Hopefully everyone will think twice about causing trouble when Hunters around. Right now he looks approachable and friendly, but the night I’d gotten in the middle of a fight and ended up punched in the face, he’d looked anything but friendly.
“I’ve got work to do on the computer.” Ruben kisses me again before removing his arm. “Stay safe babe.” And with those words he disappears as quickly as he arrived.
“Hmm. That was cozy,” Hunter observes.
I ignore him and spend the next hour serving drinks and drying glasses. Boring, I know. But I’d rather be doing this with the bar between me and everyone else. Safer.
I’m also unsure about Ruben. What is he up to with his show of affection after saying he’d give me space? Being totally confused about the guy is giving me a headache. I know it probably had something to do with me chatting to Hunter, but still.
Never mind, Liz says everything usually works its self out. This is one time I hope she’s right.
Finishing putting the glasses away on the shelf, I turn and come face to face with Simon. Thank God, his friend isn’t around. “What’s going on Rosie?”
“Um, I’m busy. Why? What’s wrong?” I mumble with a belly full of butterflies.
“I saw you loving up to Ruben. I’ve told you before that you need to stay away from him. You’re too young and too damn innocent to hang out with him.”
As though I don’t know that already. But it pisses me off that he thinks I’m an idiot and can’t work that out for myself.
“I’m well aware of that. Did you want anything else?” I just want him gone because I’ve had enough of him warning me away from Ruben.
His eyes narrow before he grins. “Yes. Bring two Americanos to my office, please.” Simon smirks and disappears toward his office while my stomach drops to my toes.
I’m presuming that’s where he’s disappeared to with his friend, which makes me want to hurl. There is no way I’m going into that office on my own with them two in there. I don’t trust Simon to protect me, and his friend looks at me as though he’d like to do something to me. And I don’t mean in a nice way.
Placing my hand over my stomach, I inhale and try to calm my nerves. I can do this. I can do this. It isn’t as though I can send Craig in there with the drinks once they’re made. He’d trip on his way in with nerves.
“I’ll take them,” Hunter says dragging me out of my panic. “Make the drinks Rosie and I’ll take them in there. Make some excuse for why you can’t.”
I want to jump at him and say yes please, but I can’t do that. This is my job and Hunter isn’t always going to be around to protect me. “I’ll manage, but thanks.”
“Rosie,” he waits until I meet his eyes before he continues, “this is non-negotiable.”
Shaking my head, I place my hand on his arm as he leans across the bar toward me. “I’ll let you open the doors for me, and you can wait for me to exit the office, but I need to take them in. I don’t want Simon thinking he can scare me off.”
Quickly making the coffees, I place them on a clean tray and add a small plate of handmade chocolates, which gets delivered directly from Marcella’s Sweet Treats twice a week. Shifting the coffee cup slightly on the tray, I take a deep breath unable to delay any longer. Lifting the tray, I walk toward the end of the bar. Hunter lifts the hatch for me and clears a path through to the back of the club and the offices.
He’s been here often enough that Hunter doesn’t need direction and with a quick look over his shoulder, he opens Simon’s door for me, and whispers, “I’ll keep the door open,” as I walk past him into the room.
Moving forward, I place the tray on the corner of Simon’s desk in the spot he’s removed his mess from. Without making eye contact with either man in the room, I turn and start to walk to the door seeing my escape insight.
“Hold up, Rosie,” Simon says.
My heart starts to thud in my chest. What the hell does he want now?
“You can go,” Simon dismisses Hunter.
“I’ll wait. Ruben’s asked me to escort her to his office.”
Has he?
“Hmm. Really.”
“Yes really,” Hunter replies holding his hand out for me. “Rosie, c’mon.”
I don’t need telling twice and dash out of the office and hear the door close as Hunter grabs my arm and pulls me around the back corner, out of sight.
“Breathe, Rosie.”
Hunter is standing in front of me trying to calm me down, but he’s making me more worked up. I was nervous about the guy before Hunter said anything to me, but he’s kind of made me more aware of them. And that, combined with my imagination, has me terrified. Taking a few deep breaths, I gradually start to calm down. Heat fills my cheeks as I realize that maybe I was a little stupid for reacting the way I did to Simon and that guy.
Simon has been around since I started working here so I’m just being ridiculous. No matter what, there is no way Simon would let any harm come to me.
“Are you okay, now?”
“I’m fine.” I push away from the wall. “I’m going to pop in and talk to Ruben.”