Page 13 of A Little Christmas 4: Teller
When we finished our entrées, the chef cleared our dishes. “I have a homemade pumpkin spice gooey butter cake with cinnamon whipped cream or apple pie à la mode. Can I tempt you?”
“Bring both,” I ordered. “And I’ll take a latte. Teller, would you like coffee or tea?”
“Uh, tea, please.” Chef Chester nodded and stepped away.
“So, do you have a stalker ex with a restraining order out there?” Teller was attempting to change the subject. It was adorable.
“No restraining orders, but I’ve had a couple of relationships that didn’t work out for one reason or another. You?”
We talked about our pasts, though I did more talking than Teller, explaining to him about Riley without actually admitting that I was a Daddy Dom. I wanted to get to know him without the pressure that piece of information brought, and that was what we were doing. He didn’t mention anything about being a little either. He was gorgeous, and he made me smile. That was enough for now.
After we finished our desserts, it was close to midnight. “I need to go to the men’s room. Is that okay?” Teller asked, which I didn’t expect.
I stood and walked around the table to pull out his chair. “I’ll be here.”
Teller walked away, and I watched his sexy ass the whole time. There was a chuckle behind me, and Chester laughed. “He’s gorgeous. Have you locked him down, or is he still available?”
Chester Thane was a notorious cock hound. He’d been married to a nice guy when he worked in Dallas, but Chester had a wandering eye, and his husband at the time wouldn’t put up with his bullshit. I wouldn’t either.
“He isn’t available. Why don’t you have Christmas decorations up yet?” Taking Teller off the market wasn’t my place, but I wanted my chance before a sexy chef got involved.
Chester laughed. “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet. These people all rush to beat the holidays. I have no desire to do anything before December first.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I understand. So, can I get the check?”
“I’ve got it. Just tip the servers,” Chester insisted as he walked away.
I reached for my wallet, finding my pocket empty. I shoved a hand into my pants’ pocket to find nothing there either, and I realized I’d left my wallet and cash in my hotel room. What the fuck was— My brain was filled with Teller Buchanan and couldn’t function properly.
When Teller returned, I cleared my throat. “Hey, how much cash do you have on you?”
Teller’s face went pale. “I knew it! I fucking…” He pulled out his wallet and handed me four twenties.
“That it?” I knew I shouldn’t have said the words when they were leaving my mouth.
He looked down, his face flushing at my hasty comment. He was a young guy, and he worked three jobs. I wanted to kick my own ass for making him feel bad.
“I can go to the ATM at the credit union next door. How much do we need to pay the bill? I should have known.” He stood and stormed out of the kitchen.
I hurried to go after him. I was an asshole of the worst order.
Teller was rushing across the parking lot, cursing up a blue streak. “I can’t fucking… I knew it. I knew it. Son of a bitch.”
“I’ll pay you back. I just forgot my wallet and my cash at my hotel. I’m embarrassed to hell, and I’m sorry I asked.”
Teller took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “How much?”
“If you have three hundred, I’ll get it back to you tomorrow.”
He didn’t turn to me. Teller moved in front of the ATM and inserted his card. When three hundred dollars slid out of the machine, he handed the money to me. “That’s all I’ve got. I expected there was some sort of catch when you asked me for dinner. Please don’t come to any of my jobs again.”
Without waiting, Teller hurried away. I went back into the restaurant and gave the money to the host before rushing out again to find him getting into a cab.
Fuck me.
“What crawled under your saddle?” Madeline asked as I stomped off the elevator on Wednesday morning, huffing and puffing as I walked by her and into my office.
I dropped my briefcase beside my desk and took off my topcoat, tossing it onto the wingback chair in front of my desk. She followed behind with a stack of files.
