Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Joel looked up from his computer when there was a knock on the door to his hotel suite.
“Housekeeping,” someone called from the hallway.
He rose and opened the door, prepared to say he was okay for towels, but stopped when he saw Andi’s smiling face standing next to her cart.
Her eyes widened when she realized it was him.
“We need to stop meeting this way,” she joked.
“Andi.” He could tell she was surprised he’d remembered her name.
The truth was he’d been thinking about the petite brunette ever since he walked out of the convenience store a little after three a.m. Leaving her had been harder than he might have expected, considering the woman was a stranger.
However, it went against his nature to leave someone in what he believed to be a dangerous situation. And as far as he was concerned, a young woman alone in a convenience store in the middle of the night was asking for trouble.
Joel would like to think he’d feel protective of anyone in the same situation, but there was something about Andi that had caught his attention and held onto it.
He was no stranger to beautiful women, and while she was truly lovely with her wavy dark brown hair and big blue eyes, that wasn’t what was drew him in.
It was her personality. She’d gotten called in to work someone else’s shift in the middle of the night and she had shown up with a smile on her face and a cheerful attitude.
She was friendly and bubbly, and he got the sense that what he saw was what he got with Andi.
It was refreshing, given the fact he spent too much time dealing with people who were fake—inside and out.
Then something else occurred to him, and his pleasure at seeing her again morphed to…well, anger. There were dark circles under her eyes that indicated she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night and he frowned. “Did you come straight from the convenience store to work here?”
“Yep,” she replied, oblivious to the irritation her response sparked.
Where was this woman’s family? Why was she working two jobs back-to-back like this? Didn’t she have anyone to help her?
She mentioned her brother but no one else.
He reached out before he could think better of it and ran the tip of one finger under her eye. “You’re tired.” They certainly didn’t know each other well enough for him to touch her, but Andi didn’t shy away.
Instead, she lifted one shoulder casually and gave him another dose of that gorgeous smile.
“It’s okay. You’re one of my last rooms. I’m getting off a little bit early today.
I had a lot of rooms with Do Not Disturb signs.
” As she said that, she waved jazz hands to celebrate.
“There is definitely a nap in my plans for this afternoon.”
“Good,” he said, though her reassurance didn’t make him feel much better. “You can mark this room off your list as well. I’m good on towels.”
“How was your brunch?” she asked, peering around him as if she wanted to make sure he really was okay without her cleaning his room.
“Successful,” he answered succinctly.
“That’s good. I know you said you’re here for business, but have you had a chance to do any sightseeing?”
He shook his head, pleased that she seemed as anxious to keep the conversation between them going as he was. If he’d been smart, he would have asked her to clean the room, just so he could be with her a few minutes longer.
Joel had never been so overwhelmed by such an immediate attraction.
He was definitely succumbing to lust at first sight where Andi was concerned.
“I’m afraid there won’t be time for that on this trip, though I have been trying to hit some good local restaurants at mealtimes rather than ordering room service. Got any suggestions?”
Her eyes lit up. “You absolutely have to go to Pat’s Pub. It has the best food and ambiance, and the waitstaff is top-notch, second to none in the entire city.” She giggled, then confided, “I wait tables there.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Joel didn’t even bother to hide his dark scowl, and her smile wavered.
She worked three jobs?
“Um,” she stumbled, taken aback by the vehemence in his voice.
“I can’t imagine it’s good for you to work such long hours, Andi.
” Joel was fighting hard to keep a lid on the part of him that was compelled to swoop in and take charge of this woman’s life.
A foolish notion considering they’d just met and he had no right to do so.
The problem was it appeared no one else was doing it and…
well…goddammit, he wanted to. He’d have to analyze that compulsion later, or maybe he should just pretend it wasn’t there.
He was well aware he had an overly dominant personality, and while that trait had served him well in his career, it had never crossed over into his personal life.
Not until Andi.
“What’s that saying?” She was clearly trying to put them back on more steady ground. “No rest for the wicked.”
Joel took a couple deep breaths, his impulse to help her suddenly overridden by a more powerful desire. One that was ignited by her comment. He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “And are you wicked?” he asked in a deep, dark tone.
He didn’t think she meant the smile she gave him to be one of pure seduction, but damn if it didn’t nearly bring him to his knees.
“I’d like to be,” she confided with outright honesty. “But there’s not a lot of time in my schedule to be naughty.”
“Jesus,” Joel breathed.
She blushed as if she hadn’t meant to cross that line. “Well, if you’re good to go,” she said, turning to her cart.
“When do you work at Pat’s Pub?” he asked, anxious to see her again before he left town.
“Tonight.”
It was the best and the worst thing she could have said because while he looked forward to seeing her, there was no question in his mind now that he was about to become a part of Andi’s life. God help the woman.
He stood straighter. “Tonight?”
“Yeah,” she said cautiously as if she could tell the tide had turned, but she didn’t have a clue why. So the clever girl decided on a quick escape. “I have a couple more rooms to take care of. Will I, um, see you tonight?”
Joel nodded. “You will.”
Wild horses wouldn’t keep him away.
Joel glanced around Pat’s Pub, and he could see in an instant why Andi had spoken so highly of it.
The place was inviting, and from the camaraderie shared by the patrons sitting around the bar, it was clear the pub was popular with the locals.
He could imagine large groups of people gathering here on Sundays in the fall to watch football on the big screen TVs or popping in after work on Fridays for a weekend-launching happy hour.
The bartender noticed him standing by the door. “You can grab a seat anywhere,” he called out with a smile.
Joel looked around for Andi, wanting to sit in her section. He was hoping to entice her to join him during her break, and he planned to leave her one hell of a tip. It was obvious money was a concern for her, given the fact she was working three jobs.
Joel claimed a table near a small makeshift stage, nodding his thanks when the bartender walked over and handed him a menu.
“Welcome to Pat’s Pub. I’m Padraig. Haven’t seen you in here before. You live in Baltimore, or are you just passing through?”
“Just passing through,” Joel confided. “I met one of your waitresses, Andi, earlier today and she suggested I give the place a try. I was hoping to sit in her section,” he added.
“Well, I think you’re about as close to her section as you can get.” Padraig nodded toward the stage. “She’s not waiting tables tonight. She’s singing.”
Joel glanced toward the stage, taking note of the tatty guitar set on its stand, the lone microphone. “She sings?”
“She’s got one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. And my aunt is Teagan Collins.”
It wasn’t often that someone could genuinely shock Joel, but Padraig had managed when he casually dropped his famous aunt’s name.
“Teagan…Collins.” Joel was no stranger to the music industry. Hell, he’d been working as a music producer for twelve years. Teagan Collins was one of the biggest names there was, she and her husband, Sky Mitchell, owning the top of the charts for the better part of three decades.
Suddenly, a light went on.
“Pat’s Irish Pub,” Joel murmured. He’d watched a documentary on the life of Sky and Teagan several years ago.
The pub was mentioned as, not only the place where Teagan and Sky had met but also as a sort of jumping board for other musicians.
Hunter Maxwell had gotten his start here as a pub singer, and while she wasn’t discovered here, Aubrey Summers, the pop sensation had married into the family and was reported to drop into the pub from time to time to give an impromptu show.
“You’ve heard of us?” Padraig was obviously pleased by that.
Joel nodded. “I’m a music producer. This pub has quite the reputation when it comes to showcasing talented musicians.”
“Yeah, well, the truth is we’ve just been lucky. Talent seems to find its way to our doorstep,” Padraig said humbly. “You really a music producer?”
“I am.”
Padraig sighed. “Damn. Looks like I’m about to lose a great waitress.” He gave Joel a wink. “What can I get you to drink?”
Joel ordered a National Bohemian beer—when in Rome—and Padraig returned to the bar.
Over the course of the next hour, more patrons made their way into the pub, more than Joel would have expected, given it was a Sunday night.
When Padraig delivered his food, he confided they were all there to hear Andi, bragging that she’d more than doubled the Sunday traffic since she started performing on that night.
He had polished off his second beer and a plateful of the greatest fish and chips he’d ever eaten, when Andi walked into the pub. She made her way to the stage, stopping to say hello to several people along the way.
“Joel,” she said with delight when she spotted him there. “You came.”