Ahead of the Darkness Read online

  “So, aye. It cannae happen again, ye know, what dinnae happen. I ah, have a nae-relations policy with work. At work.”

  “No diddling the staff. Right?” His eyes travelled to my lips for a heartbeat before he snapped them back to mine and I noticed his hands flexed at his sides.

  “Aye, something like that.” He cleared his throat and continued. “So, let me show ye around, and then ye can fill in the paperwork."

  "Paperwork? Oh right."

  "Aye, just the standard stuff. Most of the others will start to arrive soon, so I can introduce ye to them.” He promptly turned on his heels and walked off towards the stage. “Jules and Mac are on tonight. They work most days.

  “How did I get the job?” He paused, and turned around to look at me. “I mean, if anyone asks.” I was sure it wouldn’t go over well with the staff and the no-fraternising police.

  “Oh, aye.” He chuckled. “The truth wouldnae be the best, like...”

  “I could have handed a resume in last night, when I came in for a drink. Just the one drink, though...” Please don't tell them I got pissed.

  “Aye, ye are a clever wee thing. That would work. Cannae tell ‘em ye got blootered and wound up naked in my bed.” He laughed and continued walking.

  “Yes, real clever, just not while drunk,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Aye, true, but ye were entertaining, mind.” He threw over his shoulder, and continued his breakneck pace.

  I quickened mine to keep up with him and his changing demeanour. I almost laughed myself, but I didn’t. Instead, I stopped in my tracks at the thought. Drew had me smiling and laughing more in the last twelve hours than I could remember doing before. Given he’d also frustrated me more, too.

  I was so lost in thought that I didn't realise Drew had been talking to me. I looked up to see him staring at me with a contemplative look.

  "Sorry, I ... was trying to think if I remembered my keys." I smiled sweetly at him, making him frown.

  "Dinnae dae that."

  "I'm sorry? Do what? Forget my keys? I try not to."

  “Nae. The falseness, that sweet smile. Nae with me. Ye had some kind of moment, whatever it was, but don't hide behind some false act. It doesn't suit ye."

  My mouth fell open. I was rendered speechless.

  "I ... I don't understand ... what ...?"

  “Ye face is an open book. I read right through it. Aye, look, it closed...just like that." And he was right. The walls and armour I always had, that seemed to slip, instantly went back up.

  "Won't happen again, Boss." I was going to make sure it wouldn't. The perplexed look crossed his face briefly.

  “Right. This door here.” He walked off to the left and opened the door, waiting for me to enter first. “This is the main storeroom, but as ye can see it’s a wee bit small.” It was tiny. It consisted of mostly cleaning and office supplies, with a few crates of wine and spirits. “The door there is for deliveries, but there is a small storage cellar underneath the bar that keeps quick refills. I’ll show ye that in wee bit.”

  He headed out and continued on to the right of the stage, and I hurried through that door.

  “This, this here is the staffroom and wee staff bathroom. It also leads to behind the stage for access through that far door on the left. Ye get ye own locker to keep ye stuff in. My office is the far door on the right. Ah... What else? Oh!”

  He walked off, back out into the main room towards the bar. I barely had time to look in the room before I had to run out to catch up with him.

  “This, this is where we keep the beer and cider on tap. The pipes run down to the pumps below, and some of our most commonly used liquor, and premixes too. It latches from the inside as well as the top, so ye cannae get locked in. Ye wouldn’t want for much if ye did, mind.”

  He opened the latch, and slid it all the way open. I couldn’t help but think how clever that was, instead of the traditional ones where they open up and out. I followed his descent, and started to shake as we went further down into the dark cellar. Long-suppressed memories struggled to surface at the deja vu feeling. A step creaking was all it took, and I gasped before I stumbled forward into Drew. His quick reflexes saved me from face-planting the concrete below. I struggled to catch my breath. My heart rate had skyrocketed and this time, it had nothing to do with Drew having his hands on me. One hand left me and I heard the click as a light went on.

  “Ye really do make a habit of falling for ... Mia?”

  “I ... I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I must have tripped.” I shivered in Drew’s arms, and he gripped me tighter.

  “Ye cannae be afraid of the dark?” There wasn’t any humour in his voice, only concern as he stared through me.

  “No...I must. I’m just cold.” I tried to smile and step out of his reach, but he wouldn't let go. The room was too small, the air too thick.

  He reached a hand up to grip my chin and stared into my eyes. It unnerved me.

  “Drew, I’m fine. You can let me go.” He didn't. He just continued to hold my face.

  “Ye don’t have to come down here. One of the others will.”

  “I’m okay.” I was going to argue, but his face said, try it and see what happens.

  His eyes softened as he kept starting. His thumb absentmindedly stroked my cheek. I found it strangely calming, but the moment was broken when a sharp, high-pitched voice came screeching down the stairs.

  “Dreeeew? Where you at, babe?” Drew dropped his hands.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here and ye can meet Mac.” Mac? Babe?

  I gave Drew a small smile, which I thought was reassuring but it must have meant something different to him. He gripped my hand with a little squeeze and led us back up the stairs to meet a very feminine Mac.

  “There you are. I was beginning to think I’d have to start without you.” She giggled like a schoolgirl as Drew appeared out of the cellar. I had an instant, irrational dislike of her.

  “Oh? Who’s your little friend, Drew?” She shot me an incredulous look as I appeared next to Drew.

  “Mac, meet our newest employee, Mia. Mia this is Mackenzie, Mac for short.” He gave my hand a small squeeze before he let go, and put some distance between us. I was confused by the whole interaction. Didn’t Drew have a no-fraternising policy with staff? Yet, Mac acted like she had some kind of claim on him. Is she the reason he now doesn’t date staff?

  “Oooooh. Hiya” Her voice dripped with sweetness.

  “Hi.” I smiled what could be my trademark smile. It was lifeless and gave nothing away, but Mac didn’t seem to notice.

  “Mac can ye go get the cash ready while I run through some last few things with Mia?”

  “Of course.” She scurried off and into the back room.

  I looked at Drew while he watched Mac, an odd sensation creeping up into my chest. He turned with his mouth, about to speak, and stopped when he saw my face. I shut off whatever it was he caught and smiled.

  “No. Just no.” I nodded and agreed with whatever Drew was trying to dismiss which made Drew growl in annoyance. I smiled internally at the sound.

  “So, Boss. What now?”

  He frowned, and proceeded to explain all the ins and outs of the club, but even with the accent I found it hard to listen. I kept going back to the cellar and why I’d panicked. The unmistakable feeling I’d been there before wouldn’t leave me. I didn’t know how long I had been lost in my mind but I tuned back in just in time.

  “...and Wednesday is topless Wednesdays...”

  “WHAT?”

  “Welcome back. Did ye catch anything I said?”

  “Oh, funny. You were joking, right? I heard you, glasses are here, dishwasher here, beer nuts here. I have done this a million times before.” I wasn’t sure why I was getting defensive with him, but I couldn’t seem to help it.

  “Aye, I was joking. Wednesday is karaoke night.” Oh, God! “Saturday nights get pretty crazy here. It’s dance house with a DJ, and the folk
go nuts for it. If things get too crazy, just let me know and ye can take a breather. It’ll be just the four of us tonight. Any questions?”

  “What time do we open and close? I still have no idea what time we left last night.”

  “We open at six thirty, and last night we finished up about three am but ye must have been outside for a good thirty minutes, mind. Cannae imagine what ye were doin’.” It fascinated me how Drew would slip in and out of his Scottish brogue when he was talking with me. I vaguely remembered trying to find my phone on the curb, and I silently vowed never to drink so much again when the front door burst open and in hurried a tall, shaggy blonde guy.

  “Sorry mate. Got into a fight with a bird ‘n’ had to make up, twice.” He looked to me with a wink as he approached the bar.

  “Ya dirty bastard. Ye best not smell of sex, ye wee prick, or I’ll have to hose ye down.”

  I laughed.

  “Jules, this is Mia.”

  “Ah, a new bar wench. I approve. Mia, my dear, it’s a pleasure.” He elaborately bowed to me.

  “Hi.” What do you say to someone like that? Was he for real?

  “Easy, Jules. Now ye’ve met, ye can go help Mac while I finish with Mia.” There was an interesting amount of warning in Drew’s tone, and I caught the subtle shift in Jules features at hearing it.

  “Aye, Boss. Cannae wait.” He laughed as he swaggered off to the back.

  “Cute,” he grumbled. What was I missing?

  I looked at Drew curiously waiting for something. Now what?

  “Aye, well. That’s about it. Ye met the gang.”

  “Is it a requisite for your employees to be ... slutty?” And good looking? Drew laughed heartily at that.

  “Aye, and drunks.” He winked at me.

  “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

  “Nae if I can help it. Ye can fill in the paperwork when the other muppets get out here and open up.”

  “I heard that. It’s the hair, isn’t it? I can’t help I was gifted with a full, albeit shaggy mop of hair.” Jules tried to flick his shoulder-length hair out of his face and over his shoulder, but instead of looking suave or whatever it was he had been aiming for, he flicked himself in the face on the rebound looking like a right, as Drew put it, muppet.

  “Will you quit with the hair antics. You look like a spastic cheerleader. It’s so unbecoming,” Mac snapped out.

  “You’re just jealous that my hair is naturally awesome.”

  “Aye. Mac, get the door and Jules, put away the hair and check the stock levels before the crowd hits us, will ye? I’m getting Mia on to the paperwork, and then I’ll help ye carry them down.” He nodded towards the backroom and walked off.

  "Sure thing. Mia, don’t let him sign your life away or you’ll end up like Mac,” Jules whispered the latter so she didn’t hear, but I wasn’t sure what he meant and caught up to Drew.

  “Don’t mind them. They bicker like siblings, or so I’m told. I never had any to compare.”

  “You’re an only child, too?”

  “Ye an only child?” Damn it.

  “Yes. Which locker do you want me to put my bag in?”

  “Anyone ye want. It’s more a precaution in case any drunkards wander in. Only the office and stage door have a pin code.” He keyed in the code to the office door and opened it wide for me to walk in ahead of him. “It’s seven, six, nine, eight, but I’ll write it down for ye. Take a seat, I’ll find the form.”

  I tried to look impassive as I absentmindedly took in the room. I waited for Drew to go through the piles of paper stacked on his desk. I was surprised his office wasn’t more organised. It was clear he didn’t spend a lot of time in here. It didn’t seem to have the same attention to detail as his home. My palms sweat the longer I waited. Even though I had all the right fake information, there was always a chance something could go awry, or that the NIN number will be tracked ...

  “Ah! Here we go.”

  I wiped my sweaty hand on my black trousers and took the single piece of paper Drew handed me. The quick perusal didn’t relieve any of my nerves.

  “I didn’t think to bring in my banking details. Can I fill that in later? Is that an issue? Sorry, Drew, I wasn’t prepared to be starting work so soon, and I was more worried about having the right clothes to wear, and...” Nicely done Amelia... I struggled to look at Drew directly.

  “Breathe, ye look fine, and it’s nae bother.” He paused a minute, looking at me too intently again. I was really starting to hate how he did that. “I can pay ye in cash, and ye nae have to bother with the paperwork, aye?” Is he for real? Damn it, how much did he see? I tried to keep my face as blank as possible, but it was a little late for that. He’d seen straight through me, again.

  “Aye it’s settled. Just fill in the next of kin, ye know, in case ye wind up blootered and lost again.”

  “I don’t have any.” Merde, baiser merde!

  “Oh, well, that’s easy. If ye die, we can just dump ye body out back.” He smiled a small smile and I relaxed a little.

  “Can you not tell the others, please? I hate the pitying looks I usually get.” I would get, if I ever told the truth.

  I looked into Drew’s eyes for the first time since I’d walked in his office. There was no pity in them, but... my eyes widened at my detective skills.

  “You’re the same, aren’t you?” I wasn’t sure how the same we could be, but the recognition was there. “I mean, you don’t have any family, either.” It explained why he didn’t apologise, or ask any questions, they were the normal responses from anyone who didn’t understand, and pity, always pity.

  “Aye. Dinnae worry, I’ll nae say anything.” I smiled. In normal circumstances that would have been odd, if not somewhat morbid, but Drew got it and for a moment, I felt like he got me.

  Chapter Six

  “So ... now what?”

  “Come on, then.” I followed Drew out of the office with a stupid grin on my face. That was ...too easy. Drew caught it, and looked at me with furrowed brows.

  “What?”

  “If I dinnae know any better, I would think ye were a wee bit excited. That cannae be right.”

  “You must have me confused with someone else.” I said it with a dead-pan face, but one side of my mouth refused to conform and I ended up giving away my amusement as I walked past Drew holding the staff door open. He followed me out, laughing, but we both paused when we found Jules and Mac in some argument.

  “I want the front side.” Mac whined at Jules.

  “No, you get the backside. HA!” Drew sniggered at that, and pumped my shoulder to keep us moving.

  “You're such a tosser. You always get the front."

  “It’s ‘cause I’m good with me hands.” He wiggled his fingers in Mac’s face.

  “You manky git. I bet you can’t even find you bleedin’ co...”

  "Bloody hell, Mac. Easy on the language, you trollop, there's a lady present." He winked in our direction, and for a minute I was confused.

  "What, Drew?" Oh, he meant me. Everyone, including Drew laughed.

  "Alright get to work ye lazy sods. Jules, storeroom, Mac ye can clean the tables and check on the bathroom, would ye?”

  "Shouldn't that be the newbie role?" She tried to giggle playfully but the scorn was still present.

  "And how would she know what to check for? Mia needs to get familiar with the system before everyone starts pouring in."

  "I do?"

  "Aye, ye do."

  "Fine, fine,” Mac said in a sing-song, voice but it seemed to be anything but fine, as she huffed off, bumping Jules’ on the way out of the bar.

  “I’ll be out in a jiffy if he gives you any trouble Mi.” Mi?

  “On with ye, and stop pissin’ Mac off would ye? I’ll have to listen to her bitch and moan all night.”

  “I’ll do me best.” The unspoken not came through loud and clear.

  “Aye...”

  The front door swung open, and in w
alked our first patron. The man was in his late fifties, easily, and not what I’d been expecting on a Saturday night, but it was only 6pm.

  “Alright, Drew?”

  “Angus, ye late old man.”

  “Got caught up, din I? Where’s the rest of the lazy sods? Oh who’s this then, you got yourself a lass?” His eyes lit up as he came closer to the bar.

  “Aye.” What? “First day, mind. Go easy on her.”

  “Is that so? Ya work ‘ere then, she ain’t yas after all, aye Drew?” Oh... He winked and smiled at me. The few missing teeth really added to the creep factor. Drew frowned for a spilt second before he straightened out his features.

  “Ye cannae have her either, ye dirty bastard. She’s young enough to be ye granddaughter and too good for the likes of us.” I’m what?

  “Too right ya are, son. Too right. So what’s ya story, little miss?” He stretched out his hand towards me, and I internally shuddered. He seemed harmless enough but I detested shaking hands with people. “The name’s Angus Wilkinson.”

  “Mia. Mia Green.” I tentatively shook his hand with a strained smile in return. Angus didn’t notice anything amiss but Drew did. I could hear him trying not to laugh. Bastard

  “I’ve not seen the likes of ya around here before. Where’d ya come from, lass?”

  “A town not much different to this one, just further inland.” I smiled at him sweetly. That was all he was getting, the nosy codger. I looked to Drew in the hope he’d get my subtle hint. We should have been working, or at least he should have been teaching me the till. He got the hint, threw the dishtowel at me and pointed the spray bottle behind me. You son of a ...

  “Ya got a fella, one back home, maybe?” I scoffed at the thought. Drew looked at me, perplexed, with a little too much interest I thought.

  “I never leave anything behind, especially not men.”

  “Is that right? I have a feeling ya’ve left a few fellas in ya path. Maybe ya just don’t know it.” He winked again at me.