He grinned. “That sounds amazing. Let’s roll with it.”
“Great.” She turned to Wyatt. “Rowan said you’ll love the scallops today.”
“Sign me up,” Wyatt said. “The risotto sounds good, too. Something chocolate for dessert.”
“Of course,” she said with another of her smiles. “I’ll be back shortly with those appetizers.”
Although she moved off to check on her other tables, Cole somehow sensed that she would get their orders right. The sharp look in her eye convinced him. He found himself wanting her to come back so he could look into those eyes again. They were an almost unnatural shade of blue-green. She probably wore colored contacts to achieve that brilliant turquoise color.
“Enchanting, isn’t she?” Wyatt said, following his gaze. “Such a lovely young woman.”
“She only shared her real smile with you,” Cole observed, watching her interact with the other patrons. “It’s more reserved with everyone else.”
Including me, he silently added.
“Everly reserves her genuine feelings for those she cares about. Here at the restaurant, she’s just doing her job.”
The other patrons didn’t seem to notice, Cole realized. They interacted with her in a way that said they thought she was doing a great job. Well, everyone but the nutty woman at the next table.
“As you probably noticed, I arranged for us to be seated in Everly’s section,” Wyatt went on.
“Sure I noticed,” Cole said, taking a sip of his Jack and Coke. “My stomach ate my left leg while we sat in the waiting area.”
Wyatt reached for a roll. “I thought it might be helpful for you to get a sense of Everly, so this seemed the best way to do that.”
“Get a sense of her for what?”
Glancing pointedly at the glass as Cole again sipped his drink, Wyatt said, “For providing you what you need to relieve your pain without resorting to that.”
Chapter 3
“Are you shitting me right now?”
“No, Cole. I am not, in fact, shitting you.”
Cole wasn’t sure whether to get steamed over his brother’s sober-faced response or to laugh, so he took another swig of his drink instead. His gaze moved to Everly as she walked out from the kitchen with one of the kitchen staff, each of them carrying trays of food to the table next to theirs. He studied her as she supervised the distribution of the appetizers, remembering who ordered what and ensuring everyone had what they needed to enjoy this part of their meal. Another server carried a tray containing drink refills, which Everly also distributed. Only when the table agreed that everything looked perfect did she turn to another table.
She certainly was efficient and paid attention to detail, he’d give her that. Still, pinning his athletic future on this young waitress didn’t sit well. Not at all.
“Has she even graduated from high school?” he asked, his gaze not moving from her as she checked on a couple enjoying their desserts. “She doesn’t even look old enough to serve alcohol in most states.”
“And here I always thought Everly was years beyond her age,” Wyatt murmured.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Everly will be twenty-three on February tenth.”
That seemed like a personal detail for his brother to know off the top of his head. It finally drew Cole’s attention back to him. “How do you know that?”
Wyatt finished his bread and drank some of his water before saying, “Try a roll. The carbs won’t kill you, and even if they do, it’ll be well worth it.” He waited until Cole complied before continuing. “I’ve worked with Everly for a couple of years now. She’s close to earning her doctorate in physical therapy at GSU. It’s one of the top programs of its kind. She’s the youngest student I’ve ever seen enter it. She got special permission to take college courses while she was still in high school, and finished her bachelor’s degree by the time she turned twenty. With her stellar academic record and years of volunteer work in sports rehab, she was a shoe-in for the DPT program. From the first class I taught her, I’ve admired her focus and determination.”
Having entered the majors at the age of twenty after serving only one year in the minors, Cole could appreciate that. Young and talented was a familiar combination. But the last thing he’d envisioned when sighting Everly was having her work with him in a professional capacity.
“I still don’t see why you can’t reach out to a doctor you know who might want to make some cash on the side,” Cole pressed, dipping his roll into the rather addicting olive oil mixture. “Someone experienced who wouldn’t mind putting in some overtime.”
“Cole, most of my colleagues work sixty to eighty-hour weeks and make enough money that you probably couldn’t tempt them if you threw in a two-week vacation to Dubai.”
Cole frowned into his drink before tossing it back. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his shoulder. The alcohol lessened it, but it was always there.
“I’m not saying that one of them wouldn’t be tempted,” Wyatt continued, “but I don’t want to put them in a position where they have to basically lie in order to treat you.”
“It’s not a lie,” Cole argued. “I’m just asking them not to tell anyone about it.”
“And if they’re confronted by someone snooping into their outside dealings?”
“What they do in their own time—”
“Oh, you know better than that,” Wyatt interrupted.
“Can I get you gentlemen anything?” Everly asked, making Cole jerk. Where had she come from? She held a water pitcher and filled Wyatt’s glass.
He caught her gaze and held it. Yep, she wore contacts. He could see the faint outline of them. Why the hell did he care?
“I’ll take another Jack and Coke,” he said at last.
“Of course. I’ll be right back with your drink. The appetizers should be out in just a minute.”
When she moved over to clear some plates from the table next to theirs, Cole looked back at Wyatt. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to receive treatment by a student, Wy, genius or not. What if she screws up my arm even worse than it is?”
“Then you’ll get treated by a proper specialist, which you should do in the first place.”
Cole narrowed his gaze. “That’s not funny.”
“Hey, I’m just telling you like it is. You’re the one who thinks it’s worth risking under-the-table treatment in order to garner top dollar on your next contract.”
That wasn’t the only reason he was so concerned about keeping up appearances in regards to his physical health, but he let it pass. He knew how the business worked. There was no way he was going to come out to the public about his shoulder. Not if there was an alternative.
“What about another student?” Cole insisted. “Someone further along in their studies?” Preferably some Poindexter who doesn’t look so good in a skirt, he thought.
Wyatt shook his head. “There isn’t anyone more experienced than Everly. She might still be a couple of semesters from earning her doctorate, but she could pass the needed courses with flying colors right now. I’d wager that girl has more practical experience in her field than any doctoral student at GSU.”
They stopped conversing when Everly walked up with a tray. She placed their bowls of crab risotto in front of them, as well as Cole’s drink. The smell of the food was amazing.
“Is there anything else I can get you two right now?” she asked.
“No, I think we’re good here, thanks,” Wyatt said.
“All right. You know how to reach me if you think of anything.”
This time she winked at Wyatt before she walked away. Cole couldn’t deny the strange resentment he felt that the wink wasn’t for him. He shook his head at himself. Finding a hot date hadn’t ever been a problem. He didn’t need to worry about that right now.
“I feel like you’re forcing me into this decision,” he told Wyatt, picking up a fork and stabbing his risotto with it.
Wyatt’s brown eyes
leveled on his. “Cole, I’ve reviewed the scans we took when you were in the hospital. You should have started treatment weeks ago to get ready for the season. If you feel like I’m forcing you into this decision, well, that’s probably because I am. You’ve got three choices: don’t do anything and deal with the pain, go public about the injury and seek the services of a specialist...or Everly.”
* * *
“What are you, stupid?”
The loud question had Everly turning from table twenty and finding the blonde woman’s gaze centered on her. After issuing a few words to the guests at twenty, she stepped over to the blonde woman.
“I’m sorry,” Everly said. “Are you speaking to me?”
“Of course I’m speaking to you,” the woman spat. “I specifically asked for the halibut to be prepared without peppers and with extra heirloom tomatoes, and I wanted the baby artichokes substituted for the asparagus as my side. You had them serve me fish covered in peppers with no tomatoes and some kind of spinach. This must be someone else’s plate.”
Everly barely had time to react before the woman shoved her plate at her. Fortunately, she managed to stop the hot food from progressing beyond the front of her uniform and onto the floor. Still, the damage had been done. She couldn't work her shift in this condition.
“My apologies, ma’am,” Everly said, holding the plate in front of the enormous stain and maintaining her calm veneer by the skin of her teeth. She noticed that all of the people at the table looked embarrassed, none of them meeting her in the eye.
“You apologize a lot,” the woman said, doing the hair flip again. “That certainly tells me a lot about how well you do your job. A good waitress would do things right the first time.”
Drawing forth an image of her grandpa to help keep her from clocking the woman with the plate, Everly nodded once. “I’ll be right back with your halibut prepared with only fresh heirloom tomatoes and a side of baby artichokes. Does anyone else need anything?”
“Just go,” the woman said, shooing her with a wave of her hand. “I hate being the last one still eating.”
“Absolutely.”
Everly walked to the back of the house with the plate covering her uniform. The moment she stepped out of view of the dining room, the plate was taken from her by Anne.
“She did exactly what you predicted and added the plate toss as a topper for her act,” Anne said, shaking her head in anger. “She’s a doozy. Jonathan has your spare uniform in the first stall of the ladies room. I’ll do a drive-by of your tables while you change.”
Everly was already out of her vest. “Tell Chef I need a halibut—”
“Already done. Told him you need it on the fly. You had us all prepped, so we’ve been keeping our ears open. Kathleen is out there offering them complimentary wine.”
Anne’s voice trailed off with a disgusted, “What a bitch,” as Everly hustled into the bathroom. Everly couldn’t disagree with the other server. This customer was the worst she’d had in all of her time at Prix Fixe.
Still, in the scheme of things, this woman was a small blip in her life. She’d weathered far, far worse. She’d be damned if this would bring her down.
Chapter 4
Cole couldn’t believe how calm Everly looked when she returned with the new entrée for the customer at the next table. How she had managed to place the new order, get changed, and return with the cooked food within the span of five minutes completely mystified him. He heard nothing but professionalism in her voice as she made sure the woman and everyone at the table had what they needed.
“I would have used a corkscrew on her,” Cole said in a low voice as he finished his excellent risotto. “I heard that woman place her order. She got what she asked for the first time around.”
Wyatt nodded. “There’s no pleasing someone like that.”
Everly approached and smiled. “It looks like you enjoyed the risotto,” she said, collecting their empty dishes. “I’ll go and check on your entrees.”
“I’d like another Jack and Coke,” Cole said.
He thought he saw the faintest lines of disapproval crease her forehead before she replied, “No problem. I’ll take care of that for you.”
Great. Another Wyatt around measuring his alcohol intake.
This was a very bad idea.
“Everly, we’d like to speak with you after your shift,” Wyatt said before she could walk away. “Can we steal a few minutes of your time?”
She blinked at that, then said, “Sure. Anything for you.”
Cole lifted an eyebrow as she moved out of hearing range. “Anything for you?” he repeated.
Shrugging, Wyatt said, “I’m Everly’s mentor for her graduate assistanceship and I put in a good word with Rowan for her to get this job. She’s grateful.”
That would definitely come in handy as leverage to keep her quiet if they moved forward with this, Cole mused. He had serious concerns that a student would be unable to resist blabbing about working with him.
They discussed other things as they finished their entrees. He was relieved when the table next to them passed on their dessert course and gathered their things to go. There was some kind of low-volume discussion among the group before the blonde woman made a hissing noise and the others gave up. Cole thought they all looked miserable.
“I’m going to see if I can find Rowan,” Wyatt said. “I’m sure he can secure a space for us to use to meet with Everly.”
Cole watched his brother go. He realized Everly wasn’t in the dining room, so once the coast was clear, he reached across to the spot the blonde woman had just vacated and peeked inside the payment folder.
Just like he suspected. They’d stiffed her.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered, reaching for his wallet. The movement jarred his shoulder and he struggled not to wince in case any of the diners recognized him.
He’d just returned the payment folder to the other table when Everly walked back in. She delivered some appetizers to one table, collected the payment folder he had just replaced, and stopped at a third table to greet some new guests. She moved in a way that conveyed competence and expediency, he thought. Although he knew the difference between her professional smile and her genuine one, he admired how well she connected with her customers.
He also couldn’t deny that he really enjoyed watching the sway of her hips as she moved around the dining room.
His brother returned a few minutes later. Before he could speak, Cole said, “Okay, I agree to work with Everly.”
Wyatt grinned as he picked up his water glass. “I never had a doubt. But that’s the easy part, little brother. The hard part is going to be convincing Everly to work with you.”
* * *
Everly felt Cole’s gaze on her as she greeted the new guests at table eighteen. She couldn’t say she had ever actually felt her pulse in her neck before then. Her heart beat so wildly in her chest that she could feel it with every breath.
Cole Parker was sitting in her station.
She couldn’t decide what amazed her more...that a super-hot Major League ballplayer was sitting in her station, or that she had been friends with his brother for a couple of years without knowing of their relationship. Wyatt would have some answering to do when she next worked with him. He loved to talk baseball with her, but he’d never mentioned the connection.
Of course, she wasn’t exactly one to go into her personal life during school and work time either. She couldn’t be too hard on him.
Passing Wyatt as he returned to his table, she smiled at him and headed to get table eighteen’s drinks. Once she was out of sight of the diners, she pulled the payment folder from table nineteen out of her apron pocket. She feared they had walked without paying, but Rowan forbade the servers to look in the folders until they were in the back of the house, not wanting the guests to be offended.
Five crisp one hundred dollar bills sat on top of the signed credit card slip. Everly stared down at them for a full minute. She picke
d them up and verified that they looked and felt genuine. Then she realized the credit card slip was signed in a feminine hand with the words, “If I could tip negatively, I would,” written across the gratuity line.
Clearly, Blondie hadn’t left her the largest tip of her life.
Following a hunch, Everly eased her head just beyond the etched glass barrier that separated her from view of the dining room. Cole met her gaze.
She knew in an instant that he had left the tip.
Stepping back behind the barrier, she stuffed the money into her pocket. Now wasn’t the time to wrestle with how she felt about the fact that Cole Parker had just given her a five hundred dollar tip...and she fully intended to keep it.
She made a decent amount of money in other tips, too. By the time her shift ended and the restaurant was empty of customers, she knew she’d be able to pay for her grandpa’s in-home nurse for another week and possibly cover her car insurance to boot. It was a good night despite the wretched guest at table nineteen.
And soon she was going to meet with Wyatt and his little brother. As she collected salt and pepper containers from the tables and carried them to the back for refilling, she wondered what they wanted to discuss with her.
“Everly, I’m gonna give you a pass on side work tonight.”
She looked up upon hearing the New York-Italian accent and spotted Rowan Ferullo as he emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron. Although he had hired the best staff in the city to run his restaurant, he often had a hand in the kitchen. Everyone affectionately called him a fireplug. He stood only an inch or two taller than Everly’s own five-foot, nine-inch height and didn’t carry an ounce of fat on his wide frame. There was no need for a bouncer with Rowan in the house.
“Thanks, boss,” she said.
“No, thank you for dealin’ with Lady of Bel-frickin’-Aire. I still wish you’d a let me ban her from my place of business.”
“That would have only made her night complete. This way, she gets to burn by knowing we weren’t at all affected by her behavior.”
The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories Page 33