Page 9 of Entertaining Distraction
5
Standing, Charlotte circumvented her desk and strode out into the reception area, her gaze seeking out her next appointment among the dozen or so parolees and probationers waiting for their assigned officers. She spotted Jose Perez as he stood and strode toward her, a genuine smile on his face. Turning, Charlotte returned to her office with the young man on her heels. Taking her seat again, she leaned back and stared at him. “I take it that smile means you got a job.”
“Yes, ma’am. I did what you said and went to talk to that career counselor, and she found me a job in a restaurant, putting what I learned in prison to good use.”
Charlotte couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. Despite turning to a life of crime to support his child and fiancée, he’d managed to hold on to the manners the grandmother who’d raised him had instilled in him. “That’s great. Which restaurant?” She grabbed his file and her pen to write down the information.
“It’s a place called Donovan’s Pub. The owner’s really cool. There’s another guy who works in the kitchen who did time, too.”
Her hand froze with the tip of the pen pressed against the page in his file as she tried to maintain the false smile that had replaced her real one. It took a moment for the shock to wear off at the mention of Mike Donovan’s bar. Well, at least he’d hired a kid who really was trying to turn his life around. She hadn’t known Mike had hired anyone from the ex-felon reintegration program sponsored by the state, but honestly, she wasn’t too surprised after she thought about it. She could see him wanting to give a job to someone who was trying to straighten out their life. That was the type of guy he was.
On her desk, her cell phone vibrated with a new call, and she glanced at the screen.Michael. She let it go to voicemail, not wanting to take a personal call with a parolee in the room. She’d call him back in a few minutes. She fought the urge to grin as she wondered if he was sweating nervously, waiting for her to return his call.
Turning her attention back to the task at hand, she wrote “Donovan’s Pub” down on the paper, then asked, “What hours are you working there?”
Jose rattled off his schedule, and Charlotte transcribed it. She’d have to do a drop-in at some point within the next two weeks to ensure all was well, and he indeed had the job. She could ask Mike, but doing things by the book was one of her fast rules. Besides, she didn’t want to mix business and pleasure.
After Jose left, Charlotte saw two more appointments before shutting her office door and retrieving her voicemail. Excitement pooled low in her abdomen as she listened to Mike’s hesitant message. His nervousness, combined with the sexy timber of his voice, was turning her on. While he hadn’t said yes or no, she was almost positive he was going to accept her offer. It had been several years since she’d played with a man new to the lifestyle, and she found herself anticipating it more than she’d expected.
Saving the message, Charlotte hit the callback number and waited for him to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Michael. Dinner sounds wonderful. I’m looking forward to talking with you. What time is best for you? I don’t want to interfere with your business ... even if it is for pleasure,” she added with a seductive purr.
There was a few seconds’ pause, and she thought she heard him gulp before he finally answered her. “Um ... is seven too late? It’s after the dinner rush so it’s less likely we’ll be interrupted.”
“Seven is fine, Michael. I’ll see you then. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Charlotte.”
Oh, yes. He’s definitely going to accept my offer.
* * *
At 7:00 p.m.on the nose, Mike almost swallowed his tongue as the front door to the pub swung open and Charlotte sashayed in. Her skin-tight blue jeans, calf-high biker boots, and emerald green top caught the attention of every guy in the place—and a few women. Well, actually, it was probably the stunning woman who was in the clothes that had a bunch of them drooling—Charlotte Roth was mouthwatering. But Charlotte ignored everyone else for the most part, although she smiled and greeted a few people on her way down the bar to where Mike stood. She’d immediately sought him out and remained focused on his face as she approached.
Swallowing hard, Mike’s gaze involuntarily dropped to the tips of her boots as they came closer and closer, before stopping right in front of him.
“Good evening, Michael. How was your day?”
His eyes lifted again, and he found a sexy and slightly amused smile on her face. And just like that, his cock twitched—several times, in fact.Come on, Donovan, get a grip.
“It was good. I hired a nice woman to take Jenn’s position when she leaves. Can I get you something to drink?”
“A white-wine spritzer, please.” As he went behind the bar to make her drink, she hopped up on one of the stools and hung her purse on one of the hooks he’d put under the lip of the bar for that purpose after a suggestion from Kristin Sawyer. As a guy, it never occurred to him that women were always trying to figure out the best place for their bags, where they were safe, yet out of the way. “Shelby mentioned you’re going to throw Jenn a going-away party.”
Relieved they weren’t just jumping into the heavy conversation that was coming, he grinned as he grabbed a bottle of white wine and a glass. “Word spreads fast. I only mentioned it to Shelby yesterday when she and Parker brought the boys in for lunch. It won’t be a fancy thing, but a lot of her regulars will be stopping in, and friends and family of course are invited, including you. Kristen and Angie offered to notify everyone this week. We’ll just set up a buffet and have an open bar for a while. She deserves a party—everyone loves her here.”
“She’s a sweet girl. She’ll do well in social work.”
Setting Charlotte’s drink in front of her, he snatched another glass and poured himself a club soda. “Yeah, she really likes it.” He shot a glance at her. “So, how was your day?”
“Long, as usual. But a certain voicemail I received made it much more enjoyable.”
A blush stole across Mike’s cheeks.Damn, how does she do that to me? I never blush!
“I’m looking forward to our discussion about your decision, but first there’s something else I need to tell you. Can we go into the party room where we won’t be overheard?”
