Page 1 of Enchanting the CEO

Chapter One

Gabe

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"All right, we’re done for the day. I'm heading to the bar," I told my assistant, Betty, while arranging my cuff links.

"Working overtime again?" she teased. It was a running joke between us. I wasn't a workaholic, unlike my brothers. But I'd only opened the bar a few months ago, and I made it a habit to stop by after the workday was over.

"Whatever’s necessary. All right, see you tomorrow," I said before strolling down the corridor.

I wasn't the last to leave by a long shot. Even though I made it clear when I hired them that I didn't expect them to be here around the clock, everyone worked at their own pace. I rarely stayed in the office past six. My office was in the building just next to the distillery. The bar was in front of it all. It was my pride and joy, my own contribution to the Whitley legacy. Whitley Bar & Distillery was now one of the most popular bars in Boston.

There were already customers inside when I stepped in, as expected. Happy hour was very busy around here. All three bartenders were here tonight, thank fuck. There was a flu going around, so I'd jumped behind the bar on many evenings to help fill in when needed. I considered my employees part of my family. I paid them well and treated them the same; I genuinely wanted people to be happy at their workplace, and I felt it was my responsibility to provide a decent work environment for them.

I was about to head behind the counter when I noticed that one of my bartenders, Celia, was engaged in conversation.

Celia was one of my favorite people. She was an exceptionally hard worker. She was also insanely attractive, which sometimes got her into trouble. Not with me—I didn’t date my employees—but customers started hitting on her after one too many drinks. The guys and I were very protective of her and always made sure no one bothered her. But Celia didn't need our help. She could handle her own battles.

Zeroing in on Celia, I noticed that the woman she was talking to resembled her. She was exceptionally attractive, too, with long blond hair. It reached her elbows and lay in a perfect line across her back. As I continued to the bar, I saw she was eating a burger. We’d introduced some finger foods and other bar staples a while ago, and they were a hit.

"Who's that?" I asked Ron, one of the bartenders.

"That's Diane, Celia’s sister. She actually said she wanted to introduce you to her. Hey, Celia," he called to her.

Celia whipped her head in our direction. She smiled when she saw me and gestured for me to come over.

I walked down, and Celia’s sister offered me her hand. "Hi, I'm Diane."

"Gabe Whitley," I said, shaking her hand. Up close, I noticed her eyes were blue and gorgeous, and her full lips were a perfect shade of pink. She wasn't wearing any kind of makeup as far as I could tell, and she was hands down one of the most beautiful women I'd ever met.

"So glad you came by tonight. I didn't know if you would," Celia said. "I’ve wanted to introduce you to my sister ever since... well, since everything went down with Mom."

"How is she feeling?" I asked. Last year, their mother needed help paying off some medical bills. I'd offered to pay them up front, but Celia had flatly refused, so she'd taken a loan of sorts against her salary.

“Much better. Thanks for saving the day.”

“I didn’t.”

Celia looked at me sharply. "Oh yes, you did. I won’t let you downplay it."

"Celia, when have you known me not to brag when I get the chance to?"

She grinned. "Anyway, Diane just stopped by to..." She bit her lip, darting her gaze away. That was unlike Celia. She usually didn't mince words and spoke her mind. “Oh crap. A customer needs me.”

Did she change the subject on purpose?

“I’ll let you get back to work. I need to get going anyway. Just want to finish my burger,” Diane said, dangling a set of keys in her hands.

"Bye, sis," Celia added hurriedly before taking the customer's order.

Diane turned to me. "You know, I've been wanting to meet my sister's knight in shining armor for a while."

I grinned. "I really didn't do as much as I'd wanted to, but I'll take that nickname."

She tilted her head. "Wait, you wanted to help more? You've done a lot."

I shook my head. "I wanted to outright pay the bills rather than giving Celia a loan, but she refused."

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