I walked up the staircase into Watermark at about a quarter to eight. I wanted to get there early to ensure I snagged a seat for Miguel and me. The bouncer greeted me at the top of the stairs with a quick nod. I walked through the wide doorway into the warmly lit room.
I liked Watermark, even though it was pricey. It was on the second floor of the First Avenue Pavilion in Asbury Park and more relaxing than other bars in the area. The inside of the bar was set up like a lounge with comfortable sofas around low tables. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean. During the day, you could watch people on the beach and boardwalk. At night, you had a great view of the moonlight shining on the ocean. The outside deck was open and always packed with people during the summer, but it was currently the middle of March, so the deck was closed and only the lounge was open.
I used to bartend for catered events at Watermark before I started working regularly at the Moonlight Inn, and I still knew a few of the staff. I caught the eye of the bartender as I walked in, and she gave me an up-nod. I found an open sofa at the far end of the lounge and sat facing the entrance so I could see Miguel when he came in.
He had texted that he was on his way and would be here in about ten minutes. I was disappointed that he wouldn’t let me pick him up at his place, which was weird. Maybe I was still feeling overprotective after our encounter with his asshole brother-in-law. I was restless and wasn’t sure why. Anticipation buzzed under my skin, but for what? I had no idea.
A server came by to take my order, and I got a local IPA I liked. I’d just gotten my beer when Miguel walked into the lounge. I swear I almost dropped my drink. Miguel always looked put together in his dress shirt, vest, and tie combination at work, but Miguel after work was an entirely different animal. He wore black skinny jeans and a charcoal-gray V-neck sweater under a thigh-length black wool coat. He’d fixed his eye makeup and added eyeshadow and lip gloss. It looked like he’d put some product in the loose curls of his dark-brown hair. My breath caught in my throat and my mind whirled. Since when did I pay attention to what another man looked like?
When Miguel spotted me, a smile lit up his face, making his dark eyes gleam. Heads turned as he made his way over to me. I couldn’t blame them. He looked great. I kind of felt like a slob in my old jeans, Henley, and work boots. I stood to greet him when he got to where I was sitting. “Hey, you made it. You look nice.”
Miguel smiled as he took off his coat. “Thanks. I needed to look pretty tonight.”
“Well, you definitely succeeded.” I felt my cheeks heat.
Miguel gave me a strange look I couldn’t interpret, then smirked and said, “Thank you, kind sir.”
He sat on the sofa facing me and pointed at my glass. “What are you drinking?”
I held it up for him to see. “Kane Head High IPA.”
Miguel wrinkled his nose. “Too bitter for me.”
The server came over and Miguel looked at him in surprise. “Herbie? What are you doing here?”
Herbie’s eyes brightened and he smiled broadly. “Miguel! It’s good to see you.” He lowered his voice. “I left that other place about a week after you did. Glen just got worse and worse after you walked out. A lot of the staff left. They couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Wow,” Miguel said.
Herbie frowned. “Yeah, it was bad. I tried to find work at another small hotel, but Glen trashed me when they called to confirm my employment.”
Miguel’s lip curled up in contempt. “That bastard.” He got a thoughtful expression. “There might be a position opening soon at Moonlight Inn. Let me talk to my boss.” He stood to get his phone out of his pocket. He unlocked it and handed it to Herbie. “Put in your number, and I’ll reach out to you on Tuesday. I’m off tomorrow and Monday.”
Herbie entered his number and handed the phone back to Miguel. “Thank you so much.”
Miguel smiled and sat back down. “No problem.”
“What can I get you?” Herbie asked.
“How about a mule with Tito’s,” Miguel said.
“You got it.”
After Herbie left, I said, “I didn’t know there were server jobs opening at Moonlight.”
“It’s something new. I’ve been working on it with Mr. O’Neil for about a month. After the brunch idea was such a big success, he asked me what other ideas I had to bring more business to the hotel. We’re working with the new event coordinator to host events that will interest people enough to visit the hotel.”
I blinked in surprise. “Wait. The brunch thing was your idea? How did I not know that?”
Miguel shrugged. “I only talked to Mr. O’Neil and Caitlin about it.”
“Well, it’s certainly upped my tips, so thank you.”
“Happy to help,” he said with a smile.
I leaned back on the sofa. “Tell me more about what you’re planning for the events.”
Miguel’s smile was infectious. “We’re definitely going to do a drag night, probably in May or June. My best friend, Albert, is Darlene the Jersey Shore Queen, and he is fantastic. You should hear him sing. I think it will be a sold-out event.”
