Chapter1♥Good Looks and Bad Tempers
The insistent dinging was followed by an exasperated voice. “Hey, can I get some service around here?”
Elsie Bennet sighed. She’d left the front counter for thirty seconds to check on an order, so how long had the guy possibly been waiting?
“Be right there,” she called, speed walking back to the counter, careful to jump over the hole in the rubber anti-slip floor mat.
When it came to impatient pizza guests, they were usually on the plump, frazzled side. She stopped in her tracks and had to rein in her urge to stare. Despite the unpleasant grimace, this guy was gorgeous. His crossed arms only accentuated his muscles.
“I was starting to think this place was abandoned.”
Elsie pasted on a smile. “Well I’m here now. How can I help you?”
“I called ahead. Do you have my pizzas ready?”
“You’re Darcy?”
His jaw tightened. “It’s my last name.”
She hadn’t meant to sound incredulous, but clearly, she’d hit a nerve. “Um, I’ll go check.” It was a placating gesture. She knew Gerald had barely put them in the oven. A glance at the timer told her she’d have to stall the angry hot guy for another ten minutes.
She returned to the counter and took a fortifying breath. “I’m sorry. They’ll be coming out of the oven in a few minutes.”Or so.
“You promised the pizzas would be ready at six forty-five. We’re five minutes past that.”
“Again, I apologize. We have some premade salads you might be interested in. I could add one to your order. No charge.”
He leaned against the counter. “I don’t want your wilted salads. What about a discount on the pizzas?”
She glanced down at his expensive watch and back up at his perfectly styled hair. “Do you need a discount?” It slipped out before she could stop herself.
He stared her down. “I’d like to speak to your manager.”
“There’s no manager here. Just me and Gerald.” With occasional appearances by a stingy owner who didn’t like to give out discounts. Even offering the salad was pushing her luck, wilted or not.
“Of course there’s no manager here. I should have guessed.”
Elsie stood a little taller. “You should be nice to people who prepare your food.”
“Are you threatening to do something to my food?”
“No. I’m not the one making your food. I don’t even box it up. I can guarantee your pizzas won’t come out defiled. By me.” She grinned, watching him squirm a little. Honestly, the food was so bad here, eating it was punishment enough. Which was why the place was dead on a Saturday night.
“Well, I don’t need your guarantees. I need the ten pizzas I ordered.” He kneaded his forehead, as if this was the most stressful thing he’d ever encountered.
Wow, this guy needed therapy. Yes, it was annoying that Gerald took forever, but he was the owner’s son and she’d learned the hard way that complaining about him did nothing.
“Just a few more minutes, sir.”
“You said that already.”
There were no other customers at the counter, so Elsie turned to find something, anything else to do. The drink cups were low. A miracle. She went in the back to open a new box and pulled them out of the plastic sleeve.
Elsie reluctantly returned to the counter with them, trying not to watch the guy pace.
She could hear Gerald humming in the back. He even sounded slow.Seriously, Gerald?She put the cups down and went to see if she could prod him along. Like maybe with a red-hot poker.
“Psst. Gerald!”
