True Loves (A Collection of Firsts)

by Michelle A. Valentine

  “What’s that look for?” Xavier asks, pulling me out of my thoughts of impending failure. “No frowning, remember?”

  “Sorry, I’m nervous about tomorrow. I should probably be getting back to Quinn’s so I can rest up for my first day of work.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do great.” He glances down at his watch. “You’re right, it’s getting late.” He leans over to the side, fishes his wallet from his back pocket, and lays several one hundred dollar bills on the table before setting his plate on top of it.

  My eyes widen. Holy crap! He’s rich—like can-buy-anything-he-wants-rich—and yet he’s generous. All the wealthy people I know are tightwads. They would never leave a tip like that, family or not.

  “You are so nice.”

  “It’s the least I can do. They did a lot for me when I had nothing,” he answers simply.

  The sweet gesture of leaving that money for Nettie tells me so much about his character, and only reinforces the first thought I had about him being a good guy—whether he wants to believe it or not.

  Xavier stands and extends his hand down to me. “Ready, beautiful? Let’s get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”

  I take his hand and laugh. “Did you just reference a princess story? Macho guys like you aren’t supposed to do that.”

  He pulls me up against his side and wraps his arm around my shoulders. “We do if we’re hoping to be a woman’s Prince Charming someday.”

  The idea that this sexy, beast of a man is trying to impress me causes my stomach to flip. If he keeps this up, those damn friendship boundaries we established will go right out the window because I won’t be able to stop myself from jumping his bones.

  Being on the back of Xavier’s bike is more comfortable the second time around. I press my chest against his back so tightly I swear we share the same skin. It’s crazy how seeing him around his…family, I guess is what he calls them, and getting into his head a little bit changes my perception of him somewhat. While he’s still a very intimidating human being, I know under all that toughness is a man with a good heart. Everything he says to try and push me away, like telling me he’s not a good guy, only makes me like him more. It’s like he’d protect me from anything that would hurt me—including himself—which is a very endearing trait in a man. If he wasn’t leaving soon and wasn’t a known womanizer, I could see myself falling for Xavier Cold.

  But he definitely isn’t the relationship type. He’s the let’s-have-some-fun-and-forget-each-other type, and that is a type that I most certainly do not partake in.

  The moment Xavier pulls up in front of Aunt Dee’s place, the thought occurs to me that I never even gave him directions. The moment he kills the motor, I hop off the bike and yank the helmet off my head, unable to stop myself from asking the question flashing in my brain.

  “How did you know where I lived?”

  He grins mischievously. “Your cousin Quinn isn’t the only one who knows how to track down someone’s information.”

  My teeth glide over my bottom lip, curious as to why he would go to all that trouble, and wondering what else this man knows about me. “I’m not certain that stalking me on the Internet would be that interesting. I’m boring.”

  His eyes twinkle. “Boring is relative, Anna. Someone who graduated with a degree in hospitality—with honors—and a minor in dance, doesn’t seem that boring to me.”

  I shake my head. “You found all that out on the Internet?”

  “I didn’t, Deena did.”

  Deena? The blonde from the club? She hates my guts and probably loathed that task. I’m surprised she didn’t fill his head with a bunch of lies about me while she was at it. “She work for you or something?”

  He nods, and shoves his dark hair back off his face. “Yeah, or at least she did until she threatened me a little while ago. I don’t do well with threats. Giving me an ultimatum of any kind doesn’t work. She knows that. I do what I want, when I want. It’s a shame because she was a decent PA.”

  I scrunch my brow. “What’s a PA?”

  “A personal assistant,” he clarifies. “Jimmy is going to hate doing all my personal and managerial shit until he finds a new one.”

  Xavier sounds like he might be a handful. “So you have two people that basically follow you around everywhere?

  “More or less. I didn’t ask Deena to come out here with me though. She showed up on her own.” The moment he says that everything falls into place. No wonder that woman hates me.

  Even though it’s none of my business, I ask, “Do you sleep with all your assistants?”

  He smirks. “Is it that obvious?”

  I laugh. “No woman would follow her boss unless she had to. And the look she gave me back at the bar—”

  “She’s threatened by you,” he interjects.

  “Why? Has she not seen herself?” I can’t imagine anyone who looks like Deena feeling threatened by the likes of me.

  Xavier taps my nose. “You obviously haven’t seen yourself, Anna. Every man in that bar was watching you tonight, wishing they were the lucky bastard who got to take you home.”

  “That’s why you said I was leaving with you whether I knew it or not, wasn’t it? You were protecting me from all the pricks in Detroit again, weren’t you?” I tease him, throwing his definition of every other man in the city back at him.

  He winks. “What are friends for?” Xavier cranks the bike alive, and over the rumble he says, “See you around, beautiful.”

  He doesn’t give me a chance to ask him when that will be before he speeds off into the darkness. A thousand questions dance through my mind as it replays the day I’ve just spent with this intoxicating man. I know never seeing him again would be the best thing for me, but I can’t stop the longing for him aching inside me. Xavier Cold is one bad man I pray I get the chance to know better.

  Chapter 7

  The brush runs through my hair, and I stare absently into the mirror while my thoughts drift to Xavier. Ever since he dropped me off last night, I’ve had him on the brain. I know we’re just friends, but I have this unyielding desire to be more than that. The problem is, I know what he wants from me, but I’m afraid to go there because I don’t think I can give myself over to him just one time and be okay with him walking away. I know I’ll want more, and he’s not the relationship type.

  I’m afraid of getting my heart broken.

  “Come on, Anna, we’re going to be late. If there’s one thing Andy hates, it’s tardiness, so hurry your cute ass up. You want to make a good impression on your first day,” Quinn calls from her bedroom—our bedroom now.

  I finish pulling my hair up into a high ponytail and rush out of the bathroom. “I’m ready.”

  She appraises my outfit—black shorts that read “Staff” across the butt and a bright green shirt with “Property of Larry” across my chest. “You look great!”

  I tug at the shorts, wishing they were a little longer. “I’m not so sure about this outfit, Quinn. It’s not very me.”

  She grabs her keys off the dresser. “Isn’t that the point? I thought you wanted to do the opposite of what you’d normally do.”

  I frown. “It is, but it’s all a little much to get used to at one time.”

  She wraps her slender arm around my shoulders as we walk toward the front door. “I promise it won’t be so bad. All the girls dress like this. Trust me. You’ll be thanking me when you’re counting your tips.”

  Quinn drives us to work in her Honda, and fills me in about the job and what I can expect. I nod in all the correct places, trying to pretend I’m not a complete mess inside. My nerves are in overdrive. Who knew starting a job would make me feel like a crazy person?

  We pull into the parking lot of Larry’s, and I stare at the brick building, anxious to get inside while simultaneously wishing I could run away.

  Quinn must sense my unease, because she pats my arm. “Don’t worry. You’re going to do great.”

  I give her a small smi
le. “Thanks. I’ll try not to let you down.”

  The moment we walk in through the back door, clearly marked “Employees Only” my nose is assaulted with the smell of fried, greasy food. Bodies flit around the tight kitchen so quickly I’m not sure where to point my gaze first. Two guys, wearing green t-shirts with the same slogan as mine, wave to Quinn from behind the grill. I fully expect my cousin to be polite and greet our coworkers, but instead she raises her left hand as we pass and flips them the middle finger.

  “Quinn, baby, don’t be like that,” the taller of the two guys whines.

  She doesn’t even glance in his direction, and the cook frowns. I’m not sure who he is, but he’s cute with floppy brown hair and boyish good looks.

  It appears Quinn hasn’t told me everything about this place.

  The blond cook beside the one who just spoke to Quinn allows his eyes to roam over my body, spending a noticeable amount of time on my chest.

  “Did you bring us fresh meat, Quinnie?”

  “Fuck off, Tyler. Don’t even think about it. Anna is off-limits.” She stops dead in her tracks and directs an evil stare at the brown-haired cook. “That means you too, Brock. You come near her or me, I’ll shank you where you stand.”

  Tyler holds up his hands in surrender. “Damn, Quinnie, who pissed in your Wheaties?”

  She narrows her eyes at the two men. “Ask your butt-buddy.”

  Tyler immediately whips his head in Brock’s direction and gives his arm a small shove. “Did you two break up? A fucking warning would’ve been nice, dude.”

  Brock shrugs, like he can’t come up with a better explanation than that.

  My eyes widen. She never even mentioned a boyfriend to me before, and by the sounds of things, the breakup was pretty recent. Even Tyler, who seems to know them both appears stunned, like the news is shocking.

  “Unbelievable!” Quinn mutters before tearing through the kitchen.

  “Quinn, wait!” Brock calls after as he chases her through the door, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Tyler.

  He flips the meat sizzling on the grill and shakes his head, a strand of his shaggy blond hair falling in his eyes. “Those two are nuts. I can’t keep up.”

  Curious, I ask, “Have they been together long?”

  Tyler lifts one shoulder in a noncommittal answer. “On and off for the past couple of months, I guess.” He looks up at me, a flick of recognition flaring in his brown eyes. “You’re her cousin, right? The one from Seattle or something?”

  “Portland,” I correct him. “I’m Anna.”

  He laughs. “The name I got—right around when Quinnie was warning me to stay away from you.”

  I laugh too, feeling strangely at ease with the guy. He seems harmless, and he must be pretty close to my own age. I can see Tyler and me being friends. Working here might actually be fun, and not the terrifying place I expected it to be.

  Feeling the need to fill the dead air lingering between us, I attempt to make small talk. “Have you been here long?”

  “Close to a year. Quinnie and Brock have been here longer. Brock’s my cousin,” he adds.

  “Glad to hear I’m not the only one who had a little inside help getting a job,” I tease.

  Tyler rakes his eyes over me again and then shakes his head, an amused smile on his face. “I don’t think you would’ve had a problem without your cousin’s help.”

  From out of nowhere a short, balding man smacks Tyler on the back of the head. “No hitting on our new employees.”

  “Ouch! Jesus, Andy, I was only being friendly,” Tyler wails.

  “Flirt on your own time. You.” Andy turns his attention to me and I hold my breath ready for a word of warning as well. “You’re Quinn’s sister, Annie, right?”

  “It’s Anna, and I’m her cousin,” I correct him.

  “Whatever.” He points to himself. “I’m Andy, welcome aboard. We’re short-staffed today, so I’m afraid there won’t be much time for training. I’m going to give you some tables.”

  He stalks toward the door to the left and when I don’t immediately follow behind him, he raises his eyebrows at me. “Well, come on.” He waves at me to follow him. “We don’t have all day. Dinner rush is in two hours, and you have a lot to learn before I toss you out there.”

  I follow Andy into what appears to be his office, although I swear it feels more like a storage closet with all the supplies stacked around his tiny, metal desk.

  He opens the desk drawer to the right and pulls out a couple of papers. He slaps them down on the desk, along with a pen, and then pours four antacid tablets into his hand, and popping them in his mouth. “This is an official application and a W2 form. Fill them both out, make sure you mark your tax-withholding information down correctly, and lastly, sign our accountability form.”

  All of that sounds pretty standard except for the last one. “What’s the accountability form for?”

  “It’s our theft policy here at Larry’s. We’re a small, family-owned business, and my father, Larry, came up with it to help protect us if we suspect an employee of stealing from us. It basically says if we suspect an employee is stealing in any manner, they will be terminated with no questions asked.”

  “Sounds fair enough.”

  “Good. Glad you’re on the same page. Leave the papers on the desk once you complete them, and then go find Quinn. Tell her to start you on dinner prep.”

  And just as quickly as he appeared, Andy’s gone again, leaving me no time to ask any questions at all.

  I sit down at the desk and make quick work of the paperwork. Seeing as I’m only twenty-one years old, with absolutely zero work history, there’s really not much for me to write down. The tax form trips me up a bit, but after reading it carefully, I figure it out.

  I stack the papers neatly on Andy’s desk and head back out into the kitchen. Brock is back at the grill next to Tyler, but Quinn is nowhere to be seen.

  Tyler glances up at me and smiles. I’m sure he notices the clueless expression on my face. “Hey, Anna. You lost?”

  I nod. “Can you tell me where I can find Quinn? Andy told me to find her when I was through with the paperwork he gave me.”

  Brock jerks his head toward the dining area. “She’s on the floor.”

  “Thanks.” I turn to head that way when Brock’s voice stops me.

  “Tell her I’m sorry, would you? And that I admit I’m a complete idiot and that she was right. She won’t listen to me.” His brown eyes appear pained, and he seems sincere.

  “Sure thing.”

  Whatever’s going on between them feels very intense, and that’s a mystery I need to get to the bottom of. I push through the swinging kitchen door, wondering why Quinn didn’t tell me about Brock before, and find myself in a dimly lit pub. Dark-green berber carpet stretches from wall to wall, while tables and booths fill the rest of the space. Behind the expansive wooden bar is a hardwood floor and a window that opens to the kitchen. A couple of plates of prepared burgers and fries sit under a heat lamp, waiting to be served.

  A tall redhead with slender arms and legs stands behind the bar, drying beer mugs before stacking them underneath the bar. She’s beautiful in that non-traditional sort of way, and I immediately consider how great her tips must be with boobs as big as hers.

  When she catches me openly watching her, she rolls her eyes. “You the new girl?”

  I nod and walk over to introduce myself, wanting to make a better impression with her than I had with the two cooks and my boss. “Hi. I’m Anna.”

  Her green eyes flick down to my extended hand, but she makes no attempt to reciprocate the greeting. “Look, I don’t train newbies, I don’t give pointers, I don’t share my tables, and the bar seating is mine. Above all, stay the hell away from my regulars. If you’re looking for a friend, don’t come sniffing in my direction. If you want to keep your job here, just learn to stay out of my way because Andy listens to everything I say. Got it?”

  I swallow hard, not
missing her blatant disdain, or the fact that she seems to run this place. It doesn’t take a lot to realize that she’s one woman I don’t want to piss off.

  “Got it.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “Good.”

  Just then Quinn approaches the bar and her brown eyes flit from me to the redhead and then back again. Her pretty pink lips twist before her gaze snaps toward the unfriendly bartender. “Alice, don’t be a fucking bitch. Anna’s cool, so lighten up.”

  Alice folds her thin arms across her chest. “Don’t expect me to cut her any slack just because she’s related to you, Quinn.”

  “I’m not asking for any favors. I just want you to act like a human being instead of a demon bitch from hell. Try and pretend you have a heart for a change, would you? It’s her first day. Soon enough she’ll learn to stay away from your evil ass.”

  I’m quietly impressed by the way Quinn goes right back at her, not allowing her to push her around in the slightest.

  Alice rolls her eyes and returns to drying the mugs. “Whatever, Quinn. Just makes sure she knows the rules.”

  Quinn waves her off dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. You’re the queen bee, and the rest of us are lowly peons. I think she can handle it.” She moves behind the bar and picks up the waiting burgers, placing them on her tray before turning toward me. “Come on, Anna, let’s get you trained up.”

  “Thanks for that,” I tell her the moment we walk away.

  “No problem. Alice is all bark. Don’t let her get to you.”

  I smile. “I’ll try my best.” I snap my fingers, suddenly remembering Brock’s message. “Oh, Brock wanted me to tell you that he’s a complete idiot, and he’s sorry.”

  Her lips twist. “He did, did he? Well, he’s got the idiot part right. Not sure what I ever saw in that clown.”

  “How come you didn’t tell me about him?” I question.

  She shrugs. “I don’t know. Mom doesn’t even know about him. It’s like what we shared, I wasn’t ready to share with the rest of the world or something. I felt like people would judge me for wanting to date a fry cook.”