“Um, waitress, this isn’t diet,” the girl who’d reminded me earlier said.
I smiled and said, “Yes, it is, I filled it myself.”
“Excuse me? Do you think I’m lying? This is regular Coke.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and reached for the drink. “I will get you a new one.”
I walked away and took deep breaths to the drink station. I put the dirty cup into the bin and got a new one and filled it up with ice and Diet Coke.
Bringing it back to the table, I set the cup before her, folded my hands in front of my apron, and waited for her to taste it.
“Much better, thanks,” she muttered.
Stupid bitch, there was nothing different than what I had already done. God, I can’t wait to quit this job.
Because sick, uncomfortable patients will be so much easier to deal with! The devil on my left shoulder said in my ear.
Yes, but you’ll be getting paid a hell of a lot more to deal with it! The angel on my right shoulder countered.
I chuckled, and continued taking orders from other tables.
The order for table 17 came up, and I went and retrieved it, along with a folding tray to set the food on, and brought it out. I passed out the plates with perfection, remembering who had what, and then asked if they needed anything else.
“Is this the chicken fried steak? This looks like pork fried steak,” said one guy.
Oh, my God, like you can notice a difference by looking at it.
Smiling, I said, “Yes, sir. We don’t sell pork fried steak here.”
“Okay,” he replied. “I need ketchup.”
I pointed to the end of the table. “It’s right there. Anything else?”
“Refills,” the cocky guy I’d first dealt with said, pointing all around the table.
Only one person’s cup was half empty, the rest were almost all still full.
“Certainly,” I replied, “I will be back for those shortly.”
I heard whispering and laughing as I walked away.
After about an hour and checking on them at least four times, including refills, I was relieved to see table 17 had cleared out. I went to start busing it clean and found a two one dollar bills on the table under the check, which they had paid with a card earlier. A note written in pencil on the back of the check said, “You should be faster with the refills.”
If I really didn’t care about losing my job, I would have let out a blood-curdling scream and thrown their plates through a window. But of course, I didn’t. I just gritted my teeth and bused the tables. I’d have to take my anger out at the gym later.
Chapter 7
Hunter
I sat as still as I could, trying to sit up straight and not fidget as I waited for them to call me back for the interview. Truth was, I was nervous as fuck, but was trying not to let it show. I was just glad I was alone in the lobby of this company. Situated on the 18th floor, I could at least appreciate the view of St. Petersburg from here.
Picking an imaginary piece of lint from my black dress slacks, I looked up when a pretty brunette holding a clear plastic clipboard called my name. “Hunter Jenkins?” I nodded and got up and followed her, pressing down my light blue dress shirt, and quickly adjusting my navy tie. In my right hand, I held a small manila folder containing my resume and reference letters from one of my college professors and one of Dad’s colleagues I had interned for one summer during college.
“Mr. Jenkins, so glad you could come in today, please have a seat,” a man in his forties said as we entered his office. He indicated for me to sit in one of the chairs, and I obeyed.
“That’ll be all, Natasha. I’ll buzz you when I’m done,” he said to the pretty brunette.
She nodded and left the plush office, closing the door behind her.
“As I mentioned, I’m Henry Blackwood, and I’m glad you could interview today. I was impressed with your resume and references.” He put a pair of reading glasses on his face and looked at the papers I had given him. I looked at his perfectly coiffed salt-and-pepper hair and expensive suit and could tell he had worked hard for what he had.
He removed his glasses and set them on his desk. “So, Hunter, do you know what we do here?”
I nodded, because I had Googled them, which is what our college professors had told us to do before interviewing with a company. “Yes, sir. You provide private security for office buildings, private companies, and sometimes individuals.”
“That’s right. So, tell me, Hunter, with your Criminal Justice degree, why would you rather work with us rather than, say, a local police force or even the feds?”
I flashed him a megawatt small and crossed one leg over the other, resting it on my knee and pulling my slacks up to accommodate. “I knew you’d ask me this, as it’s the same one my father asked me.”
Mr. Blackwood laughed.
“I think private security is the future of law enforcement. We see police forces downsizing, and prisons privatizing. We see high schools and colleges being protected by private security companies rather than utilizing the local police officers, and it seems to be working great, and not costing the local and federal governments a lot.”
“Right on the money, Jenkins. You have definitely done your homework.”
“Four years’ worth, to be exact,” I said, smiling at him.
He nodded. “So, Hunter, can you shoot a weapon?”
“Yes. I’m proficient with a 9mm pistol, a .22 pistol, a Remington shotgun, and I may or may not have an AR15 I hide from my father. Don’t tell the feds, though.” I winked at him.
I was proficient in those weapons because I fucking loved guns. I bought them all myself about two years ago and when I was bored on the weekends, I would either go to the gun range in Miami and just shoot for hours, or go find a deserted field and shoot my AR. I didn’t get to shoot it very often though. I didn’t need ATF knocking on my door.
He chuckled and said, “I like you, Jenkins. I like you a lot. And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” He winked back.
“May I ask a question?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“What exactly is this job for?”
“I was just getting to that,” he replied. “This very building is completely contracted out to us for security, down to the uniforms in the lobby. I need a Head of Security to run this building. To be in charge of the security equipment, doing the supervising of the uniforms, hiring and firing, and general security. We have a contract with another building in Tampa that may need a Head of Security, also. Would it be a problem for you to work in Tampa in case that one comes open first?”
“Not at all, I will go where the job is.”
“Great, just great,” he said, smiling.
After asking a few more questions, he got up, shook my hand, and informed Natasha I was ready to go.
As I was leaving his office, he said, “We will definitely be in touch. Keep your phone turned on.”
I left with a cool smile on my face, and once I reached the elevators and got inside, I let out a whoop and fist-punched the air once the doors were closed. I knew I’d nailed that interview.
I may have done a little happy dance too. Once I spun around, I spied a small security camera in the corner of the elevator. I immediately stopped dancing and straightened my tie. Whoops!
I really was not surprised when, two days later, as I was thinking nasty thoughts about Reece while breaking down the very last moving box, that my cell phone rang with an unknown number. I tossed the box onto my porch and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Hunter, hello. Henry Blackwood here.”
I immediately straightened and cleared my throat. I wiped my sweaty hand on my basketball shorts and went back inside to the relief of the A/C, closing the door behind me.
“Hello, Mr. Blackwood.”
“I’m calling because, after careful consideration, we have decided we’d like to offer you the position for Head of Security at our con
tract building in downtown Tampa. How does that sound?”
I was pacing in my mess of a kitchen and a huge smile I couldn’t stop spread across my face. My stomach summersaulted with excitement. “Absolutely. I would be honored, sir. Thank you so much.”
“Very well, we would like you to start not this Monday but the following Monday, the 19th. Does that work for you?”
“Absolutely, that would be perfect.”
“Report to the office where you interviewed, and I will take you into Tampa myself and show you the ropes. You’ll have a lot of paperwork to fill out here first, though.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Understandable. See you on the 19th, sir. Thank you again.”
“Jenkins,” he said before I could hang up.
“Sir?”
“The job pays seventy thousand dollars a year. I thought you should know. I can’t believe you never asked.” He ended on a chuckle.
I tried to hold back the gasp. Not bad for a recent college graduate and a hell of a lot more than a cop. “Sorry, sir. I knew there was one question I was forgetting.”
He chuckled again. “See you on the 19th.”
“See you then.” I ended the call and fist punched the air again, glad there were no cameras so I could do my stupid little hip thrust.
After a quick shower, I headed down to Jake’s, knowing Reece was at work. After calling my folks, and then Izzy, I wanted to tell Reece next about my new job, but decided to surprise her in person instead.
Instead of sitting at the bar, I requested the hostess seat me in a corner table in her section. Then I gave said hostess a 50 dollar bill and asked her find someone to cover Reece’s section for 30 minutes once I was seated so I could talk to her.
The place was pretty fancy but I just wore my khaki shorts and a polo short with some Topsiders on my feet. I sat in the corner table and looked up and smiled at Reece when she approached. She didn’t even manage to get out one word before her beautiful eyes went wide and I was on my feet, pulling her into my arms.
“Surprise,” I whispered into her hair.
“What are you doing here? I didn’t think I’d see you ‘til Friday!”
I pried the notepad from her hand and told her to sit. She bit her lip and looked around. “I can’t, I’m working!”
I grinned. “I got it covered, no worries.”
Just then, the hostess walked over to seat a couple and winked at me. I pointed at her and Reece glanced at her, lifting her arms in confusion.
“I gotcha covered for 30,” she mouthed.
Reece slid her eyes to me and then removed her apron and sat across from me.
“I feel like I should get us drinks or something,” she murmured, looking at me, still sort of in shock.
I grinned and grabbed her hands across the table. “I’m not thirsty. I came here to tell you some good news.”
She turned her head slightly to the side. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“Not only is my new little house awesome, and I want you to see it, I got a job! I’m going to be the Head of Security for a large building in downtown Tampa.”
Her smile fell slightly. “Wow, Tampa, huh? That will be a drive every day.”
I nodded. “I know. I thought about that, but since I just moved into my house, I’m going to do it for a while. I need to make sure this is what I want before I pack up and move again.”
She smiled, the dim lights from the restaurant catching the sparkle in her eye. “That’s wonderful, Hunter. I’m so happy for you.”
I felt like she meant it. That’s what it was about her, she always seemed so raw, honest, and sincere. I could tell she really was happy for me, and my stomach again turned over in excitement.
The hostess came over and winked at Reece again and asked if we needed anything. I told her just a bottle of champagne and two glasses. She nodded and walked off, and I turned my gaze on Reece again.
“What time do you get off?” I asked her, my thumb rubbing gently over her hand, which I was still grasping.
“Ten,” she replied.
I looked at my watch. “Come to my new place when you get off?”
I could see the war in her pretty eyes. I watched her teeth overtake her bottom lip, completely controlling it, and then looked back into her eyes. “I want to. I want to badly. But Hunter… I… I have school tomorrow, and honestly, the first time I stay the night with you, I want it to be special. I’m sorry if that sounds really girly or forward or whatever, but I want to be able to enjoy you – enjoy us – without having to worry about school or any other obligation.”
Nodding, I continued to rub my thumb over her hand and stare at her. What was this girl doing to me? A couple dates and I already felt so protective over her. She was just so different – so beautiful, but didn’t think she was. So considerate and kind, thinking of others before her. So attentive to me when I was speaking instead of talking incessantly about herself. So humble and hard-working. Everything inside of me was screaming at me to grab her and not let her go. To take care of her even if she didn’t think she needed it. To be there for her and get to know her on a soul-deep level instead of just the little facts about her. I could wait to do all those things. I could wait to show her with my body what my mind was screaming at me to do.
“Friday,” I finally said. “You choose the date. I’m at your command.”
She smiled. “Maybe we’ll just stay inside. We’ll see.”
God, that was sexy.
Just then, the hostess returned with a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes between her fingers. She set the glasses before us, and with a towel around her arm for a dramatic effect, she, with some effort, popped the top and it smacked against the wall where we sat. I caught it in my hand while Reece giggled.
“You so suck at that, Nat,” she murmured.
Glancing to see the hostess’s name – Natalie – I flashed her a charming smile. “You don’t suck at that, sugar. That was perfect.”
Natalie grinned at me and shook her head, pouring the bubbly into our glasses. She set the bottle down and asked if we needed anything else.
“No, but thank you,” Reece said.
I lifted my glass and Reece did the same.
“To your new job,” she said, staring at me in the eye.
“To the future,” I countered, drilling my serious gaze into hers.
Nodding slightly, she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip.
I chugged mine back in one gulp because I wasn’t one to “sip” anything and set the glass down.
“I really shouldn’t be drinking on the job.”
“It’s a special occasion and I doubt Nat is going to be saying anything.”
She nodded, looked down at the table, then back up at me. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done, Hunter. Thank you for making my night.”
Confused, I turned my head to the side and looked at her. “I didn’t really do anything except be selfish and want to celebrate my new job with you.”
She tried to smile but it seemed a bit sad somehow. “Don’t you see? Nobody’s ever asked me to celebrate with them before. You made me feel special, even if you didn’t know it.”
This confused me, and sort of made me angry and a touch sad. “You aren’t serious.”
She nodded slowly, still trying to smile. “Dead serious. I’ll never forget this evening. Not only that, I’ve never had champagne before.”
My eyebrows practically hit my hairline. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Well, what do you think?”
She chuckled and looked at her glass. “It’s pretty gross.”
I laughed too. “Agreed.”
I got up and put my hand out. “Walk me to my car?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
I threw a hundred dollar bill on the table and walked out with my girl. Yes, she was my girl, because there was no way in hell I was gonna let anyone else have her.
Once we reached my t
ruck, I pushed her up against it and kissed her with everything I had. Her arms went around my waist and my hands slithered into her hair. She moaned into my mouth, and my cock grew even harder at the noise. I licked her lips and then snaked my tongue into her mouth.
After a few minutes of this in the hot, humid night air, I pulled back and with her boxed in between my arms, I looked down at her and said, “I’ll see you Friday.”
She was breathless when she replied, “Yeah…”
I chuckled and moved out of the way so she could go back into work. But not before I smacked the palm of my hand on her very fine ass as she walked away.
Chapter 8
Reece
My stomach was in my throat. Netflix and chill… didn’t that mean movies and sex? I was so confused. Friday had finally arrived… Hunter had almost insisted on coming to get me, but I told him no – I would drive my own car to his new place. I obviously had control issues and I wasn’t ashamed to admit that it made me feel better that I had my own car in case I wanted to leave.
Netflix and chill…
Argh… this was stupid. It was just a movie and takeout. Hunter had said we could watch anything we wanted and eat whatever I chose.
Well, I certainly wasn’t picky. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of Chinese takeout because it made me feel sick the next day but I was game for anything else. All these thoughts tumbled around in my brain until I reached the small house the GPS had led me to.
An older, one-story home painted a dark green with white trim and a cute porch, I stopped in front, appreciating the manicured lawn and stared at the house. Hunter’s house.
With a deep breath, I got out, grabbed the small plant and card from the front seat of my tiny Toyota, and made my way up to the door.
I knocked once but the door opened quickly. Hunter stood there in a pair of jeans that rode low on his hips, accompanied by a white T-shirt that hugged his every curve as if the shirt as made for him. I was glad I had opted for a simple blue summer dress with white daisies covering it, accompanied by sparkly flip-flops.
Bad Boys & Billionaires: An Anthology Page 19
