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Henley walked into the room from the kitchen. “Hey,” she said, smiling. “I’m glad you’re here. There is too much testosterone in this house.”
“You want a drink?” Rio asked me.
I nodded. “Water, please.”
He walked over to the bar and began fixing our drinks.
“I was headed outside. The sun is about to set. Come on,” Henley said, waving me toward her.
I made my way down the stairs to the second level of the large room, then followed her out the doors onto the first level of the balcony or deck. I wasn’t sure what this was exactly. I’d never seen anything like this until Rio brought me here the first time. Just like the room inside, there were two levels. The first part was for seating, and then you went down a couple of steps to the next level, where a big, fancy pool overlooked the beach below.
I started to say something about the view when my eyes locked on a familiar face. Mr. Hendrix sat in a lounge chair with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other. In his glass was two shots, neat, of The Macallan twenty-one-year-old scotch. He drank nothing else. Saint kept a bottle of it just for when he came to the club. When he turned his head in our direction, his gaze scanned me from head to toe.
I wasn’t in my work makeup, and I was clothed, but I knew when his eyes met mine and he smiled, he recognized me. That was going to happen to me eventually, but why did it have to happen here? I’d wanted to fit in with Rio’s friends. This was not going to help.
“Archer, this is Bryn, Rio’s girlfriend,” Henley said, then turned to me. “Henley, this is Saul’s father.”
Of course. Saul’s father was rich. He owned many buildings in The Shores. I hadn’t realized he owned many buildings all over the world. No one had told me Saul’s last name. Archer Hendrix was more than rich. He was on Forbes list of top 100 richest people in America.
Archer stood up, not once taking his eyes off mine. “Well, hello, Angel. How is my favorite waitress?”
Oh God, oh God, oh God , how did I handle this? I couldn’t pretend as if I didn’t know him. I was going to have to face this and deal with it. I just needed a moment, although I wasn’t going to get a moment.
“Hello, Mr. Hendrix,” I replied.
“I was disappointed last night when you weren’t working,” he said.
“I’m only working Saturday and Sunday nights now,” I told him nervously, trying to smile.
Saul came walking up from the pool then, and he looked from me to his father. “Grill is ready,” he said to Henley. “You staying to eat?” he asked his father then.
Archer shrugged, then took another drink. “I believe so.”
Saul looked at me. “You okay?” he asked me. He must have heard him.
Great. Now, Saul knew his father had seen me topless.
I nodded, although I was definitely not okay.
Saul swung his gaze back to his father. “Her name is Bryn. Use it,” he said in a hard tone, then walked past us to the house.
Archer chuckled, as if Saul had amused him.
Rio was walking out before Saul made it inside. He saw Archer and smiled. “Mr. Hendrix,” he said. “Long time.”
Archer had taken a pull from his cigar. He gave Rio a singular nod. “Indeed. I’ve been in Rome for a month,” he said.
“New hotel?” Rio asked him, handing me a glass of ice water.
“Always is,” was his reply.
There was no reason for me to have this sick knot in my stomach. This was going to be okay. Rio didn’t seem to care about my job. While that had bothered me before this moment, I was now thankful for it. There was a good chance he knew Mr. Archer came to the club. He himself had been there with friends. They had sat at our best table. Perhaps it was Mr. Archer who had suggested The Red Stiletto to them.
Chapter Forty
Rio
“How’s the farmers market business?” Archer asked me.
“Good. Pops had a heart attack a while back, but he’s okay. Back home, but not at work. Gramma won’t let him go back.”
“Guess it’s about time to hand it on over to you,” he said, then took a pull from his cigar.
I didn’t respond, but I hoped that wasn’t what happened anytime soon. There was too much I didn’t know that Pops still needed to teach me. Hazel would be more prepared than I was to take over running things.
“Bryn and I were going to watch the sunset,” Henley said, then nodded her head toward the railing, where the best view was this time of year. “Rio, could you help Saul get the steaks down to the grill?”
