Page 29 of Challenged by the Single Dad

He could not get out of there fast enough.

Chloe snort-laughed. “I don’t want to assume, but you don’t have three kids, right?”

Renée giggled and shook her head. “No. No kids. But it’s way too easy to fuck with them and scare them. I can’t resist.”

Justine, Brooke, and Vica all exited their booth and approached the bar. “Do they—”

Renée shook her head. “They don’t pay.”

Each woman slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the bar. “We’re rooting for you,” Brooke said. “Dom would be an idiot to let you go.”

“It was really nice meeting you,” Justine added.

“Welcome to the island. It’s magical.” Vica flashed Chloe a big smile, then the three of them waved at Renée and were out the door.

It wasn’t until the door closed behind them and it was just Renée, Chloe, and the servers left, that Chloe finally pushed all the air out of her lungs and let her shoulders leave her ears.

Renée smirked. “They don’t pay. But they tipverywell. All three of them are incredibly successful in their own right, but the most down-to-earth, lovely people. You obviously know who Brooke is, and Justine said she’s a doctor, but Vica’s an engineer working on solar and wind energy.”

Well, if that wasn’t incredibly intimidating.

Renée grabbed the three twenties and put them in the tip jaw below the bar. “Now, we can really party.” She stepped over to the tablet behind the bar. The music changed to hard rock and the volume increased. Everyone started bobbing their heads as they cleared tables, swept, and retracted umbrellas.

“Dom is okay with this?” Chloe asked, unloading the glass cleaner.

Renée scoffed. “What he doesn’t know doesn’t hurt him.” She jerked her chin at the beverage gun. “Did you have your after-shift drink last night when you closed with Dom?”

Chloe had to think about it for a moment, but then she realized that she didn’t. Not that she was a big drinker anyway. She could take or leave booze. She shook her head.

“Yeah, I figured. You were wound tighter than a top working alongside Captain Grumpypants. Make sure you have one tonight. Pour yourself something now if you’d like.” She practiced what she preached and fixed herself a gin and tonic while grooving to the music.

Shrugging, Chloe brought down a wine glass and poured herself a smaller glass of the house red, then she went out onto the floor to help the servers and busser finish turning down the dining room.

One-by-one the servers ducked into the back room to cash out, only to emerge shortly after and slap two piles of cash on the bar, one for Renée and one for Chloe.

Quinton ducked behind the bar and went to the tablet.

“Hey, don’t touch my music,” Renée scolded with a smile on her face as Nine Inch Nails “Closer” started to play.

Several of the staff members snorted, meanwhile inside the kitchen, someone yelled, “Fuck yeah!”

That noise from the kitchen reminded Chloe that she needed to get moving on Burke’s Caesar. She finished helping AJ retract the umbrellas and bring in the candles from the deck. Then, she shut off the propane heaters and headed back inside. Everyone was singing along at the top of their lungs, which made it impossible for Chloe not to join in.

Even though everyone in the front of house was at least ten years younger than her, it didn’t feel as weird as she thought it might. She liked this group. They were professional, but also knew how to relax. Which was something she had struggled with for the last three years. She ground her teeth at night, and often ended up with tension headaches and neck pain because of her inability to really relax.

Hopefully, moving to the island, to the beach, would change all of that.

“Drink your water,” Renée yelled at her over the music.

Right!

Nodding, Chloe grabbed the beer mug by the handle and took a big sip, giving Renée a thumbs up with her other hand.

She finished making Burke’s Caesar just as he came out of the kitchen. His eyes lit up when he saw it sitting on the bar waiting for him. “You spoil me, Ms. Voss,” he said, picking it up and taking a sip immediately.

“Just reciprocating the kindness, my friend. That Moroccan stew was to die for.”

He shot her a wink and took his drink over to the same table the kitchen staff sat at last night.

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