The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (41 page)

As he lifted his menu, a flash of red caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He glanced to his right and found himself looking at the back of whom he assumed would be their server. Her vibrant red hair was arranged in an artful design secured at the nape of her long, graceful neck. She wore the crisp, white, long-sleeved blouse, tailored black vest, and conforming black skirt that the other female servers did. Her long legs ended in practical black shoes with wedges for heels.

His attention shifted as he tuned into the conversation taking place between the server and the forty-something female at the table next to his and Wyatt’s. The woman’s tone was brisk and rude as she picked apart the menu and custom-ordered every part of her three-course meal. Cole probably would have stabbed her in the eye with a fork if he’d been dealing with her, but the server kept her cool and remained polite and friendly. She even repeated the woman’s complicated order to confirm it before she turned to greet him and Wyatt.

He registered that she was pretty, which would only enhance his dinner experience in his opinion. Then she smiled at Wyatt. He realized that “pretty” had been a sad understatement on his part. He also realized that for the first time in longer than he could remember, a female was more excited over his brother’s presence than his. He wasn’t sure how that sat with him.

She hadn’t appeared to recognize him when she introduced herself. He guessed she wasn’t a sports fan. While her tone was professionally friendly when she addressed him, it lacked the same level of warmth she’d used with Wyatt. She clearly had boundaries. For some reason, that only piqued his interest.

When she excused herself and turned back to the table beside them, his gaze followed her.

“Yes, ma’am,” Everly said. “What can I do for you?”

“You can go and place our orders like you said you were going to,” the woman snapped. “Our business may not mean much to you, but we could have spent our hard-earned money elsewhere for this level of service.”

Cole frowned. He noticed that all of their drinks were nearly full and the table had a basket of different kinds of rolls on it. What the hell was wrong with the service?

“Of course,” Everly replied. “I apologize. I’ll bring your appetizers right out.”

“You’d better.”

Everly turned and walked toward the kitchen. Cole continued to stare at the woman glaring darts in Everly’s back. She started commenting on everything she found wrong with Everly and Prix Fixe as the other people at her table mumbled soft responses.

“Just ignore it, Cole,” Wyatt said as a young man carrying a water pitcher approached to fill their water glasses. “That kind of thing happens all the time.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s right,” Cole retorted, but he shrugged it off. Not his problem. “Rowan’s got a great place here. Thanks for dragging me out.”

Wyatt lifted a corner of his mouth after thanking the water server. “You’re welcome.”

“Is it always this packed?”

“Prix Fixe does a good amount of business. This is the time of year Rowan’s been waiting for, though. Holiday dinners, engagements, post-shopping indulgences...it all means a huge bump to the bottom line.”

“Nice.” Cole took a sip of water and nearly jumped when Everly appeared at his elbow with his cocktail and a basket of bread. “You’re like a ninja,” he told her.

One of her red eyebrows curved up. He was pretty sure he saw humor in her gaze.

“I get that a lot,” she said. “Here are some fresh rolls for you. There’s herbed butter and infused olive oil on the table that serve as delicious accompaniments to the bread. Have you gentlemen had a chance to review the menu?”

“I haven’t even looked at it,” Cole admitted. “What do you recommend?”

She appeared thoughtful. “Judging by your cocktail of choice, I’d recommend the crab risotto, braised boneless short ribs, and pumpkin pecan tart with a whiskey butter drizzle.”

He grinned. “That sounds amazing. Let’s roll with it.”

“Great.” She turned to Wyatt. “Rowan said you’ll love the scallops today.”

“Sign me up,” Wyatt said. “The risotto sounds good, too. Something chocolate for dessert.”

“Of course,” she said with another of her smiles. “I’ll be back shortly with those appetizers.”

Although she moved off to check on her other tables, Cole somehow sensed that she would get their orders right. The sharp look in her eye convinced him. He found himself wanting her to come back so he could look into those eyes again. They were an almost unnatural shade of blue-green. She probably wore colored contacts to achieve that brilliant turquoise color.

“Enchanting, isn’t she?” Wyatt said, following his gaze. “Such a lovely young woman.”

“She only shared her real smile with you,” Cole observed, watching her interact with the other patrons. “It’s more reserved with everyone else.”

Including me
, he silently added.

“Everly reserves her genuine feelings for those she cares about. Here at the restaurant, she’s just doing her job.”

The other patrons didn’t seem to notice, Cole realized. They interacted with her in a way that said they thought she was doing a great job. Well, everyone but the nutty woman at the next table.

“As you probably noticed, I arranged for us to be seated in Everly’s section,” Wyatt went on.

“Sure I noticed,” Cole said, taking a sip of his Jack and Coke. “My stomach ate my left leg while we sat in the waiting area.”

Wyatt reached for a roll. “I thought it might be helpful for you to get a sense of Everly, so this seemed the best way to do that.”

“Get a sense of her for what?”

Glancing pointedly at the glass as Cole again sipped his drink, Wyatt said, “For providing you what you need to relieve your pain without resorting to that.”

“A
re you shitting me right now?”

“No, Cole. I am not, in fact, shitting you.”

Cole wasn’t sure whether to get steamed over his brother’s sober-faced response or to laugh, so he took another swig of his drink instead. His gaze moved to Everly as she walked out from the kitchen with one of the kitchen staff, each of them carrying trays of food to the table next to theirs. He studied her as she supervised the distribution of the appetizers, remembering who ordered what and ensuring everyone had what they needed to enjoy this part of their meal. Another server carried a tray containing drink refills, which Everly also distributed. Only when the table agreed that everything looked perfect did she turn to another table.

She certainly was efficient and paid attention to detail, he’d give her that. Still, pinning his athletic future on this young waitress didn’t sit well. Not at all.

“Has she even graduated from high school?” he asked, his gaze not moving from her as she checked on a couple enjoying their desserts. “She doesn’t even look old enough to serve alcohol in most states.”

“And here I always thought Everly was years beyond her age,” Wyatt murmured.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Everly will be twenty-three on February tenth.”

That seemed like a personal detail for his brother to know off the top of his head. It finally drew Cole’s attention back to him. “How do you know that?”

Wyatt finished his bread and drank some of his water before saying, “Try a roll. The carbs won’t kill you, and even if they do, it’ll be well worth it.” He waited until Cole complied before continuing. “I’ve worked with Everly for a couple of years now. She’s close to earning her doctorate in physical therapy at GSU. It’s one of the top programs of its kind. She’s the youngest student I’ve ever seen enter it. She got special permission to take college courses while she was still in high school, and finished her bachelor’s degree by the time she turned twenty. With her stellar academic record and years of volunteer work in sports rehab, she was a shoe-in for the DPT program. From the first class I taught her, I’ve admired her focus and determination.”

Having entered the majors at the age of twenty after serving only one year in the minors, Cole could appreciate that. Young and talented was a familiar combination. But the last thing he’d envisioned when sighting Everly was having her work with him in a professional capacity.

“I still don’t see why you can’t reach out to a doctor you know who might want to make some cash on the side,” Cole pressed, dipping his roll into the rather addicting olive oil mixture. “Someone experienced who wouldn’t mind putting in some overtime.”

“Cole, most of my colleagues work sixty to eighty-hour weeks and make enough money that you probably couldn’t tempt them if you threw in a two-week vacation to Dubai.”

Cole frowned into his drink before tossing it back. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his shoulder. The alcohol lessened it, but it was always there.

“I’m not saying that one of them wouldn’t be tempted,” Wyatt continued, “but I don’t want to put them in a position where they have to basically lie in order to treat you.”

“It’s not a lie,” Cole argued. “I’m just asking them not to tell anyone about it.”

“And if they’re confronted by someone snooping into their outside dealings?”

“What they do in their own time—”

“Oh, you know better than that,” Wyatt interrupted.

“Can I get you gentlemen anything?” Everly asked, making Cole jerk. Where had she come from? She held a water pitcher and filled Wyatt’s glass.

He caught her gaze and held it. Yep, she wore contacts. He could see the faint outline of them. Why the hell did he care?

“I’ll take another Jack and Coke,” he said at last.

“Of course. I’ll be right back with your drink. The appetizers should be out in just a minute.”

When she moved over to clear some plates from the table next to theirs, Cole looked back at Wyatt. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to receive treatment by a student, Wy, genius or not. What if she screws up my arm even worse than it is?”

“Then you’ll get treated by a proper specialist, which you should do in the first place.”

Cole narrowed his gaze. “That’s not funny.”

“Hey, I’m just telling you like it is. You’re the one who thinks it’s worth risking under-the-table treatment in order to garner top dollar on your next contract.”

That wasn’t the only reason he was so concerned about keeping up appearances in regards to his physical health, but he let it pass. He knew how the business worked. There was no way he was going to come out to the public about his shoulder. Not if there was an alternative.

“What about another student?” Cole insisted. “Someone further along in their studies?”
Preferably some Poindexter who doesn’t look so good in a skirt
, he thought.

Wyatt shook his head. “There isn’t anyone more experienced than Everly. She might still be a couple of semesters from earning her doctorate, but she could pass the needed courses with flying colors right now. I’d wager that girl has more practical experience in her field than any doctoral student at GSU.”

They stopped conversing when Everly walked up with a tray. She placed their bowls of crab risotto in front of them, as well as Cole’s drink. The smell of the food was amazing.

“Is there anything else I can get you two right now?” she asked.

“No, I think we’re good here, thanks,” Wyatt said.

“All right. You know how to reach me if you think of anything.”

This time she winked at Wyatt before she walked away. Cole couldn’t deny the strange resentment he felt that the wink wasn’t for him. He shook his head at himself. Finding a hot date hadn’t ever been a problem. He didn’t need to worry about that right now.

“I feel like you’re forcing me into this decision,” he told Wyatt, picking up a fork and stabbing his risotto with it.

Wyatt’s brown eyes leveled on his. “Cole, I’ve reviewed the scans we took when you were in the hospital. You should have started treatment weeks ago to get ready for the season. If you feel like I’m forcing you into this decision, well, that’s probably because I am. You’ve got three choices: don’t do anything and deal with the pain, go public about the injury and seek the services of a specialist...or Everly.”

*    *    *

“W
hat are you, stupid?”

The loud question had Everly turning from table twenty and finding the blonde woman’s gaze centered on her. After issuing a few words to the guests at twenty, she stepped over to the blonde woman.

“I’m sorry,” Everly said. “Are you speaking to me?”

“Of course I’m speaking to you,” the woman spat. “I specifically asked for the halibut to be prepared without peppers and with extra heirloom tomatoes, and I wanted the baby artichokes substituted for the asparagus as my side. You had them serve me fish covered in peppers with no tomatoes and some kind of spinach. This must be someone else’s plate.”

Everly barely had time to react before the woman shoved her plate at her. Fortunately, she managed to stop the hot food from progressing beyond the front of her uniform and onto the floor. Still, the damage had been done. She couldn't work her shift in this condition.

“My apologies, ma’am,” Everly said, holding the plate in front of the enormous stain and maintaining her calm veneer by the skin of her teeth. She noticed that all of the people at the table looked embarrassed, none of them meeting her in the eye.

“You apologize a lot,” the woman said, doing the hair flip again. “That certainly tells me a lot about how well you do your job. A good waitress would do things right the first time.”

Drawing forth an image of her grandpa to help keep her from clocking the woman with the plate, Everly nodded once. “I’ll be right back with your halibut prepared with only fresh heirloom tomatoes and a side of baby artichokes. Does anyone else need anything?”

“Just go,” the woman said, shooing her with a wave of her hand. “I hate being the last one still eating.”

“Absolutely.”

Everly walked to the back of the house with the plate covering her uniform. The moment she stepped out of view of the dining room, the plate was taken from her by Anne.

“She did exactly what you predicted and added the plate toss as a topper for her act,” Anne said, shaking her head in anger. “She’s a doozy. Jonathan has your spare uniform in the first stall of the ladies room. I’ll do a drive-by of your tables while you change.”