Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Something that she’d been ‘wanting to try’ according to her.
I’d had it a few times.
It was a steak place that was well known throughout the area.
All I knew was they had damn good cake.
Steaks I could make at home.
Hell, anything I could make at home.
But there was just something about a dessert that you didn’t have to make yourself that really did it for me.
When we arrived, it was to find the damn place busy as fuck. Luckily, I knew the owner.
“Where are you going?” Gracie asked curiously as she tightened her hand on mine.
“To the back,” I answered.
“Why are you…” She trailed off when a waitress saw me and blanched. “Why is she looking at you like you’re a ghost?”
I pulled up to the one and only table that was always empty. The one with the best view of the house.
The one that the owner sat in, and the owner only.
Hell, the staff knew better than to sit there even to take a break. And damn sure it better be empty, or else.
Which was why, when I arrived to find table stacked high with napkins waiting to be folded, and a chair pulled out as if someone was sitting there, I frowned.
“Sir,” I heard said from behind me. “I’m so sorry! We’re so busy, and we didn’t have…”
I turned to look at the young waitress who’d blanched earlier.
She started to pick up the napkins in a hurry.
“What’s going on?” I heard Gracie ask.
But before I could answer her, another woman walked up and was already apologizing.
“What’s the rule, Den?” I asked Denelle, my manager at my restaurant.
“Shit,” Den said.
“Den,” I pushed.
“To always have this table open for you, no matter what,” she grumbled. “And to never, ever let your ex-wife through the doors.”
My lips quirked at her answer.
That last part wasn’t necessarily a rule so much as a ‘hope.’
I would never refuse Rachel service if she had the balls to walk in here and eat at the one place that she hated above all reason.
Well, the bakery was quickly becoming that, too.
Yet, she still went in there upon occasion for her staff meetings because she was always forced to cater for them, and why not cater with free cupcakes that she didn’t have to go far to get?
“Then why is there something on my table?” I wondered, watching the waitress squirm.
“Stop acting like that.” Gracie swatted my side.
I lifted a brow at her. “That’s one of the only rules at this place when it comes to servers,” I said. “They get to wear what they want. They get to keep their own tips. They get paid more than a waiter’s salary. I only ask that they keep people off my table. That’s it.”
“That really is it.” Denelle sighed. “I’ll let her know. She’s new, boss.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. “In the meantime, can you bring us everything appetizer wise, and give us a few seconds?”
“What about drinks?” Denelle asked.
“I’ll get my own,” I answered.
With that, I pulled Gracie’s chair out for her.
She sat, and I grabbed her a beer and a tea from the bar while I grabbed myself a Coke.
When I got back, I knew I was about to get every question in the book.
“So you own yet another place of business,” she teased.
I took a seat in my preferred spot, then took a look around.
“Bought this one from Erich when he damn near ran it into the ground. This was his favorite spot. And Erich loved sitting here. When I took over, the one rule was he couldn’t come in here and request this spot.” I grinned.
“You are so petty.” She laughed. “Tell me about this place. Why was this his favorite spot?”
I leaned back in my chair and gestured toward the water. “Because he could watch all the hot girls on the dock in bikinis.”
Dinner went perfectly after that.
At least until we were finishing off the last dregs of our drinks and my phone rang, that was.
I answered it even though I had a gut feeling that said I shouldn’t.
I found out why the moment Haggard opened his mouth.
“Hey,” Haggard said in my ear. “I heard you were at your restaurant. I was wondering if you could act like you’re coming to Erich’s restaurant and eating… sit down like you are. I have a few things you might be interested in seeing.”
CHAPTER 20
Booktrovert: A person that prefers the company of fictional characters to real people.
-Gracelynn’s secret thoughts
GRACELYNN
I had no clue why we were at Erich’s restaurant.
What I did know was, I could see Erich’s mom and Jeremiah’s ex-wife sitting inside, and I knew this was about to go to shit.
The moment we walked through the doors, and were seated, I knew she spotted us.
Haggard and Easton met us, took Jeremiah off to the side to say a few things out of my hearing, then moved back and took seats on the opposite side of the table from us.