Page 21 of Below Deck Billionaire
‘Because.’ Rufus wriggled his eyebrow. ‘I’m endearingly charming.’
Theo didn’t deign to answer as Tiffany waited for the conclusion. ‘Well?’ she demanded from the grinning men. ‘What happened next?’
‘With all the commotion,’ Rufus continued, ‘the thief decides to cut his losses and escape, leaving Theo with the bag.’
‘And once I had two hands,’ Theo said, supplying the rest, ‘I was able to disarm Ethel and give her bag back.’
Tiffany glanced in Theo’s direction. The funny anecdote had given her a break from the weight of his gaze, and she felt like she could breathe again. ‘Were you injured?’
‘Only his pride.’ Ben sniggered, which caused another round of laughter.
‘Oh, but you haven’t even heard the best bit.’ Rufus grinned anew. ‘Ethel insisted on rewarding him and wrote him a cheque for five pounds. Him.’ He pointed at Theo. ‘She refused to take no for an answer.’
Tiffany pressed her lips together at the thought of Theo, the heir to a Greek shipping line who’d just wrestled a frilly pink umbrella off an elderly woman, taking a paltry cheque for his troubles. ‘Did you spend it wisely?’
Theo rolled his eyes. ‘I donated it to a charity. Now’ – clearly done with the topic, he picked up his cards again – ‘if you’re ready, could we get back to finishing this game?’ He turned those blue eyes on Rufus. ‘I believe it’s your call.’
Rufus pushed all his chips into the centre. ‘I’ll see you and I’ll raise you all of this.’
Theo flipped his cards over to reveal his kings. Rufus grinned as he turned his over to reveal a whole lot of nothing. ‘You got me.’
Everyone groaned. ‘You suck at poker,’ Fabian muttered.
‘Yeah, but I excel at bluffing. Now.’ He picked up his glass of whisky and addressed his fellow guests. ‘I think it’s time we turned in for the night so poor Tiff can get to bed.’ Eyeballing each man individually – except Theo – he threw his drink down.
One by one, they followed suit, the heavy tumblers making soft thuds as they were placed on the padded felt edge of the card table. One by one they bade Tiffany goodnight. One by one they shuffled off.
Until there was just her and Theo.
8
Tiffany watched as Theo strolled to the bar, tumbler in hand, and helped himself to the decanter of whiskey that Kelly had left out before she’d knocked off for the night. She’d already cleared and washed up the used glasses, leaving only the tumblers for Tiffany to take care of before she finished her shift.
‘My hero,’ she murmured, forcing herself to be nonchalant as Theo poured amber fluid into the heavy crystal. The saloon was not a small room but it suddenly felt suffocating – certainly not big enough for the two of them as the sound of liquid splashing into his glass filled the silence.
He chuckled. ‘I think it would be slightly more heroic had I not been bashed with an umbrella by an old lady.’
Tiffany smiled as she picked up the tumblers that were sitting around the edge of the table. ‘But you got her bag back.’
Sure, the story had been amusing but also intriguing in that it had given her further insight into Theo. Maybe it had been reflexes or the foolhardiness of youth, but he’d done something, he’d acted, where a lot of people might not have – without any thought to the consequences.
That wasn’t nothing.
‘True,’ he conceded as he gestured to the decanter, his eyebrows raising in question. ‘You want one?’
Tiffany had learned in her teens if a woman wanted to hold her own with the guys on an outback property, she needed to know how to shoot whisky. And rum. After a half dozen tinnies. And that had held her in good stead for her partying around Europe stage and for the many, many parties held in crew bars on cruise ships.
It had also helped her forget what was happening at home. But this wasn’t that.
This was just a standard debrief session about how the night had gone. Could they improve on the experience for the guests or change anything up? Did Theo want to try anything different tomorrow night? Etcetera, etcetera.
‘No. Thank you.’
‘It’s okay,’ he murmured, a slight smile playing on that wicked mouth, his blue eyes dancing with humour below the fringe of his black brows. ‘You’re off the clock now.’
Off the clock or not, it was best not to lose any of her inhibitions around this man.
‘Thanks, but no.’ Glasses in hand, she crossed the saloon to the bar, giving Theo a wide berth as she slipped behind and placed her load beside the sink.
