Chapter 9
“What has you smiling like a loon?” Ann asked, sidling up to Maggie.
Ann Fuller was another waitress at The Billionaires Club, an exclusive, nearly secret, club for the wealthy men of the world. It was located on a large piece of land outside of Philadelphia, protected from the street by trees on one side and rolling hills on the other.
Ann, Maggie, and Emily, the club manager, had been working at the club for years. They were the only remaining staff left over from the previous owner, Jerry Harris, who had passed away. Levi, Sean, and Matteo used to spend more time at the club, but since each had found the love of his life, they’d shifted their responsibilities to others, especially Emily.
“She’s got a boyfriend!” Emily sing-songed, grinning at Maggie.
Maggie rolled her eyes while she quickly stocked the napkins at the bar. “I do not have a boyfriend,” she argued. But the blush staining her cheeks warned her friends that she was lying. Emily and Ann snorted with disbelief.
“Maggie, darlin’, I’ve known you for seven long years. We’ve been through a lot together,” Ann replied affectionately. “And I have never seen you glow like this. So, stop trying to convince us that you don’t have a new beau, because there’s zero chance we’re gonna believe you.”
Maggie smiled, enjoying Ann’s sweet, southern drawl.
Maggie opened the jar of olives and dumped them into the canister so that they were ready to plunk into martinis. “I don’t–”
“Stop,” Emily interrupted, leaning her elbows against the polished bar, her eyes alight with eagerness. “Just spill!”
Maggie laughed and, because she was so happy after last night and this morning, she couldn’t stop herself from gushing. “His name is Ramit and he’s in his mid-thirties. He’s very tall and distinguished looking.” She sighed and looked around at the luxury of the gaming room of the club, shaking her head slightly. “He’s not wealthy, thank goodness.” She glanced at the poker tables. “After working at this place for so long, I know the cheating, manipulative, merciless, usually illegal tactics that rich people use to grow their wealth. Ramit is just a really nice, average guy that…makes me smile!”
“And how is he in bed?” Emily whispered.
Maggie rolled her eyes. “I don’t kiss and tell,” she said, then laughed when Ann and Emily screeched with excitement.
“No way!” Emily laughed when they’d finally calmed down. “Margaret Denault, did you finally have sex last night?”
Maggie’s face was going to be in a permanent state of redness with all these questions. “As I said, I don’t kiss and tell.”
Ann snorted. “That means she had sex last night AND this morning!”
The three of them laughed as Levi walked in. “What’s going on?”
The trio smothered their laughter and continued prepping the bar for the night. “Maggie finally found a man!”
Levi’s eyes narrowed, his big brother-protective instincts kicking into high gear. “What’s his name?”
Maggie shook her head, still smiling but determined to keep her private life private. “Not this time,” she told her boss. “This guy is truly nice.”
Levi stepped closer, leaning his arms on the bar next to Emily. “Maggie, just let Hendrix run a background check on him, please?”
Maggie shook her head, clutching the napkins to her chest. “Really, Levi? I know that you put a lot of faith in your head of security. But this guy,” she paused, trying to figure out how to explain. “He’s special. And I don’t know where it’s going yet, but I don’t want everyone in my business. Not this time.”
Levi watched her for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. I’ll keep Hendrix out of your love life.” He pointed a finger at Maggie. “But if this guy lays one finger on you in anger, I want to know. Understand? Violence is never acceptable.”
Maggie beamed, then levered herself up over the bar to kiss his forehead. “Got it, boss.” Then she jumped back to the floor and spun around. “We need more napkins. I heard that it’s going to be a busy night tonight.”
Maggie moved to the storeroom right behind the bar. She was loading up one of the carts with supplies when Emily walked in and closed the door.
“What’s up?” Maggie asked, nervous about the determined look in the manager’s beautiful face.
“I just wanted to congratulate you, Maggs. I know that you don’t date often, and when you have in the past several years, it’s been a miserable mess. But this guy…are you sure that he’s on the level? He’s not going to break your heart?”
Maggie smiled and leaned a hip against the cart. “Yeah. He’s sweet and kind and I think he’s pretty…special.”
“You’ve said that. But Maggs, you’ve been through a pile of miserable men. Including your father. I know that he smacked you around until your mother rescued you. Then your high school boyfriend liked to use you as a punching bag.” She moved closer, enfolding Maggie in a gentle hug. “I really hope that this man is different because you deserve some true happiness.”
“Thanks Em,” she whispered back, hugging her friend tightly. “I agree.”
Emily pulled back, then laughed at the tear trailing down her cheek. “Good grief! I don’t understand why I get so emotional!”
A grunt came from behind them. Both women turned as Hendrix Piralti, the head of the club’s security team, walked by. Maggie suspected that he and Emily were in love with each other, but…well, that was none of her business. When Emily was ready to confide, Maggie would be there for her friend.
Ignoring Hendrix’s indecipherable grunt, she turned back to Emily. “Because you’re a good person,” Maggie replied.
Emily added a furious sniff towards the man who had disappeared down the hallway, then sighed heavily, turning back to Maggie with a stern look. “You are too!” She looked around, noting the other wait staff moving about the room, getting everything ready for a night of drinking, gambling, and secrets. “We’d better get moving and finish up the pre-opening tasks. But I want to meet your new guy as soon as you decide that things are getting serious.”
Maggie nodded, omitting the fact that she’d spent the night in Ramit’s arms and had the wildest, most uninhibited sex she had ever experienced! Because Maggie knew that, even though the sex was amazing, to a man, a sexual interlude, no matter how wonderful, did not necessarily indicate “serious”.
They moved through the tables set up in the gambling room, checking to ensure that everything was ready. Emily moved off to inspect the other rooms while Maggie surveyed the gaming room, which would be her station for the night. She’d be in charge of four waitresses, all of whom were moving efficiently about the room, doing last minute cleaning.
Maggie nodded to each of them, adjusted a tie on one, tucked in a stray curl on another, and nodded approvingly at the other two.
“Ready?” she whispered as the first group of arrogant, entitled billionaires stepped into the gaming room. Their raucous laughter warned the staff that they were going to want drinks immediately.
“Good evening, Mr. Stilton,” she greeted the leader of this group. “Can I get you a bourbon on the rocks?”
Joseph Stilton clapped his hands together as if he’d just been presented with a sweet treat. “Maggie, Maggie, Maggie!” Joe called out. “I was hoping that you’d be working tonight!” He turned and laughed to his buddies and they all joined in, chortling as if Joe had just said something hilarious. Maggie winked at the man, playing along. She glanced at the others as she said, “I’ll bring your drinks while you settle in at your favorite table. Sound good?”
The men all nodded, eagerly heading to their favorite corner table where some would lose and others would win thousands of dollars over the course of the evening.