Chapter 2 #3
“Ollie, this woman is overreacting. I was admiring his tattoos and wanted to know where he got them. I realize that I shouldn’t have touched his arm without asking first. However, I didn’t harm him.
Look at him. He’s a big, strong biker. And she’s acting as if I touched her man.
They’re not even together. It’s not fair that I’ve done the work and someone else takes over and gets the tip,” she whined.
Ollie hesitated and took too long to answer her. He was wavering between what we wanted and what she wanted. I came to my feet. I towered over the manager. He gulped, and sweat broke out on his brow.
“I don’t have to tell you who we’re with.
Our club does a lot of business in this town, and more than the four of us come here.
I suggest that if you don’t want the whole town to know that you can’t control your staff, you get us someone else so we can finish our meal in peace.
And if you were smart, Georgia would be fired or at the very least put on probation,” I told him.
Tinker had risen to his feet by now. We were getting more attention. After a nervous glance around the restaurant, Ollie capitulated.
“Alright, alright, there’s no reason to let this get out of hand. Georgia, you’ll trade this table with Sami for one of his.”
“But that’s not fair,” Georgia whined. Her bottom lip was protruding.
“Go. We’ll talk about this later. Do as I say,” Ollie snapped.
With a glare at us, especially Astrid, Georgia flounced off. As she faded away, Ollie continued, “I’m sorry for any misunderstanding this caused. I can assure you that Georgia will be handled. Please, sit and enjoy your meal. It should be out momentarily.”
As Tinker and I sat down, the manager scurried away.
The murmurs around the room indicated that the other diners were curious.
I ignored them. I refused to allow anything or anyone to ruin this evening.
Looking over at Astrid, I took a chance.
I grabbed her chair and pulled it closer to me. She gave me a surprised look.
“Mayhem, what are you doing?” she asked. I left no more than six inches between our chairs. I smiled at her.
“I’m bringing my protector closer. You need to be close to guard my virtue.
What if some other crazed woman comes up and tries to feel me up?
If they do, you have my permission to break their hands.
And I’ll do the same for you if any of these bastards get the courage to come over here and try anything with you.
I see several shifty ones I don’t like. We need to stick together. ”
She stared at me for a couple of seconds, then burst out laughing. I winked at her, which made her laugh harder. When she got hold of herself, she shook her head, but she was smiling.
“You poor, defenseless man. I guess I have to protect you since you’re so delicate. No worries, I’ll keep your virtue intact.”
“And you can count on me to protect you in every way.”
I let the growl in my voice peek out. Anyone coming near Astrid would get the scare and beating of their life.
I was even more determined that the only one who would touch her would be me.
We joked with Haven and Tinker for a few minutes, then our meals arrived.
Sami was a polite young man who introduced himself and remained professional.
Leaving us to eat in peace after promising to check on us soon, we dug in.
All four of us agreed the food was excellent. I was pleased to see Astrid eat more. When we were finished with our main course, Sami came to ask if anyone wanted dessert. Both women groaned and said no. I, however, had my eye on one I had before.
“We’ve got to at least get the pineapple ice cream. It’s amazing. Not quite as good as what I’ve had in Hawaii, but close,” I explained.
“Oh God, is it like what they serve at the pineapple plantation there?” Astrid gasped.
“That’s the one, and yes, it is.”
“Okay, then I have to have a bite. I love pineapple, and I ate that ice cream all the time when I was there.”
“Were you stationed in Hawaii or just came in on the ship?” I asked.
“I was stationed there for two years and had more than one ship port there on trips to and from the Gulf. What about you? How did you find it?”
“Bring us two orders of ice cream and four spoons, please,” I said to Sami before answering her. “I wasn’t based there, but I vacationed there and did training at the bases there a few times.”
Ice cream led to an animated discussion of places we’d been during our time in the military. Tinker and Haven had several questions, and we enjoyed educating them on our adventures.
When the meal ended, the bill came with a surprise.
The manager took twenty percent off the total as an apology.
I would’ve preferred a sincere one from Georgia, but I accepted it.
We ensured that Sami received a generous tip.
When Astrid tried to pay for her meal, I refused to allow it.
She scolded me, but I ignored her. She might not know it, but to me, this counted as our first date.
In the parking lot, Astrid hugged Haven and told her she’d be by to see her in the next day or two.
Astrid was more reserved when saying goodbye to Tinker and me.
I didn’t take it personally. I detected a restraint in her.
The reason for it, I had no idea, but I would work to remove it over time.
To prevent her from arguing, I kept my mouth shut about following her to the hotel.
She discovered it after she took off, and I fell in behind her.
When she was safely in the parking lot, I grinned and waved before taking off.
Her frown made me smile. I knew I’d hear about it the next time we met, and I was looking forward to it.
Now that Astrid was in my territory, I’d begin the wooing process.