Chapter 1 #2
Andi wanted that for her brother as much as Dylan did.
So when he’d told her his plans for after high school, she had kicked it up a notch, taking on a third job, in order to save as much money as she could to help him achieve his dream.
In addition to working here and the hotel, she’d started waitressing at a local bar a couple of years earlier.
When she’d originally been hired at Pat’s Pub, it had been as a dinner shift waitress, the hours working in conjunction with her other jobs.
One night after the bar closed, the bartender, Padraig Collins, had heard her singing quietly to herself, and he’d convinced her to perform on stage.
To her amazement, the patrons liked listening to her.
Since then, Padraig paid her to perform a couple nights a week, while she waitressed the other evenings.
Joel crossed his legs, still leaning against the counter. He was seriously one of the most attractive men she’d ever met, though probably too old for her.
She did an internal eye roll at that because this guy was not flirting with her and he never would.
“You didn’t have any interest in furthering your education?” he asked.
Andi shook her head. “It wasn’t in the cards for me.
Not enough money and my grades, while passing, weren’t anywhere near as good as Dylan’s.
” Writing papers and studying for tests usually happened on her work breaks or on the bus ride to school, neither of which allowed much time for her to do more than the bare minimum.
“How old are you, Andi?”
She was surprised by the question even though she was curious about his age as well. “I’m twenty-six.”
“Twenty-six,” he mused aloud.
“How old are you?” she countered with a grin.
For the first time, he smiled. “I’m ancient. Thirty-nine.”
She laughed. “Wow, yeah. A total relic.”
He narrowed his eyes good-naturedly.
She should probably get back to work, but there wasn’t anyone else in the store and there was just so many rounds of solitaire she could play before boredom kicked in and her hand cramped from holding her phone for so long.
“So how was your gala? Must’ve been bougie as hell considering the tux and limo. ”
He grinned, shaking his head. “It was mind-numbingly boring. Making small talk with self-important snobs and raging narcissists is a tedious thing. This is the most interesting conversation I’ve had all night.”
She made a face. “If this is winning, then you’re obviously running with the wrong crowd.”
“As I said, it was a meet and greet deal tied to work. I was only there an hour when I began to suspect my partner probably canceled the flight himself just to get out of attending.”
She started to ask what Joel did for a living, but he glanced out the window, speaking first. “Looks like the tire’s changed.”
Andi followed his gaze and saw the limousine pull into the parking lot, claiming a space right in front.
“I need sleep so I’m going to skip the caffeine.” Joel walked away from the coffee, heading to the cooler to grab two bottles of water, while Andi picked up her cup and returned to the register.
She rang up Joel’s purchase and he paid.
“Are you safe here by yourself?” he asked, concern in his tone.
“Oh, I’ll be fine.” She was no stranger to working after dark. A job was a job and unfortunately, she couldn’t afford to be afraid of every shadow.
Joel didn’t look convinced.
“Honest,” she tried to reassure him, though she was touched by his trepidation.
She wasn’t accustomed to someone worrying about her.
Mom was typically too drunk to know whether or not she was home, and Dylan had spent his entire life with a sister who worked too much.
To him, this was the norm because it was the way things had always been.
He had offered to get an after-school job to help with bills on more than one occasion, but she put her foot down, telling him that getting good grades and getting into college was his job.
Then, she always joked that he could start paying the bills when he was a rich businessman living in Manhattan, after which she could put her feet up and eat bonbons all day. They would laugh and then Dylan, bless his kind heart, swore he would take care of her when that day arrived.
Not that she would ever let him, of course, but it was a sweet promise just the same.
Joel sighed, clearly not convinced. “Okay, if you’re sure,” he said at last. “It was nice talking to you, Andi.”
“You too.” Most people who came in treated her like she was invisible, simply grabbing whatever they wanted, paying, and leaving. It was nice to have someone help her pass a few minutes of what was bound to be a very long three hours.
He hesitated for just a moment longer before turning and heading for the door. “Good night.”
She waved as he left, then perched on the edge of the stool, watching as Joel climbed into the back of the limo. She wished they’d had longer to chat because her curiosity—okay, and libido—had kicked into overdrive.
What did he do for a living?
Did he always travel around in a limo?
Did he have a girlfriend?
What would it be like to kiss him? Would he gentle and sweet? Or rough and hungry?
She scoffed at the last questions because it wasn’t like the answers mattered. Men like Joel McKenna did not go for girls like her. He was older, sophisticated, more experienced, well-spoken, and rich.
But none of those facts stopped her from running her finger over her lower lip, imagining those hard kisses. Or from fantasizing about what it would be like to lie down underneath him on the backseat of that limousine while he had his wicked way with her.
She let the images play out for too long, then sighed, because now, it wasn’t just going to be a long night.
It was going to be a lonely one too.