9. Jenson
9
Jenson
I rush through the entrance to the restaurant, my haste turning every head in my direction including the lady I should have been here to greet thirty minutes ago. How the hell I managed to miss an email about her visit, God only knows.
“Morning, Boss. Would you like a coffee?”
“Yes. Yes, please.” What I really need is a strong whiskey but seeing as it’s barely past nine am I don’t think it would be a good idea.
Sucking in a large breath, I turn towards the woman who pretty much holds the key to my future. If this goes well then it could seal the restaurant’s reputation for years to come. Go badly and... I shudder. I can’t even comprehend it.
“Hi, I’m so sorry I’m late. Jenson, Jenson Hale.”
“It’s no problem. Scott was telling me all about your little girl.” She glances up at him and I swear her cheeks redden.
Looking over my shoulder, I follow her stare, my eyes begging Scott not to screw this up for me, despite screwing things being his main pastime.
“Anyway,” she says regaining my focus. “I’m Kelly Sotherland, and I’m a restaurant reviewer from The Sunday Times.” My heart skips a beat just hearing the words. This is it; this is the moment that could change my life. “I have to say Mr. Hale that I’m very impressed with InHale. I’ve actually dined here on two occasions and each time the food, service, and ambiance have been exquisite.”
My lips twitch up into a smile and I’m reminded all over again why I became a chef in the first place. I wanted to show people what good food was. It certainly wasn’t the meals I was brought up on. I love my mother dearly, but she can’t cook for shit. I could only ever dream of owning my own restaurant as a kid. I’ve had to work incredibly hard to be where I am today and to be sitting here with a well-respected reviewer telling me how much she loves it here, well it’s everything.
“Thank you so much, you’ve no idea how much that means to me.”
“No, no. Thank you.”
She goes quiet as Scott comes over with coffees. Her face heats once again making me want to groan in frustration. Scott’s eyes don’t leave her as she orders her breakfast. I know it’s not very politically correct of me, but his looks are one of the reasons I hired him. I just knew those along with his charisma and sense of humour he would be a total hit with our customers. And it seems I was right because right now he has our toughest customer eating out of the palm of his hands.
* * *
I’m buzzing by the time I shake Kelly’s hand and show her to the exit. Taking a seat at the bar, I wait for Scott to come over.
“Where’s Krissy?” I ask referring to our missing bartender.
“No idea, she was meant to be here almost an hour ago.”
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, pulling my phone from my pocket and scrolling through to find her number.
Voicemail. Fantastic.
“What are we going to do, we’ve got a full lunch service booked in?”
“Looks like I’m pulling pints this afternoon.” It’s not exactly what I wanted to do after the high of this morning’s interview, but I don’t have a lot of choice seeing as customers are already loitering outside ready to fill the place.
“You know how to do that, Boss?”
“Ha, funny. I started in this industry at the very bottom. I’ve waited and pulled pints with the best of ‘em.”
“Fair enough. Zoey’s due in at six but might be worth a call to see if she can get in early.”
“Thanks for that.” I don’t mean to snap but I also don’t need Scott telling me how to run my business.
“Boss.” He salutes before heading out across the restaurant to begin taking orders.
Thankfully, a quick call to Zoey results in her agreeing to come in a little early. I feel awful for doing it, but I know I can’t leave Amelia with Leah any longer. She’s got more important things to be doing than bailing me out. I’m surprised she even agreed after what happened the last time we were together. I guess my peace offering must have gone down well.
I’m just about ready to crash after the adrenaline from this morning’s interview and then a shift behind the bar, but as I pull up on to my driveway a new lease of excitement races through me.
Picturing how she looked when I left this morning in that shirt and tiny bloody skirt, my mouth waters and my fists clench with my need to get my hands on her.
Blowing out a breath to calm my thoughts, I remind myself that I’m also about to walk in to see Amelia.
“Hello?” I shout into the house when all I’m greeted with is silence. My heart begins to race that something’s happened and I wasn’t informed. My imagination starts to run wild when the sound of joyful laughter from the garden fills my ears. I immediately relax and feel ridiculous for jumping to conclusions. I know Amelia’s in safe hands, but as a parent I think it’s natural to assume the worst.
Walking through the kitchen, I place down the food I brought home for dinner before making my way out. I’m just about to step down onto the patio when the sight in front of me has my body freezing up.
Leah and Amelia are in the middle of a water fight. They’ve got a super soaker each as they laugh, squeal, and chase each other around. Once I know Amelia is okay, I turn my focus on Leah. Her white shirt is soaked and totally see through; her skirt is sodden and stuck to her thighs revealing her now shapely tight-less legs. Lifting my gaze, I find her hair dripping, sticking to the sides of her face and down her neck. Her make-up is smeared all down her cheeks and her eyes shine in delight. She’s never looked more beautiful.
Holy shit.
My jeans suddenly feel too small for my body as my cock swells behind the confining fabric.
I watch them for the longest time with my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. There is something so right about the image before me and I’m also a little too happy about it continuing.
“Hey, Daddy’s home,” Amelia squeals, running over and blasting me in the chest with ice cold water.
“Oh you are in so much trouble.” I take off after her and she runs as fast as her legs will carry her.
She giggles and screams the closer I get, but I soon learn that I’m not only fighting against a six-year-old but also a slightly older and sexier woman when another stream of water hits my back.
My arm wraps around Amelia’s waist when I catch up to her. She kicks and screams as I head for the pool I’ve set up at the end of the garden.
“Daddy, no. Daddy, don’t dunk... DADDY!” She squeals as I throw her into the freezing water. She soon finds her footing but not before Leah rushes over still wielding her super soaker.
The next thirty minutes I think are the most joyful of my life as the three of us run around the garden acting like kids, getting totally soaked and loving every minute of it.
“Okay, okay. I think I’m done.” I say between my heaving breaths as I bend over with my hands on my knees. “I’m too old for this.”
“No chance, you’re in better shape than me by a mile and I’m still going.” Leah laughs, her eyes dropping down to where my t-shirt is clinging to every indent and muscle of my chest and stomach.
“Is that right?” Reaching behind me, I pull the fabric from my body. I want to say it’s seamless, but it sticks more than I was expecting and takes a good bit of force to get it over my head.
Exactly as I intended, her eyes drop once again to feast on my exposed skin. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip and it’s the perfect distraction I need. She doesn’t even notice when I step towards her, but she soon realises when I lift her from the ground, throw her over my shoulder and begin marching back to the pool.
“Jenson, don’t you dare. Jenson, Jenson, nooooo.”
Stepping into the pool, I plunge her under the water, cutting off her screams.
Releasing her, I allow her to find her feet, but I soon realise my mistake as she flies at me. Taking me by surprise, I just about grab her before my feet slide out from under me and together we fall back into the water.
Her laughter warms my heart, but her face soon stills when she looks down and finds me staring at her.
My fingers tighten around her waist and I pull her body so it’s flush against mine. There’s no denying what her being this close and soaking wet does to me and when her lips part in surprise I know she feels it.
“Jenson, I—”
“Come on, you two,” Amelia shouts, oblivious to the moment happening between us.
“We should get out. I’m soaked.”
“Is that right?” Her eyes widen and her cheeks heat. It’s enough to know that she’s very much wet and ready for me right now.
“Shit.”
She scrambles off me and climbs from the pool. I give it a few seconds in the hope my cock realises she’s no longer touching it before following.
“I should go,” Leah says, glancing over towards her house.
“No, please don’t go,” Amelia begs, plastering a sad expression on her face that I know is going to pull at Leah’s heartstrings. “You promised we could watch Aladdin.”
“I said if your dad wasn’t home then we could watch it. He’s here now and I’m sure he’s got plans for the two of you.”
My heart lurches at the thought of her leaving already. “Yeah, I have got plans actually.” Leah’s face drops ever so slightly but it’s enough to make my stomach clench with anticipation for what the rest of this night might hold. “I was hoping you’d join us for dinner.”
“Me?” she asks, as if I could possibly mean anyone else.
“Yes, you. I brought stuff home from the restaurant. It just needs warming up. Let’s go and get dry and I’ll dish it up.”
“Okay. If you’re sure?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve not been surer of anything in my life,” I whisper in her ear when I get to her and I delight in the shudder that runs through her body.
Amelia runs inside to shower while Leah and I tidy up the garden.
“How long will dinner be? I’ll just go back next door and—” Thoughts of her leaving have me panicking.
“Minutes. Just shower here, I’ll find you something clean to put on.” The image of her in one of my shirts is suddenly the only thing I can think about and I know I need to do anything to ensure it happens. “Come on, I’ll show you to my en-suite. You can get cleaned up and then I’ll have dinner ready.”
I don’t give her a chance to argue. I take her hand in mine and all but drag her up the stairs.
“The towels are clean and the shower’s incredible. I’ll put something for you to wear on the bed. Come and join us when you’re ready.”
Regretfully, I pull the door closed, leaving her standing in the middle of my en-suite like a lost sheep. My body aches to walk back inside and join her in the shower. If I didn’t have Amelia to take care of, I’d probably throw caution to the wind and do just that. But instead, I rummage through my wardrobe for a shirt and pull a brand-new pair of boxers from inside my drawer. I drop the box beside them on the bed so she knows I’m not leaving a dirty old pair for her to wear and I leave the room, pulling the door closed behind me with some dry clothes for myself in hand.
After checking on Amelia and finding her some clean pyjamas, I have the quickest shower of my life in the main bathroom before pulling on a pair of shorts and heading down to sort out dinner. I know I should put a shirt on but I tell myself that it’s a humid evening and I would be too hot. In reality I know it’s because I love the way she bites on her bottom lip and the colour her cheeks go every time she checks me out.