Page 51 of The Originals

(2 years later)

“Hey! What do I gotta do to get some service around here?”

Regina Hinkley’s hand stilled on the bottle of bourbon.

A good start would be some fucking manners.

She was in the process of restocking the bar at Starr’s. Her least favorite job, which soured her mood when it hadn’t been done by the new barback. What was the point of her boss, Ernie, hiring more help when they didn’t do their job?

“Did she hear us?”

Yeah, I fucking heard you, cock-for-brains.

Regina rolled her eyes and mentally calculated how many bottles of whiskey to grab from the storage room. She’d also have to change the keg. The lunch crowd had come and gone, and she was prepping for the next wave of customers. Happy hour was a big shebang in the dive bar. They had a steady flow of locals, who came in for half priced beers. Then came the Friday night crowd.

“Hey! Sweets!”

Oh, you motherfucker.

This man was obviously not a local. Had he been, he’d know better than to speak to her in that manner. Did men really think catcalling at someone’s job was an acceptable way to get their attention? Regina drew in a deep breath and glanced up at the mirror. She zoned in on the man and his friend. There were a few others seated at the bar, however these two were the only oneswith smug smiles on their faces. Just by looking at them, she knew they thought a lot of themselves.

She slowly glanced over her shoulder.

“Who are you talking to?” Regina arched her brow.

“Your fine ass.” He had the nerve to smirk and share a look with his buddy. At least his friend had the decency to look away and keep his mouth shut. It would serve him well against Regina. The other man? Not so much.

Men like this were a dime a dozen. Smart mouth and bravado, without an ounce of courage to back it up. The type of guys who were rarely put in their place and never by a woman.Until now, asshole.

Regina smiled, sauntering over to the end of the bar where the two men were seated. From their attire, she could tell they weren’t local to this side of town. The suits were a dead giveaway. Lawry was a booming small city, bringing in a lot more companies, and what she referred to as tight-wad suits. Most of them stuck to their section in the corporate end of the city. But every once in a while, a big shot would make the mistake of stumbling into Starr’s.

She glanced down at Louis, a regular in his late sixties. He winked as she passed by. He’d been coming in long enough to know how this would play out. Regina stopped at the tap, grabbed a glass and got Louis a refill, placing it down in front of him. He should have an ice-cold beer for the show she was about to put on.

Regina stopped at the end of the bar, cocked her head, and offered her most sultry smile. She leaned down, resting her elbows on the top of the bar. The move would pull down her shirt a bit, showing off her cleavage. When both men glanced down at her breasts, she shook her head.This is gonna be easier than I thought.

“Can I help you?”

He smiled and subtly elbowed his friend. “Need some drinks.”

“Is that right?” Regina paused briefly, glancing between both men. “And you thought the best way of going about that was to shout across the bar to get my attention?”

He held up his hand. “Didn’t know if you knew we were waiting for some service.”

Regina laughed, looking back at Louis who was glued to the scene. She turned back to the men and straightened. “How could weallnot know? The whole bar knew the second you walked in. Cheap cologne has a specific scent.”

His jaw tightened. “Just get us two long island iced teas.”

So predictable.Though it was disappointing. For all his showmanship of being a tough guy, ordering a long island iced tea canceled all that out.Why not order a Daquiri?At this point, it didn’t matter what he ordered. He wasn’t getting anything. But she wasn’t above having a little fun before kicking them out of her bar. Technically, she wasn’t the owner, but she’d claimed it when she’d started working there.

“I’m Regina. What’s your name?”

He eyed her suspiciously and shared a look with his friend. Her lips curved in a smile knowing, for as annoyed as he was, he would answer. And he did.

“Rick.” He jerked his head to his left. “And Gil.”

“Alright, well, tell you what, Rick.” She paused. “I’ll get you those two drinksafter” —she cocked her brow— “you get your pussy ass up, walk out that door, and come back in with a better fucking attitude, and manners like I’m sure your sweet mama taught you.”

Gil’s mouth fell open, and his gaze shifted to his friend. He was silently confirming her suspicions that Rick wasn’t accustomed to back talk.