“The scar. On her chin. Her ex gave her that scar.”
My jaw dropped open. “Wait, seriously?”
He snickered. “Don’t feel sorry for her. Man’s eating through a tube for the rest of his life for it.”
I paused. “How do you know that?”
He shrugged. “She likes bragging about it.”
“Wait, she did that to him?”
“Trust me, the girls in here can hold their own. Even the ones who walk around in heels. Don’t let them fool you for a second.”
I didn’t know whether to feel horrified or proud.
“It’s pretty chaotic in here.”
Max slid his foot against mine under the table. “Yep. Gets pretty wild some nights.”
“But it’s fun.”
“You think so?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, that guy kept slapping her on the butt and she didn’t think anything of it. Is it always like that? So… carefree like that?”
He chuckled. “Pretty much. The girls draw their own lines with the guys, and they have permission to rectify a situation any way they see fit if it’s crossed.”
“Permission from who?”
He shrugged. “The crew.”
I paused. “I don’t get it.”
“My crew owns this bar. When I said this was our clubhouse, I wasn’t kidding. The crew, as a collective, owns this place. We keep it running with the money we make, and it works for us.”
“Is it ever open to the public?”
“Eh, when we want to open it. Sometimes, we throw parties. Invite people we know. Rake in some money that way. But mostly it’s a safe haven for us. A place to come and enjoy drinks, some food, and good company without expectations and shit.”
I smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah, it’s a pretty nice set up.”
“Hey! Max! Got a second?”
The foreign voice pulled my attention upward and I saw a gangly man approach the table. He looked like a pipe cleaner with eyes. And he had the most gorgeous woman at his side. She kept sucking on his neck and leaving brown lipstick marks everywhere. Her hands kept traveling over his torso while she whispered in his ear. And each time she did, a goofy grin crossed his face.
It made me wonder what she was saying to him.
“Ralph. Nice to see you. And who’s this girl hanging off you?” Max asked.
Pipe Cleaner smiled. “This here’s Marcie. Marcie, say hi.”
“Hi.”
She wasted no time in going back to covering him with kisses after the momentary break to socialize.
Max chuckled. “Well, nice to meet you, Marcie. What can I do for you, Ralph?”