Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Raemina
I grabbed two bottles of grenadine syrup and tucked them under my arms before walking out of the supply room. I moved slowly, but my boss was no longer there.
Phew. Coast is clear.
I hurried back to the front, handed the grenadine to the bartender, and got back to delivering drink orders and taking new ones. It was the usual busy Saturday night at The Broken Antler, nothing I wasn’t used to in the few years since I started waitressing here.
Yet the scene from five minutes ago replayed in my head again. Grizz had a son?
A very handsome son. Like cover of a magazine handsome.
I never knew he had children. Then again, I didn’t really know much of my boss of three years, as he kept his personal life private. I always assumed he had a wife and a family.
After Grizz thought I walked away, I stood out of view and listened to him tell his son the waitresses are off limits. But especially me. What the hell did he mean by that?
Did he think his son was some heart throb who would swoop in and pull us all under a love spell?
I felt like marching in Grizz’s office and setting the record straight. I didn’t have time for a relationship. Not with working my butt off here and studying to be a nurse.
“Hey, Raemina?” Grizz’s voice appeared behind me where I waited at the bar for the latest drink order and I jumped, along with my stomach which landed in my feet. Grizz never randomly came up to me unless there was an issue.
“What’s up?”
“I see you met my son, Gunner. He’s going to be helping out around here. I wanted to give you the heads up.”
My stomach dropped once more, and I squeezed the edge of the bar with both hands. What?
His son…working here?
No.
No, I didn’t want, didn’t need the fucking distraction.
Shit, shit, shit! Please tell me this isn’t happening.
“Okay,” I plastered a smile across my face. “It’ll be nice to have some extra help.”
Grizz nodded and moved along. I imagined he needed to inform everyone else.
But I couldn’t stop staring at the bar in front of me, my hands still gripping the sides.
It wouldn’t be an issue. I’d work and leave, like I always did. I could do that. Easy peasy.
Grizz’s cat, Trouble, sauntered over to me and sat down.
He was the resident cat at the bar, Grizz’s best friend, and a friend to all our customers.
Somehow, he always knew when you needed to be cheered up.
I pet his head until the drinks arrived and I scooted off to serve them.
But my mind was far far away, imagining how tomorrow would go with Gunner hanging around.
I couldn’t wait to find out.
My roommate Trish landed on the couch beside me, placing a bowl of hot popcorn between us. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, the opening credits of The Bachelorette filling the screen.
“I think she’s keeping a rose tonight. Or at least I hope she does. Teddy needs to go.” Trish said around a mouthful of buttery kernels.
I laughed before tossing a kernel at her head. “John needs to go. Ew.”
“John is fineeee, girl. You’re crazy.”
We laughed and clinked our wine glasses. We loved watching and discussing reality TV most nights, our way of decompressing from crappy exhausting days.
But tonight, my brain refused to decompress. It was like I was on high alert.
My body buzzed and hummed.
And every thought ended with an image of a certain delicious looking man.
What the hell was happening to me?
“Okay, so I need to tell you about something.” I took the remote and pressed pause before looking at my close friend. Living together had been the best decision we’d made.
“Okay…” Trish eyed me with skepticism. “Please don’t tell me you need to move out or something.”
I laughed. “You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
“Good. I don’t want to.”
“My boss has a son, apparently. And he came into the bar tonight.”
“Okay, and?”
“He’s hot as fuck.”
Trish raised her eyebrows. “Ohhh, this just got interesting.”
I chuckled. “It wouldn’t be a problem if he was only a customer or stopping by for a visit. He’s working there.”
“Yes! It’s about time you get some action.”
“Um, no, there will be no action happening. Your girl needs to study.”
Trish groaned and threw a piece of popcorn at me. “All you do is study. You need to have some fun. When was the last time you had sex?”
I shot her a mind your own business look. “I’m perfectly content, thanks. Don’t worry about my sex life.”
Trish laughed. “Mm-hmm, code for you don’t have one.”
“And you do?” I tossed a kernel at her.
“Maybe, but we’re not discussing me.”
“Pshh. You do not.”
“Girl, sometimes I sneak a little time away with Curt. I’ve told you this.” Trish rolled her eyes. “Remember?”
“Shit, that’s still going on? I really do study too much.”
“Finally!” Trish exclaimed while throwing her hands in the air.
“Hey, you’re supposed to say no, you’re not. Nurses need to know a lot of things.” I smirked at her.
Trish sipped on her wine. “Got me there. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. What’s the harm in a romp or two with the boss’s son?”
“Maybe the fact that he told him we’re all off limits.”
Trish raised her eyebrows. “Already?”
“Naturally, I bumped into the son on my way to the back room. This was before I knew who he was or anything. We exchanged a few words, and I went on my way, when my boss appeared. When I walked away, they started talking and Grizz said his waitresses were off limits. I stepped out of view and listened to the whole conversation. I had no idea they even knew each other. Later on, Grizz informed me his son would be working here, and I put two and two together.”
“Maybe you can ask him about it?”
“Who, Grizz? Yeah, no. He might be a softie underneath his tough exterior, but he keeps his heart close to his chest. Meaning, most of us know jack shit about him, besides that his bar is his life.”
“Okay, so you’ll have some eye candy while you work. Big deal, right?”
“I don’t need any distractions.”
“Don’t let him be one.”
I sighed and picked up my glass of wine. “If only it were that easy.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Trish dipped her head and forced me to make eye contact with her.
“No. Like what?”
“You have a crush on this man.”
“What? Impossible. I spoke to him for less than a minute, honestly.”
“You can have a crush on someone instantly. It’s like love at first sight. It feels different than just a hot guy, right?”
“No…” I tried to lie but Trish wouldn’t let me look away. I couldn’t lie to her while staring her directly in the eyes.
“Who are you kidding? You never talk about people you meet at work.”
“Fine. I can’t stop thinking about him, okay? You know how some people do that. It’ll pass. Usually does when you start to get to know a person.”
Trish laughed. “You’re bad.”
“Am I wrong?”
“When it comes to dating, not at all.”
“Thank you.”
“I have no doubts you’ll be just fine. You always are, Rae.
Besides, you can’t fall in love. We have to live together forever, remember?
” Trish smiled cheekily, reminding me of our silly promise we made back when we were girls.
If we weren’t married by forty, we’d live together as single cat ladies.
Speaking of cats, my black kitty, Peanut, jumped into my lap and rubbed his head against my arm. He hated when I smelled like the cat at work and often rubbed himself all over me until he was sure the other cat’s scent was gone. Jealous of a cat he never met.
“Now, let’s see who this bitch decides to kick off tonight. It better be Teddy.”
“No, John. It needs to be John.”