“Yes, I am.”
“Well, I know the owner of the company personally, and I will be sure to tell her what great service you have provided today. Mr. Barnes is quite particular about what he eats, and I see he has an empty plate over there. It must have been delicious.”
“It was crap,” I say without looking up. Irritated that Owens thinks she has to smooth things over with this intrusive woman. I was minding my own business when she barged into my personal space. Connection my ass. She just wants her bills paid.
“Did you just say my mother’s food tasted like crap?” she asks incredulously. Her face contorted into the ugliest expression.
Fuck me. This is just my luck. Of course, it’s this woman’s mother who is the owner of the catering company.
“You’re incredibly rude,” she continues berating me. “I guess everything I’ve read about you is true.”
Owens’s large doe-like eyes squeeze tightly closed in frustration.
“I’m almost positive that it is not what Mr. Barnes meant. Right, sir?” She darts those angry doe eyes of hers at me.
“Well, as a matter of fact—” Owens quickly quiets me with a purposeful elbow to the stomach. “Umph.”
“I didn’t realize that Stephanie had children who worked in the business. Private Plates Catering always provides an array of delicious choices for us. Please tell her that.”
“You don’t have to kiss my ass, Miss whoever you are. It’s a little too late for that.”
Sometimes I can be a little bit of an ass, and I expect to get talked to a certain way, but Owens didn’t deserve that. So, I swivel my stool around and make sure to make eye contact with crazy tits.
“I strongly advise that you not talk to my assistant like that ever again,” I warn.
“Are you threatening me?” Her voice rises to a shrill decibel.
I stand up, but not to threaten, but because I’m aware of how my large size can defuse many escalating situations. It shuts them down. And usually I don’t have to say a word. Crazy tits keeps her eyes on me but takes a small step back.
Owens awkwardly places her body directly in front of mine, losing her balance for a moment, so I catch her. For the few moments that I hold her, I can feel that her body is tense. Uncomfortable with my discovery, she quickly steps outside of my embrace.
“I apologize for any misunderstanding. No one is threatening anyone. I just wanted to thank you and your mother for your service today, Miss … same last name as Stephanie’s?”
“No, my mom remarried. I’m a McCoy.”
“Thank you, Miss McCoy.”
The woman’s tight grip around her instrument of destruction loosens a bit, but now she’s pointing it at me while still speaking to Owens.
“Do you actually work for this bully?” she asks as if just the notion of working for me is repugnant. The nerve of this gold digger.
I start to respond to her totally unfair and inaccurate description of me with some caustic words of my own when Owens discreetly jabs me in the abdomen again. So I stay quiet.
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I feel sorry as hell for you.”
Owens body finally relaxes as she sighs.
“You’re not the only one who does.”
Chapter Eight
COOP
Are you fucking kidding me?
I’m not sure if everyone suddenly woke up and bumped their heads on their nightstands this morning, but all of a sudden, I’m the bad guy?
