My Rocs

I hope you like my latest story. No sex in this one.

I had just finished the purchase of another bar in the Minneapolis area. My company, which I own, has a total of 10 bars now and Strikers is the latest to come under my ownership. I had known the previous owner and he wanted to ride off into the sunset when he contacted me. The sale went through with no issues and I thought I would take a quick trip into the bar to see how things are run. I like to do this before anyone really knows who I am to get a feel for how the staff works and to understand if I have any manager issues.

I had just sat down at the bar when AK (Anita Karen, AK for short) quickly came over to ask me what I was drinking. Good start, but I could tell she was new to the scene. She probably hasn't tended bar for more than a week or two based upon what I could tell. I decided to test her a bit to see what she knew. I ordered a long island iced tea. This wasn't a martini type of bar; more of a beer and whiskey sort of place. Still AK should know how to make a long island.

I looked around and things seemed pretty slow, but it was early on a Tuesday so that isn't too surprising. The waitresses were wiping tables and getting the stations prepped for later, which showed there was a good management team in place. The overall appearance of the bar was clean. I didn't see any cameras in the main bar area, so I made a mental note to get those installed. I like to take a quick look into things remotely every so often just to see how things are running.

AK returned with my drink and the way she was watching me made me think this might be the first long island she has made. I took a quick pull and it wasn't quite what I expected. She didn't get the ratios correct, but it wasn't horrible. "I didn't make it right, did I?" AK asked.

"Not quite, but it is still drinkable. How long have you tended bar?"

"This is my first week. Sorry, I can make you something else if you don't want to drink that. No charge."

"No, this will be fine. What made you start tending bar if you don't mind me asking."

"I just needed a steady job and I knew the general manager so he said that he would show me the ropes of bartending. They needed another bartender so I took the offer."

"Thanks, my name is Brian. I haven't been to this bar before, but it looks like a pretty good place to hang out."

"My name is AK. I have been here some in the past and it can get pretty busy on the weekends. Tuesday afternoons aren't much, so I don't have a partner to help with unfamiliar orders. Really, if you don't want to drink that I can get you something else. It won't hurt my feelings."

"AK is a pretty unusual name."

"It's short for Anita Karen. I don't like my first name, so I started to use my first initial from my first and middle name. It sounded good together, so it stuck."

"Well, AK, it's nice to meet you. I'll keep the drink."

"Let me know if you need anything else"

As AK walked away, I started to notice a few things. She is about 5'5" and in pretty good shape; around 125 pounds or so. She has a nice figure so she should do well with the guys (and possibly girls) when bartending. She has a few tattoos on her arms and hands which give her a tougher appearance. Again, that should play well with the guys so they may not fuck with her as much. Not my normal type, but something about her tripped me up. I wondered where else she might have a tattoo, but I shouldn't think like that with an employee.

Over the next couple of hours, AK came by and we talked some more. I found out she has a young daughter, but didn't mention being married nor was there a ring on that finger. Plenty of other rings, but not the tell tale sign of a wedding ring. She seemed to be a bit down on her luck if I was to make a guess. I decided I might have to make a few more visits to this bar to get to know her a bit better.

I asked AK for a pen and my tab. AK dropped off both and went to wait on another patron. I wrote a quick note on the bar napkin and paid for my tab and placed an additional $100.00 for AK.

AK,

Glad to meet you and good luck with your bartending. Take this and buy something for your daughter.

Brian

Over the course of the next couple of months, I had stopped by Strikers a few times. Most of the time AK was bartending and she seemed to be getting more comfortable. I continued to talk with her about trivial things, but she never mentioned how she came to be a single mom. Maybe over time I would get that information, but she wasn't volunteering it at this point. I also never mentioned that I owned the place as I didn't want that to interfere with my visits to check up on the place. The cameras were installed and I would tap into them as I do with all of the bars. Technology is great if used correctly.

It was probably the fourth month that I had owned Strikers when I popped in for a quick drink and noticed a little girl sitting at one of the tables as far away from the main area as possible. I figured someone had to bring her to work when a daycare situation fell through. As I sat at my usual place at the bar, I asked AK who was the new staff member. I smiled after to make sure she knew I was joking.

"That's my girl Samantha. My sitter got sick and couldn't watch her. I didn't have anyone else available so I drug her with me. I don't like to do that, but I didn't have a choice. I need the money so taking off work today wasn't a choice."

"She's a cute girl. Mind if I go introduce myself and talk with her a bit? I'll watch her for a while if you don't mind."

"I don't mind. The waitresses have been checking in with her and probably giving her too much soda. I'll introduce you to her."

We walked over to the table and I sat down in the chair next to her.

"Sam, this is Mr. Brian. He wanted to talk to you for a bit. You okay with that while mommy works?"

Sam looked up with the deepest brown eyes that would just melt your heart. "Sure mommy. How are you Mr. Brian?"

"I'm great. You can just call me Brian if you want. Mind if I color with you? I'll have to borrow some of your crayons and paper, but I love to color."

"Here you go." Sam slid over a piece of paper and some crayons. We sat and talked for about an hour and I could tell Sam was getting bored.

"What other things do you like to do, Sam?"

"Mommy let's me paint her fingernails when we are at home, but I didn't bring any of her paints with me."

"Would you like to do that here?"

"That would be fun. There are a lot of people here that I could paint their fingers."

"I'll work on that. Also, what type of food do you like to eat? You have to be getting hungry."

"I like chicken nuggets the best, but mommy said that will have to wait until she gets off from work."

"I'll take care of that too. Just hold on while I make a call."

I called my assistant and told her to bring over an order of chicken nuggets, fries and a juice along with some thing to paint fingernails. About 30 minutes later, my assistant showed up with a kids meal and what looked like enough fingernail polish to paint everyone's fingers for the next 2 weeks. I thanked her and told her to bill me the cost of everything and overtime for her making the trip. I took the items to our table and Sam immediately smiled. I glanced at AK and she was smiling while shaking her head. I shrugged and returned the smile.

After Sam ate her nuggets, I told her to go find some people who she thought needed their nails painted. Sam's first stop was to a table that had what appeared to be a tough biker type who turned when he saw Sam standing next to his table.

"Mr, can I paint your nails? I have a bunch of colors at my table if you would like to come with me."

As rough and tough as this guy seemed, he laughed and was soon on his way over to our table. I stopped him just short of the table and told him that his next round is on me for appeasing a bored little girl. He stated that he has a grand daughter that does the same thing to him so this wasn't a big deal.

Sam picked out the brightest pink color and proceeded to paint his nails. The guy was smiling the whole time and Sam seemed to love it. Sam painted about 10 more people's nails and it cost me another 10 drinks for taking the time to help us with the boredom. While painting the last set of nails, I called the manager and told him to find a replacement for AK so she could take her daughter home. The place was getting busier and it really isn't the best place for a 4 year old. I told him to pay her for the full shift. I walked up to the bar to pay my tab and to talk with AK.

"AK, if you ever need someone to watch Sam, just give me a call. Here is my cell number and I would be happy to have her. I don't live too far from here, so even if it is short notice, call me. I understand single parent life as my mom was pretty much in the same boat as you. Sam's a great kid."

I paid the tab and walked away as the manager came out to talk to AK. I was sitting at the table with Sam when AK came to gather her up.

"Sam, thank Brian for watching you and feeding you those nuggets. Let's give him back all of the finger polish you borrowed from him."

"Sam, you can keep the finger polish as I don't have anyone at home that needs it. You can paint mommy's nails with all of those new colors. I was happy to meet you."

AK and Sam left and I went back to my house with a really big smile.

Over the next month or two, I was really taken by AK. I loved talking to her and even watched Sam a couple of times. Early on a Saturday morning, AK called and asked if I could watch Sam. AK's shift had her staying until close, so it would be late before she would be able to pick-up Sam. I told her that wouldn't be a problem. Just drop Sam off when she needed to go to work.

As AK came to the door with Sam, I handed her the key to my door. I told her to just unlock the door and come in when her shift was over. I didn't want her to ring the bell which might wake up Sam and I may not hear her knocking if I was too far away. Just after 2 am, AK walked into my living room after her shift. She smiled when she saw Sam asleep on the couch with her head on my shoulder. I have longer hair and Sam had put it into a ponytail, painted my nails and applied some makeup to my face. We were playing princesses. I was dozing off when I looked up to see AK looking at me. I smiled and waived her to sit down. AK sat in the chair next to the sofa.

"It's too late for you to drive across town and I don't think it is very safe. Why don't I carry Sam to the guest bedroom where the two of you can sleep until you are ready to leave tomorrow. I would feel better having you both safe here instead of trying to drive home."

"I can't do that. You have already helped me out so much by watching Sam. I wouldn't feel right taking advantage of you any further. Thanks for watching her, but I think we should go home."

"Please AK, just stay. It isn't a bother and I would feel better knowing you both were safe. I have plenty of room and Sam is out for the night. Just stay, please?"

"Okay, but we are leaving first thing in the morning to let you have the rest of your weekend. Thanks again for watching her."

I picked up Sam and placed her in the spare bed. I showed AK where the bathroom was and gave her a couple of my t-shirts if she wanted to change into something more comfortable for her and Sam. I went into my bedroom and closed the door. It took me a while to go to sleep thinking about AK in the other room. I was starting to have feelings for her, but I wasn't prepared to do anything about it at this point. Maybe later, but definitely not now.

I woke up early and went out to the store that was just around the corner. I didn't have a lot to eat, so I quickly picked up some doughnuts, fruit, bacon, eggs, milk and some juice. I had coffee so I was all set to make my guests some breakfast. I was in the kitchen when a cute little girl came down the steps dressed in my t-shirt that looked like a dress.

"Good morning princess. Did you sleep well?"

"Mommy is still sleeping. Can I have something to drink?"

"Sure, I have juice and milk. I also bought some doughnuts in case you are hungry."

"Can I have some juice and the sprinkle one?"

We were sitting at the table when AK came down in my t-shirt as well. I hope she didn't notice me staring at her, but seeing her in only a t-shirt and panties was almost too much for me. I gave her a cup of coffee and she grabbed a doughnut as well. I offered to make eggs and bacon, but she said they didn't eat breakfast too much so the doughnut would be fine. I set Sam up in the living room watching cartoons and sat with AK at the table.

"Thanks for letting me stay last night. I was really tired and not having to drive across town really was nice. You didn't have to do that."

"It was nothing. I felt better having you two stay and not having to worry if you made it home. I loved having Sam over as well. She is a dream to watch and we had a lot of fun playing princesses last night."

"I'll get Sam ready to go and we will get out of your hair."

"Take your time. I don't have anything planned for today and talking with you is better than sitting in this house alone. Help yourself to anything you need and feel free to take a shower if you want."

AK stayed for a couple more hours and then headed back to her place. I gathered all of the sheets and t-shirts to throw in the wash. I could still smell AK's scent on the t-shirt she wore last night. I decided I needed to act on my feelings.

The next week, I walked into the bar and asked AK if she would like to have dinner with me sometime. She said that she couldn't afford to take time off from work, but maybe another time. I decided to resolve the time off issue. I left and called the manager and told him what I needed. He smiled and said he would have it all arranged.

The following Wednesday AK was set to work. As she walked into the bar, she noticed something unusual. There wasn't anyone in the bar except for her and another waitress. She placed her things behind the bar and went to see what was going on. The waitress told her that the bar was booked for a private event and that they only needed one waitress and a bartender. About 15 minutest later, a caterer came in and setup a single table with a table cloth, napkins, place setting and candles. There was a vase set on the table, but no flowers. About 5 minutes later, I walked in with a bouquet of roses. I walked up to AK and asked if she would like to have dinner with me. She blushed and said that there was a private event that she needed to tend bar for tonight. I smiled and said this is the private event. I had booked the bar for the night so that she could join me for dinner.

I took her hand and pulled out her chair to have her sit at the table. The waitress poured the wine I had purchased and removed the plate coverings for the meal. We didn't see her again until it was time for dessert.

"Brian, this is too much. I would have went on a normal dinner with you, but I don't have time or the money to have someone watch Sam. This had to cost you a lot of money."

"AK, don't worry about the cost. I am happy to pay whatever it takes to have dinner with you. I really like you and want to spend more time with both you and Sam. I know it is a package deal and I wouldn't have it any other way. One thing that I haven't told you since we started to get to know each other is that I own this bar. I purchased it shortly before the first time I met you during your first week of bartending. I get the owner discount."

"You own this place? I am eating dinner with the owner of the bar I work at? Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

"It is a bit of a conflict, but I won't let that interfere with your job. I don't do much with the day to day management of the bar as I leave that up to the GM."

I tried to appease her issues over the ownership situation and explained that if it was too much of an issue, I would simply have to fire her so that we could continue to see each other. I said that with a smile and laughed quickly afterwards so she knew it was a joke. I don't want her thinking that if she didn't date me that her job would be in jeopardy.

"AK, I want to get to know you even better than I already do. If you don't feel the same way, I am not going to fire you or anything like that. I like you a lot and I think we could be good together. I love spending time with Sam and I think the world of her. I think we could be good together."

We were able to have a nice dinner and sat and talked for the remainder of the time. AK agreed to see me for "normal" dates there after.

"I have one more thing to ask you. I would prefer to call you Nita instead of AK. I like how Nita sounds. It is a bit softer than calling you AK. Are you okay with that?"

"You will be the only one that gets to call me that, but yes, that is fine with me."

"Nita it is until you tell me differently."

Nita and I hit it off quite well over the next couple of months. The holiday season was approaching and I wanted to have her attend my annual Christmas party. I gave her my credit card and told her to buy something nice for the party. I also told her to make sure she got something for my little princess as that is what I called Sam. I hired a babysitter to watch Sam at my place and had Nita get dressed here when she brought Sam over. Nita walked down the steps in a very elegant black dress with a nice jacket as a cover in case she was cold at the party.

"Wow Nita, you look amazing. That is quite the dress! It is missing only one thing."

I opened a jewelry case and took out a gold necklace with a diamond pendant. Nita's face showed the utter surprise with what I was showing to her.

"Brian, that is beautiful. That is way too expensive for me. I can't wear that."

"It is my pleasure to give this to you. I was going to wait until Christmas, but it will look perfect with your dress. Sam helped me pick it out, so don't disappoint my princess by refusing to wear it tonight."

"That's not fair using my daughter against me, but I would be happy to wear it. You know, using Sam goes both ways, mister."

We left for the event and had a great time. Nita was a bit uncomfortable at first as I could tell she hasn't had too much experience at events like this. She soon felt more comfortable, but kept me by her side the entire night. No complaints on my part as I loved having her there. We were able to dance and talk the entire night.

We arrived back at my place and I paid the sitter as she left. Nita was a little apprehensive as I approached her in the living room. Up to this point, kissing was as far as we had taken the relationship.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight Brian?"

"You read my mind perfectly. I would love to have you spend the night in my bed with me."

With that we retired to my room for the evening. The next morning I asked Nita to move in with me. I didn't want to spend any more time away from my two girls. Nita was a bit hesitant at first, but I told her she could keep her job and I didn't want this to interfere in anything that she had planned. I told her that any money she was spending on rent and utilities she should save in an account for herself. We discussed a few other things and I told her that we needed to get Sam's room setup properly for a girl of her age. We converted the third bedroom into Sam's room. I had my office in the basement already and I moved the gym equipment downstairs to free up the room. Everything else was left the same. Nita didn't have much to move so by the end of the weekend she was my new roommate.

We married a year after and have been happily married for 12 years now. That is where things turned for the worse.

Nita stopped bartending soon after we were married. I tried to get her involved with some of the bar management, but that wasn't her passion. We struggled to find things for her, but I was fine with her being a stay at home mom for Sam.