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The two women look at each other and smile sweetly then turn back to me, “darling,” one of them starts, “Mr. Astor said to put your bill on his tab. He wants you to get anything you want.”
I gulp as my jaw drops, “he-, he what?”
I turn to Danny and he shrugs, “I didn’t know?”
“Pick out every little thing you want.”
And reluctantly, I do.
On the way back so many thoughts and feelings flood me. I’m so confused. Up until now, I thought I was a mere annoyance for Jax. A thorn in his side. I certainly didn’t expect this much more generosity.
Then my stomach drops.
What if he expects me to pay him back?
I turn to Danny in a panic, “what if he wants me to pay him back Danny? I don’t have money for that. I won’t. I never will.”
“Shhh kiddo. If he wanted you to pay him back he would have said so before we went to the store. Consider it a gift. I know you’re not that used to those but this is what it’s like.”
My head falls back to my seat as I gaze out the window taking in this feeling. It feels warm and secure and good.
"He knows we got a rotten deal at life, he's trying to help. I told you, he's good people."
Chapter 9
Chalene
Monday morning, bright and early, Danny and I head to work together and he gives me the tour as instructed by Jax, and since Jax doesn’t seem to like to come in early. Danny really manages to waste time with the tour, even taking me on a golf cart ride over the grounds, which he says is part of his job anyways as head groundsman.
Riding in the cart with the wind blowing in my hair feels too good. It feels wrong to have gotten something so great out of such a terrible situation.
Danny’s phone rings and he stops the cart on the edge of hole 9 to answer. He listens for a minute and then chuckles, “bout time you came in man….uh-huh…yeah we’ll meet you there.”
He looks over at me and grips the steering wheel, “well it’s time to find out your job kiddo.”
My stomach rumbles in anticipation as we make our way across the many hills and back to the big beautiful buildings at the top of the property.
The golf course was magnificent. It was better than anything I’d ever seen before. There were rolling green hills in every direction with bits of marsh and salty water filling the air. And when we get back to the top of the hill, three big buildings consisting of a restaurant, aquatic center, and golf services grace our view.
Danny parks the golf cart at the building in the middle that reminds me of a mansion and I follow him through the front doors. Warmth runs through me as soon as I see what's inside and I'm grateful. This I can do.
Jax is already at the bar where the bartender is shining glasses and my feet feel heavy as we walk closer to him. That’s what he does to me. Always. His perfectly chiseled jaw is clenching as he’s scrolling his phone and when he hears us draw closer he greets us, sliding his hands in the pockets of his slacks, “well are you ready to work?”
I nod grateful that he’s finally talking to me without that mischievous grin this time reminding me that he saw me watching him in the pool.
"Well, this is it." His arms display the scene, "Since you worked at the diner, this seemed like the appropriate fit," A grin slides up my lips.
“I really appreciate it,” I still haven’t mastered more than a sentence at a time around him.
His attention draws to Danny, “I need you to get the grounds ready for the Keller event today,” then looks back to me “Chellie will take care of you. You think you’re ready for a busy day?”
"I should be good. The diner got really busy for hours on end. I just need to look at the menu before the shift."
He chuckles and for some reason it makes me feel two feet tall, although I don’t think it was intended to.
Danny nods bidding me good luck as he takes off and Jax heads in the other direction. I glance at both the men in my life right now, completely opposite, one my protector and confidant making me feel like every day is worth it, and the other, my lusty solace, the one that makes me question everything.
The day was exactly as Jax described it would be…busy. I handled it with grace though and made great tips. Much better than I’d ever seen at Joe’s Diner. I was guessing that had to do with the clientele.
