careful not to knock over any piles. When he crosses his long legs at the ankle, I can see the muscles flex in his thighs beneath his jeans. Which just sends my imagination soaring, though I manage to stop myself before I get too carried away.
I really do need to accept that we’re only friends. I say ‘only’, but that’s pretty good, right? Friends can last a lifetime. It’s proving harder than I thought, but I can get over Nick. Really, I can. I would have already if it weren’t for his perfect smile. And the way it plays on those kissable lips, and his faintly tanned complexion and deep brown eyes that I could gaze into for hours.
Shite. I’ve been staring at him again.
I have had a strong word with myself about all this, but obviously I’ve not been persuasive enough.
June pulls down the hem on her top and smooths the front of her trousers. That’s her I-mean-business adjustment. ‘What’s going on, Max?’
Max doesn’t adjust anything. He always means business. He’s wearing his usual suit trousers, shiny black shoes and a rumpled white shirt, with the buttons straining over his tummy. ‘First, I’ve got some good news.’ He flashes us a smile. He’s got bad teeth. They all slant in, except for his canines, which stick out. That gives him a vampirish vibe, though he’s much more of a Muppet Count von Count than he is the hot bloke from Twilight.
June and I glance at each other. If Max has a ‘first’ bit of good news, that means there’s a ‘second’ bit that’s bad.
‘I’ve found a new waitress and she can start as soon as tomorrow. I told you we’d sort something out to replace Mary.’
And not a moment too soon, either. Nick has been helping with the lunch service and I’m handling dinner, slowly, but it’s not really fair for us to work harder just because Max’s father can’t keep his hands to himself.
The worst part is that it was Mary who always brought Maggie – the madam – her meals upstairs. Maggie holds a grudge against Amber, the other waitress, for once being on the phone while she brought up the tray. She’s banned Amber from the room ever since.
Now that I’ve got to do it, I dread climbing those stairs to the top of the house. I’d love to just drop her tray off and leave, but she makes me sit there while she tastes everything and gives me a full critique.
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