"You mean the grump?" I asked.
"Shh! Yes!" She hissed. "He's always at these things. I've never seen him mingle or talk to any guests. He just sits there." She paused for a moment as she snuck a quick peek at him. "Stay away from him. He always yells at the wait staff whenever we offer him anything. I think he likes to make people cry."
"Who is he?"
"Damned if I know. Just some rich asshole I guess but I wanted to warn you."
Jackie disappeared into the crowd while I stood near an appetizer display taking it all in. I couldn't help it, what she said intrigued me. I regularly darted my eyes over to the man in the alcove. Later, even after I made my way through the crowd again, I still checked to see if anyone spoke to him. He remained completely alone and never once left his seat.
As the evening went on, I started to convince myself that he couldn't be all that bad. I told myself that maybe he was an asshole because no one ever offered him a drink or was nice to him. All Jackie said was that he made everyone cry. If that was the worse he could do, then why not go over?
I hemmed and hawed over it, making sure to walk past his alcove every so often to see if anyone spoke to him. I wasn't the kind of girl to be outgoing, normally I kept to myself and was shy and quiet, but eventually I couldn't help myself. I shoved away the old Ashley and like a moth to a flame, I went over to offer him a glass of champagne.
Chapter Two
Xander
Yet another event at the Boone Art Gallery. I only attended these functions out of some bizarre sense of obligation, so there I sat again by myself in my favorite alcove. At least it gave me the chance to people watch and if I hadn't been doing just that, then I wouldn't have seen her.
She stood out from the crowd with her black, almond shaped eyes, bee stung lips, and dark brown hair. I imagined she would be even more beautiful with her hair down around her shoulders. Even in that ridiculous catering uniform she was gorgeous. If all women had curves like that I'd be a happy man.
It was one of the things with society I didn't understand. We pushed health and eating properly yet the image of beauty that was shoved down our throats was a thin, twig of a woman. I preferred women to look healthy, have some meat on their bones, not be a bag of bones.
So for once I was glad to be at the Boone and alone. It gave me the opportunity to keep admiring her as she walked around offering champagne. I hadn't been this attracted to anyone in a long time. It was a shame I couldn't do anything about it. If this was any other place and if I hadn't hired the caterer, things could be different.
But those were excuses. I chose to not look, to not get attached to anyone. Life was too complicated to bother.
Chapter Three
Ashley
Loading my tray with freshly poured champagne, I made my way towards his alcove. As I approached, I took a deep breath and reminded myself the worse he could do was make me cry. I was a big girl, I could handle a few tears if that was what happened. I needed to get closer to him. I entered his alcove and smiled.
"Champagne, sir?"
He grunted and looked up at me. He didn't say a word, just stared. I wondered if I should leave. The old Ashley would've left, but the old Ashley wouldn't have been in his alcove to begin with. I figured I had nothing to lose and set a glass of champagne down on the small table in front of him.
"Did I say I wanted champagne?"
His voice growled and I immediately regretted being there but I was too stubborn to run away. I summoned up all my courage, stood up straight and challenged his gaze.
"No, but you didn't say you didn't want it either."
The brief silence lasted forever but then he cracked a smile and picked up the glass I set down. For a moment I was even more frightened of him, thinking he was a wild card and absolutely crazy, until I noticed his eyes. They were ice-blue, like his tie, and cold but I saw a flash of warmth behind them. I never saw such amazing blue eyes before. I wanted to lose myself in them.
While I braced myself for the worst, he leaned back into his seat and crossed his legs with his ankle resting on his knee. When he took a sip of champagne, I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to head back into the crowd.
"I'm not done with you."
I stopped dead in my tracks. His voice was menacing and sent chills up my spine. Oddly though I still found myself drawn to him, I couldn't help it. I turned back around to face him and saw the slightest smile playing on his lips.
"Is there anything else I can get for you sir?"
"Sit."
At first I moved towards the couch, I wanted to do whatever he said, but then I remembered I was working.
"I'm sorry sir, but I need to continue making the rounds."
"Sit. No one is going to say anything to you about it. Join me."
"But–"
"No buts. Sit. You're a waitress right? I need you to wait on me."
I looked out at the crowded room. I wanted to get back to work and earn some money. I needed to earn money. Again, the old me would've done the responsible thing and return to work, but I still wasn't ready to do things the old Ashley way. Old Ashley got me no where, it was time to change that. I set my tray of champagne down on the alcove's cocktail table and sat on the couch with him.
"Is there anything I can get you Sir?"
"Don't call me sir, call me Xander. And you are?"
"Ashley."
"Pleasure to meet you Ashley." He extended his hand to me and I shook it, letting my hand be engulfed by his and overwhelmed when the warmth of his hand penetrated deep into my core. "Didn't they warn you about me?"
I couldn't help it, I giggled and nodded as my cheeks turned hot. It never occurred to me that he might know of his own reputation. I wondered how much he did to maintain it.
"They did. I guess I don't listen very well."
"We'll have to change that," he said.
His voice returned to its menacing tone again and I began to worry. Was he going to turn into the jerk Jackie warned me about? Maybe he planned to report me to the catering manager, Mr. Smithfield.
I was working with Jackie for just the one night but hoped to do it regularly. Being the only recent prospect I had to earn money, I didn't want to mess it up. I kept an eye out for Mr. Smithfield, who Jackie earlier convinced to give me a chance.
"Have you been waitressing for long? I don't think I've seen you here before."
"No sir, tonight is my first night."
"Sir? What did i say?"
"Sorry...Xander."
"And on your first night you decide to bother the one person they warned you about? Interesting." He was quiet for a moment. "What did you do before this?"
I didn't answer him right away. I didn't know why he asked so many questions. His face was stoic. I couldn't tell if he was trying to be friendly or simply interrogating me. I didn't think I had a choice, I had to answer him.
"I just graduated college."
"Ahh so you just graduated college and you're waitressing? What did you major in? A waste like Art History?"
He laughed at his own joke but I didn't find it funny. I folded my arms in front of my chest. Great, this is how he's going to make me cry.
"It's none of your business, but yes."
He laughed even harder, the sound boomed out of him and I knew everyone heard it but no one reacted. He took a glass of champagne from my tray and handed it to me.
"I think you need this."
"No, I'm working, I can't."
"Don't make me tell your boss that you refused a simple customer request."
He had a stern look and I couldn't tell if he was joking or not but based on what Jackie said about him before, I wasn't going to take any chances. I picked up the glass but as I took a small sip, I saw Mr. Smithfield enter the room.
There I sat, the girl Jackie begged him to let waitress, resting and drinking champagne with a guest. I couldn't risk him seeing me and both of us losing our jobs.
"I'm sorry, I have to go."
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Liliana Rhodes is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author who writes romance with fun, engaging characters. Blessed with an over active imagination, she is always writing and plotting her next stories. She enjoys movies, reading, photography, and listening to music. After growing up on the east coast, Liliana now lives in California with her husband, son, two dogs who are treated better than some people, and two parrots who plan to take over the world.
Copyright
Boss, Made Man #3
Copyright © 2014 by Jaded Speck Publishing
Cover by Jaded Speck Publishing
Photography: ©Depositphotos / curaphotography
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Boss, Made Man #3
About Boss, Made Man #3
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EPILOGUE
About His Every Whim
Excerpt from His Every Whim, Chapter One
Excerpt from His Every Whim, Chapter Two
Excerpt from His Every Whim, Chapter Three
Liliana's Links
About The Author
Copyright
Boss: A Mafia Romance Page 8