“How was your birthday?”
“Um… uneventful.” I shrug my shoulders.
I’ve decided to keep a lid on me and Big D’s new relationship. God knows how long it will last despite everything he’s said to me. People don’t need to think I screwed my way to the top and that’s exactly what they’ll think.
“Bummer. You should have called me. We could have gone clubbing or something.”
My nose scrunches. “I’m too old for that stuff.”
“Are you kidding me? You turned 25!” Lexie yells.
“24 thank you very much.”
“Exactly! You’re in your prime, you need to find a man.”
“I’m pretty sure the type of guy I’m looking for wouldn’t be from a club.”
“You never know. I met Cliff when I was out and he’s a catch.”
Such a catch that when he comes in to see her he flirts and gropes the wait staff. She doesn’t know it and I’m not going to be the barer of bad news. Plus, we’re work friends. I would never take her up on a night on the town.
“I’ll catch you later, all my tables are full.”
“Our tables are always full!”
I grab my plates and head for a group of wicked attractive guys in one of the back tables. They’re thirty-ish if I had to guess their age. I am however not fooled by their looks. I’m not stupid, I know they’re saying unwholesome things. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out when you get to the table and they all stop talking. Or you catch one doing a lewd gesture behind your back.
I swear, sometimes men are nothing more than overgrown babies.
“Is there anything else you need gentleman?”
“Your number sweet thing.”
Their liquid courage must be kicking in. Or it’s just that whole I’m rich, you’re a waitress, so you’ll do as I want and say thing. It doesn’t matter really, not in a million years. I have a solid rule not to mess with customers, not that I would with my budding relationship.
“You need ketchup? Coming right up sir.” I leave the idiots and check on my other tables and deliver a few more meals. The best thing to do is ignore them. If you feed into it you’re only provoking them. When I return to their table they have a new buddy who pulled up a chair.
Surprise, surprise it’s Grant. Don’t even tell me he’s friends with these douchebags. When I approach the table his eyes warm when he spots me.
“Sweetness, we’ll need another round and add a Jack and coke for my friend here.” He claps him on the back.
When I turn around one of the guys mentions my ass and I hear WHACK! When I turn around I see that Grant has the guy by the collar whispering in his ear. When I turn back around to walk over to the bar I can’t hide the smile on my face.
As I’m waiting for the bartender to fill the drink order a hand comes around my hip. Grant plops down on the stool directly next to me with a serious mug on his face.
“I’m sorry about that baby. Chaz is an asshole.”
“No worries. I’ve dealt with worse.”
“I don’t like it. You should take the new position we offered you.”
“No way. When I get a promotion, it’s going to be because I earned it. Plus, I won’t be working here much longer.”
“Excuse me?”
“I can’t work in your restaurant Grant. It’s a conflict of interest. Look around, everyone that works here is looking at us. Most likely wondering why you’re giving me the time of day.”
He stands up and shocks the hell outta me when he wraps my arms around his neck and goes to town on my lips. Sucking, nibbling biting the hell out of them. When he’s finished I’m in a daze and need a new pair of panties.
“Well…” He fixes his jacket before sitting back on the stool. “Now they know.”
“Wuh?”
“They know why I’m talking to you now.”
“Did you do that to stake your claim?” I smile.
“Fuck yes! All these assholes need to know you’re taken.”
That makes me laugh. “Well done sir. Not that anyone was looking my way.”
I place all the drinks on my tray, but place Grant’s in front of him. My assumptions that he’s done with those jerks are confirmed when he winks as he takes a healthy swig.
Before I walk away I hear him mumble to himself. “She has no fucking idea.”
He always thinks I’m so out of tune. I’m starting to think maybe I am.
Halfway to the douchebag table, Lexie tells me she needs to see me in the kitchen ASAP. I assume something’s wrong so I quickly drop off the drinks and head through the swinging doors to find her. I did however notice not one man would meet my eyes nor did they throw any derogatory remarks out. Swoon.
Once I’m through the swinging door Lexie’s on me like we’re playing 20 questions.
“Your screwing Grant Donovan?”
“How did you manage that?”
“Doesn’t he usually date super models?”
And rapid-fire questions go on. I just stand there taking it in. And I’m a little ticked off if I’m being honest. I think my biggest reservation about giving into Grant is my disbelief that he actually wants to be with me. Why am I questioning it? I’m a catch damn it! I may be a little nerdy and can quote Harry Potter with the best of them. But underneath his many layers of money, he’s a person too.
Which makes me realize I don’t know anything about Grant. I shake my head and promise myself to remedy that later.
“Shut up Lexie!” I usually don’t say such things, but the girl won’t quit.
“What?”
“Why can’t I get someone like Grant? Every third question was disbelief over me and him being together.”
She looks me over skeptically. “Well, you’re you and he’s a multimillion dollar bachelor.”
“I’m not anymore.”
I cringe when Grant chimes in on our conversation. How long has he been here?
“Mr. Donovan, I didn’t mean…”
“I know what you meant and your opinion is not needed and unwarranted. You’re done for the day.”
“But…”
“Bye.”
Yelling out Bye, Felicia is on the tip of my tongue, but I think better of it. Instead I stand there, mouth agape. What the heck?
“Did you just fire her?”
“I haven’t decided yet. It’s not looking good.” He throws his arm around my shoulders and leads me out into the restaurant.
“Well, not to marsh your mallow, but you just made my shift a hell of a lot more difficult.”
“Huh?”
“With her gone I have to do all her tables now too. Mandy’s already covering for a call out.”
“Why would I expect you to suffer from my actions. I’ll take her tables.” He walks behind the bar and grabs a spare apron from a shelf underneath.
“You're gonna wait tables?”
“Of course. What do you think I did in college?”
“I’m imagining your old money, so… not wait tables.”
“I don’t know why you keep insisting I grew up on the plantation with a person fanning us as we ate dinner.” He walks around the bar. “I didn’t wait tables in college, but I know how to get my hands dirty.” He winks and takes off for his corner of tables after asking which were Lexie’s.
Two hours later we’re locking the doors for the night. Grant shocked me with his skills. He didn’t drop a thing, he packed his tray with way more than mine, didn’t get one order wrong and nobody complained he was slow.
I’m so turned on I can’t see straight.
“You ready to head home?” He questions.
“You have no idea.” Then I remember my plan to find out more about him.
“Come on, we’ll go to my place.” He ushers me out the back door in the kitchen after we clean and wipe down the tables.
“I have to be to work by eight in the morning. That won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“I have no clothes at your place. Nude is against the dress code.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered.” He brings my hand to his mouth and gently kisses my knuckles.
My first instinct is to say no and have him bring me home. But he defended my asses honor tonight along with sticking up for me to Lexie.
“Okay. But just so you know, the tables are turning tonight. You seem to know a lot about me and I know absolutely nothing about you.”
“That’s not true.”
I cock my head and look at him skeptically.
“You know I’m your boss and that I’m a persistent son of a bitch that loves your pussy. See, you know a lot already.”
Laughter leaves my mouth as I roll my eyes. “It’s on Boss.”
“Nope, I’m Grant to you, sometimes god.” His eyes light up with amusement. “Or the Big D. The last one’s my favorite. Do you refer to me as the Big D to your girlfriends?”
I remain silent which makes him laugh.
“Well baby, my Big D misses your Tight P. Let’s get home to rectify the situation?”
I lick my lips as my lady bits start tingling. My Tight P is feeling neglected and ready for a little one on one action.