Page 25 of Hooked on Marshall

“You can’t do that,” I say. “I’m a server.”

“Not anymore,” he says as he leans forward. “From this moment until you finish reworking this brand, you’re my marketing expert. That’s what I’m going to pay you for.”

“Marshall,” I sigh. “What are people going to think about that now that we’re…together.”

“There’s not a damn thing they can say,” he laughs. “And if they do, I’ll handle it.”

“This is why I didn’t want to date the boss,” I grumble.

“I’m not your boss anymore,” he smirks. “You are now a consultant to this business for the purposes of marketing and rebranding. So, if I were you, I’d start worrying about a company name for when you need to take on new clients.”

My jaw drops at this. Because it’s like he literally read my mind about what I wanted to do. And he’s giving me the opportunity to make it happen.

“Marshall,” I breathe.

“God, I love hearing you say my name,” he growls.

Before I can say anything else, he crushes his lips to mine. When he pulls back, he gives me a wicked smile and a wink.

“I’ll check on you later,” he says. “Now get to work.”

I laugh and he walks away. And then I happily do what he wants.

Nineteen

When I walk out of the office, I feel better than I have in years. I finally got Lana to talk about what was bothering her and on top of that, she finally agreed to give us a chance. So truly, thank fuck for that.

I make my rounds with the cooks that are here to prep and the servers who are in to prep the front of the house. All of them seem to be in a good mood, too. So, I tell them what’s going on so there’s no questions about Lana’s absence off the floor.

“So, if we start to get too busy today, I need someone to let me know so I can call someone in.”

“Where’s Lana?” Shelly asks.

“Lana has taken on a different role for the Alehouse for the time being,” I smile. “Remember when I told you I wanted to rebrand?”

They all nod. So, I explain.

“Well, Lana has a degree in marketing, and she’s come up with a fantastic idea,” I tell them. “She had actually spoken to Mark about some new ideas the day before he passed. So, I’ve set her to task already so we can get things going as soon as possible.”

They seem delighted. But when they ask what the idea is, I tell them I’d rather wait until Lana has things finalized. They understand that and go back to getting ready for our day. By the time we open, I’m smiling like a loon. And I don’t give a damn.

An hour after opening, things are running smooth. So, I take a minute to check in with my girlfriend. And I smile at what I see. She has printer paper all over the table with a myriad of sketches on each one. God, I love this woman.

“Hey,” I say softly.

She doesn’t startle at my voice. So, I take that as a win.

“Hey,” she smiles. “I’m on a roll. But…I’m kind of hungry.

“Tell me what you want and it’s yours,” I grin.

“I want you,” she says in a husky voice.

“You have me,” I growl. “Whenever you want me.”

Her pupils dilate. But Jace calls out to me and breaks the moment. When I turn back to her, she’s buried in her work again. So, I ask what she wants to eat. She tells me and I go about taking care of her. When I set the plate of food in front of her, she barely takes her eyes off her laptop before she starts eating. That doesn’t sit well with me, so I pick up her plate and wait for her to look at me.

“What are you doing?”

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