Page 3 of Platinum Love: A BWWM Romance

I look up, maybe it’s not so bad. I’m an only child. I was their last attempt at in vitro. I am their miracle baby.

My mother had such a hard time getting pregnant that she named me after my father because she knew they’d have no more kids. I’m it. And that’s how a woman ends up with a man’s name.

“Daddy, I’m truly sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“I know you won’t.” The finality in his voice makes the hairs on my neck stand at attention. “Go get my card and your cellphone.”

For the next thirty minutes, my father scrubs my phone and payment systems of his credit card information. I wish he’d yell and scream. Instead, his silence is killing me.

“But Daddy…” is all I can say.

“One day you’ll thank me for this.”

I can’t see it. “Are you cutting me off?”

“No, Hunter I’m teaching you how to grow up.”

Chapter 2

Ben

“Guys, expect utter chaos tonight.” I have two new waiters and a new drink menu for tonight’s event. I pull back from the bar lowering to see the shelves beneath the bar, checking the inventory one more time because things can fluctuate between boring and chaotic in a flash.

“Ben, let me holler at you for a second.” I glance up and see Asher, my boss.

“Sure. Set up the menu stands on the tables, and Mario grab extra strawberry syrup and place it on the top shelf. And don’t forget to pull out the tips glasses on each end of the bar and the long stem roses.”

I head in the direction of Asher’s office. Smith & Jameson is an international beer garden owned and managed by friends Asher and Dylan.

Brew & Boujee is a specialty event held monthly. It’s a beer tasting geared towards Austin’s young professionals and hosted by Yuki and Jazz, their wives. It is the hottest event at S&J, and tonight they included speed dating for Valentine’s Day. My head is aching already.

Yuki and Jazz decorated the inside and outside courtyard with red and pink decor to reflect cupid’s presence. I manage the staff in the bar and front area. But the customer experience is all an upper management task that they take seriously. Everything from the decor to the entertainment all shows why S&J is the “it” place in Austin, Texas.

I glance over my shoulder ensuring my staff is handling the tasks.

“They got it, man," Asher calls from inside his office, as he sits on the end of the desk.

I enter turning to close the door behind me.

“Leave it, the others are joining us. We want to run through the schedule for tonight.”

I sit off to the side pulling out a little notepad from my back pocket. The two power couples run this place like a five-star restaurant. I’m always taking notes, always learning, kind of hoping to one day have a business of my own.

“You’re coming up on a year with us. How’s it going for you?”

“Man, I still feel like there’s so much to learn.” I turn my legs to the side as the others enter. “But my crew is strong and the more events we execute, the better we’ll get.”

“I like to hear that. Learning is part of the job. We’re always chartering new territory, it’s how you remain relevant.” Asher stood extending a hand to Jazz, his wife. He bent over kissing her stomach.

“Let’s get this underway. The doors reopen in half an hour.” Yuki strolls in with a clipboard in hand. “The VIP room is set up for the speed dating. The band is ready. Do you have everything you need for the specialty drink menu?”

“Yes, the last order of syrups came in this morning. I ordered long stem roses for the bartenders to present to all the women tonight.” I reviewed my notes glancing back up. “Oh, and I picked up the Uber vouchers to make sure everyone arrives home safely.”

“Great.”

Yuki worked through the tasks of the others as I kept one ear on the conversation. The dynamic at S&J took me a while to get used to. Asher and Dylan are best friends. Asher and Yuki are siblings. It was the siblings that hired me on the spot.

I got this job after moving back to Austin and taking on the greatest challenge of my life, raising my niece, Zoe. My twin sister and her husband died asking that I raise her. At the time, I was doing good to have clean socks and underwear, now to have the life of an entire person in my hands is still mind-boggling.

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