Chapter 7 Grant
Ruby had taken off her heels and was currently wiggling her toes on the tiles. “Oh, my feet are killing me,” she sighed.
“Why do you wear those? They look uncomfortable.”
She gasped. “I didn’t know guys noticed heels.”
I didn’t give two shits about her shoes. What I wanted to tell her was “I noticed how fucking sexy you look in them . ”
But instead, I said, “You’re on your feet a lot.”
She waved me off. “I know, I know. I get a lecture from my pedicurist every time, so don’t give me one too. It’s not what I need right now.”
“So, what do you need?” I asked as I picked up the plate from the small coffee table.
“Just distract me. Oh, I meant to ask you—how did you meet Roger?”
I took a forkful of spaghetti, chewing slowly. I usually gave people a vague explanation, like “school,” but for some reason, I didn’t want to lie to Ruby. So, after swallowing, I said, “I robbed him.”
Ruby choked on her own mouthful and then started to cough. After a few seconds, she stopped and cleared her throat. “I think I heard you wrong. ”
“You didn’t. I robbed him.”
She blinked. “Okay. That will require more explanation.”
“I assume Daphne told you my brothers and I grew up in foster care.”
She swallowed hard, lowering her eyes. “Yes, she did. In her defense—”
“You don’t need to defend her. That’s fine.”
“Is it?”
“I don’t appreciate people talking behind my back, but I do have a soft spot for Daphne.
” I sighed. “Anyway, there was a time when I wanted to get myself and my brothers out of the system. But I went about it the wrong way. I needed money, and Roger was wearing a very expensive watch. Things didn’t end well. ”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Her eyes were soft. “You got a great friend out of it.”
“Yeah, and my foster parents, actually.”
“How so?”
“Roger’s parents were good friends with Sybil and Thomas, our adoptive parents.”
“And how did you end up becoming friends after that?”
I raised a brow. “Do you really want me to spend your break telling you about it?”
“Now that you mention it, my break will be over soon. But you can save the story for later. I’m assuming you’ll insist on walking me home again.” She grinned.
Fuck, I wanted to kiss this woman. And not just that—I wanted to talk to her for hours.
“Of course, I plan to walk you home.”
“See? Then you can tell me all about it. I want to know every detail.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Why not? It’s fascinating. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“I can say the same about you. ”
I looked her straight in the eyes. She licked her lips, and I was so damn tempted to lean in. But I did just the opposite and leaned all the way back. In fact, I slid a few inches down on the bench because I couldn’t think straight. I was too close.
“How do you like the spaghetti?” she asked.
“It’s delicious.”
“I asked Richie to cook seven different types before we chose this one. It’s so yummy—soft, but not mushy. I love it.”
She was talking very fast, and her cheeks were pink. I knew I was affecting her. Then she focused on her plate as I finished my meal, neither of us speaking for a bit.
Once we were done, she put on her shoes.
We got up at the same time, causing Ruby to stumble slightly.
I realized a second later that she was losing her balance, so I stepped right in front of her, and she collided with my chest. I grabbed her wrists, keeping them firmly against me, before putting an arm around her waist.
“I got up too fast,” she whispered.
“I don’t mind.”
She gasped. I couldn’t behave around this woman, and I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
“I need to get back out there,” she murmured.
I let go of her waist and wrists and stepped back. “Thank you for dinner.”
She licked her lips, putting one hand on her cheek. She was moving it in small circles. Was she checking if it was warm?
“After you,” I said, and she walked out ahead of me.
We took the plates to the kitchen, and after that, I resumed my spot behind the bar. I didn’t bother checking out the location anymore, though. I had everything committed to memory.
Instead, I spent the rest of the evening watching Ruby. Even though she was the owner, she clearly didn’t mind getting into the thick of it. She served food and carried drinks from the bar. She chatted with the guests—I assumed she was checking if they were happy with everything .
How wasn’t she exhausted? She worked until midnight every day. Sure, she had that lull between lunch and dinner, but I was betting that she spent most of that time working on the business.
To my astonishment, the guests started leaving at around eleven, and by eleven thirty, everyone had gone.
“I guess that’s the bright side of every guest being over sixty. They’re gone before the clock strikes midnight,” I told Ruby after the last person stepped out.
“Grant, that’s so mean. But it is true.” With a laugh, she turned to address her team. “All right, everyone. I know I said we’d regroup tomorrow for cleanup, but I think we can do it now, quickly.”
A woman whose name I didn’t remember said, “No, boss, you go home. The rest of us are fresh. You didn’t even take a break after lunch. We’ll do it.”
“Nonsense,” Ruby replied.
“I completely agree,” I said.
She cocked a brow at me. “You’re here as a potential guest, right? You have no say in this.”
I lowered my eyes. “I disagree.”
“How so?”
I tilted closer. “Are you sure you want me to explain in front of everyone?”
Her eyes widened. “I think I’m too tired to understand what we’re even talking about.”
“See, that’s my point exactly. Come on. I’ll take you home.”
“Yes, please do that,” her employee said, looking at me as if I was a godsend. “In fact, I’m hoping you’ll convince her, because she usually doesn’t listen to us.”
“Sherry, you’re supposed to be on my side,” Ruby admonished.
“I am, boss. That’s why I want you to go and take care of yourself. You work too hard.”
“Fine,” Ruby gave in with a dramatic sigh. “But don’t you think you’re getting away with it. ”
“Oh, I am getting away with it.” Sherry grinned. I liked her.
“Right, let me just get my purse, then.” Ruby hurried across the restaurant. Even though she was tired, she still carried herself with style and looked irresistible.
Walking her home was a dangerous idea. It was late, and I was tired too.
I was prone to making mistakes when I was tired.
But regardless, I didn’t want to let her go alone.
I understood her point of view. She only lived two streets away.
But I also knew statistics. One time was all it took for someone to get mugged or accosted.
She returned a few minutes later with her purse on her shoulder. “All right, I’m ready.” She looked at Sherry. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, boss. Please go. The rest of us got here later than you, so we can get this cleaned up in a jiffy.” Sherry turned to me. “Grant, I will be forever grateful to you if you don’t let her change her mind.”
“Won’t happen. Don’t you worry about that.” I put an arm around Ruby’s shoulders, leading her out the front door.
“Have you and Sherry been plotting together or something?” Ruby said. “That girl is trying to get me out the door every day, I swear.”
“Maybe Sherry knows you’re working too much.”
“Of course I am, but it’s my business. If I don’t, who will?”
“I know where you’re coming from,” I said as we headed toward her house. She was right about this neighborhood—it was sleepy.
“So, where did we leave off?” she asked as we approached the front of her house, “You said you met your adoptive parents after you robbed Roger?”
“Yes, exactly,” I said.
As she opened the door to her house, a loud beeping pierced the silence.
“Oh, crap. I forgot to replace the batteries in my smoke alarm again. Why is that thing so loud?”
“I’ll change them for you,” I offered .
Note to self: Have someone from the team replace it with a hardwired detector.
“What a way to invite yourself in for a nightcap,” she said with a laugh as we walked inside.
“That’s not what I was doing.”
She immediately got rid of her shoes and tossed her bag on top of them, then went straight to the small kitchen.
Glancing around, I assumed the couch area was all there was to the living room.
There was one door off the living room—I supposed it led to the bedroom.
This whole place was smaller than my master suite.
“Uh-huh... Here they are. I got the batteries.”
I’d already spotted her smoke detector. I didn’t even need to climb on a chair—that was how low the ceiling was. I simply uncapped it.
“Wow, you’re good to have around,” she said, and I realized she’d been watching me. “I think you’re the tallest person I’ve ever met.”
“That’s a compliment?” I double-checked.
“Yes, of course.”
I needed all of three seconds to replace the batteries, and then I put the smoke detector back in its place.
“All right, all done.”
“So, since you’re here, how about that nightcap? You can finish telling me the story, then hit me with whatever we need to do to secure the restaurant on the night of the party. I’d bet my ass that you came up with some outlandish idea.”
“Is that so?”
She put her hand to her mouth. “Oops, pardon my French. I’m exhausted and don’t have a filter this late in the evening.”
“I happen to like your French . Now, tempt me with a nightcap.”
“Oh, one temptation with a side of dangerous ideas coming right up.”
Damn, did she know how literal that was for me ?
She ended up making vodka martinis. I was impressed at how good it was.
She clinked her glass to mine a second time. “Oh, whoops. I already did that, huh?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Want us to sit down more comfortably?” She pointed at her couch.
It was fucking minuscule. I wasn’t even sure that we would both fit on it, but Sybil had ingrained in me that manners were powerful. I wasn’t a jackass, so I said, “Sure.”