice. 
Hopefully he would find it cute. 
    He
smiled a little and said, "Coldest beer you got."
    "Comin'
right up," I said on another smile.
    I
turned and pulled a bottle from the cooler and popped it open, placing it in
front of him. 
    "Five
bucks, even," I said.
    He
handed over a credit card and I shook my head in mock regret.  "Sorry
sugar, our machine is down.  We're taking cash only tonight," I flat-out
lied.
    He
made a face and looked back down to his wallet, flipping through the bills.  I
glanced down and could see two fives and some ones.  I looked back up before he
did and said, "Mike spilled his soda on the machine earlier."  I
rolled my eyes playfully and leaned my forearms on the bar, closing most of the
distance between us.  "He's such an idiot."
    He
smiled full on and his eyes dipped down to my chest and back, taking the time
to scan my long, black waves.  He cocked his head to the side and said
playfully, "Damn that Mike."
    Hook,
line, and sinker.
    He
handed me a five dollar bill and I skipped to the cash register and back.  He
took a swig of his beer, keeping his eyes on me.  I smirked at him and ran a
hand through my hair that had obviously caught his interest.  I twirled some
around my fingers near my chest and glanced down the bar at ' Mike .'  I
leaned my torso back down on the bar and took my eyes off of my mark so that he
could get a good look at whatever he wanted to without me noticing. 
    I
wanted to gag at how obvious I was being.  If I were really flirting with
someone, I'd be so much more discreet than this.  I was not a hair-flipping
kind of girl.  Hell, I wasn't really a flirt to begin with.  If I was
interested and wanted to show it, I'd usually verbally tussle with him and if
he kept up, he might get my number.
    "We
call him Butter Fingers," I said, giving a small chuckle and looking back
to the Suit.  His eyes were on my lips but they flicked back to my eyes when I
focused on him again.  "What about you?  You gotta nickname?"
    "No. 
People just call me by my name."
    "And
that would be?" I asked, straightening up and wiping a bar towel down the
counter in front of him but keeping my eyes glued to his.
    "Dave."
    Figures.
    "Well
Dave, I go on break in a few minutes.  There's an ATM over there in the
corner." 
    He
glanced behind him and then back at me.  I winked at him and then moved to
another customer a few feet away.  I watched him in my peripheral vision.  He
took a long pull at his beer, draining it and then swept through the room
toward the ATM.  I smiled in victory.  It'd be cake from here.
    He
came back to the bar and I moved down toward him. 
    "Another
beer?" I asked.
    He
nodded and we exchanged money.  I made a show of looking at my watch and smiled
at him.  "Break time."
    He
smiled back and jerked his head to the seat beside him, urging me to join him
on the other side of the bar.  I nodded and held up a finger.  "Just a
sec."
    I
walked back through the employee exit hallway, snagging my jacket from