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“Honestly. It’s bad enough you’re raising him in a hotel. Now you’re entertaining house guests.” She crosses her arms and offers an exaggerated eye roll.
The harshness of her remark turns my embarrassment into anger at the way she’s insinuating that Parker isn’t doing right by his son. She has some nerve. It’s not like her daughter is winning mother of the year anytime soon.
“I should be going. Thanks for letting me crash.” Slipping my shoes on at double speed, I offer Parker a grateful smile before I dash for the door. He sends me an apologetic one in return as he rubs the back of his neck.
Why does he have to be so perfectly complicated?
Ignoring the Wicked Witch of the West, I let myself out and breathe a sigh of relief once I’m free and clear.
Not today, Satan.
* * *
After ensuring the bar is stocked for my shift, I clean down the bar top, enjoying the soft thrum of the music playing melodically through the speakers. My mother may think little of my way of paying for my tuition, but the bar is my happy place. Not just because my boss is hot as fuck… Though that helps.
The sound of boots on the hard floor has me looking up, and I come face-to-face with Parker. He looks sheepish, and it’s endearing considering how the boss man always looks so put together.
In a crisp white shirt and a pair of black slacks, he looks utterly edible, and I have to bite my lip to keep my inappropriate thoughts to myself where they belong.
“I owe you an apology,” he starts as he leans against a barstool opposite me, but I cut him off with a shake of my head. The hell he does. The Wicked Witch of the West is the one who should be apologizing. Judgmental cow.
“No, you don’t. It’s no big deal. I shouldn’t have stayed. I know what it’s like being stuck in the middle of two parents. I don’t want to do that to Easton. It’s not fair.” My situation may have been different, but I still remember how much it hurt seeing my parents fight over me. I’d never wish that on anyone, especially that precious little boy.
“She shouldn’t have spoken about you like that.” He clenches his fist where it’s resting on the bar, and his wave of protectiveness is a surprise. It causes butterflies to take flight in my stomach.
Oh, come on! At least give me something to make him resistible.
“No, she shouldn’t. But that’s on her, not on you. You’re a nice guy, Parker. I know her thoughts are no reflection of yours.”
“Nice? Does that mean you like me?” His lips tip up into a goofy grin, and I roll my eyes at him. He’s such a contradiction sometimes. Confident boss man one minute, nerdy goofball the next.
He must know, right? Subtlety is not one of my best traits.
“You’re my boss, and you have trouble written all over you.” Not that it makes him any less tempting. Though it would really help if it did.
Someone calls Parker, and he turns to acknowledge them before pushing off the barstool and looking back at me with a beaming smile. His eyes are dancing, and I’m hypnotized.
“That wasn’t a no.” With that parting gem, he heads off to where he’s needed, but not before winking at me over his shoulder.
Yep, trouble with a capital T.
By the time I get home, I’m dead on my feet. It was a manic shift, and we were still short-staffed. Collapsing onto the sofa, I pull my heels off and groan with relief. Is there anything better than that feeling?
“Phew. With all the groaning going on in here, I thought you may have got lucky,” Alice jokes as she throws herself down next to me.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“And yet you still love me. What does that say about you?” She laughs, and I throw a cushion at her.
Noticing her fresh face of makeup and killer outfit, I ask, “Wait, are you just heading out?”
“Yep, meeting a friend.” She wiggles her perfectly sculpted eyebrows at me, and I laugh. She’s insane.
“Have fun and be good.”
Standing, she grabs her purse and scoffs, “Where’s the fun in that?”
Before I can reply, my phone starts ringing, and I have to rummage in my bag to find it.
