Page 7 of What's the time, Mr. Wolfe
That was why I loved Mr. Trent as a teacher. He was one of a kind and if I could have hugged him, I would have. I smiled my thanks and left. I was late for my shift at Diego’s, as usual.
“I am buying you a watch, Ruby!” Diego shouted from the stove.
“I fell asleep in class.”
He turned to look at me and gave me a small smile and a nod. I was on the till that day. I covered any job going, grateful to have one. I whipped off my hoodie and pulled a restaurant polo shirt over my t-shirt. I tied my hair neatly in a bun and headed out front.
“Thanks, hun,” I heard, and Cathy gave a kiss to my cheek as she rushedoff.
She was another one of Diego’s charity cases, as we called ourselves. I smiled and waved. She was a single mum of two and, like me, did all the jobs she could to pay the bills.
I started to layout the order details in time they came in, knowing those would be the people likely to pay first and I wouldn’t have to flick around the paperwork finding the right diner.
The evening seemed to fly by. I loved being busy. It gave me less time to think about all the things that weighed heavily on me. My Grandma’s ever-increasing needs were getting beyond my capability and Monica, and I needed to sit down and have a chat about it.
“Excuse me, Miss, this is the wrong amount,” I heard in a not too pleasant tone.
Dragged back from my thoughts, I looked up. A woman stood by my side and held out a bill.
“Have you checked with your waiter?” I asked.
“Do I need to? Isn’t that your job?” she replied, snarkily.
“I don’t know what you ordered, only what has been written down. That’s the amount owed for what was written down.” I took the bill from her hand.
“You have a terrible attitude,” she said. I smiled; she wasn’t wrong.
Before I could respond, Harry intervened. He took the bill from my hand and headed out back. While wewaited in silence, she smirked at me. I shrugged my shoulders in a ‘and?’ kind of way.
“Just pay the bill, Amelia.” I didn’t need to look to see who had spoken.
“It’s not correct, Sir.”
Mr. Wolfe stepped into my line of sight. “Are you stalking me?” I asked.
“No, I wasn’t aware that you worked here.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved his wallet. He pulled out a credit card and placed it on the desk beside me, not once diverting his gaze from mine.
“I wouldn’t have thought this kind of food was your thing,” I said, taking his card and inserting it. I handed him the machine so he could input his security number. He handed the machine to Miss Wide-Eyed-And-Annoyed. I smiled at her as she took it. “Would you like to add a tip?” I asked.
She huffed and keyed in his security number. I wondered why she would know it. She didn’t look his type, but then, I didn’t know him to know what his type would be. And she’d called himsir.
Mr. Wolfe exchanged a twenty-pound note for his card just as Harry returned. “It’s correct, I’m afraid. You ordered the...”
“It’s sorted,” I said, cutting him off.
The woman looked down at her feet. “Would you like me to get the door for you?” I asked her, pushing myluck really, but I was pissed off that Mr. Wolfe was in my place of work, and I wasn’t sure why it should annoy me. He was allowed to eat wherever he wanted.
She walked out. Mr. Wolfe chuckled and, again, that sound travelled through my stomach. “You are extremely feisty, Ruby. I like that. I might have an opportunity to discuss with you. I’ll be in touch.”
Before I could reply, he, too, left.
“Who the fuck is that?” Harry asked, licking his lips. I slapped his chest. “He’s super... alpha and yummy. Please tell me he’s your boyfriend.”
“I don’t doboyfriendsand he’s too old. He’s actually my landlord.”
“No way? Oh, he’s whatshisface.” Harry waved his hand in the air as if the answer would magically appear. “He owns, like, everything, around here. Bit of a gangster, so I hear.”
I sighed and shook my head. If every successful man was a gangster, as Harry thought, there would be no legitimate business owners left in London. Mind you...
