“What did you tell Antigua?”
The voice tore Ryan’s gaze away from the shot of whiskey he was pouring into a rocks glass. Charla’s eyebrows were pressed together, and her hair was loose and curly around her face. She was beautiful. She wore a tank top, and her breasts were high and firm and her nipples pressed against the fabric. His sex grew hard with her presence.
“I told him the truth,” Ryan said.
She tilted her head to the side. A tiny bit of surprise flickered in her eyes, as though the truth wasn’t nearly enough. “And he believed you?’
“Why wouldn’t he?” Wind blew through the bar, and her hair gentled on the breeze.
She pressed her body away from the bar, as though the very simplicity of his answer was too much to fathom. Ryan wished the chain of events that led to Orso’s termination had been as simple as an employee telling a supervisor the truth. Unfortunately it had been the new owner of Mesquale pretending to be a bartender telling the new operating officer of Mesquale the truth. Now that sick, predatory Orso had been fired, Ryan would do his damnedest to put the right systems, the right managers, and the right mindset in place at Mesquale so that employees could and would go to their supervisors and be appreciated for telling the truth.
Ryan leaned forward and placed the drinks on the service bar. The Banana Boat was nearly empty. The skies above Mesquale were still overcast, and big raindrops had fallen off and on through the morning and now into the afternoon. The guests at The Banana Boat sat inside in booths that lined the wall.
Ryan lowered his voice. “I’m sorry I left this morning without saying good-bye.”
Charla dipped her head and her cheeks grew pink. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His departure from her bed without a good-bye or a kiss or any reassurance had been one of the worst parts of his morning. He’d not known how else to save her and maintain his anonymity.
“He offered me my job back because you left. I can’t be too angry with you.” She glanced up at him through her thick eyelashes.
The knot in his chest loosened, but the desire in his belly tightened. Unimaginable. A desire that had been unfathomable three weeks before had now taken hold of Ryan and pulled him toward Charla.
“I saw Orso at the airport when I was there,” Charla said. “He’d just arrived when Antigua called me.”
Anger built and created a desire to protect Charla. “He didn’t bother you, did he?”
“He said some pretty nasty things. That I must have powerful friends to get him fired. Little did he know. All it took to get rid of Orso was a bartender and some honesty.” She crossed her arms over her chest, a satisfied smile on her face. “I don’t know anyone powerful anymore. At least not well enough to flex their muscles for me. Nor do I know the new owner of Mesquale. Orso is a sick bastard. He thought I’d done something unseemly with the new owner to get him sacked.” She leaned forward, her hands pressed against the mahogany bar. She tilted her head, and her hair framed her face. “Really it was just the newest bartender I was unseemly with.”
Unseemly wasn’t the right word, but if it were, he wanted to be unseemly with Charla again. And again. And again. Would he get that chance? How angry would Charla be once she discovered that she’d been with the new owner of Mesquale? Would she hate him? Would she lump him into the same mix as Orso? A powerful man taking advantage of a woman?
Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.
He had to tell her. Ryan scrubbed the bar surface with a towel. She deserved the truth. But not now. Not here.
“Poppy and I are going to Parpetai tonight to celebrate. Want to go?”
“I’d love to. What time you heading over?
“We’re thinking eight-ish. That work for you?”
“Works for me.”
“Trevor’s coming too. It’ll be fun. Us four out on the town with something to celebrate.”
“Most definitely something to celebrate.” He placed the towel in the hamper. “You’re glad that you’re back, right?”
She paused. Her eyes scanned his face. “I am.” She tilted her head as though a question flitted through her brain, but she couldn’t quite ask it.
“You’re back!” Therese, another server, popped up beside Charla. “I’m so happy they got rid of that letch. Nice job, you.” Therese pulled Charla into a hug. “Can I get two Maker’s Marks neat?” she called to Ryan.
He nodded. Therese moved to the computer screen and punched in her order. “How did you score that reprieve plus get the a-hole sacked?” Therese finished keying in the drinks and turned to Charla.
“Wasn’t me,” Charla nodded toward Ryan. “Was the new guy.”
Therese whipped around, her braids flying. “This dude? The guy started two weeks ago?”
Charla nodded.
“Way to go!” Therese held her palm out for a high-five. “I guess being here with the past owners made us all scared. This guy was braver then all the other men who work in this place.” Therese put the two drinks on her tray and scurried off to deliver the order to her guests.
Nope. Not braver. Wealthier and perhaps a much bigger fool.
*
“You’re really into this guy.” Poppy pulled a navy-blue halter dress over her head and fluffed her curly hair out of the back.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you don’t have to work tonight, but you’re putting on makeup. Plus it’s like you’re floating. Buzzing.”
Charla smiled. A floaty sensation tingled through her body. Along with the desire to go to bed with Ryan again. “I mean, he protected me. Twice. I haven’t had anyone like that in my life in forever.” Charla stroked the gloss onto her lips. “And I kind of like it.”
“Not all you like,” Poppy teased.
Charla bit her bottom lip. “Noooo, there are other things that I thought were pretty amazing.”
“Things, eh? I can only imagine what kind of other things, since I do believe he slept in this room last night.”
“Which helped you, I might add. He’s been cramping your and Trevor’s overnights since he became Trevor’s roommate. This thing with Trevor going on five months? That’s long for you.”
“Never more than six months, my love. Can’t be.” Poppy folded a skirt and put it into her bureau drawer. “I’ve booked my flight to Hong Kong—leaves the morning after my last day.”
“But you really like Trevor, don’t you? The two of you seem to fit each other so well … you finish each other’s sentences. You both love books—”
“I hate commitments and so does he. Try to spin that matchmaking magic all you like, but neither one of us wants a relationship. Just good times and good sex for a brief while, then on to the next adventure.”
Charla ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it around her face. Was that what she wanted? Part-time lovers over a long-term life? No. Nine months away from Bertram and his twisted family and she’d come to believe that not all people lied. Not every person had a secret agenda. There were good and kind and wonderful people in the world. She wanted to find someone like that … she still wanted the normal. Someday. Maybe with …
“I see that faraway look in your eye. I know what that means. You’re moony over Ryan. You’re spinning all kinds of romantic fantasies that include lovely little houses and babies and carpool.” Poppy shuddered. “Not me. Give me a passport and an airline ticket.”
Charla smiled and placed her lip gloss in her purse. Poppy acted as though her romance with Trevor was a casual fling, but Charla had watched them together. The looks they shot each other, especially the longing in Poppy’s eyes when she thought no one was watching. Poppy’s feelings for Trevor were far from casual.
“Ryan must be a good egg, yes? I mean, he went to the mat for you.” Poppy reached for her umbrella inside her closet.
A tingle flew through Charla’s belly with Poppy’s tone. “But …? There’s a ‘but’ in your sentence.”
“It’s nothing.” Poppy’s smile split her face. She looked at the purple umbrella. “I’m not taking this. I’ll just lose the damn thing.” She dropped it onto her bed. “I don’t mean anything by it. He hasn’t given anyone a reason to think anything but good thoughts about him.”
“You’re scaring me. What are you not saying?”
“It’s nothing that I know.” Poppy angled toward the full-length mirror on the closet door. She pressed her hands down the front of her dress and looked herself up and down. “Just a feeling. Kind of this odd sensation that something doesn’t add up where Ryan is concerned.”
Charla didn’t like the sound of something not adding up. Something was off? About Ryan?
“Maybe it’s because he’s new.” Poppy reached for her leather jacket. “You know how I am with new people. Which is crazy when you think about how much I travel.” She slid her arm into the jacket. “I think it’s just new people at Mesquale. Maybe because I’ve been here so long and keep coming back. Like it’s my place and not just a random job.” She grabbed her bag. “What you need is a massage from Layla. She can use her voodoo magic hands and tell you all about Ryan.”
Charla raised an eyebrow. She’d heard all about Layla, a Mesquale legend who supposedly had the ability to tell a person their future based on a massage.
“Speaking of new people, who are they getting to replace Orso?” Poppy asked.
“No idea. Antigua asked me if I’d meet with him to talk about that.”
“Really? My, but things are changing at Mesquale with this new owner. Whomever he is.” Poppy turned toward Charla. “Ask Antigua about that one too. When in the hell are they going to tell us who the new owner is? As for food and beverage, who’re you thinking? Liam?”
“They’ve asked him like five times to take that job, and he keeps saying no, but I know a way that they can get him to say yes.” She’d have to tell Antigua a private fact about Liam that she’d promised not to tell, but it’d be worth it, right? Liam would get a plush job, plus he’d be able to take care of his family. Charla took a final turn in front the mirror.
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” Poppy threw some clothes on the bed from the floor. “Remind me again why you didn’t take the suite that Antigua offered? With housekeeping and room service for a week?”
“I have no desire to surround myself with the type of people who stay at Mesquale. I don’t mind serving them, but I definitely don’t want to hang out with them. Plus, how could I possibly ask housekeeping to clean up after me?”
“Very easy. Just dial 1.”
“I don’t want staff waiting on me. We all work way too hard to have to wait on each other.”
“You’re too good to be true.” Poppy pulled open their door. “Maybe that’s why Prince Charming was willing to fall on his sword. He sees you for what you are. Perfect.”
“Ha!” Charla said. “Not perfect.”