Page 9 of Mister Daddy
Suddenly, the bartender asks our group if we need another round, and I order another scotch on the rocks. “Put theirs on my tab,” I order him. “The executive suite.”
Jessica bounces back quick and grins. “In that case, I’ll take a vodka tonic, but make it the good stuff. You know, top shelf Gray Goose and not the anonymous liquor brought in from Romania.”
Really? This girl is pushing it within the first five minutes. The bartender raises a brow in my direction, asking if that’s okay, but I shrug and hand over my card. After all, it doesn’t really matter. When you have ten figures to your name, paying for drinks isn’t really an issue. The bartender nods, keeping his voice even.
“On it, boss,” the bartender says, running my card through his register. At least this guy doesn’t act like I’m some kind of king. He doesn’t bother amping up his smile nor his customer service skills. He’s not rude to the guests, but he’s not overly nice, either. The bartender is acting exactly how I expect a bartender to act. Though he needs to keep his eyes off of Abby’s chest area. He needs to keep his eyes off all of the girls’ chest areas, actually.
“So, Mr. Cruise Ship Owner,” the other friend, Caitlyn, says. “You never answered Abby’s question. Why are you down here?”
“Carter, please,” I tell her. “And I did answer. I’m here checking on things. Making sure the place is running smoothly.”
She raises a brow. “Really? That’s the answer you’re going with?”
The bartender slides our drinks onto the bar unobtrusively. I like this guy already.
Caitlyn, Jessica, and Abby sip their drinks and watch me carefully. I’m not sure what they’re looking for, but I hope they find it. Unless it’s a bad thing. Then I hope they don’t find it.
“It’s the truth,” I finally answer. “I like to pop in unannounced to make sure my people are doing a good job. The guests matter, and if anyone is unhappy with the service, I look bad.”
Caitlyn laughs. “How admirable. You sure there’s not another reason why you’re lurking in a bar?”
She’s got me there. I lift my drink toward her in a toast, but I slide my eyes over to Abby. “I might also be admiring the view.”
There’s barely any light in this club, but I can still see Abby’s blush. The light pink calls my attention to the small amount of make-up on her face. I’m glad she hasn’t caked it on like her friends because she’s a natural beauty. The black lines around her eyes make the chocolate brown pop, and the blue coloring on her eyelids matches her dress, but she still looks simple. Like she didn’t put a ton of time into her appearance and doesn’t care if people notice. I love her look.
“See anything you like?” Abby asks suddenly, chewing on her straw seductively. I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol making her so brave or if she’s normally this forward, but either way, it’s making my pants very uncomfortable.
“Absolutely,” I tell her, keeping my voice low. “How about you?”
She grins. “The jury’s still out on that one.”
I can’t help but laugh. This girl is going to make me work for her. With anyone else, I’d give up and move on, but Abby is different. I ignored a work call just to look at her. I have to see this one through.
“So, Carter,” Caitlyn says. “Do you always greet your ship guests like this, or are we special?”
“A little bit of both,” I admit. “I always talk to a few guests when I’m spying on my employees, but this isn’t about work. I’m talking to you girls for pleasure.”
Abby lets out a low gasp, so soft I barely hear it. Her friends watch the two of us, their eyes darting from me to Abby and back to me. Now would be a good time for my mind-reading super power to kick in. Are they about to pull Abby away from me like girls do when guys creep them out? Or are they going to encourage Abby to go back to my room?
Please, let it be the second one.
I down the rest of my scotch, letting the alcohol burn my throat. I’m nowhere near drunk from my two drinks of the evening, but I don’t want to be. When I take Abby down to my quarters, I want to be fully coherent. I need to feel every inch of her as I…
“Mr. Jones, are you in need of anything?”
Vanessa the waitress intrudes again on my vivid imagination.
“I’m fine,” I say tightly. “Thank you for asking.”
Dang, there is such a thing as service that’s too good. She lingers a few seconds too long before disappearing back into the crowd to tend to her tables. I roll my eyes and wish I had more scotch to gulp down.
“Friend of yours?” Abby asks.
Another eyeroll. “Employee. She found out my name, and now she thinks it’s her personal mission to ensure that I have everything I could possibly need. I bet if I asked her to get me a plate from the buffet, she’d go.”
Abby laughs. “A fan, then?”
“Probably looking for a promotion. Or a raise. For the record, I don’t make those decisions. I can recommend them, but I don’t do it often. And I would never send someone to fetch me food. I’ve got two legs and two arms for that.”