Chapter 2

Simon

Asking Miranda to practice flirting with me was a stupid, impulsive decision. Since I bought Lucky's Bar and Grill, I swore to myself that I wouldn't date any of the employees. When I was first starting out in restaurants, I saw things get messy more times than I care to mention. It's best for everyone involved that the boss maintain his distance from the people he's managing.

And yet, all it took was one look at Miranda for my resolve to start crumbling. Her long, black hair that stretches halfway down her back even when she has it in a ponytail and her bright, ocean-blue eyes drew me in. Then yesterday, I saw the way she was talking to Leo, the way he was smiling at her and the way she was smiling in return, and I couldn't stop myself. Calling her into my office was a reflex, something that I did on impulse. I was so jealous that I couldn't control myself.

I don't think it'll be a big deal. Flirting and dating are two very different things. Plus, she doesn't have any experience. Giving her the green light to flirt with me probably takes some pressure off her while she's learning to take control of her love life. It might be self-indulgent on my end, but as long as I keep things innocent, there won't be any problems. It should be easy enough.

At least, I think that going into the closing shift tonight.

"You're looking nice tonight, Boss Man," Miranda says as soon as I walk past her.

The compliment throws me for a loop. I wasn't expecting her to take me up on my offer so soon. Not only that, but her compliment sounds so genuine that my mind completely stops. I recover pretty quickly, though.

"Likewise," I say easily, my eyes catching on her light pink lips. "I like that lipstick. The color looks nice on you."

Her cheeks turn bright red, and she ducks her head. The reaction emboldens me, making me want to say more. I remember my rule, though. As much as I want to push this further, I know I shouldn't. She's just practicing and this doesn't mean anything.

With that thought in mind, I stomp to the office. Staying in her proximity when she's blushing like that is a recipe for disaster. Blood is already rushing to my cock without my permission at the image of that innocent little thing turning pink in response to a relatively harmless compliment. I can't give my mind a chance to supply me with other ways I could make her blush… at least not when I'm standing right next to her.

Once I'm in the office, I log into the computer to take care of our supply order for the week. It's a mind-numbing task, and exactly what I need to get my thoughts away from Miranda and the way her cleavage peeks out enticingly from the top of her black button-up work shirt. Normally, it only eats up an hour of my time, but today I draw the action out and finish after two. Then, with no reason to be cooped up in the office any longer, I get on my feet and head out to make my rounds in the dining room.

We're pretty slow tonight, which isn't out of the ordinary. There aren't any drink specials on Wednesdays, so the only people in the restaurant are our regulars and a few college students from the local university that are too lazy or unskilled to make dinner for themselves. Our dinner rush is close to over, so I can probably start sending servers home soon.

As I'm making my way through the dining room, my eyes find Miranda chatting with some of her coworkers. Even when I'm talking to the customers, my gaze follows her. I'm surprised that she seems just as aware of my presence as I am of hers. When I've checked in with the last of the guests, my feet are carrying me to her before I can stop them.

"There you are," Miranda says when I'm within earshot. "I thought I scared you off."

"It'll take a lot more than a compliment to scare me off," I tell her.

"That's good," she says with a giggle. "I'm just getting started."

"Oh, yeah?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow at her curiously. "What do you have planned for me?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," she says coyly as she ducks her head.

"Well, you have me intrigued," I say, feeling a rush of affection for her.

"I sure hope so," she murmurs, shoving her hands in the front of her apron. "That's the point of this practice, right?"

"Right," I confirm with a glance around the store to make sure no one's watching this interaction. If anyone does see us talking, they're not paying us any mind. To any onlookers, this is just a standard conversation happening between a boss and his employee. "I'm going to cut the floor in a few minutes."

"That's a good idea," Miranda replies, looking at me properly again, the pretty blush back on her cheeks. "The last table came in almost half an hour ago."

"You think you can handle the floor by yourself?" I ask. "You'll make a good chunk of change if you can."

"I'll be okay," she says confidently. "If I get overwhelmed, you'll help out, right?"

"Of course," I say, unable to say no to her when she's batting her eyelashes at me and giving me a puppy-dog look.

"Thanks, Boss Man," she says with a winning smile before taking her hands out of her apron. "I should go check on table forty-two."

"They want the chocolate chip cookie sundae for dessert," I say, remembering the conversation I had with them. "I meant to tell you."

"But you were so distracted by me that you forgot?" she teases.

"You could say that," I reply with a huff.

She's so charming that I find it hard to believe that she doesn't have any experience. The way she blushes when she's doing it on purpose is a dead giveaway of her innocence, though. God, I want to take it away from her.

Before she has the chance to say something else that could break down my self-restraint, I walk away to let Nicole know she can stop seating everyone but Miranda and the bar. Then, once my host is aware of the change, I let the other servers know that they can start doing their side work and get out of here when their tables finish. My kitchen staff catches wind of the cuts, and I give them permission to go down to closers as well.

Once the kitchen staff clears out, I spend the next couple hours helping around the restaurant and cashing out the other servers. True to her word, Miranda handles the floor alone swimmingly. With me helping run her food, she bounces from table to table, giving impeccable service while she does her closing duties. By the time the restaurant closes, all she has left to do before she can check out is mopping the floor.

"I'll be in the office," I tell her as I help gather the dishes from the last table to leave.

"Sounds good," she says, giving me a grateful smile as she wipes down the table. "It shouldn't take me too much longer."

I grunt in response before I disappear into the kitchen. After dropping the plates off to the dishwasher, I duck into my office. I leave the door open for Miranda. She clears her throat from the doorway about fifteen minutes later.

"You can close the door," I say as I wiggle the mouse to wake up the computer screen. "I don't know about you, but I think the sound from the dishwasher gets grating after a while."

"I think so, too," she replies, closing the door before settling into the chair next to me.

"I don't think I've asked," I murmur, accepting her checkout slip and typing the relevant information into the spreadsheet. "How're you liking it at Lucky's?"

"I love it," she says sincerely. "It also helps that I have such a handsome boss."

I chuckle, being careful not to look at her. We're walking on thin ice now that we're alone. My desire for her is almost impossible to ignore.

"Are you sure you've never flirted with anyone before?" I ask as I count the cash to pay out her credit card tips.

"Positive," she says, accepting the money and rising to her feet. "Well, at least not on purpose."

"Here, let me walk you out," I say, getting up and leading her out of the office. When we step outside, I say, "You know, you could have fooled me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were really trying to seduce me."

"Who says I'm not?" she replies, stopping next to a little blue car that must be hers.

I don't know what comes over me. I'm moving before I know what's happening, cupping her cheek in the palm of my hand. Then I connect our lips, kissing her softly. Miranda makes a noise of surprise before returning the kiss eagerly. Her dainty fingers wrap around my wrist as if to anchor herself. It's clear she wants more, but my brain catches up to what's happening, and I force myself to pull away.

"That was –" she starts, looking absolutely starstruck.

"Practice," I say, finishing her sentence for her. "You said you didn't have any experience. I assume you haven't kissed many guys."

She shakes her head, her lips still parted and shiny with saliva. I wait for her to say something else, but it seems like she's at a loss for words. My effect on her goes straight to my cock, and I know I have to get out of here before I reach for her again.

"Drive safe," I say, waiting until she gets into her vehicle before I start the short trek back to the building.

The rest of the evening, I can't stop thinking about the way her soft mouth felt against mine. Despite knowing kissing her was a mistake, I want to do it again. I'm screwed, and it's all Miranda's fault.