Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
I made small talk with other people while watching them covertly. They stopped and spoke briefly with every person. Shook their hand. I noticed Mr. Ricci did most of the talking, but whoever they were greeting had their full attention until they moved on to the next person. It was classy and a nice touch. The last restaurant I worked at, I had never met the owner. Not once. I dealt with his manager only. It was a great move on their part here, meeting every person they hired. It made the job feel more…personal.
They came closer, and my breath caught in my throat. I saw the glances Mr. Costas was getting. He was incredibly handsome, and there was no doubt the broad, forbidding set of his shoulders and the stern expression were a striking combination. Combined with his obvious power and wealth, he drew a lot of attention. Which he ignored.
But it was Aldo—Mr. Ricci—who had my attention. He was big and broad. Powerful. He moved like a jungle cat, his gaze ever roaming, his body lithe and graceful for someone so large. It screamed sex to me, and I had to stop staring at him. But invariably, our eyes met and held more than once, his glance scorching. By the time they were in front of me, I was a mass of nerves. Mr. Ricci, however, was professional and courteous. Removed.
“Ms. Nelson. Nice to see you again,” he said, then introduced me to Mr. Costas. “Roman Costas, Violet Nelson. She’s joining the staff at Rolling Dice.”
I shook Mr. Costas’s hand. “Lovely to meet you. I look forward to working here.”
“Already in your uniform, I see,” he observed.
“My first shift is tonight.”
“Welcome to the Maple.”
He had a nice voice. Rich and smooth. Aldo’s was rougher, lower. Their looks suited their voices.
“Have you known each other a long time?” I asked.
They both looked surprised at my question.
“Since we were kids,” Aldo replied.
“Thought as much.”
“Why is that?” Roman asked, looking genuinely curious.
“When you know someone well, it shows.” I smiled at them. “You are very protective of your friend,” I said to Aldo.
He smiled, his teeth white and straight. “Part of my job.”
I tilted my head. “Part of your heart,” I replied.
Their surprise turned into shock at my words and seemed to render them speechless. I wasn’t sure if I had crossed a line or not, so I smiled and nodded at them. “Thank you for this. It was great to meet you.”
I turned and walked away.
When I glanced over my shoulder, I was met with Aldo’s intense gaze. It burned into me, flickering and bringing an unexpected reaction to my chest.
Desire.
I shook my head and headed to the deli.
Desire I would never act on. I needed this job.
I doubted I would see much of him anyway.
Right?
CHAPTER 4
ALDO
Iwatched her leave, taking with her some of the heat I felt when we were close.
“Observant,” Roman muttered. “She is a clever one. Maybe dangerous.”
I nodded. “She is.”
“She from here?”
“No, just moved down from Toronto.” I glanced his way, careful to keep my voice neutral. “We don’t usually go for staff.”
He laughed. “Not interested. But I liked her. Direct.” He grinned. “She certainly wears that uniform well.”
She looked incredible in the uniform. The shirt hugged her breasts like a lover, the pants skimming her curves perfectly. I liked the scarf and the belt. I liked everything about the outfit. Especially the woman wearing it. But I couldn’t say that.
“Yep.”
He looked at me. “You all right?”
“I’m fine.”
He looked toward the door and back at me, then chuckled. “Okay. Let’s finish this off. I have a ton of paperwork on my desk.”
We finished working the room and headed back to the office. Roman was in a contemplative mood. “Lots of new hires.”
I looked up from the file I was working on. “Always are in this business. Turnover is high with staff in the hospitality sector.”
“How can we keep the good ones?” he asked, turning his chair and staring out the window at the Falls. He loved looking at the water.
“I think we do well. Our turnover is lower than most. We pay a high wage, we give them benefits, make sure they’re protected. We have zero complaints, no harassment issues. Our staff is well treated.”
“That woman,” he mused.
“Woman?”
“The tall one. Violet. She seems intelligent. Observant. How long will she be happy being a waitress?”
“I have no idea. It was the job she applied for. She has experience.”
He turned. “She’d be great in the formal dining room. She would rock the uniform. Those long legs in a tux? Or as a dealer. Imagine the crowds around her table.”
For some reason, his observation pissed me off. “She does seem intelligent. One of the reasons we have such a great record with employees is we don’t exploit them. She has no interest in being a dealer or working the Skyview,” I said, referring to the formal, members-only dining room. “She asked for the deli, I gave it to her. If she requests a transfer, then I’ll handle it. Until then, leave her alone. In fact, leave her alone completely, Roman. She isn’t your type, and I don’t need to lose someone I think will be a good fit because you want to know how those legs feel wrapped around your ass as you fuck her. Find someone else.”