Page 2 of Sutton's CEO

“Oh, and Sutton? Max has been waiting nearly a half hour for his drink.” Gabe shot me a smug look when I immediately jumped into action.

“Why didn’t you say something instead of tearing up at me?” I grumbled just loud enough for Gabe to hear.

A bubble of excitement lit inside of me. Max was another of my favorite people in Otterville Falls. In a rush, I wound my long dark hair into a messy bun and secured it with a pen. Then I raced over to the bar and began to pour Max a drink.

Thinking that Max had already sat there for thirty minutes, I went ahead and poured another drink. Then I carefully balanced the tray on one arm and strode across the old wood planks completely unaware that my shoe was untied. Tripping, I nearly ended up in Max’s lap. Thankfully the older man was deft enough to catch the tray, save the drinks, and my pride.

“Sorry, Maxie!” I called out with a wink, ignoring his growl of disapproval as I kissed his cheek.

“You alright?” he replied gruffly.

I nodded and moved back to get a good look at him. Still handsome in his early fifties, Max had the look of someone that lived hard. I had heard any number of rumors about him over the years. The people in Otterville Falls loved a good mystery and Max was one of the best.

Max and Mama had a special kind of relationship. I can’t even begin to tell you what that meant because honest to goodness I have no flipping idea even to this day. Max knew what Mama was, and when he rolled into town on his big motorcycle and stopped at our trailer, I knew what was going on. But I also knew that Mama never cried in the morning when Max stayed over, and there were often groceries in the fridge when he left. Even after Mama died, Max still came in town every few months to check on me. I suppose you could say that he was the only father figure that I had ever known.

“You need money?” he asked in his gruff way.

I answered the same way I always did. “Nah, I’m doing fine. Thanks, Maxie.”

He rolled his eyes and went back to his drink. But I didn’t miss the slight twitch to his lips that indicated a smile was lurking somewhere under all of that gruff demeanor.

With a grin, I grabbed my notebook out of my apron and moved to the next table.

“Hi, Girls!” I said cheerfully as I greeted Alice and Reena. The two elderly ladies couldn’t have been a day over seventy- five. Best friends, roommates, and having never married, you rarely saw one without the other. The ladies were in Abberly’s nearly every afternoon.

“What will it be?” I asked. “Would you like the regular or do you want to spice things up?”

Alice pursed her lips wickedly. “Unless you have found a way to get that boss of yours to lose his boxers, I am betting that there is nothing spicy around here going on at all.”

I gagged a little. “Eww!”

Alice waggled her drawn-on eyebrows, causing me to laugh. With fake seriousness I warned her, “Alice! That’s sexual harassment.” Lord knew that Gabe got a kick out of the ladies thinking he was a hot stud. I personally couldn’t see what they were talking about.

“I would like to harass him—sexually,” she licked her old lady lips lewdly, and I couldn’t control snort of laughter that escaped my lips.

“Don’t let me stand in your way,” I said, pointing to the office. “Go get your man.”

Alice winked at me and turned back to her menu. “Maybe tomorrow. I am not feeling up to a workplace tryst.”

“Shirley Temple for me,” Reena interjected, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “And white zinfandel for the cougar here if you don’t mind.”

“Coming right up,” I said with a smile, jotting down their drinks even though it was the same thing they always ordered. “Y’all want anything to eat?”

Alice looked up hopefully. “Do you have those crab cakes like you did last week?”

“I will check with Joe,” I promised before adding, “You want the same, Reena?”

“Oh, goodness me, no!” she said, chins wobbling. “Well, I couldn’t—well, maybe just a nibble or two,” she said as she tipped her head to the side as she considered our menu. “And some of those onion rings, but just a few mind you. I’m watching my weight.”

I nodded obediently and jotted it down. Reena was as plump as Alice was thin. It hardly seemed fair that Alice could eat whatever she wanted and never gain an ounce. I didn’t give a shit what Reena weighed. I only wish that it didn’t bother her so much. As far as I was concerned, if the woman wanted onion rings, I sure as hell was going to bring them to her.

Seeing that there was only one more customer in the dining room, I headed his way. He was younger than I had originally guessed, far closer to my age. As I came upon him, I saw that the stranger was tall with a muscular build. His slate gray eyes sat under thick black brows matched his inky black hair. Dear merciful heavens, the man was breathtaking. He was also dressed in a suit that likely cost more than this entire bar.

A warning bell went off somewhere inside of my mind.Never trust money. I knew the mantra almost as well as I knew my name.

“Welcome to Abberly’s,” I said in my most courteous tone. “My name is Sutton, and I will be your waitress today. What can I get you to drink?”

The moment his eyes locked on mine I felt a jolt of electricity run up my spine, nearly causing me to drop my pen and notepad.

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