Missy leaves after pushing her tits back into her bra and straightening out her dress. The missing button and her twisted ponytail make me smile.

This bathroom hookup is unexpected, but I happen to like sexy and carefree surprises. She has an edge about her. It’s fucking contagious. I can easily get addicted to a woman like her. Not that anything about what happens during this trip will go beyond the next couple of days.

Smiling down at my bare chest, I walk out the door and grab my winter jacket at the front door.

Inside the restaurant, Missy is back behind the counter. She stands there as though nothing just happened between us. I glance over to where the rest of the guys are seated. Our food isn’t out yet. They’re on their phones or joking around. None of them are looking this way, which gives me the perfect chance to get a fresh shirt. Of course, by the time I get outside, have the driver pull out my luggage and shove it into the back seat of the limo, they’re all staring out the window.

I find another shirt and quickly return inside, but take a detour before getting back to the table. Except Jeff is now sidled up to the counter, chatting up Missy as she brews a pot of coffee. She’s a grown woman, so I head back to our table. I pick up some of their conversation in passing. Fuck. Jeff probably propositioned her with cash, because Missy tells him she’s not a whore.

There goes my chance for more fun with her on this trip.

I sit at the table again.

“What’s up with the change of clothes?” Victor asks.

“Our little waitress friend bumped into me. Ruined my shirt, but whatever,” I tell them.

Chauncey shakes his head and leans over to me. “Like hell she did, unless ‘bumping’ is what you kids call ‘fucking’ these days.”

I ignore him. We may have a bet on, but I know these men well enough to be able to anticipate how crazy they’ll carry on once they find out what I was up to with Missy. They won’t care that she’s right there, or that we’re sitting in a public place. For this reason, I keep my mouth shut.

Jeff returns to the table with his briefcase of tip cash. “Our sweet little waitress has a code of ethics, it appears,” he says in a disappointed tone.

“What the fuck did you do?” I demand.

“Chill out,” he answers. “All I did was offer her the same amount of cash that we did for the girls from Milan…you know, to see if she’d join us while we’re in town.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” I get to my feet. “In case you didn’t notice, we’re not in Europe, and not every woman is for sale, dickhead.”

“What difference does it make?” he asks as I head back to the counter to do some damage control.

If she’ll even talk to me now.

“Hey,” I call to her, tapping my fingers on the countertop.

“Yeah?” She doesn’t turn to look at me right away. The cook has just placed several orders on the high shelf between the kitchen and the dining room, which Missy is now arranging on the tray. It looks like the food we ordered.

“Look, I’m sorry about my friend. He can be an idiot sometimes.”

“Oh you mean for offering me twenty grand to basically be his holiday whore?” She turns to me, but it’s only so she can reach for a second tray to fit all our orders.

“Like I said, he’s an ass…I hope it doesn’t discourage you from coming to the lodge anyway. I’m sure you and I would have a good time.”

“Your preppy squad is…interesting, but that guy crossed the line.”

“Let me make it up to you,” I offer.

“How exactly would you do that?”

Her question tells me I still have a chance. The problem is, money is out of the question now, so I go with time. “Stay with me at the lodge for a couple of days. I’ll spend every waking moment making amends.” I want to add that I’ll keep working at it all night long, but it even sounds cheesy in my head.

She smiles. I can tell she’s tempted. I watch as the wheels turn in her head. She has to need this break from the everyday, given that she’s a waitress at a shitty diner. It occurs to me that she has just turned down twenty grand from Jeff. That kind of money must be a lot for her, yet she told Jeff to go to hell. I suddenly have a lot more respect for her.

“Okay, but you just make sure he stays the hell away from me.”

“I’ll make sure of that. I promise.”

“Then… yes. I’ll be there.”