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They owned their own business, something artsy and popular with the hipsters. I tried to avoid talking about parents if I could, because it inevitably lead to the other person asking about my own parents, and that was a conversation I didn't care to have.
My bladder reminded me that it had been hours since my last bathroom break. Since I didn't see Leon anywhere out there on the floor, I figured it was safe to take a quick break. A really quick break. As in, I ran over to the bathrooms as fast as I could, trying to keep an eye out for Leon. In the madness of trying to sneak a pee unseen by my boss, I wasn't watching where I was going and ran smack dab into someone.
I fell backward, but he caught me, grabbing my arm and keeping me from falling ass over teakettle onto the ground.
“Easy there,” he said.
I looked up into the gorgeous face of Malcolm Crane. My heart fluttered a bit when I looked into his eyes. Sue me, I couldn't help it. He had to be the most attractive man I'd ever seen, and yeah, if I were being honest, I'd admit to the fact that I had the tiniest of crushes on him.
Not that I'd have ever actually dated him – he was too rich and powerful and alpha male for my liking. Besides,
he hung out with guys like Greg, and I figured that said a lot about his personality.
Still, my pulse raced as I stared into those baby blue eyes.
“Thanks,” I said, righting myself. He still had ahold of me, almost like he was afraid to let go. “I really need to use the bathroom, can't you tell?”
Oh, great. Way to be smooth, Casey, talk about going to pee. How sexy. “Funnily enough, that's where I'm headed to,” he said.
He just stood there, staring at me as if he expected me to say something. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I just stood there, looking like an idiot, with my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
Finally, I managed to stammer, “I'm really sorry about your dad.”
Nice job, Casey. Remind him of his dying dad. Yeah, that's great. Really sensitive.
He looked confused for a second, then the conversation we'd heard earlier hit him. His face fell, and he looked down at the floor. The pain in his eyes was unmistakable. He was obviously close to his parents, which was something I admired.
“Thank you,” he said. “I mean – well, what am I supposed to say in a situation like this? I have no idea. There's not an instruction manual for dealing with grief or anything.”
“Sometimes just talking about it helps,” I said without thinking. Like this uber rich guy was going to reveal his deepest fears and sorrows to the girl that brought him his scotch.
I reached out and gave his arm a squeeze, which surprised us both.
“I really need to –”
Leon's voice cut through the music, “Casey! Get over here and clean up this spill.”
I flinched.
“Well, I guess I lost my chance to use the bathroom,” I muttered, trying to be funny.
Malcolm looked up and caught Leon's eye, calling out to him. “She's helping me with something, Mr. Bryant,” he said. “Is it okay if I borrow her for a second?”
I stared at Malcolm, wide-eyed and slack jawed.
“Oh, Mr. Crane,” Leon said, walking over to us. “I'm so sorry, I didn't see you over here.”
The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries while I stood there just watching the both of them. My bladder continued screaming at me. I was so close, yet so far away, from finally relieving myself.
Leon looked over at me and said, “She's not causing you any problems, is she?”
“Of course not, Leon,” Malcolm scoffed. “She's actually keeping me company and listening to my woes. She's proving to be very helpful and friendly.”
Leon side-eyed me, as if he found that hard to believe. I wanted to say, Hey, I'm not always a raging bitch. Not when the customer doesn't deserve it. I kept my mouth shut, though, since I knew it could only get me into trouble. Malcolm seemed to be doing a good job of helping me out of this mess. Leon, I swear, was looking for a reason to fire me. “Well, I would never pull her away from you, Mr. Crane,” Leon said.
He stepped away, and I heard him yelling at Raya, who happened to be standing behind the bar in the front still. Right where I'd left her.
“Since you're just standing around, you can clean up this spill,” he said.
