Page 8 of Daddy's Bad Girl
“You too,” I smile in return while walking over to grab a silver serving tray. “How’s the shift been so far?”
Julia shrugs and smiles again.
“Not bad. We had some new clients in from Venezuela.”
“Really?” I ask, surprised. “Why were they here, at Club Z?”
Julia winks while throwing her red hair over one shoulder.
“I don’t know because they were speaking Spanish for the most part. But they were gorgeous, girlfriend. Latin men with dark hair and bronzed skin are the best,” she says before doing a chef’s kiss with her fingers. “I hope they come back.”
I smile sassily.
“Well, we’ll have to pick up some Spanish in the meantime,” I say. “I can speak a little from volunteering at the hospital, but it’s just the basics.”
Julia nods, her eyes filled with wonder.
“I’m in awe of you, Emma. I can’t believe you go to school, work here, and also volunteer. Heck, this is my full-time gig and I can hardly manage that alone!”
I merely smile at the sassy redhead.
“If only you knew,” is my light reply before I turn away. A patron has entered my area, and I need to get to him. He’s seated, facing away from me, so I have a few seconds to collect myself as I stroll to his booth.
“Hello Sir,” I murmur with a coquettish smile when I’m finally in front of him. “What can I get –?”
That’s when all air whooshes out of my lungs because it’s him. The man with the smoldering gaze from the Red Room. In fact, he’s even sexier now that I can see all of him. He’s obviously tall, even while seated, and his hair is a charcoal black that seems to absorb all light. Those eyes are a piercing crystal blue, and his shoulders are broad in a suit jacket. The white button-down underneath only highlights the deep bronze of his skin, like he spends his days under the hot sun of St. Tropez.
But we’re in Minnesota, so where did this man come from? Oddly, he doesn’t seem surprised to see me at all.
“I’ll have a gin and tonic,” he says in a smooth tone, a small smile curling at the corner of that mobile mouth. “Plus, some pretzels. Do you guys have those?”
I stutter and stare, much to his amusement.
“Yes, sure,” I manage before backing away. “I’ll have that out for you in a moment.”
Then, I practically run back to the bar to put in his order. Julia looks at me askance.
“Are you okay, Emma?” she asks. “You seem a little off.”
I take a deep breath, trying to collect myself.
“Do you know that guy?”
The redhead turns to look and immediately knows who I’m talking about.
“Ah yes, Mr. Blackshaw. He’s been here before. Why?”
I shake my head.
“It’s just ... well, I think he was watching me downstairs a few minutes earlier.”
Julia cocks one hip out and throws me a wry smile.
“Girlfriend, were you playing in the Red Room? Because if you were, then you know that everyone was watching you. There’s no privacy down there! People crave the voyeurism, in fact.”
I flush while balancing my silver tray against my hip and the bar.
“No, I know, I know. It’s just I’ve never seen him before.”
