CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When the dishwasher had to go home for a family emergency, I offered to take his place. I wanted to avoid the extra attention. Time flew after that. Bins of dishes were pushed through the window. I hurried to wash them, get them dried, and back into place for the cook. After two more hours, it didn't look to be lessening, and I heard Heather sigh as she picked up the phone. She was calling in reinforcements. Another girl came in to be a server, and there was another cook in the kitchen. At one point, Heather stuck her head through the window to where I stood and asked if it was okay if I did dishes for the rest of the night.
I nodded. Hell, I was relieved.
At one point, the new server that I hadn't met snapped at me. I'd been stacking the dishes and didn't get out of her way fast enough. I ducked back into the kitchen, but heard Lily hiss, "Watch it, that's Mason Kade's girlfriend."
"What?" the new server exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"
Lily whispered to her, "Don't worry. She seems really nice."
"Oh." The girl mumbled something else to her, but I couldn't hear anymore. They moved away from my window.
"I thought you were a waitress?"
Mason stood in the back doorway with an odd grin. As he came closer, he reached for an apron and tied it around his waist. His eyes were glazed over.
I snorted, reaching for more plates to pile on the crate. "You're drunk."
He settled beside me and sighed. "Yeah, a bit." Then he bent down and placed a soft kiss on my shoulder.
I wanted to melt into him, and I did, for a second. Then I pulled away and began lining up the plates in their slots again. "Frank had to go home so I volunteered to take his place. What are you doing back here?"
He narrowed his eyes at me. "You like it back here, don't you?"
"Yeah," I confessed. "I kind of do."
He reached out and brushed some hair back from my forehead. When he leaned close again, I felt his lips there and snuggled against him.
"Employees only, Kade!" Heather rapped on the window. "Out."
He wrapped an arm around my waist. "Make me, Jax."
"Are you serious?" She shifted and one hand went to her hip.
I hid a grin at the movement. After watching her yesterday and today, that was what she did when she was all business. She'd shift back on her left heel, her hand went to her hip, and she narrowed her eyes at whoever was giving her trouble. Her elbow stuck out when she really meant business. She did it all now, but then threw both hands in the air. "Fine. Fine. Just actually help your girl. If you distract her and we get behind because we have no dishes, I'm throwing you out."
"Whatever."
"Don't think I won't call a few of Brad's buddies. They're bigger than you, Kade."
He chuckled but sighed when she narrowed her eyes again in a warning. "Fine. Yes, I'll help her. Why do you think I'm here?"
"You're here to see your girl. When your posse came in, she went back there so then you had to go back there to see her. I'm not a moron, Kade. I know why you're back there, and I don't want any sex going on in my diner. You hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"My diner, Kade!"
"I get it," he barked back now. "Your diner, your job. My girlfriend."
She stuck out her chin at him. "She's my worker and she's my friend."
Mason grew stiff beside me. I wasn't surprised when his next words came out as a threat, "I already told you I'll help her back here. If you keep talking to me like that, you and I are going to have a real problem."
I knew neither of these two would back down so I moved Mason to the back end of the dishwasher. Ignoring Heather's hawk-like scrutiny, I lifted the door and pulled out the crate that'd been washed. "You need to wait until they're all dry and then stack them in those places over there."
He glanced to where I pointed and nodded. All the other dishes were easy to see. As he started to dry, I went back to loading more dishes onto the crates to put through the washer. Heather hadn't moved.
"Sam," she started.
My hand shot in the air. "Don't. If I was dating Logan and he were back here, you wouldn't care. I know you don't like Mason, but I love him. He's being a good guy right now. If you think that I would let my relationship interfere with my job, then I need to show you that's not who I am. I am sorry about being late today, but you have my word it will never happen again."
Her hand fell from her hip again and her shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry. I was being a bitch." She chewed on her lip for a second before she gave me a sheepish grin. "I kind of think I'm in love with you myself. I get it now. I see why those two care so much about you." Her eyes twinkled in humor. "If I were a lesbian, I'd want you as my girlfriend. I have a straight boner for you, Sam. Hot damn."
Mason cursed behind me.
Her smile widened even more before she left.
When I heard a groan behind me, I turned. "What?"