Page 31 of The Playboy and the Waitress

“Ugh, maybe some oats, or even a piece of toast, possibly with a side of Tylenol.”

“I’ll see what I can scrounge up while you get ready.” He leans down, kissing me gently before he walks out of the room and the first thing I think of is, ‘damn, I have drunk breath.’

I stand up on shaky legs, rubbing my temples, why did I do that to myself last night? I need to have my head straight this morning. After jumping around on one leg, I finally get smart and sit down on the floor to finish dressing. When I finally manage to crawl out of the floor, and head into the bathroom. I groan when I see my image in the mirror. I have dark circles under my eyes, and my hair looks like Witch Hazel’s from the morning cartoons.

I struggle to get my curls calmed down where I slept on them wet. Then I put some makeup on trying not to look like a walking drunk zombie. I need to get my ass moving since I still need to go get my car and get to my appointment on time.

“You going to make it back there?”

“I’m coming, hold your horses.” I walk towards the kitchen holding my hand over my eyes as the light feels like it’s going to splinter my brain.

“Here, sit down and get something in your belly, it will help. As soon as you get done I need to head out too. I have a final draft due on a side project this evening. And someone, I won’t mention who, has had me otherwise occupied and I’m behind.”

“Do you have plans tomorrow evening?”

“No, I should be free in the evenings as soon as I get this proposal approved. This is the first time I have stepped out of my parents’ realm taking a job of my own.”

“If something doesn’t come up, maybe you could run out around dinner time tomorrow. I should be off work around two. I’ll make you dinner.”

“Do I need to wear anything particular?”

“No, the nights have slowly been getting warmer this week, casual always works here, honey.”

“Too bad, I enjoyed the last time we were outside at night… with a blanket.”

“You’re a hopeless flirt.” I swallow what I can of the oats and stand up. “Ok, let’s go, I need to get my car and we are already pushing it on time.”

“Ladies first, as there seems to be a huge object blocking the way.”

Brutus is literally standing right in front of the steps. He hasn’t eaten my flowers and that’s shocking, but I can tell by the way the grass is all torn up that he has been standing here for quite some time. He turns his head our way as I walk out onto the porch.

“Brutus, my love, what are you doing away from all your girls?” I walk down the steps and rub his side affectionately. “You were worried about me weren’t ya, not many girls have such a handsome man to look after them. Come on, let’s get you back to your women. You are going to make them jealous of me if you stay out here.”

He follows me calmly to the gate. A gate… I can see he broke the lock on when he pushed his way through. Just as he steps through the gate, I see him look back towards Dage, blowing hard. I rub him again, getting his attention back on me. I close the gate behind him as he walks through it and towards his little harem or so I call them. I pull the lock through its latch and make a mental note to fix this as soon as I get home.

Dage walks up behind me. “I tried to get past him twice and he let me know real damn quick who was running the show around here. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had been here by myself.”

“I will show you a few tricks the next time you’re out. He knows he can bully you so that’s what he is doing.”

“I will say he is one hell of a guard cow. No one was getting in or out without his approval.”

“Guard bull.”

“Whatever. Cow, bull, rhinoceros, he is a big ass animal…I’m a small human male. Either way, I am on the losing end.”

“Your city boy ways are shining brightly right now.”

“Get your country ass in the car.”

CHAPTER14

Dage drops me off at Alecia’s, kissing me goodbye with a kiss that practically has me melting in the street. That man’s mouth should have a warning label on it. I start up the glow monster and head to mom and dad’s lawyer dreading every minute of it.

I had to wear my work clothes because my shift starts at noon, and I feel like a bum sitting here in this luxurious office.

The secretary coming out startles me. “Mr. Geisinger will see you now.”

I take a deep breath and tell myself that no matter what it is, I will figure it out.

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