The alpha and his stubborn thief

Chapter 7 - Confrontation

Cassie sighed as she walked around the bar and ensured that everything was ready for opening. Three days had passed since she had been with Joshua, and she still couldn’t get him out of her mind. She had woken up about eight that morning, still entangled with Joshua, and even though her body didn’t want to, she had snuck out of there without waking him.

Glancing in the mirror behind the bar, she looked at her soft curves that her sleeveless black jumpsuit showed nicely. It was tight around the waist and had a deep v-neckline, and she wore a simple necklace with a long gold chain and a small green rock that complimented the neckline nicely. She had a braid on the other side of her head to keep the hair out of her face and golden earrings that matched the necklace and reached her shoulders.

She could feel her wolf pouting in her mind, and Cassie did feel bad for keeping her mate away from her, but she’d come around.

Eventually.

“I can hear you sighing from outside,” Tabitha said as she joined her at the bar. She was wearing black high waist pants with a gold tube top and black stilettos. Cassie once more wondered how she could wear those things while working and curled her toes that were locked in her comfortable black sneakers.

“What’s going on?” Tabitha asked.

“Nothing,” Cassie shrugged and tried to put up a poker face, but her friend saw right through her.

“Boy trouble?” Tabitha asked with a raised brow.

“You’ve no idea,” Cassie groaned as she made sure everything was stocked on the shelves below.

“But I thought you managed to relieve that frustration the other night?”

“Ohhh, I did,” Cassie breathed, “And much more than that,” she sighed and stood up.

“Then what’s the problem?” Tabitha asked while cutting down the lemon slices.

“I don’t know,” she groaned, and went to get more beer from the back.

“Oh, I see,” Tabitha said with a little whistle, “You are still thinking about him,” Tabitha said while crossing her arms, leaning up against the bar and giving her a smirk.

“Shut it,” Cassie mumbled as she brought more beer and kneeled to stock the fridge.

“Did someone finally break down your walls?” Tabitha asked with a smirk.

“That’s never going to happen, and I’m only feeling like this since he knew his way around a woman’s body, that’s all,” Cassie answered.

“Seems like he really made an impression.”

“Let’s just say that there was not much sleeping done that night and leave it at that,” Cassie smirked.

“Then why do I feel you regret sleeping with him?” Tabitha frowned.

“I just feel like the risk might have been greater than the reward,” Cassie muttered.

“What risk? You didn’t use protection?!” Tabitha gasped.

“What do you take me for?” Cassie replied, and her face twisted in disgust, “No matter how desperate I am, I’d never risk that!”

“Then what risk are you talking about?”

“It’s hard to explain, but I just feel like it might have been better to stay away from him.”

“I don’t understand you sometimes,” Tabitha sighed, “That night you were dying to score, and it seems like you just got one of the best lay of your life, but all you can do is sulk about it?”

“When you put it like that…,” Cassie muttered and sighed.

“Just forget about him for now, and we’ll talk about it after the shift,” Tabitha nodded and gestured to the clock that showed that the bar was opening.

“Let’s see what kind of crazies we’ll get tonight,” Cassie sighed and gestured to the DJ in the corner of the bar to start the music, and not a moment later, the loud music filled the place, and the doors of the bar opened.

---

It had been a couple of hours since they opened, and the bar was gradually filling up with people. It seemed like a group of girls were having a night out, and high-pitched screaming filled the air as they downed more shots.

When they finally went to the dancefloor, Cassie sighed in relief as her ears got a little break from all the screeching, but her relief was soon replaced with something else as she caught a glance of four people entering the bar, and one of them made her heart skip a beat.

Joshua and the three other werewolves entered the bar and walked over to claim one of the empty booths, and while serving drinks to a couple, Cassie took a moment to take a better look at Joshua.

He was wearing the same blazer as that night, but with a black shirt, and Cassie bit her lip as she pictured her talking it off again while his deep blue eyes looked at her with wanting. His dark, messy hair was nicely styled just above his eyes, and he seemed lost in the conversation he was having with his friends.

“Miss?” a small voice took her out of her daze as she realized beer was spilling over her hand.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Cassie excused herself and reached for another glass to fill and handed it to the confused girl, “Have a great night.”

“You alright?” Tabitha asked, concerned as she took the overfilled beer glass, poured the excess beer out, and dried the glass.

“See the four people that entered the third booth to the left?” Cassie muttered as she took a few breaths to focus.

“Wait, isn’t that the guy you spilled beer over a few nights ago?” Tabitha frowned.

“It is, and you were supposed to let me pay for his drinks.”

“How did you… Wait…. You slept with that guy?!” Tabitha asked, stunned.

“Do you mind saying that a bit louder? I don’t think the guy at the end of the bar heard you,” Cassie hissed as Tabitha noticed customers staring at them awkwardly.

“Sorry,” Tabitha excused and served the customers waiting in line.

“Excuse me, can I get a bottle of your finest whiskey?” a woman asked, and before Cassie looked at her, her wolf's scent hit her. She locked eyes with the beautiful she-wolf that came in with Joshua earlier and could feel a small pit in her stomach for some reason. Her straight black hair flowed flawlessly down her back, and she was wearing a simple black ruffled dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

“Sure thing,” Cassie nodded and found a good bottle and took money from the girl.

“Thanks,” the werewolf nodded.

“Do you want some glasses?” Cassie asked.

“Four, please.”

Cassie handed her four whiskey glasses, and the girl gave her a soft smile.

“HEY, YOU!” someone suddenly called, and Cassie looked up to see a man leaning on the bar table and glaring at her.

“Can I help you?” Tabitha asked him since he was on her side.

“I’m not talking to you!” the man barked at Tabitha before looking back at Cassie, “I need to talk to you!”

Cassie then noticed it was the man she had f****d in the bathroom the night before, and she cursed under her breath.

“It’s alright, I got this,” Cassie nodded to Tabitha and walked over to the man.

“What seems to be the problem, sir?”

“Give me back my money!” he ordered.

“Excuse me?” Cassie asked, taken aback.

“I know what you did,” he growled, and Cassie noticed Tabitha’s face getting pale, but she didn’t say anything.

“Please, sir, can you come over here, so you won’t disturb all the customers,” Cassie nodded over to the corner of the bar, and she walked around the bar and away from most people.

“Now, can you explain to me what you’re talking about?” Cassie asked, annoyed, still not remembering his name.

“I know you stole from me!” the man growled and crossed his arms.

“I’m not following,” Cassie answered with a confused look on her face. She, of course, knew she had stolen from him, but she also knew that there was no way that he had any proof and was just grasping at straws.

Annoying straws, but she had to play it out like she didn’t know a thing.

“I had over two hundred dollars in my wallet the other night, and when I got home, it was empty.”

“So, you’re blaming me for your bad spending habits?” Cassie frowned.

“I didn’t spend it!” the man yelled, “The money was in my wallet, then you dragged me into the bathroom, and then it was gone!”

“So, you think that in those ten minutes that you had me pinned up against the stall, I… what? Reached into your pocket, took out the money, and put the wallet back?” Cassie scoffed, “Do you not remember what I was wearing that night? Where could I have put the money?!”

The man hesitated for a while as he thought about her answers, and Cassie hoped that would be enough to send him on his way, since she was not in the mood to deal with him.

“What’s going on here? A middle-aged man with slicked-back brown hair, a full beard, and a well-tailored suit that did its best to hide his growing beer belly asked with a raspy voice.

“Mr. Long,” Cassie said respectfully, but cursing under her breath that her boss decided to show up now of all times, “It’s just a simple misunderstanding.”

“Is it?” Long answered with a raised brow and looked at the man, “What happened, sir? And why are you distracting my bartender?”

“I think she stole from me,” the man said sternly and crossed his arms defensively.

“You think she stole from you?” Long frowned, “That’s a serious accusation, and I don’t appreciate you causing a commotion in my bar because of something you think.”

“Well, she’s the only one I spent any time with a few nights ago, and after we finished, my money was gone.

Cassie bit her lips together as Long gave her a side-eye, but he didn’t say anything and continued to look calm as he talked with the angry man.

“I’m sorry about your experience, but I’m going to have to ask you if you have any proof?” Long asked calmly.

“I don’t, but she’s the only one that had a chance to take my money!” the man argued.

“You’re just salty that I didn’t want to give you my number,” Cassie groaned under her breath, but loud enough for both men to hear.

“If you think…,” the man began and raised his finger in her direction, but Long stepped between them.

“If you threaten my staff, then I will have you escorted out of my bar and permanently banned,” Long threatened with a harsh voice, “I’m also trying to wrap my head around why you are only showing up now instead of the day after?”

“I slipped and fell when I got home and just got out of the hospital today,” the man replied, “But I did notice the money missing before that!”

“Listen, I’m sorry about your experience and what happened to you, but unfortunately, there are always some people that prey on others. However, since you don’t have any proof, I’m going to have to ask you to either leave my bar or sit down and enjoy your night without disturbing my staff.”

The man huffed, but eventually, he sighed and nodded his head. He turned around to leave and soon disappeared into the crowd.

Long watched after the man, and Cassie used the moment to go back to work but stopped once Long called out her name.

“Don’t think you’re in the clear,” he said harshly and gestured to his office, and Cassie cursed as she followed him inside.

The office wasn’t big and was filled with overflowing filing cabinets on both sides of the wall. On the opposite wall was a well-organized, medium-sized black desk, and Long sat down behind it, gesturing to Cassie to sit.

“Care to tell me what happened that night?” Long asked as he sat down and gestured to the chair in front of the desk.

“It’s just some misunderstanding,” Cassie shrugged as she sat down and crossed her arms.

“So, you didn’t fornicate with him? Long asked and peered his eyes at her.

“That word makes you sound ancient,” Cassie muttered in disgust.

“Just answer the question,” Long grunted as he rubbed his temples.

“I may or may not have used my break to “talk” to him,” Cassie said and sunk a little into her chair, “But are you even allowed to ask me that?” she groaned.

“This conversation makes me just as uncomfortable as you, but I’m going to remind you that certain practices are not allowed while you are on the clock,” Long sighed.

“It won’t happen again,” Cassie shrugged.

“And about that money?” Long asked with a raised brow.

“I don’t know what happened to it,” Cassie said defensively, “And I was only with him for like ten minutes, and there wasn’t much time to steal from him, if you know what I mean.”

“Please stop,” Long grumbled and raised his hands.

“You asked,” Cassie shrugged.

“Just go back to work,” Long mumbled.

“Will do,” Cassie said as she got up and left his office.

“But I suggest you stay professional during your work hours from now on,” Long cautioned her as she closed the door behind her.

Cassie took a deep breath as the door closed and thanked whatever luck she had that she hadn’t been fired. Looking for another job was not something she wanted to do right now.

“About time!” Tabitha snapped once she got back to the bar, “I was worried sick when you and that guy disappeared. What happened?”

“Calm down. He’s gone. Long came and dealt with him,” Cassie explained.

“Long’s here? Tabitha asked, surprised, “He usually doesn’t show himself on a weekday.”

“Oh, he’s here,” Cassie groaned as she washed her hands, “And he scolded me for “fornicating” during work hours.”

“That must have been a fun conversation,” Tabitha chuckled.

“You have no idea,” Cassie grumbled, and they put the conversation aside as they continued working, and she hoped that no other surprises would happen tonight.