Bad Rep
Page 76
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“Maysie!” I heard a screech as we went inside. The place was packed, not surprising. Though it was just Wednesday. I watched Jaz come hurrying toward me. She launched at me and gave me a hug.
“Girl, where have you been? I feel like it's been years since I've seen you!” she said, giving me a full lipped pout. I laughed.
“It's only been a few weeks, Jaz. I see you've survived though.” She looked kick ass gorgeous as always.
She looked over at Jordan and gave him a flirty smile. “Lookin' good hot stuff.” And she left it at that. Which shocked the hell out of me, considering she typically took every opportunity to plaster herself all over him. I must have been looking at her funny because she nudged me with her shoulder. “Honey, he's with you now, I'll back off.” She winked, tossing her hair. And with a waggling of fingers in our direction, she went back to work.
Jordan leaned down close to my ear. “Huh, if I had known being with you would keep her at bay, I would have hounded your ass a lot sooner.” I elbowed him playfully in the stomach.
“You know you love the adoration of your gazillion female fans,” I replied dryly. Jordan kissed just below my ear and squeezed my waist with his hand.
“I only care about the adoration of one particular female,” he murmured. Gah! He was almost too much sometimes.
Riley picked that particular moment to show up at the hostess station. “Hey guys! Jordan, the section is all yours.” She motioned for us to follow her and I looked questioningly at Jordan. He shrugged and gave me a toothy grin, putting his hand at the small of my back as we made our way toward the back of the restaurant.
Riley stopped at a booth. “Here ya go, I'll be back in a few with your drinks.” I looked around and saw that Riley's entire section was empty but for us. We were in the very back of the restaurant so despite the crowd, it was actually pretty intimate. Then I realized where she had led us. I looked up at Jordan and felt my stomach go all gooey. His eyes were soft as he watched me work it out.
“Have a seat, baby,” he said softly, waiting for me to slide into the booth. This was the booth where Riley and I had sat during our very first shift at Barton's. The first day I met Jordan. The first time I realized how crazy I was about him.
I looked over and saw a large vase of irises sitting on the table. I reached out to finger the petals. “These are my favorites,” I said, my heart close to bursting. Jordan smiled.
“I know. You always have some in a vase in your room.” I met his eyes and his literally sparkled back at me. Did this guy miss anything?
“Wow, you pay a lot of attention to the little stuff, huh?” I was sort of in shock. Jordan grabbed my hand across the table and laced our fingers together.
“I pay attention to absolutely everything about you, Mays.” I felt all tingly. This was turning into the best first date ever.
Riley came back a few minutes later with our drinks, even though I hadn't ordered anything. She put a Sam Adams in front of me and a Sierra Nevada IPA in front of Jordan. “Damn, I love this beer.” I said, immediately taking a long drink.
“I know,” was all Jordan said. Of course he did. Nothing got passed him.
I took another drink and looked over at Riley who was arranging salt and pepper shakers on her empty tables. “You must be taking a hit on tips in order to give us our own section,” I commented. Riley's eyes flicked over to Jordan and she gave a small smile.
“Eh, it's been taken care of.” I looked at Jordan and my eyes widened. He looked pleased with himself.
“I wanted my girl to have a special night. And I wanted you all to myself. So I took care of Riley in order to get that for you.” He said it like it was nothing. But I knew Riley could easily pull down $100 in tips during a busy dinner rush. I was sure Jordan made sure she was compensated for holding her other tables open. I didn't know what to say.
“Wow, who knew Jordan Levitt was such a romantic?” I teased, my hands a little shaky as I picked up my beer again.
Riley shot me a look that said “I-told-you-so,” she wiped her tables down and then turned to us. “I'll be back with your appetizers.”
Jordan and I drank our beers in silence for a few minutes. “Thanks, Jordan. I wasn't sure what to expect when you pulled up at Barton's. But this is seriously cool,” I admitted. Jordan shrugged.
“I wanted tonight to be special. And when I was racking my brain trying to think of somewhere to take you, I kept coming back to here. Because this is where it started for us. I couldn't think of a better place to take you. Back to where it all began.”
“Jeez, Jordan. You're killing me here,” I groaned, finishing my beer.
“You ain't seen nothin' yet, babe.” He smirked. God, was that Stairway to Heaven playing over the sound system? I sat remembering when he tried to teach me to play it. Shit, it totally was. Then Riley brought out the appetizers, which consisted of Barton's bread sticks and chicken wings. Both were my staples when I worked there. I had them almost every night after a shift, Jordan often joining me. He had seriously thought of everything.
I picked up a bread stick and bit off a portion. “Maybe the bread sticks weren't such a good idea.” Jordan's voice dropped low and his eyes were focused on my mouth as I put the bread stick in my mouth. He was practically smoldering so I made a show of sliding the long piece of bread between my lips. Who knew eating could be so dirty?
“Girl, where have you been? I feel like it's been years since I've seen you!” she said, giving me a full lipped pout. I laughed.
“It's only been a few weeks, Jaz. I see you've survived though.” She looked kick ass gorgeous as always.
She looked over at Jordan and gave him a flirty smile. “Lookin' good hot stuff.” And she left it at that. Which shocked the hell out of me, considering she typically took every opportunity to plaster herself all over him. I must have been looking at her funny because she nudged me with her shoulder. “Honey, he's with you now, I'll back off.” She winked, tossing her hair. And with a waggling of fingers in our direction, she went back to work.
Jordan leaned down close to my ear. “Huh, if I had known being with you would keep her at bay, I would have hounded your ass a lot sooner.” I elbowed him playfully in the stomach.
“You know you love the adoration of your gazillion female fans,” I replied dryly. Jordan kissed just below my ear and squeezed my waist with his hand.
“I only care about the adoration of one particular female,” he murmured. Gah! He was almost too much sometimes.
Riley picked that particular moment to show up at the hostess station. “Hey guys! Jordan, the section is all yours.” She motioned for us to follow her and I looked questioningly at Jordan. He shrugged and gave me a toothy grin, putting his hand at the small of my back as we made our way toward the back of the restaurant.
Riley stopped at a booth. “Here ya go, I'll be back in a few with your drinks.” I looked around and saw that Riley's entire section was empty but for us. We were in the very back of the restaurant so despite the crowd, it was actually pretty intimate. Then I realized where she had led us. I looked up at Jordan and felt my stomach go all gooey. His eyes were soft as he watched me work it out.
“Have a seat, baby,” he said softly, waiting for me to slide into the booth. This was the booth where Riley and I had sat during our very first shift at Barton's. The first day I met Jordan. The first time I realized how crazy I was about him.
I looked over and saw a large vase of irises sitting on the table. I reached out to finger the petals. “These are my favorites,” I said, my heart close to bursting. Jordan smiled.
“I know. You always have some in a vase in your room.” I met his eyes and his literally sparkled back at me. Did this guy miss anything?
“Wow, you pay a lot of attention to the little stuff, huh?” I was sort of in shock. Jordan grabbed my hand across the table and laced our fingers together.
“I pay attention to absolutely everything about you, Mays.” I felt all tingly. This was turning into the best first date ever.
Riley came back a few minutes later with our drinks, even though I hadn't ordered anything. She put a Sam Adams in front of me and a Sierra Nevada IPA in front of Jordan. “Damn, I love this beer.” I said, immediately taking a long drink.
“I know,” was all Jordan said. Of course he did. Nothing got passed him.
I took another drink and looked over at Riley who was arranging salt and pepper shakers on her empty tables. “You must be taking a hit on tips in order to give us our own section,” I commented. Riley's eyes flicked over to Jordan and she gave a small smile.
“Eh, it's been taken care of.” I looked at Jordan and my eyes widened. He looked pleased with himself.
“I wanted my girl to have a special night. And I wanted you all to myself. So I took care of Riley in order to get that for you.” He said it like it was nothing. But I knew Riley could easily pull down $100 in tips during a busy dinner rush. I was sure Jordan made sure she was compensated for holding her other tables open. I didn't know what to say.
“Wow, who knew Jordan Levitt was such a romantic?” I teased, my hands a little shaky as I picked up my beer again.
Riley shot me a look that said “I-told-you-so,” she wiped her tables down and then turned to us. “I'll be back with your appetizers.”
Jordan and I drank our beers in silence for a few minutes. “Thanks, Jordan. I wasn't sure what to expect when you pulled up at Barton's. But this is seriously cool,” I admitted. Jordan shrugged.
“I wanted tonight to be special. And when I was racking my brain trying to think of somewhere to take you, I kept coming back to here. Because this is where it started for us. I couldn't think of a better place to take you. Back to where it all began.”
“Jeez, Jordan. You're killing me here,” I groaned, finishing my beer.
“You ain't seen nothin' yet, babe.” He smirked. God, was that Stairway to Heaven playing over the sound system? I sat remembering when he tried to teach me to play it. Shit, it totally was. Then Riley brought out the appetizers, which consisted of Barton's bread sticks and chicken wings. Both were my staples when I worked there. I had them almost every night after a shift, Jordan often joining me. He had seriously thought of everything.
I picked up a bread stick and bit off a portion. “Maybe the bread sticks weren't such a good idea.” Jordan's voice dropped low and his eyes were focused on my mouth as I put the bread stick in my mouth. He was practically smoldering so I made a show of sliding the long piece of bread between my lips. Who knew eating could be so dirty?
