7. I Knew They Weren’t Done With Me

Chapter 7

I Knew They Weren’t Done With Me

Megan

I walk into the kitchen galley and observe a very proud Billy leaning over the shoulder of Lacy as she plates the appetizers that she’s prepared. I arrived just in time. I can tell by simply eyeballing the plates that the food is tasty, but I don’t want to reveal my thoughts just yet. I’m not one hundred percent sold on the fact that someone basically my age can lead a kitchen of our size.

I know.

I have a lot of nerve since I’m just as young and I’m the manager.

Yeah, I need to work on that.

“Are they ready to taste?” I ask them both.

“It’s damn good,” Billy boasts as Lacy hands me the first plate.

“What’s your specialty dish?” I ask her.

“I made my famous smoked paprika wings. They’re fast to make and packed with lots of flavors.”

I take a bite of one of the wings and pause for a moment as the mixture of garlic and smoke swirls around my mouth in a happy dance. After a few chews, I try a sample of the other dishes and am equally impressed.

“Well?” Billy asks.

“Set a plate aside for the boss,” I say.

“Does he need to try the food before you make a decision?” Billy asks anxiously.

I consider the question for a moment. I haven’t made many decisions around here without Hunter’s input, but if I’m going to gain anyone’s respect around here, I’m going to have to make some without always running every decision by him.

“Billy, you’re still here for two more weeks, which I hope is enough time for you to run through the entire menu with Lacy.”

He smiles. “It should be.”

“And Lacy, I’ll let you know what Mr. Middleton says, but you come highly recommended, and the food is delicious, so I think we should move forward. Did Billy discuss money with you?”

“Yes.”

“Obviously, I can’t pay you what he gets because he’s been the lead cook for The Blue Whiskey for years.”

“Just two and a half,” Billy interjects.

“Which seems like a lifetime,” I chuckle, teasing him. “But I can certainly pay you a competitive wage for the position.”

“Okay,” Lacy agrees. “I’m good with that.”

“And you realize the only day off is Monday?”

“Yes, Billy explained the schedule. It’s no problem. I like to keep busy.”

I give Billy a silent look, which he can totally read. Out of everyone in the club, he’s the person I’ve had the most conversations with. It’s kind of nice that he knows what I’m thinking without me having to say a word. I’ll kind of miss him when he leaves.

He offers me a knowing nod in return. “She’s prepped and primed, boss lady. She understands the assignment and is ready to work.”

“Okay then, let’s try it.”

I can see the huge relief in her eyes and I remember Billy telling me about her living situation. Lowering my voice so that only she can hear me, I ask her, “There’s some paperwork I’m going to need you to fill out, but I just wanted to let you know that Billy already explained your situation. Do you have a place to stay for the next few weeks? One you can put on the tax documents.”

She doesn’t look embarrassed but simply shrugs. “There’s a battered women’s shelter I’m at, and we have to keep the location private for obvious reasons.“

“Drop by my office after you finish up here,” I tell her, my heart aching for her. “I’ll see if I can arrange something more permanent for you.”

I can tell that my offer just blindsided her, but I’m only paying my good fortune forward. I may not be able to set her up in a high-rent apartment in Hunter’s building, but I definitely get paid enough money to help her find somewhere safe and clean to live.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.”

Billy chuckles as I grab another wing before exiting the kitchen. I can’t help myself. They’re damn good. As I’m chewing, my eyes catch a familiar figure in the dimly lit room and it takes me a second to place him. It’s a man I’m pretty sure I once saw talking with Hunter.

I study him as he ascends the staircase to the second floor of the club, and I realize he’s headed toward one of the VIP booths. I notice that Lars and Parker are standing outside of the booth as well and deduce that Hunter must be sitting there as well.

Parker catches me staring and winks at me. Then Diana comes hurrying over with a smug look on her face.

“The Parillo party wants to see the manager.”

It takes me a second to recognize the last name.

That’s Ashley’s group.

Gage owes me twenty bucks.

I knew they weren’t done with me.

“What happened?” I ask her.

She shrugs indifferently, but I can see the sly look in her eyes. She’s enjoying this.

“They said that something is wrong with their drinks.”

“That’s hardly something to call the manager for. Get them new drinks.”

“I did, but they still want to see the manager.” She gives me one of her judgmental looks as I stare her down with one of my own. “Just go and do your job.”

My patience is running thin with this woman.

“Diana, once your shift is over, I want you to come to see me in my office. We need to have a talk.”

“If you even have an office by the end of my shift,” she mutters nastily under her breath.

I catch every word, and the nasty intent behind them, which is why I’m itching to scratch her eyes out, but losing my temper is not who I am. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the reason why I’ve gotten through so many awful times in my life is that I know how to keep my head down and my mouth shut.

The easiest solution to my Ashley problem is to just get this over with, so I make my way up to their booth, crossing paths with Lars and Parker. They shoot me a curious glance as I stand in front of the booth’s privacy curtain, waiting to be acknowledged.

The second floor of The Blue Whiskey has a very different feel than the first floor. The first floor is animated and busy. There are dozens of patrons drinking and dancing, as you would see in most crowded LA clubs. But on the second floor, things are quieter. There are private booths that are luxurious, with soft lighting and plush couches. Sometimes, they’re reserved for meetings by very dangerous men, and sometimes, they’re reserved for groups of friends who can afford it.

“You may enter,” Ashley announces in some sort of fake regal accent.

As I slide the luxe fabric curtain open, the first thing I see is Ashley sitting in Ricky’s lap. On seeing me, she gives me a deliberate smile and then leans down and presses her mouth against Ricky’s in an open-mouthed kiss. I look in disgust, wondering what exactly she plans to achieve out of this public display of affection. Now that I’m sleeping with a man like Hunter Middleton, I couldn’t give two shits about these two sleeping together.

“Okay.” I look around at the shot glasses on the table. “So, what seems to be the problem with the drinks?”

Ashley’s eyes are open and fixed on mine as she continues to French Kiss Ricky. When she didn’t get the reaction, she clearly expected to get out of me. She pulls away, wiping the sides of her mouth delicately with her thumb.

“I asked to see the manager.”

“You’re looking at her.”

“The drinks are shit here.”

The two other girls sitting on the opposite side of the booth snicker.

“I see.” My eyes go to the tequila bottles and one empty bottle of wine. “Which is why you and your party consumed all of it?”

She doesn’t get annoyed by my retort but instead surprises me with an offer.

“Why don’t you join us? We’ve ordered some more drinks, crappy as they are.”

“Join you?” I echo. “Now, why would I do something as stupid as that?”

She picks up her wineglass and rises from Ricky’s lap, beaming at me. “I just think that we should try to get along.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t share that opinion, Ashley. And since it’s obvious that the server is getting you another round of drinks to make up for whatever convoluted problem there was with the first round, I’m going to excuse myself. Some of us have work to do.”

It’s a physical struggle to be polite. I can feel a sickening feeling of fury moving through my veins like sludge. Choking me from the inside out.

Suddenly, Ashley moves closer toward me, and her two minions stand. One has the empty wine bottle in her hand as if she’s ready to use it as a weapon.

Oh, fuck.

I don’t get time to react as the three of them quickly surround me. The only one still seated and quiet is Ricky as if his irresponsible behavior isn’t the source of Ashley’s sick obsession with me.

The short girl with a menacing look on her face raises the bottle up high, and my arms quickly form a protective formation to defend myself. Ashley then shoves me back into the glass table with so much force that the table shatters under my weight.

“You fucking bitch!” She spits on me as I try to avoid the surrounding glass. “I’m sick of your ass. First, you try to steal my place in the exhibition, and then you make a sex tape with my boyfriend! You fucking slut!”

Stunned by what’s just happened, I’m barely listening to her. All I can think about is how I’m going to get up and not stab myself with the large shards of glass sticking out from the table's edges. Enjoying my struggle, Ashley kicks at my leg, and I feel a sharp pain from my barely healed stitches.

“Crawl over the glass!” She jeers, and the girls surrounding me hoot in laughter.

Finally looking uncomfortable, Ricky stands and extends his hand to help me up until Ashley pushes it away.

“Don’t you dare help her,” she hisses at him.

“You’ve lost your fucking mind!” I snarl at her, wincing in pain. “This is a goddamn assault! Do you think I won’t press charges? You think I won’t tell them how you’ve practically been stalking me because your boyfriend couldn’t keep it in his pants?”

“Assault?” Ashley sneers at me before looking around at her friends. “You saw the way she attacked me, right? I was just defending myself. Even that employee saw it!”

She points towards where Diana is standing, looking a little shaken by the amount of violence that she clearly hadn’t expected.

“Right?” Ashley presses, her eyes narrowing, and Diana bobs her head up and down in frantic agreement.

I pull myself out of the broken table, ignoring the scratches on my legs, and I stand.

“You’ve royally fucked up this time,” I warn her. “This was the worst place you could have attacked me.”

“Is that right?” Ashley leans in to put her ugly snout in my face. “Did you think I would let you steal my position in the program and fuck my boyfriend?”

“I’m not interested in your pencil dick of a boyfriend, Ashley,” I spit out before glowering at Ricky. “Is that what you told her? That I made a move on you? Why don’t you tell her the truth, you dickless bastard? Why don’t you ever speak up? You asked me out the moment I stepped onto campus and have been sniffing up my ass ever since.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she sniffs. “Ricky would never actually be interested in a low-class slut like you.”

“Really? Because I didn’t force your boyfriend to put his dick in my mouth.”

Both of her minions audibly gasp. “What did she say?”

“I knew you were trash.” Ashley shoves me, practically snarling. “You tricked Ricky into whatever that was I saw on tape, and now you’ve resorted to using some withered old man to steal my spot in the exhibition.”

I’m seeing red right now. For once, maybe I should react. Perhaps I just punch her perfect little nose and break it.

Fuck the consequences.

“Where’s your old man now?” My hand curls into a fist as Ashley continues to taunt me. “Does he know you work in this dump, or is this where you met him?”

I think about the last time I hit someone out of blind fury. It was years ago, and it hurt like hell, but I swear it would make me feel so much better inside.

So, just as I’m about to lift my fist and punch the living daylights out of her, the curtain of the private booth is yanked clear from the metal pole it was hanging on, and a chilly voice with piercing grey eyes pins Ashley violently in place.

“Her old man knows every fucking thing about her.”