Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry, Trev,” he said as he walked over and then kissed Trevor on the cheek. “I take it back. Your ass is spectacular.” He slapped said ass, then turned my way, rolling his eyes, and I couldn’t contain my snort of laughter any longer.
“Heard that,” Trevor grumbled. “But it is spectacular, so I’ll let it slide.” He sniffed, then began working on the buttons of his long coat.
“All right, I’m heading out before Parker sends a search party. See you boys in the trenches.”
“Bye, babe,” Trevor said.
I made some noise of farewell.
“Work it for those tips,” Trevor added.
“Always do.” Waving over his shoulder, Oliver disappeared through the door while giving us a prime view of his muscular ass cheeks displayed by the jock. “You can only stare if you tip, boys,” he yelled right before the door hid the impressive sight from view.
I grunted. If I didn’t get moving myself, I’d be late, but Trevor had a point. Taking my clothes off on nights like this felt like torture until I got into the swing of serving and worked up a sweat.
“Hey, Alex, I need to talk to you about something.”
“What’s up?” I shed my coat and then turned to Trevor, who had a worried expression. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. It’s not about me.” He sat on the bench in front of the lockers and then stood straight up again. “Um, I should have texted you this, but I thought it’d be better to tell you in person. Now I’m wondering if I should have given you more of a heads-up.”
I frowned. “Okay…”
“Parker hired someone to replace Lars,” he said of the BSB who’d resigned last week.
“Wow, that was fast.” What was the problem? “Isn’t this a good thing? Less work for us. We were going to have to cover extra tables until he hired someone.”
“Yeah…” Trevor shuffled in place. “It’s just that he doesn’t have any experience, and you’re going to be training him.”
“Oh.” I huffed out my relief. Trev knew training new employees wasn’t my favorite task, but I’d done it in the past and knew it would happen again. “That’s no big deal. As long as he’s not a bumbling idiot, it should be fine. We’re not exactly doing rocket science here, Trev. I can suck it up for a few weeks.” I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and tossed it into my locker.
“Sure, I know. It’s not about training someone. It’s more who you’ll be training,” Trevor said as I drew my T-shirt off. “Try to keep this newfound positive attitude you seem to have developed.”
I flipped him off, which made him laugh.
“Exactly. Good job. Anyway, Parker hired R… oh shit.”
The door opened, and Parker strode in with his typical commanding posture. “Hey, guys,” he said. “I wanted to introduce you to our newest hire. This is Ryder.”
I froze, my long-sleeved T-shirt halfway covering my face.
He didn’t say Ryder. Tell me he didn’t say Ryder.
“Oh, wait, you already know Alex, right?”
In my state of shock, I seemed to have forgotten how to get undressed. I flailed inside my T-shirt like a toddler playing dress-up.
Someone chuckled, and my stomach lurched. I’d know that amused laugh anywhere.
Ryder was standing in the staff room. My staff room.
I finally yanked the damn shirt off and came face-to-arrogant-face with the one person I’d have been happy to go my whole life without seeing.
“That’s right, Parker. Alex and I have known each other for years.”
He’d done it. He got a job at Top Shelf.
How much trouble would I get in if I punched that half-smirk off his handsome—no, stupid—face? I narrowed my eyes and took a step forward. “What the fu—”
“Hey, I’m Trevor. We met for half a second earlier.” Trev slid in front of me, holding his hand out to Ryder and blocking my ability to clock the guy. “Welcome to Top Shelf,” he said as friendly as could be.
Traitor.
Or maybe my savior.
Had I really been about to hit the guy right in front of my boss?
“Thanks, Trevor. I’m excited to work with you.”
To the rest of the world, Ryder was as chill and friendly as could be. To me, he’d been a giant dick from day one.
“All right, I’ll leave you in their capable hands, Ryder,” Parker said as he clapped a hand on Ryder’s bare shoulder. “You’re up for training him, right, Alex?”
Oh shit. How had I not noticed he was already dressed in the Top Shelf signature ass-hugging uniform? If there had been any justice in the universe, he’d have a terrible body covered in gorilla hair and warts. But, no, someone up in the ethos clearly hated me because Ryder was fucking gorgeous—smooth, bronzed skin without any chest hair, just how I liked it. Rolling hills and valleys of muscles were everywhere the eye traveled. Not that mine did. I kept them firmly on his sea-blue eyes. The kind rarely seen without contacts, of course.