AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I still can’t believe I said it.
I’ve never been the hot seductive girl who oozes self-confidence and comes onto guys.
But I know if I don’t get the idea in his head, I won’t get anywhere. Once my work is done, what other opportunity will I have? Also, I can tell he’s impressed by me. He needs me. I have a lot of pull and can make people start talking about this hotel, the club, the restaurant. Everything. He knows I can.
Besides… a warm glow flutters through me as I remember what it felt like to touch his chest and feel his heart beating madly. For me.
“How’s your drink?” he asks after taking a generous sip of his. “Weak?”
I take a sip of my vodka soda. “No, not this one. They may have paid more attention because I’m with the big boss. Maybe when I was alone the bartender wasn’t as attentive. Which means he’s not that motivated.”
“And you know that how?”
“I was a bartender for a couple years. If the bar doesn’t get a lot of customers, you’re not getting enough tips and probably looking to quit.” I wait for him to say something about the days he worked in restaurants himself. I know because I read articles about how he hustled in the service industry before he started investing in restaurants. Coming from a wealthy family, he could have jumped to being an owner with his father’s cash injection alone, but he made sure he understood the workings of a restaurant first. Pride swells inside me just thinking about it, and my eyes search for his.
Sounds silly, but I want him to share something about himself, even if it’s about his early career. A small measure of how he trusts me, how he sees me as a person and not just my dad’s daughter. Anything to give me an ounce of hope.
“I’m glad that’ll change, then. Cheers to that,” he says and lifts his drink.
So, he’s totally ignoring the moment we shared.
I clink my drink to his. This will be harder than I thought, but every part of me is shamelessly up for the challenge. “Cheers.”
A second round of drinks come, and I share some of my strategy for him more in-depth. He listens, asks questions, and I can’t help but feel this sort of unspoken praising energy coming from him. He knows I’m good at what I do, I only wish he knew I could be good at other things… with him.
“Maddox!” says a well-coiffed woman in her forties approaching the table. “I thought that was you.”
He glances over to said woman, and nods his head. “Hi Stella. Long time no see.”
“I know,” she says, with a smile. “I came for some drinks with Kevin. We’re recarpeting our whole house and needed a place for the night.”
“Nice. Is he around?” he says, looking behind her.
“He went to the restroom. But listen, how great to see you,” she says to him, but looks at me.
I square my shoulders. Why isn’t he saying something? Then, I stretch out my hand and say, “Hi, I’m his social media manager. Whitney. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh,” she says, and takes my hand in hers in slow motion. She does a double take, probably thinking if she believes me or not. “Nice to meet you. How convenient to be able to catch up on work at odd hours… in a bar,” she says, then softens the blow with a soft chuckle. “I chose the wrong profession, obviously.”
“What do you do if I may ask?”
She lifts her chin. “I’m a doctor. General practice.”
Holy shit. How do I follow up now? “Well, doctors need time off too, right?”
She gives me a look filled with judgment, like she’s wondering if being here with Maddox is my time on or off. But she doesn’t dare say anything.
“Well, let me know when you and Kevin are available and we’ll get together sometime,” he says, a polite way to say leave us alone.
She slaps on the fakest smile. “Of course. I’d better go join him, but we’ll talk. Bye.”
She turns on her heels and leaves.
When I see him, he’s shaking his head, lost in thought. “Who’s that woman?”
“She’s my ex’s best friend. She was her bridesmaid at our wedding.”
“Are you worried she’ll tell Camille you were here with me?”
