Now it was her turn to walk in my shoes.
I grinned as I stood. Grabbing the bin of dishes, I was about to leave when my sister’s hand settled on my arm.
“Nico, where are you going?”
“I’m going back to work. I suggest you settle into your new position as I plan to be here for a while.” I tapped her on the tip of her nose and said, “Duchess.”
SEVEN
Grace
The Breakfast Club
“I’m on my knees, begging,” Alex said with his hands clasped, pleading with me.
I glanced around the large living room of his penthouse. It was like stepping into an art book. Every spare bit of wall space was covered in paintings. Aria told me that even his modern looking furniture pieces were artistic creations by famous designers.
The thought of Aria made me wonder where she was at the moment. Maybe she could talk some sense into my brother.
“Get up.” I pulled on his shoulder but it was useless. He was too big and strong to even nudge.
“But he’s terrible.”
“No, egg salad is terrible. He just needs some time.”
My brother was right. Nico wasn’t good at anything. I didn’t think a person could mess up clearing off a table with only two cups on it, but he did.
One cup shattered on the floor and half the coffee that was still in the other cup landed on a customer in the next booth. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes; I swore that acrobatic feat of dish juggling wasn’t possible.
The diner had gone through more dishes in the past two weeks since he started than it had since I opened the place two months ago.
Alex stood and his face turned red. I had never seen him angry before and I worried he would quit on me. I didn’t know how I would run things without him. If I was being honest, he was better at keeping Totally Diner running than I was.
“I’ll do it for you. You don’t even need to be at the diner when I tell him to never come back.”
“Nico just needs more time. So what if he’s a little clumsy? We all are sometimes.”
“Sometimes, yes. But he’s clumsy all the time. Nico is a health hazard. That poor old woman almost fell when he helped her to her seat.”
I shook my head. “That wasn’t his fault. He slipped on a spilled drink.”
“I know. It was a spill I had told him to clean up twenty minutes earlier. He didn’t do it and nearly killed that woman.”
I folded my arms. “I think kill is a bit extreme, don’t you?”
“Grrr.” My brother threw his arms in the air.
I felt a smile tug at my lips. It was times like these that I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. Yes, the diner was tough to run and drained every ounce of energy I had. Yes, I had no social life because of the diner, but it’s not like I had much of one before, anyway.
But I had a family who loved me. Growing up, I never experienced that feeling. But getting to know my brother and his boring life of being a billionaire and art nerd had felt wonderful. Every fight we had made me happy. I knew that was weird, but it made him, us, seem like a real family.
Alex’s phone vibrated on the table and he held up a finger. “We aren’t done discussing this.”
“Whatever you say, bro.”
He smiled. I knew he secretly liked it when I called him that dumb nickname.
After answering the phone, he said a few words before placing it back on the glass coffee table. “Everyone is here.”
I was surprised that he invited others.
“Is this a dinner party? When Aria asked me over, I thought we were just having dinner. Just the three of us.”
My brother sighed and moved closer to the front door. It opened automatically because my brother wasn’t just an art nerd but a technology geek, too. He had state-of-the-art gizmos and contraptions in his penthouse that even the government didn’t have access to.
“You need an intervention, Grace.”
“Are you drunk?” I asked with a snort.
“No, I’m sober. But you’re the one acting ridiculous. Totally Diner is your business, and Nico is costing you money. I heard Liza complain about him yesterday.”
Liza. That wasn’t good. She never complained about anything. Even in the summer when the air-conditioning went out for a day and she had to wear the Beetlejuice red wedding dress. That woman never grumbled.
“I understand but—”
Right at that moment, a group of people strolled through the door and I felt happy and nervous all at the same time.
“Welcome everyone,” Alex said.
“Anytime hypno-eyes calls, we come,” Morgana said as she patted my brother’s arm.
Henrik moved past her and waved at me. “Hi, Grace. How’s the diner going?”
Henrik was always nervous around me. First, I thought he liked me, which gave me hope. But after he met Morgana, I knew he was uneasy around me because I liked him. I got over my infatuation with Henrik long ago, but it took him a while to realize that.
Evaleen and Edgar were also here. “Where’s Lucy?” Alex looked past them as they stepped in from the elevator in the hallway.
“Edgar’s mother’s in town and she’s babysitting her tonight. This is our date night, so you better have good grub.” Evaleen pointed at my brother.
“There’s food? Yes!” Jagger said, who was trailed by his fiancée, Tiffany.
Jagger used to be a spy and helped rescue us from our mom. You read that right. We had to be rescued from her a year and a half ago because she was crazy.
Everyone was here. That hadn’t happened since Morgana’s wedding last year.
“Food’s ready!” Aria exclaimed as she came out of nowhere.
Once we all settled into Alex’s huge dining room with a table that could seat thirty people easily, we feasted on everything.
My brother always made too much food. Let me correct that. He asked his cook to make too much food. There was roast chicken, various Thai dishes, mashed potatoes, soft shell tacos, a green salad, bread, gumbo, fettuccine alfredo, and several other dishes. My brother had an eclectic taste in food, to say the least.
Morgana gazed nervously around the table. “Where’s the cake?”
“Don’t worry. This is only the first course,” Alex said.
“Maybe we should hire your chef for the diner,” I said jokingly.
“Speaking of the diner, let’s resume our discussion about Nico.”
“Wow, Nico sounds like he’d be hot. Just his name alone. Either hot or in the mob,” Morgana said right before shoving some fettuccine into her mouth.
Henrik frowned but held his tongue. He knew his wife well enough to understand she had no filter.
I shrugged. “I hadn’t noticed his appearance.” I examined the bread on my plate.
Morgana snorted and nearly choked on her pasta. Luckily, Henrik was there to help.
Aria leaned forward, wiggling her eyebrows. “Tell me more about Nico?”
“Aria,” Alex said through clenched teeth. “Remember, we’re supposed to talk her out of Nico.”
“I know but if he’s hot, I want to know what he looks like. There’s a specific way you would go about dealing with him depending on his hotness level.”
“What?” a few people said at the same time.
Aria rolled her eyes. “Come on. This should be obvious. Think about it. Take Alex. He’s mega hot, especially his eyes. With that level of attractiveness, combined with the amount of money he has, I’m sure he’s never had anyone say no to him. You’d have to deal with him gently.”
“People have said no to me,” Alex said but his eyes told a very different story.
Aria tilted her head. “Have they?”
“That doesn’t matter.” Alex waved his hands to end that discussion.
Ignoring her husband, Aria turned toward me. “Describe him to me, Grace. Then I can help you. I’m sure Evaleen might have some input as she used to work in Human Resources.”
E
valeen’s long blond hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She gazed up in confusion upon hearing her name while chewing on a piece of meat.
“Hmm?” she asked.
“More attractive people have a harder time dealing with bad news. Isn’t that right, Evaleen?” Aria reiterated her idea.
“No, not necessarily. That’s not only simplistic but superficial as well. The best thing to do when letting a person go is to get to the point. Everyone reacts differently, but they all appreciate the truth.”
Both Alex and I nodded in agreement.
“Thanks for the tips, but I’m not firing Nico.”
“I’m still curious as to what the guy looks like.” Aria narrowed her eyes.
“He’s tall and has short brown hair,” I said before shoving a piece of bread into my mouth.
Her eyes widened as did her grin. “So, he’s gorgeous is what you’re saying?”
“She didn’t mention if he was one way or the other,” Tiffany finally piped in.
“Exactly,” Aria said with a wink.
“Am I the only one not getting it?” Tiffany looked around the table.
Several of the others mentioned they didn’t understand either, except for Morgana.
“I’ve known Aria since we were in college. Over that time, I’ve learned how her mind ticks. What she’s saying is, it’s because Grace didn’t mention Nico’s attractive or unattractive features that is the most telling. And I’ve worked with Grace for a while, and even I can tell that she blushes every time she mentions his name.”
I groaned, “You know I’m sitting right here.”
“We know,” Aria said with total seriousness.
“How about Aria and I come by the diner and check him out?”
“Yes. Like the old days. Great idea, Morgana,” Aria said with a smile.
They discussed their plans and decided that in two days, on Sunday, they’d have dinner at the diner.
“Then you two will see why I want that man fired,” Alex said.
“That doesn’t matter anymore, honey. What’s important is if the guy’s hot and if Grace should go out with him.”
“But I don’t want to go out with him or anyone,” I said right as my brother bellowed, “The whole point of this dinner was to convince Grace to fire Nico.”
Yes, Nico was sexy and when I thought of him, I could feel the heat settle on my cheeks and somewhere much lower. But that didn’t mean I should go out with him.
My track record with men hadn’t been great. Also, I was too busy to date. Alex was right, I should fire Nico, but he needed this job for safety. I wasn’t about to risk him being deported back to Cambria.
I looked it up the other day and it seemed like a nice country but that was propaganda. Governments like that always made the country appear like perfection. With it being surrounded by picturesque mountains and a beautiful royal family. I didn’t have time to delve into the royals but the picture I saw was of a couple with a little boy and girl.
Everything was too wonderful to be true. And that castle . . . My God, Disney himself couldn’t have designed a more beautiful royal residence.
The guy needed me, needed the safety of the diner. It didn’t matter that the way his eyes gazed at me could easily cause my panties to ignite. Or that I caught myself staring at him in a way that went beyond creepy. Or the day after I met him, I went out and bought that turbo-charged vibrator I had been thinking about for a while.
The diner could handle a little chaos, at least, I hoped it could. But I had a feeling he couldn’t handle what was back in his home country. So many of the people at this table had helped me over the past few years, and now it was my time to help someone else. Pay it forward.
Nico may be vagina-exploding gorgeous, spoke like he’s from the nineteenth century, and clumsier than a clown in a three-ring circus, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a human who could use a helping hand. And I intended to be that hand.
“Don’t worry, Grace. We’re here to help.” Aria reached over and patted my hand.
Yeah . . . That’s what I was afraid of.
EIGHT
Nico
9 to 5
“On your knees,” Grace said as she pointed to the black-and-white checkered floor.
Was she flirting? I smiled and leaned against the booth seat. “As you wish.”
Despite the blush that crept up her cheeks, she folded her arms. It’s when she narrowed her eyes and leaned closer that I knew it was no tease.
Pushing the sponge in my hand, she added, “This isn’t a fairy tale. Don’t let the Dread Pirate Roberts costume go to your head, Nico.”
Grace, with her dry wit and cynical charm, had captured my curiosity. While it would be unwise to kiss her—as I very much wished to do at the moment—I couldn’t help but smile as she ordered me around.
“Anything you say, boss.”
She groaned. Her teeth clenched, yet she didn’t move. I wondered if she enjoyed our bickering as much as I did. She fought while I flirted. It did something to my heart and especially to my cock.
My eyes dipped to find out if her nipples were as erect as what was between my legs. But that unfortunate voluminous sweater she wore for her costume hid any attempts that I had to discover if my words affected her.
The bell over the door rang and we both turned our heads. Two women, a beautiful redhead and an attractive blonde, came through the door.
“Morgana, Aria, glad you came,” Grace called out while turning away from me.
Were these her friends? I moved closer to find out. If they were, then perhaps I could discover a little more about my sexy boss. Not that I could do anything with that information. I wasn’t planning to seduce her, and since I was leaving Chicago in a week for Dallas to continue my tour of the United States, I’d never see Grace again.
Yet, I had the strong desire to learn as much as I could in my short time here.
“Ladies, might I show you to a table?” I asked with my most royal of smiles.
“Dear God, you can show me anywhere you’d like,” the blonde said as she placed her hand on her chest.
Alex suddenly appeared and put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder while he glared at me. I recognized the move immediately. He was claiming her without saying a word.
“Okay, Alex, you can stop now.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “You know I only have eyes for you.” She wrapped her arms around the giant.
Based on the gold bands around their finger, I assumed they were married.
“I’ll show them to their table. You can get back to your job.” Alex practically grunted at me while pointing to the mess on the floor I had yet to clean.
That’s what I hated about this job, all the work. Cleaning up the messes, clearing tables, and the worst part, washing down the bathrooms. I thought men’s bathrooms would be the worst, but I was completely mistaken.
There were some things I enjoyed more than I expected. Like greeting the patrons, learning a little about their lives, and helping them by answering their questions.
“Yes, the menial task you so enjoy giving me. I almost forgot,” I said under my breath.
Nodding at the woman, I added, “It was nice almost making your acquaintance.” With a bow, I moved back to the sponge that lay on the floor next to the vomit from a child who had left several minutes ago.
As I lowered myself in more ways than one, I could hear the women speak in hushed tones.
“Oh my God, Grace, he is hot. And you put him in the Dread Pirate Roberts costume? Perfect match. I think he makes a better Pirate than Cary Elwes. And that voice . . .”
“You caught that too, Aria? That’s what got me. It’s so deep and sexy. Don’t tell Henrik I said this, but I’d do him if I was single.”
For the first time since I started the job, I smiled while wiping up the puke in front of me. Normally, I did my best to keep from throwing up while cleaning, but hearing Grace’s friends compliment me and describe me with such accuracy felt goo
d.
Perhaps my ego needed a little boost. Working with filth every day wasn’t a pleasant experience. I had never realized until now that it wasn’t only physically exhausting work but emotionally taxing as well.
“I’m his boss. That wouldn’t be appropriate for me to date an employee.”
“Not if you fire him,” one of the women said.
Which one was that? I tried to glance around without being noticed so I could see who was turning on me. One moment I’m attractive and they’d “do me” and the next, they were trying to convince Grace to fire me.
Grace needed new friends.
“Aria, as I said to Alex, I am not firing him. I know he’s told you all the bad stuff about Nico, but that’s not the whole story. It’s more complicated than that.”
I nodded and felt a sense of pride. Grace had my back. She would defend me.
Not only was she sexy with her sensual smile and those deep brown eyes that could eat me up with one glance, but she believed in me. So what if she thought I was in danger from my country? That wasn’t the whole truth, not even a little. But she cared and that’s what caused my heart to beat a little harder in her presence.
She was more than a beauty; she was the epitome of her name, grace.
“So, it’s complicated? Do tell. Are you pregnant?”
“What? No.”
“He’s married and his wife hired a hitman, so he’s in hiding?”
“That’s ridiculous, Aria. No.”
“Then what is it? What is the complication?”
Right at that moment, the door swung open, almost ripping off the small bell above and my sister stepped into the diner. Her eyes glared as she marched to tower over me.
“Nico. Show some respect for yourself and stand.”
I did as she said. As I got to my feet, I noticed Grace and her friends in the booth were gawking at my sister. She wore a formal dress and one of our mother’s tiaras.
She held up a finger and then another and then another. “Number one, the mayor. Number two, that American football team, the Bears. And, today, the Institute of Art installation.”
I did my best to remain calm. Grace and her friends were still focused on us, but their wide stares had narrowed into confusion.
Royal Disgrace (Cake Love Book 5) Page 5