He laughed. “It’s not like that. The club owns a couple of businesses, which means the president and VP sometimes have to fill in to cover a shift. That’s why I was working at the bar last night.”
“That’s right. You mentioned being short-staffed,” I recalled.
“Yep. We’ve got a few interviews set up for this week. If we could get one or two halfway competent people in there, things would be fine, at least during the week when it’s not as busy.”
“Gotcha. But we still need to eat. Do you have any other suggestions?” I asked and placed my hand over my empty stomach, hoping it wouldn’t growl like the beast it was.
He smirked. “After last night and working all day, I’m beat. How about we order room service? Maybe watch a movie, while soaking in that bougie ass bathtub.”
Dinner, a movie, and a bath with Bronze. Yes, please. “Sounds like a good plan to me. Let me know what you want, and I’ll call it in,” I said and passed the menu to him.
After we made our choices and placed our order, he asked a question I should have been prepared for. “I didn’t get a chance to ask what brought you to Devil Springs last night.”
Just like the giant dork that I was, I started to gasp and promptly choked when I inhaled a tiny bit of saliva. Then, I proceeded to cough and cough until I was red-faced with mascara smeared under my eyes, all the while thanking the stars above that I didn’t pee in my pants.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” I choked out and ran to the bathroom to get a drink of water and attempt to fix my face. I didn’t wear makeup often, and when I did, I didn’t wear a lot of it. But, I had put on the basics in case he came back.
“Sorry about that. I guess I swallowed wrong. I hate when that happens.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Because there’s not shit you can do about it.” Thankfully, he gave me a few more minutes to compose myself before he asked again, “So, what brought you to Devil Springs? Are you here on business?”
“Yes!” I almost shouted. I hadn’t planned on meeting anyone other than my sister, and her family if she had any, which meant I hadn’t bothered to make up a cover story. However, he inadvertently gave me an excuse for being in town as well as a way to ask about Heidi and Paige. “I am here for work, and you might be able to help me.”
Spreading his arms along the back of the sofa, he leaned back and grinned. That damn dimple of his popped up, and I swear it winked at me. “Whatever you need, I’m at your service.”
“Behave,” I laughed and playfully swatted his chest.
“Only for a little while. Because where’s the fun in that?” he returned. “Now, how can I help you?”
I sat back and picked at the stray lint, so I didn’t have to look him in the eye while I lied to his face. “I’m here looking for someone, but I haven’t been able to find her. That’s actually why I was at the bar last night. She listed Precious Metals as her place of employment.”
“Who’re you looking for?”
“Heidi Coleman.”
Recognition and something I couldn’t put my finger on washed over his face for a flash before he masked it. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Heidi’s no longer an employee at Precious Metals.”
“Oh,” I gasped in disappointment, but I refused to let it deter me. “Do you know where I can find her? Or Paige?”
He shook his head while his brow furrowed in confusion. “No, they haven’t been around for months.”
“What?” I almost shrieked. “Where did they go?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. They didn’t leave a forwarding address when they moved.”
6
“They moved?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Yeah, Paige moved first,” I paused and tried to think back. “I guess it was around five months ago. Then, Heidi left about a month later.”
Her shoulders slumped while disappointment filled her beautiful eyes. “What am I going to do now?”
“Why are you looking for them again?” I asked. I thought she’d said she was here for work, but her reactions seemed to be of a personal nature.
Before she could answer, there was a knock on the door, followed by, “Room Service.”
Even though it was her room, I got up to answer the door. “I’ve got