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Case popped herself up onto the freshly washed counter... that she'd just finished scrubbing for the hundredth time tonight. Well, in her defense, she was beyond bored of just standing around; she'd already swept the floors twice, washed the windows, and wiped down the TV's and the barstools, also twice. At least she was being productive - nobody could complain about that. It wasn't like there was even anyone to talk to; she was the only one here besides Al, who was back in the office doing book work and "money shit". He'd sent everyone else home, but had decided to keep her there, out of everyone. Her, who could barely make a rum and coke correctly. And it wasn't like there were any customers to assist. They were all at the new Bella Union bar across the street, as they had all been for the past three nights since it opened. Personally she was okay with not having to deal with the drunken hoodlums of Deadwood, but she knew it was bugging Al. She didn't blame him for it; if she was a business owner, and even the regulars were more interested in the new place, she probably would have been pissed off as well.
But, she was not the owner of this establishment, so she didn't mind the slow business. It was a welcome reprieve from the slurring, drunken idiots that came in every other night. Tonight, she just put her music on, pumped up the volume and went on a cleaning spree. Despite the slow business, it appeared that they were staying open, and she wasn't going to be sent home anytime soon, so she may as well keep herself occupied.
She'd been at this for two hours, since nobody had come in after eight. She was now jamming to Kat DeLuna's "Whine Up" while organizing the shot glasses underneath the counter. As she was shaking her butt to the music, the office door opened from it's location behind the counter, and Al stood there. He cackled upon seeing her sick dance moves, leaning to one side and resting a hand on the counter top with a grin. "I should make you stand outside and do that - business would be booming!"
She rolled her eyes, red in the face but also smiling as she stacked the rest of the shot glasses on the bar so she could wipe down the drawer underneath where they had been sitting for God knew how long. "Dirty old man, you're lucky I haven't quit yet."
"Fuckin' right," Al's sky blue eyes were genuine. "You can't make a lemon drop worth shit, but I'll keep ya."
"Al," She gave him a look that relayed 'who are you kidding?', "I can't make half of these drinks worth shit."
Al nodded in agreement, "That's very true."
"So forget me quitting - if you haven't fired me yet, you won't."
Once again, Al nodded with, "True, true."
And it was true, she knew. She'd done pretty much everything wrong here that she could've, and yet, he still kept her around. She didn't have to ask why - she knew very well. It was the same reason he had sent everyone else home, and had kept her there. Even though she was the most inexperienced out of everyone, even though there were girls that worked here that dressed skimpier than she did. She knew there was a reason for it.
And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was flattered by his attention. The way he was looking at her now... Damn.
Case boosted herself back up on the counter, glancing out at the new bar across the street. Al was leaning on the opposite counter across from her, also looking out the window at the other bar. "I thought two nights of this shit would be enough," he sighed.
"It's only 'till they all lose interest - they're just trying the new place out. They'll be back, Al."
Al nodded, still looking out the damned window. She figured she had better try and get his mind off of things... and also figured she had better come to terms with what she was feeling, and fast. That might be the only way to distract him.
Case reached over and patted him on the shoulder, "Alright, Al, what are we gonna do tonight?"
Al turned and looked at her with a puzzled expression, his dark brow furrowing. "Whaddya mean?"
"Well, you're not gonna sit here and stare out the window all night - let's do something. Like, let's play a board game, let's put on a movie in here; hell, let's close up and go see a movie! Anything but sitting here doing nothing!"
"Someone might try to come in..." Al murmured, his statement sounding unnaturally uncertain. He seemed to realize this, and he frowned again.
She gave him a look. "Al, nobody's coming in. Sorry to break it to you, but the past two nights, nobody has come in after eight. Might as well do something fun that's gonna get your mind off things." He turned and shot her an equally unimpressed look, his blue eyes molten and glaring. "What? It's true - don't you appreciate honesty? It's not like they're never coming back. Once this new place has lost its... newness, appeal, whatever - they'll be swarming in here again. You know it, I know it."
"Oh, just shut up, Case," Al groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.
"Why?" She was outraged at his blatant rudeness. "Because you know I'm right?!"
"Because you're givin' me a fuckin' headache."
"You're doing that to yourself. I'm trying to be nice and help you and your bruised ego." she grumbled, shoving his shoulder hard in an attempt to move him away from her.
"No, I have a headache because you're a pain in my ass." Al growled, moving in front of her to stand directly before where she was sitting atop the counter, and pointing a finger in her face.
Oh, wrong move.
"You have a headache because you're a giant fucking pain in the ass in general! You're not specified for one person!" she shot back, swatting his hand out of her face. He'd be lucky to walk out of here with no black eyes, at this point. He was such an asshole sometimes.
"You are, and it's me whose ass you're hurtin'!" He gripped the edge of the countertop hard on either side of her legs in anger. "You've been a fuckin' pain in my ass since the moment I laid eyes on ya!"
"Then why the fuck haven't you gotten rid of me?! Why the fuck am I still here?!" They were both yelling at this point, and it occurred to her that if someone was to walk in, the scene might look strange to them: her, sitting on the countertop of the bar, him, right up in her personal space, with his hands on either side of her legs, and their faces inches away. After she asked her last question, still glaring at her, something seemed to click in his mind, and he suddenly leaned forward abruptly and kissed her.
She was a little surprised, more so that it happened right now and not in a more romantic setting, but she didn't mind. She didn't mind at all.
Al pulled back, looking at her face to gauge her reaction. He was honestly probably wondering if she was going to slap him. She knew he could see it in her eyes; the same desire that he had in his own. So, he leaned back in and kissed her again, and she let him.
Case wrapped her arms around his waist as his tongue gently coaxed her lips open, and he raised both of his meaty hands to cup her face gently. When she pressed closer to him, he practically melted against her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. The kiss deepened and became less timid, more passionate, more tongue, more-
The sound of men laughing and the floorboards creaking suddenly jarred her, and immediately Al and Case jumped away from each other in surprise like they had burned each other. It seemed like he would have fallen if the other side of the bar wasn't directly behind him, his hands splayed back on the opposite counter and his back practically leaning on it as he heaved for breath.
Of course, it would be EB Farnum, Dan and Johnny that busted in - and clearly, all of them were drunker than skunks. When they noted the activity that had been going on right here in front of them (apparently they weren't fast enough), they all started cracking up and making jeering noises and whistling.
"Dayumm, that's somethin' I was sure I'd never see!" Dan yelled, drunkenly stumbling over to one of the bar stools and attempting to sit on it.
EB followed him, wolf whistling, and Johnny pointed at Al, shouting, "How long ya been wanting to do that, Al?!"
"Alright, alright," Al raised his hands in a 'calm the hell down' gesture, "Shut the fuck up, all'a yuz."
"Well, go on, what're you waiting for?! Continue!" Johnny jeered, sitting down next to Dan on an unsteady bar stool. Case rolled her eyes, and Al sighed heavily from next to her.
"You just go ahead and pretend we're not here." Dan said with a wink and a drunken smile.
Case started to compose herself and slid off of the countertop while Al was yelling at the drunken men to get fuckin' straight before he made them. She was intending to just leave the area, as she was slightly embarrassed that they'd just been caught in such a vulnerable state.
A strong grip clamped down on her arm and held her fast; she looked up at Al, whose icy blue eyes were now molten blue lava, and his chest was heaving with heavy breaths. His eyes were filled with desire, and his lips still glistened with her saliva. Fucking. Hell. "I'm not done fuckin' arguin' with you," he growled, his voice low so only she could hear it, and husky with arousal. Case couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips at his cleverness. He grinned back down at her, heat lighting them both on fire from the inside out at the intensity of their gazes. "Now, get the hell in my office while I close up."