Page 10 of Never Date A Player
“Execs are coming in for some kind of meet-and-greet,” the waitress standing across from the bartender tells me. Her name is Amber and she’s not handing off the lounge to me at the beginning of my shift like normal. “They need two of us for the party.” She pops a maraschino cherry in her mouth and chews while she talks. “I’ve got tables one through ten. You can have eleven through twenty, except fifteen. That customer’s mine until they leave.”
Like most Blue waitresses, Amber is pretty, with tawny, highlighted hair and blue eyes. She doesn’t look older than me, but she’s worked here a while. She has seniority, and that trumps all.
I glance at my area, located at the rear of the bar with the least amount of foot traffic. The only table occupied is the one Amber wants—and they have a bottle of Dom Pérignon.
Of course.
Dom sells for a couple hundred a bottle. The party will likely order another and Amber doesn’t want to miss out on a lucrative tip, even if technically she should hand over all my tables.
Sometimes I feel like I’m back in junior high. Everyone at Blue is out for themselves, cutthroat for popularity, or in this case, access to deep pockets.
It ends up not mattering. Executives soon jam Mont Belle, filling the tables, including my lowly ones in the rear. I’m happily adding up the tips I’ve earned so far and mentally applying it to my grad school fund, when the last person I want to see walks in.
I freeze, my heels sinking into the carpet. The A-hole, my two-timing ex, makes his way over, his pale hair purposely tousled, his too-far-apart eyes glinting like he sees something he likes. And yes, he walks like he’s got a rod up his ass. Thanks, Mom, for that mental image.
“Hey.” He checks out my uniform from top to bottom. “You look great. Didn’t know you were working here this summer.”
My throat clenches. Somehow, getting checked out by my ex is worse than from a stranger. “What are you doing here?”
“Just hanging with the boys. No girls allowed… unless you want to join us?”
He cannot be serious.
I never called him out on his two-timing. He probably believes I’d go back to him. “I’m busy.”
His gaze dips to my chest and holds for an overlong moment. “You sure?”
The A-hole has never seen my boobs in the light. There’s a possibility I was uptight with him in the sexual department. I can see how the girls served up on a platter—thanks to my stupid uniform—would be an ogling opportunity too tempting to pass up.
I still want to slap him. He screwed me over and he thinks he can waltz in here and pick me up?
I grind my teeth, mentally forming a cutting, ranting, screw-off reply—which takes too long because I’m no good at it—when Jaeger strides in.
I totally get why Cali flirts with Jaeger. He’s tall and built, and sort of difficult to miss.
Jaeger sweeps around and hugs me from behind, his mouth near my ear. “Play along. I’m your boyfriend until this loser takes off.”
I sag into his arms. Yes. The gods are watching over me today.
Cali was right. Jaeger and Mason are decent guys.
Jaeger lays it on heavy, nuzzling my neck. I’m trying not to laugh out of nervousness, and because Jaeger’s tickling the hell out of my skin. The A-hole’s face turns a purplish-red and he shifts from foot to foot, his jaw clenched.
“You think you can get away for a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon?” Jaeger whispers as if we’re just hanging, drinking a beer, not trying to make my prick of an ex-boyfriend uncomfortable enough to leave. “There’s something I want to show Cali, and you’re her best friend. I want your approval.”
Wait—hold up. Jaeger and Cali flirt, but is he serious about her? Cali and her jerk boyfriend just broke up a few days ago, so she is single now. This could be so awesome.
I nod and smile lovingly at my not-a-boyfriend for my ex’s benefit, who is still here. Persistent much? Delusional?
“I’ll pick you up at lunchtime,” Jaeger says loudly.
The A-hole grunts and stomps off. Both of us ignore him, but the second he’s gone, Jaeger releases me, dropping his lover-like stance.
“That was amazing,” I say. “How did you know to do that?”
His gaze flickers to Cali, who’s observing us from the pit. Is she upset? She looks upset. Jaeger flashes a broad smile my way. “Cali said you didn’t want that guy around.”
“Not at all. Thank you. I owe you one.”
