Chapter 3
The Cottage was one of the finer restaurants in Lee County. She had passed the place many times but never stepped inside because the price range was way out of her comfort zone. It was well known for its glamourous décor and delicious food, and she had been excited when he said where they were going. But that changed quickly. All Clare could think about now was the time and getting home. The conversation was dull; they had absolutely nothing in common, and she grew tired of his talk about how much money he had. He was trying way too hard to impress her, and well, not to sound like a bitch, he was failing miserably. She was not impressed with his money, rudeness, or self-absorbance.
“So, Clare,” he said, sipping his wine. “What did you say you did?”
“I didn’t,” Clare replied, giving him a polite but fake smile. She hadn’t said more than a sentence since they had sat down and that was to give her dinner order to their waitress.
His wine glass paused at his lips as he stared at her, then he chuckled and set it down. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you said you worked with Roxy at that, ah, little place I picked you up at.”
Clare knew men like this and steered clear of them at all costs. She again gave him a fake smile. “I never said, but I’m sure Roxy mentioned it to you.” She replied, not adding anything else because what she did was none of his business.
“So, you’re a waitress.” He said, his voice had a specific tone as if he thought such a job was beneath him to even talk about.
“I am,” Clare said with pride. “And a very good one.”
“I’m sure you are.” He chuckled with a smug look on his face that she wanted so badly to smack off. “Such a thankless job, and I’m sure it’s not very profitable.”
He had no clue how right he was, she thought with a snort, mainly when someone like him was the customer. And for him to assume the wage of a waitress was ridiculous. She knew many waitresses who made good money, especially through tips. How Roxy could have gotten this guy so wrong was beyond her. It must be the pregnancy messing with her asshole radar. “Nursing.” She said, thinking two could play at this game. “Another thankless job.”
“Yes, it can be.” He sighed, a little too dramatic. “But there are benefits.”
“Like a house in Hawaii?” Clare cocked her eyebrow with a smirk. Money was usually off limits to her with men she was dating, but he opened it up. She had a strong feeling that his money came from mommy and daddy. “Dr. Allender must pay his employees very well.”
He didn’t answer immediately but stared at her as if knowing she had put two and two together about mommy and daddy”s money. Maybe he wasn’t used to going out with women who could use their brains. Okay, that wasn’t fair. She was overly tired, which made her a little cranky. Jeremy was a good-looking man, so she really couldn’t fault other women. But then he opened his mouth, clarifying why he was still single.
The waitress came with their food right then, breaking the uncomfortable silence. It looked and smelled so good that Clare would overlook who she was eating with to devour her filet mignon and lobster tail. The melted butter oozed off her steak, making her mouth water.
“Ma’am, could you please cut your steak to ensure it’s prepared to your liking?” The waitress smiled at her as she waited.
“At that cost, I would hope it is, or I’m going to be conversing with the chef,” Jeremy stated, looking over his food and missing the eye-roll Clare gave the young waitress.
Clare quickly checked her steak so the poor girl could run as far from their table as possible. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” She smiled up at the waitress with a nod.
“If you need anything at all, let me know.” She responded, not looking at Jeremy, who seemed to notice and frowned.
Jeremy started snapping his fingers before she could take two steps away from the table. “Girl.” He ordered loudly and rudely, gaining attention from other diners. “I was not finished with you.”
Seeing the young waitress’s face turn bright red, Clare wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and smack the arrogant son of a bitch across the face.
“My blackened scallops are rubbery and cold.” Jeremy pushed slightly away from the table. “I expected more from a five-star restaurant. Please take that back to the chef.”
“Right away.” The waitress picked up the plate, and Clare noticed her hands shaking. “I’m so sorry.”
Jeremy didn’t say anything; he just shook his head, dismissed her, and then looked at Clare. “Please go ahead and eat. You shouldn’t have to wait because the staff here is incompetent.”
Oh, she planned to finish every damn bite of this expensive dinner at his expense, and then she would ditch his ass lickety-split. And the faster she ate, the quicker she could be away from the asshole. Boy, when Roxy had this baby, Clare would give her ten types of hell for this nightmare blind date.
“The waitress isn’t at fault,” Clare said between bites, not caring if she was shoveling the food down her throat. She really needed to get away from this asshole. She saw anger flitter in his narrowing eyes, but then it was quickly gone. Wow, that was red flag number…hell, she lost count. Yep, it was about time for her to dine and ditch this jerk.
“Of course, you being one of them, you’d say that.” His tone was light, but she heard the underlying disrespect for a profession Clare always thought was underrated. Being a waitress was a very hard way to earn a living, and this guy proved it. Trying to please so many people in one day and getting blamed for everything, from the wait time to getting a table and to the food being wrong, was not easy.
Knowing she should just shut up, eat, and get out, Clare was also a very curious person. She liked to know what made people tick. Maybe that was why she could read people so easily. Taking the last bite of her food, Clare sat her fork down and daintily used the napkin to wipe her mouth.
“What made you want to become a nurse?” She asked, noticing the out-of-the-blue question took him by surprise. Honestly, this man should never take care of women in delicate situations. He was demeaning, a bully with money, and a total bastard. For him to be anywhere near Roxy made her want to kick him in the balls.
After a few minutes, he laughed, then looked around before leaning slightly over the table toward her. “A few of my buddies and I were sitting around and having some drinks. They were there to help me decide on a major. I had one more day to decide.”
“Why one more day? Most people don’t know their major until they’ve been in college for a year, some even longer. A lot even change majors multiple times.” Clare cocked her eyebrow, having a feeling she knew exactly why.
“That’s not important.” He frowned with narrowed eyes. “Are you going to listen or ask questions all night?”
“Are you going to get to the point,” Clare asked, unable to help herself, and she was right. Mommy and Daddy were the reason he had a time limit. She’d bet her last dollar his parents told him he needed to do something with his life, or they’d cut off the money train. Clare grabbed her bag casually, putting it on her lap so she could exit to the bathroom to call an Uber.
He chuckled, wagging a finger at her. “You’re feisty. I usually don’t like that in a woman unless it’s in the bedroom. But with you, Clare, it fits.” He paused, waiting for her to respond, but she continued to stare at him expressionless. His smile grew as he once again leaned across the table toward her. “My friends dared me to become an obstetrician.”
“So, you made a career choice on a dare?” Clare frowned, realizing just how much this guy was a total douche.
“A very intriguing dare which, my sweet, you will see tonight.” Jeremy gave her a sleazy wink. “As an obstetrician?—”
“Nurse.” She corrected him as she pushed her chair back slightly, knowing what he would say next and realizing her quiet exit would probably be shot to hell and back. His eyes narrowed slightly at being called out, but she didn’t give a shit.
“I know your body better than you ever will,” Jeremy whispered loud enough for only her to hear. “Every day, I touch women in their most intimate places and know what they like. And tonight is a night you will never forget.”
The waitress came just then as Clare stood up. This time, she was the one leaning over the table. “That is sick and demented. If you think for one minute I would ever let you near my body, let alone touch me, you are delusional. You are a rude, vile, scummy, spoiled asshole jerk who lives off Mommy and Daddy’s money.” She hissed, not caring that the whole restaurant was watching the show. Taking her phone out, she quickly shot off a text while still leaning over him, then pulled money out of her purse.
“Who do you think you’re talking to?” He started to stand, but Clare pushed him back down with a warning glare.
“I’m talking to you.” She growled, then pointed at him to make sure everyone who was watching knew exactly who she was talking to.
He glared at the money in her hand. “That’s right, you better get your money. If you think I’m paying for your dinner after this bitch display, you got another think coming, you cunt.”
The onlookers gasped; a few men began to stand up, but Clare stood her ground with a smile. She knew her smile had to look a little evil because even the waitress took a step back with wide eyes. “Man, I hate that word, don’t you?” She asked the waitress, who nodded but took the money Clare handed her. “This should be enough to cover my meal and a good tip for you because I seriously doubt that bastard will give you a dime. I’m sorry how you were treated tonight.”
“Thank you.” She whispered, her eyes welled up with tears as she nodded.
“Sir.” A man walked toward them, looking nervous. Clare figured it was the manager. “Ma’am. I am going to have to ask you to leave.”
“I am not the one making threats. I have given plenty of money to this establishment and refuse to be treated as if I am in the wrong here. This woman is crazy.” Jeremy huffed in righteous anger, which had Clare rolling her eyes.
“I’m leaving, but know that this man has been terribly rude to your staff, who deserve a raise for dealing with insolent jerks like him. As a matter of fact,…” She turned back to the waitress and took the plate from her. “I’ll take care of this for you.”
Clare was turning but caught sight of a woman at another table smiling at her and nodding as if she were reading her mind. Her gaze caught a few others who were doing the same thing. Well, that dashed any doubts she had about her next move.
Turning back around with a plate that was still steaming in her hand, she tilted her head, looking at Jeremy. “You’re right. I will never forget this night, but neither will you.” She said, then dumped hot, blackened scallops in his lap. Ignoring Jeremy’s outraged bellow as he jumped up, she turned to the manager. “I will call tomorrow, and if he doesn’t pay for his food, I will take care of it. Not one dime should be taken from her check if this despicable person doesn’t pay. I apologize for the disruption, and again, our waitress definitely deserves a raise.”
With that, Clare walked through the restaurant with Jeremy’s outrageous slurs following her all the way out, but suddenly, it was drowned out by clapping, and Clare continued her exit feeling like a boss. That asshole deserved it, and she hoped she did every female he treated like shit proud.
She had to admit she was a little shocked he had talked so openly about why he going to school to be an obstetrician. Did he think that story would impress a woman? Obviously, he did, and he was dead wrong. It was disgusting. Maybe she would end up an old spinster with a pack of dogs living with a witch deep in the woods. That sad thought sobered her a little, but finding a decent man today was something she had no tolerance for especially if she had to weed out assholes like Jeremy.
Seeing what she thought was her Uber, Clare rushed over, gave her name, and then got in, still smiling at the memory of Jeremy’s seafood covered pants.
“I take it you had a good night?” The Uber driver asked, looking at her from his rearview mirror.
“You could say that.” She glanced at the restaurant with a chuckle and realized she had to tell Roxy what had happened because there was no way in hell she was going to let that disgusting bastard anywhere near her friend.