Don't Hesitate Don't Hesitate (The Reluctant Heart Book 3) - Jeannette Winters Page 0,10
her arms. “And who is this Andrew guy? I mean, I don’t think I want you taking off for coffee with one of the…customers. He might think you’re a dancer and expect….well, a lot more than coffee, if you know what I mean.”
“I told him I work here,” I said.
“But you don’t!”
“Of course I do,” I said firmly.
“No. You own the place. There is a huge difference. But unless you were clear, Andrew thinks you’re a dancer. Not that you couldn’t be. God knows you’ve got the figure for it, and you’re gorgeous, but you’re no dancer.”
I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be an insult or compliment. “So what does this have to do with coffee?”
“Oh, have I taught you nothing? Men can be…”
“Pigs. I know. You drilled that into my head a long time ago. Heck, I was afraid to even date. But you married Uncle Carl. Was he a pig?” I wasn’t worried about the answer.
“Absolutely not!”
“And did you or did you not meet him here at the club?” I asked.
Trixi huffed. “I see that no matter what I say, you’re going to meet Andrew for coffee.”
I smiled. “But I appreciate you watching out for me.” I gave her a quick hug and said, “Thanks, Aunt Trixi. I’ll make it up to you.”
“The only thing you need to do is be safe.” Before I could make it out the door she asked, “You do have the pepper spray in your purse, right?”
“I don’t ever leave home without it.” And still never used it.
I wouldn’t need it for Andrew, either. I was a pretty good judge of character. Granted, he was hard to read, and kind of intimidating, but I didn’t feel threatened in the least. The guy struck me as some kind of businessman and from his accent, I’d bet he was a Bostonian. Maybe that’s why I said yes. Because my heart was still yearning to be there, instead of here in Bermoose.
It took me longer to convince Aunt Trixi that I was going to be okay than it did to drive to the diner. I was a little late, but when I went inside, Andrew was still sitting there sipping his coffee.
I made it over to his table and said, “Sorry. Trixi had to voice her concerns about me meeting you.”
“Really? And yet you’re still here.”
“It’s a public place. There’s no reason to be…afraid.”
He grinned. “I’m glad you’re not afraid of me. Because I was hoping we could talk.”
“I’d like that, too. We don’t get too many visitors from Boston here,” I said.
He raised a brow. “Did I mention where I’m from?”
“No, but I went to Boston University. I can spot a natural Bostonian anywhere.”
“You went to BU?” he asked.
I didn’t like the look of surprise on his face. “I did. And I plan on going for my master’s at Boston University. Or is that so hard to believe as well?”
“No. I’m…impressed. So if you went to BU, what on earth are you doing here? And please don’t tell me your parents need the money. You can make a hell of a lot more money in Boston than you can at the club,” he stated in a firm tone.
“You are correct. The wage would definitely be higher in Boston, but so is the cost of living. Anyway, there are some things more important than money. And before you continue, I wanted to let you know, I didn’t agree to meet so you could pass judgement on my decisions. Now if you’d like to discuss something else, I’d be happy to stay.” I sat back, satisfied. Andrew needed to know up front that even though I look tiny and fragile, I could handle myself.
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said.
I was used to it. One thing I found at BU was when people found out my hometown had less than three hundred residents, they treated me like I couldn’t even read. I could’ve been furious, but instead I set out to do something even worse in their eyes. I got a higher grade point average than they did.
And now I waste in running a strip club. Boy, I can only imagine what they’d say now. Probably the same thing Andrew was.
“So what brings you to Bermoose?” I asked.
“Business.”
Funny how he has a lot of questions, but very short answers. I’ll just have to keep them coming. “And what type of business are you in, Mr…..?”