“How did you-“ I shook my head. Of course, he knew way too much. “I’m not giving that up. You can wait till Monday. I’ll put in extra hours next week. My schedule here is lighter anyway.”
“You’re breaking our arrangement already,” he pouted, but his expression was steely, determined. He was actually concerned about this.
“Ok, I owe you a total of fourteen hours next week?” I asked and he nodded. “I’ll get some of the background work done this weekend so you won’t feel like we’re behind and then I’ll add a couple hours to my time next week. Alright?”
He thought it over for a few moments while the waiting guests stood patiently behind him. They probably assumed he was a costumer, not a bizarre stalker bargaining unfairly for more of my time.
“Alright, but I determine how many extra hours,” he countered, wagging a playful finger in front of me.
I grabbed it, holding it firmly in my grip. Sounding as annoyed as I could, I pled, “Within reason.”
When he didn’t answer right away I tugged on his finger, as if in warning, but really there was nothing behind it. This earned another smug smile from him and he looked down at me from under his thick lashes like he withheld a secret from me, like he would concede to my demands but only because he had something else up his sleeve. I gave a soft, exasperated sigh and then realized I was still holding on to his finger.
I dropped it immediately and then turned my attention away from him to the waiting customers.
He started to walk by me with a bemused expression on his face when he stopped suddenly as if remembering why he was talking to me in the first place. “Oh, I logged you into my Facebook and Gmail account so you can multitask.”
Whipping my head around to glare at him, I said, “You’re awfully demanding, when I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart.”
“So bill me,” he shrugged his shoulders and walked on.
I was left to force myself to smile and welcome the young couple to Bailey’s when all I wanted to do was scream in frustration. And not only because he assumed I would just work constantly for him and he could just write this off as part of my unfair debt, but also because I kind of wanted to. This was really interesting to me. I liked judging people behind a wall of anonymity, I liked secretly delving into their lives and finding out pertinent pieces of information only to weigh it all against them.
I walked the couple to their table, letting them get situated before I launched into my practiced spiel. I shook my head hard and finished going over tonight’s specials with the couple before I headed back to the host stand. Britte was waiting for me practically salivating at the mouth for juicy details I couldn’t give her while there was even a chance Fin could overhear us.
“You’re going to make me wait for this, aren’t you?” she asked before I had a chance to explain.
“How did you know?”
“You have that ‘not-a-chance-in-hell’ expression on your face, the one I think Fin Hunter is getting really familiar with,” she laughed, watching Fin’s table over my shoulder.
“Why would you say that?” I demanded, bristling at her innuendo. On top of pathetic and desperate was I also somehow frigid and closed off.
“Because you have higher standards than what he’s used to. As if a few nice smiles and godlike muscles were enough to get you naked and in his bed!”
“Exactly,” my ego was soothed.
“No matter how he’s staring at you,” she murmured as if nice smiles and godlike muscles were all that it would take for her.
“How’s he staring at me?” My breath hitched and my shoulders tensed. I couldn’t turn around, Iwouldn’tturn around. I knew how he would be staring at me and it would only make me feel-
“Like he wants to beat his chest, throw you over his shoulder and carry you back to his cave.” Britte was drooling over this, enjoying every minute of my shame and humiliation.
I wasn’t exactly unaffected either. Unable to stop myself I turned around and met those nearly obsidian eyes. “What would he do to me once he got me back to his cave?” I whispered before I could stop myself.
“Ravish you until you forgot your own name…. until the only name you could remember was his as you screamed it out over and over and over-“
“Ellie go home!” Ty demanded from three feet away in his most serious voice.
Britt and I jumped and squealed.
This was not a request. This was a demand. And when I realized I was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at Fin, while Britte went on and on I decided I couldn’t blame Ty for kicking me out. I turned around to face five very entertained diners, all waiting to be seated and my face flamed the brightest red. Oh no, had they heard everything Britte just said? And did any of them know my brothers?
Ack. This was a mess.
Still, the need to defend myself rose strong and self-righteously. So while a nonplussed Britte sat the waiting patrons, I turned on Ty, “Ty, I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Yes, but you’re not closing tonight so you’re the easiest to send home. Plus all of the problems seem to be originating with you, you little trouble maker. Now be gone.” He was not going to be argued with and I had to admit I was kind of relieved to be able to get out of here. I definitely felt like I was in a fishbowl of weirdness tonight.
