“Don’t scare me like that,” I scold him before scooping him up and holding his wiggling body firmly against my chest. He licks my chin in apology, and I kiss the top of his head as I get into bed. I sit Indian-style with my back to my headboard, then drag my paisley-printed duvet over my lap and settle him on top of the covers. I rub the top of his head as I watch unapologetically as Gaston stands, picks up his shirt, and shrugs it on, hiding his amazing body one button at a time. When the show is over, I let out a sigh of happiness, then tip my head back when he steps toward the bed, grinning.
“I’ll be back in a few.” He bends to kiss me while simultaneously extracting LeFou from my hold, and I nod.
I watch the two of them leave my room, then find the remote for my TV in my bedside table. I flip on the television, then lift the remote to my lips. “Hallmark Channel,” I say, and like magic, the channel changes. While I wait for my guys to come back, I lie back in bed and start to watch two people as they begin to fall unexpectedly in love during the Christmas holiday.
Gaston reappears with LeFou during a commercial a while later, and I get out of bed to walk him to the front door. As usual, our goodbye includes a long make-out session, so by the time I crawl back into bed, the couple on TV is working through some drama. I shut off the television after I know they’ll be okay and fall asleep with LeFou resting on my feet, and I wish I was going to bed with Gaston holding me.
Suggestion 11
BE VERY CLEAR
GASTON
I walk into my office and close the door behind me, blocking out the heavy music coming from the club just feet away. I soak up the silence while I slip off my suit jacket and hang it up. I grab my cell from the pocket of my slacks to call Chrissie for no other reason than to hear her voice, but I stop when a knock sounds on the door a second later as I’m taking a seat behind my desk.
I bite back a groan of annoyance. With just days until Christmas, and New Year’s coming up quickly, things have been crazier than usual, which isn’t unexpected, since New Year’s Eve is one of my busiest nights. Every spare second I’ve had has been filled with talking to my liquor distributors, making sure we have enough staff on at the club along with both bars, and hiring extra security for all three locations for the night. I scrub my hands down my face, wishing I was at home with my woman in bed and watching one of her TV shows.
“Come in!” I shout.
“Sorry, Gus.” Georgia peeks her blonde head in. “Do you have a minute?”
“Yeah.” I lean back in my chair and watch her shut the door and strut toward me in jeans that are so tight they look painted on and the club’s uniform black T-shirt with TWILIGHT written across the front in bold, shimmering letters. A shirt she’s altered, cutting away the neck so it hangs off one shoulder, and most of the bottom, so you can see a whole lot of skin between the shirt and the top of her jeans. I’m not surprised by the amount of skin she’s showing, nor do I care. Most of the girls have destroyed their shirts with scissors to help maximize tips, and in my opinion, they can have at it as long as they don’t fuck around on the job and they keep the paying customers happy.
“What’s up?” I question and then frown as she walks around the corner of my desk and plants herself on the edge facing me. She’s so close her leg brushes mine. I move away, but not to be deterred, she leans toward me in a blatant attempt to show off her cleavage, along with her lace bra.
“I wanted to go over the plans for the VIP sections on New Year’s with you.”
“Can you do that sitting somewhere else?” I ask, and she shrugs one shoulder with what I’m sure she thinks is a coy smile playing on her lips. “It wasn’t a question. It was a request, Georgia,” I state firmly, making my point clear by indicating one of the two chairs across from me.
“Sorry.” She at least has the good sense to look somewhat embarrassed.
I’m not stupid. I know she has a crush on me. If her subtle flirting didn’t clue me in, her not-so-subtle advances—which I’ve continuously blocked—would have. She’s pretty enough, but I have never been interested in her, and not just because it would be stupid to go there with an employee. She’s straight up not my type. She’s too skinny, too forward, and too money hungry for my taste. I’ve made it clear on more than one occasion that nothing is ever going to happen between us, but she’s the type of woman who normally hooks any guy she wants, so she’s convinced herself I’m playing a game I’m not actually playing.
“What about VIP?” I ask once she’s seated in the chair in front of my desk.
“I saw you blocked off one of the sections for your personal guests on New Year’s. I know you mentioned your mom coming into town, so if it’s only her, I thought we could do a little rearranging so we’re not missing out on paying customers. I’ll have the guys help me set up a special table just for her on the VIP platform, and—”
“Leave it like it is,” I say, cutting her off.
“Gus.” She says my name with a placating smile, like she’s talking to an unruly child. “The VIP section on New Year’s is big money for the club, and in turn big tips for the waitstaff. I don’t know if blocking off one huge area for your mom is smart.”
My already-frayed temper begins to unravel, and I count to ten in my head so I don’t lose my shit. It doesn’t help.
“First, I’ve owned this club for almost five years. You might manage the bar here, but this is my club, so do not ever question me.” Her eyes are wide as she starts to open her mouth, but I continue on before she can speak. “I appreciate you looking out for my bottom line and your girls, but it’s not necessary. My mother, my girlfriend, her brother, and a few other people will be taking the section I blocked off. They won’t be staying until midnight, so when they decide to leave—which will probably be early—we will place another group of people in that section.” I know they’ll be leaving early, since Chrissie called her brother and Leah yesterday afternoon. She checked to see if they would want to join her at the club before going back to her place to watch the fireworks, and they all agreed they would.
“Girlfriend?” she whispers, like it’s the only word she actually heard, making my jaw clench tight. “I didn’t know you have a girlfriend.”
Her hurt-filled tone pisses me off, and I know it’s time to take Luke’s advice and settle this shit once and for all. I lean forward in my chair, placing my hands on the top of my desk. “Yes, I have a girlfriend, and like I’ve told you before, Georgia, nothing is ever going to happen between you and me.”
“That wasn’t—”
“Don’t.” I hold up my hand, cutting her off, knowing she’s going to try to save face, because she’s embarrassed that I called her out. “If you can’t handle running my bar, being professional, and doing your job, tell me now. You can quit, or put in your two weeks’ notice, finish out your time, and find somewhere else to work.”
Her face pales, and her expression turns to one of stunned disbelief and pain, and I want to kick my own ass for not dealing with this situation sooner. Luke told me a long time ago that I needed to set her straight, but I figured if I didn’t give her any indication that I was even the slightest bit interested, she’d get over her crush and move on. Apparently, I was wrong.