Chapter 11
"Did you served all those drinks already?" Katie asked once I came back to the bar counter with the empty tray.
"Yeah, I just went over to that table." I pointed in the direction of the table a few steps away from the bar. "The guys were anxious to get their drinks."
"Oh, because I was thinking that was really quick." she said before going to make a drink for a guy.
"Hey! Blondie. Move faster! Am I going to be getting some attention over here anytime now or what?" Another guy at the opposite end of the bar shouted at her.
"Are you blind or something? Can't you see that I'm dealing with another customer at the moment!? If you can't wait, then you can go the hell to somewhere else then!" Katie snapped back at him.
"Seems like you're going to be needing some help behind that bar." I said as I made my way over and decided to serve Mr. Rude Guy.
"What can I get you?"
"Give me a beer." he said still as rude. "And make it snappy."
"Coming right up." I said rolling my eyes as I went to get his beer. "There you go."
"Whatever. It’s about time one of you do your damn job right." The guy dismissed throwing the cash on the counter before walking off.
"His freaking head must be too big for his body." I muttered as he was gone.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Katie responded. "So damn rude."
"I know right. I hope he chokes on it." I said to her which caused us both to laugh.
"I'll take a flask of cute bartender with a shot of hotness added." Matthew smirked as he came up to the bar and sat on a stool.
"Oh? I'm sorry sir but I think we just ran out of hotness." I giggled at him.
"Seriously? Oh man." Matthew said feigning disappointed. "I guess I'll just have the bartender then."
"Okay, which flavor bartender do you want? Blonde or dark haired one?" I asked playing along.
"Let's see, I don't think my body deals well with the blonde flavors, so I guess you can just recommend the best one for me." Matthew smirked.
"Oh my God. You two are sick. Corny enough?" Katie groaned shaking her head at our antics.
"Okay then. One cute dark haired bartender coming up." I chuckled before leaning over the counter to kiss him.
"Hey, no fraternizing or showing of PDA with the customers Ames." Katie said once I pulled back. "Rule number one."
"I don't think that rule still applies if the customer is like my new boyfriend." I chuckled.
Matthew and I had gone out a couple more times after our first date and each time was better than the last. I had no idea if we were moving too fast or what but after going out a couple times, Matt had asked me to be his girl and I had agreed.
"Good point, I'll have to recheck the rulebook on that one." Katie chuckled before turning to Matthew. "Hey Mattie what's up?"
"Katie hun. I'm good and even better now that I got to see my girl. What are you up to?" Matthew asked.
"I'm here living the bar life." Katie gestured around bar with her hand.
"Oh I can see that." Matthew chuckled.
"So what are you doing here?" I asked him before frowning. "Wait, don’t tell me. You did not just come here to deliver to Katie did you?"
"Oh no hun, not me. I'm still stacked." Katie said shaking her head.
"No, I'm not delivering anything tonight. I'm just here to see you." Matthew smiled. "I sort of missed you."
"Aww that's so sweet. I've missed you too." I smiled at him.
So Matthew and I had made our relationship official two weeks now, though we've been seeing each other for over a month now nearly two. We've been taking things one step at a time but things were good between us. There was just one thing that I didn't like though and it was the fact that he was involved with this whole drugs thing. Having a boyfriend and a best friend who did drugs from time to time was a hell of a lot tempting. Especially when he gave me the pills to deliver to Katie. Even sometimes Nora would come over and they'd both do lines and ask if I was sure I didn't need just a little sample. Over and over I was tempted but my will to stay clean and the thought of Lucas’s warning came to mind and overthrew those temptations. And I'll just leave and go visit my mom when tempted.
"What time do you get off tonight? I was thinking we could go hang out for a while or something." Matthew said to me.
"In a couple of hours. Although..." I drawled looking at Katie with those pleading eyes. "I could leave now, if my best friend loves me enough to cover for me?"
"Amy no. You seriously want to leave me alone here to deal with all the jerks her?" Katie said shaking her head.
"Please Katie, just this once?" I pleaded with a pout. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. Besides, it’s almost time for Sebastian's shift. He'll be here soon."
"Ah fine." Katie sighed. "Go on, but you owe me."
"Oh thank you." I giggled as I hopped over to pull her in a tight hug.
"Alright, alright. Stop crushing me now." Katie groaned.
"Sorry. I'll see you later okay and thanks again." I smiled at her before turning to Matthew. "Just give me a minute to go change out of these okay?"
I hurried around the back to change out of the skimpy bar uniform that I have to wear here and back into my original clothes that I had worn to work. After changing, I went back to meet Matthew before leaving in his car.
"I was thinking we could go to a movie then grab something to eat." Matthew said to me.
"Sure, that's sounds good but how about we go to your place and watch a movie there and order pizza?" I suggested.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I just don't feel like being in a crowded area anymore." I said to him. "The crowded bar sort of already did a number on me."
"I understand; we could definitely do that. Here, I've got a pizza place number in here. Could you call ahead and order?" Matthew asked as he passed his phone to me.
"Sure." I said as I took the phone and ordered the pizza.
About five minutes after we had reached at Matthew's apartment, the pizza guy showed up. I had told Matthew to choose the movie or else we'd be watching a chick flick. So we ended up watching one of those Tyler Perry's comedy.
Sometime in the movie, we were out of drinks so I got up to go get us refill. While returning with the two glasses in hand, Matthew was coming in same time to assist me but we collided and everything went down his shirt front -soaking it.
"Oh my Gosh. I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you coming in." I apologized putting down the now empty glasses on the counter.
"It’s okay." Matthew chuckled looking down at his shirt. "It’s a good thing this happened at home isn't it? I can always go change."
"Yeah, I'm still sorry though. You must feel quite sticky now." I said looking at his ruined shirt.
"Not quite as yet, but I'm not going to wait to start feeling that way." Matthew said walking over to the sink while lifting his shirt over his head.
"Holy crap." I whispered to myself as I saw him without his shirt now for the very first time.
Seeing Matthew shirtless was doing weird things to my body. He was so damn hot. Especially the way his back was well toned and those back muscles were amazing—I just had to see the front. If his back was this sexy, there was no doubt that his chest would be just as sexy.
"Here let me help." I said grabbing a towel and walking over to him.
Wetting the towel, I went to wipe off his chest and stomach. I couldn't help but feast my eyes on his well-defined upper body as my hand ran over his torso. I was frightened though when I looked back to his face and saw him watching me with that amused expression. I knew he saw me checking him out.
"I'm sorry, I just... I couldn't resist looking." I started apologizing.
"It’s okay," Matthew chuckled. "You don't have to apologize for checking me out. You know this is practically yours."
"Yeah?" I chuckled as I finished wiping his chest and put down the towel.
"Yeah." Matthew smirked before leaning in to kiss me.
Smiling, I gladly returned it. The kiss got a bit heated when we both pulled back for air.
"Do you want to go to your room or something?" I suggested.
"You sure about that?" Matthew asked when he realized what I was suggesting by asking to go to his bedroom.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Okay." Matthew muttered before lifting me up; my legs wrapped around his waist and he started carrying me to his room.
I messed up; I really did. How the hell could I have been this stupid? After months of being clean and avoiding the temptations, last night I slipped up and gave in. Sure, it may seem like a minor one but if I start indulging in the smaller things now, what's going to stop me from slowly going back to the more hardcore drugs and becoming an addict once again?
It was afterwards that the guilt of being so weak and easily persuaded, started kicking in more. It was so hard to get clean after being an addict for years and with help, I was finally able to get over it. If Lucas ever found about this, I was dead. He gave his warning and I forgot about it. If he knew I touched a little of any type of drug again, he would surely think that I was liable to expose his whole mafia secret that I knew about.
Ecstasy; that's what it was. The classic 'party' or 'love pill'. Last night I was staying over at Matthew's apartment— something I've been doing for about a month now since we first started sleeping together. Last night things got a bit steamy between us and then Matthew brought out the pills-ecstasy. Somehow he had managed to convince me to take the pill along with him. Said that it's use was mainly to amplify sensations when one touches or caresses another— particularly during sex. At that intimate moment, I of course was up to trying to intensify our moment and believe me it felt worth it at the moment but then this morning when I woke up and the pill had worn off. It was like everything came crashing down on me. The guilt about indulging in a non-prescribed drugs was eating at me. I felt the instance need to partake in something else— for the high coming on. I got upset and fled Matthew's apartment after telling him that I couldn't do this anymore. With all the fresh after effect of the ecstasy pill still swirling around, I needed to leave.
"Hey, earth to Amy." Nora called waving a hand in front my face and snapping me out of my zone.
"Uh? Sorry what?" I asked shaking my head and shifting my attention to her.
"It's like you're on another planet." Nora said to me. "I was asking if I could borrow your charger."
"Oh yeah, it’s on my bed in my room." I said to her.
"Your mind seems really far." Nora replied as she got up from the couch and headed to my room.
"Babe what's wrong? You've been quiet like this ever since you got back this morning." Katie said concerned. "Did you and Matthew have a fight or something?"
"I broke up with him." I told her.
"What!? Why? What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it Katie." I said shaking my head before taking a sip from my coffee.
"Oh hun, I'm so sorry." Katie said as she came and gave me a hug.
"Yeah, it’s okay. I'll get over it." I told her.What I didn't mention though was that I hope that I could get over the guilt eating at me from knowing that I gave into temptations.
**Later That Day **
"Thank you beautiful. Can I buy you a drink?" A guy asked as I delivered his drink to him.
"No thanks. Sorry, we’re not allowed to drink on the job." I smiled at him.
"Or we could hang out later after your shift and get another drink then. What do you say?" He asked with a smile.
"I don't drink any at all." I said to him before walking off.
He was about the seventh guy that tried flirting with me here tonight. I was so over the flirty bar guys at the moment. I just really wanted to be alone right now. I was not in the mood for any company especially from any of the guys here.
"Another order of gin and tonic, a long island ice tea, a bourbon and water and a scotch." I told Katie as I placed the tray on the counter.
"Coming right up." Katie nodded as she turned to get the mixtures together.
"Amy, hey. I thought I'd find you here." I heard Matthew said as he came up to me.
"Matthew," I said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see you after you just left this morning like that." Matthew said to me. "Amy, what happened this morning?"
"Matthew, this isn't the place or time to talk about what happened okay?" I said trying to keep my voice down.
"What do you mean it’s not the right place or time? We need to talk about it. What did you mean by you can't do this anymore?" Matthew asked keeping his voice low.
"Exactly that Matthew. I just can't, I’m so sorry." I replied.
"What happened? Last night we were good, we had a great time and then this morning you can't do this anymore. You just want to be rid of me?" Matthew asked in disbelief.
"Matthew, I like you. I really do, but what happened last night with that pill... It can't happen again. I only just gotten clean from being a drug addict for years. I got clean a few months ago and..."
"You were addicted to drugs? You never told me about that Amy."
"It doesn't matter now, I just told you. I'm trying to stay clean and being around you is a lot of temptation and a huge risk. Last night I messed up when I took that pill with you and I can't let it happen again. So I'm sorry but as long as you're still dealing with drugs, I can't see you anymore." I said to him
"Here are the orders." Katie interrupted as she put the drinks on the tray. "Oh, hi Mattie."
"Hey Katie." Matthew nodded at her.
"I’m sorry," I said to him again as I picked up the tray. "I've got to get back to work."
"Amy wait..." Matthew called.
"I'm sorry Matthew." I said to him as I continued to walk away with the drinks.
Lucas's POV
"I think there may be some complications with Amy now after all." Jay announced as we were having a little meeting.
"What's new?" Gio asked him.
"She's started dating this guy Matthew." Jay said to us. "She's even staying overnight with him at his apartment at times."
"So? Wasn't she allowed to date anymore?" Carter asked.
"What have you found out about this guy?" I asked curiously as I leaned my head on hand.
"Well, that's the part I was getting to. He's a dealer for a Matchbox clan." Jay informed.
"What the hell is that?" I asked. The name sounds like something from a child's book or cartoon.
"It’s some backstreet gang that deals with small scale drugs; mostly heroin and ecstasy."
"So do you think that she's back on drugs then?" Gio asked.
"I didn't think so before. She always seemed drug free all the times I saw her but then this morning she seemed a bit drug worn while leaving his apartment." Jay replied.
"Drug worn? I asked even though I think I pretty much knows what he meant.
"Like she's facing the after effects of a drug wearing off." Jay confirmed. “She definitely got sucked in again.”
"I warned her about getting involved again before she left my car that day." Carter responded. "I told her what you had said."
"It’s been a few months since. She has most likely forgotten about the warning and figured she has the perfect opportunity to start doing drugs again." Gio responded rubbing a hand over his chin as if he's getting an idea. "What better way to get your daily fix than to date the guy who you can get it from for free?"
" I should've known that letting her go and a simple warning wouldn't be enough to keep her away from those stuff." I said shaking my head.
“Just make sure that she doesn't get too addicted and starts blabbing. There is still the possibility of her spilling her guts about us to the wrong people." Gio responded. "If that ever happens, she'll be your responsibility. "