Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“What’d you make today?” Tessie asked, coming over to open the container on her desk.
“Brownies. With white chocolate and pecans. They’re delicious.”
A bit too delicious. Effie’s clothes were starting to get rather tight. It might be time to try some of those sugar-free recipes she’d been researching.
Or gain some willpower. However, she didn’t have much of that. As soon as her first pay check had cleared, Effie had started bringing in her baking for everyone. And to her surprise, everyone seemed to love it. Not just Brooks, who she thought would tell her it was good no matter what. But each of the servers and strippers who made their way back here.
And they were back here a lot. That surprised her too. How friendly everyone was.
“Tessie, I scheduled that time off you wanted. I’ve had to use Vanessa for some of the shifts, though.”
Tessie groaned. “She’s going to make a mess of it.”
Effie sighed. This was likely true. Vanessa wasn’t good at her job. She had big hair, a rocking body, and she knew it. She was more interested in having a good time rather than working. Which is why she only worked shifts at Pinkies when they needed someone to cover other servers.
“If I had someone else, I’d use them.”
Tessie nodded.
“And you need to go on vacation and not worry about any of this.”
Tessie was off to Greece. Alone. That was so brave. Braver than Effie could ever imagine being. Effie hadn’t left the state of Montana in years. And not because of finances.
But because the idea of traveling alone kind of scared her.
“You better bring us back some good gifts,” Chardonnay told her.
“I want a hot Greek man,” Cilla added. “Apparently they have stamina. And they’re hung.”
Effie giggled.
“I don’t think every Greek man can be well hung,” Tessie told her skeptically.
“Find that out for us, will you?” Chardonnay said with a grin.
“I just might,” Tessie said.
“I bet none of them would be as well hung as Steele,” Cilla said.
“Cilla!” Tessie scolded.
“What? He’s got to be huge all over. And I reckon Grady is too. Imagine being in that man-sandwich.”
“What?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” Cilla asked. “They like to share.”
Yikes.
“Jeez, Cilla, you’re terrifying the poor girl,” Chardonnay said. “They like to share, Effie. But I’ve never known them to have a girlfriend.”
Wow. Never?
“Effie, will you help me with a dance move later?” Cilla asked.
“Sure! Of course I will.”
Chardonnay picked up a piece of brownie. “I gotta go. Thanks for the brownie, Effie.”
“No problem.”
They all left and she got back to work. That was until he walked into the office. She hadn’t seen Damon Steele much since she’d started working here. But when he was around . . . he was there. Filling up space. Sucking out the air in the room.
But not in a bad way. In a way that meant she couldn’t breathe . . . because he was Steele.
Dominant. Strong. Sexy.
It was pretty disappointing that she didn’t have a lot to do with him. Or with Grady. Sure, she was his assistant, but many of his instructions came to her via email or text.
If she was insecure, she’d think they were avoiding her.
But that was just silly.
Wasn’t it?
“Hello, Mr. Steele,” she said with a smile, trying to hide the way he affected her.
He raised an eyebrow. “You know better, Miss Effie.”
“Um, right. Steele, can I help you?” She attempted to sound professional while sitting on a seriously comfy chair in a dingy, dark office that had really seen better days, but which she’d tried to brighten up.
She’d bought a couple of throw cushions for the chesterfield. She’d wanted the ones with sequins that were in the shape of different animals. But instead, she’d gone for animal print. She figured that was safer. Even if one of them was pink, black, and yellow. So not exactly masculine.
She’d also put a really bright rug down on the floor and a few pictures on the walls. Grady had told her to make the office her own. He’d claimed he was hardly ever in there, so it was all hers.
So she’d done that.
“This place is . . . different.”
“Do you like it?”
He stared at her for a long moment, then looked around. Oh, he didn’t like it. Then she glanced again at everything. It was probably a bit pink. The pictures that she’d hung were cool, but maybe he didn’t like images of different animals drinking tea with tutus on. Or he didn’t appreciate the neon green rug.
Yeah, maybe he just wasn’t into any of that.
“I can change it all,” she said hastily. “If you don’t like it.”
“Is this your office?” he asked.
“Uh, well, Grady said it was. But it’s your building. Which is why I didn’t paint the walls. Even though I thought it would be cool to put blackboard paint on one wall so I could write all my notes to myself.”