Читать книгу The Way You Love Me - Donna Hill - Страница 9

Chapter 1

The stack of overdue notices glared accusingly up at Bailey from the backdrop of her wobbly kitchen table. Credit cards. Car payment. Student loans. Overdraft fees. They all read the same: “Dear Ms. Sinclair: Overdue. Demand for payment. Respond in ten days.” One after the other. What was not in the pile was what she needed most—the scholarship letter that would pave the way for her to return to law school in the fall.

She’d applied for every scholarship that she could conceivably be eligible for but had yet to receive a positive response. For years she’d put her life on hold for her family. This was her time, but now with the fall semester beginning in just over four months, her goal of completing her law degree was becoming more of a dream than a reality.

Bailey stuck the notices back in their envelopes and stared out of her third-floor apartment window at the approaching dusk that had turned the horizon into a soft rosey hue. She drew in a long breath. Sitting there wishing things were different wasn’t going to get the bills paid. She had a job to get to, and her shift at the Mercury Lounge would not wait for her. She pushed back from the table, and it rocked in response.

The Mercury Lounge was the hub for the who’s who of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On any given night the patrons ranged from the average customer to politicians, business entrepreneurs, and entertainment and sports figures. She enjoyed her job. Meeting new people, listening to their stories and their problems fed her legal mind, and, of course, there were the regulars who came in to simply get free advice. Too bad that enjoying what she did for a living wasn’t enough to keep her afloat.

Fortunately, she had her side hustle with her best friend, Addison Matthews, whose business was catering parties for the rich and fabulous. The extra income certainly helped, but it was no longer enough.

Addison swore that if Bailey would loosen up and give a play to one of those sexy, wealthy men that were always hitting on her, she could put an end to the demand notices and collection calls and return to school. Not to mention the perks of having a man to warm that big empty bed of hers at night. Bailey had stopped listening to Addison. She knew all too well what running after money could do. It destroyed lives, and the trait ran in her family like a string of corrupted DNA, and she vowed to break the chain. That meant doing it on her own no matter how difficult that might be.

Bailey grabbed her purse, a light jacket and her keys then headed out, hoping on her way downstairs that her ten-year-old Honda—that was five years old when she bought it—would start, just as the ringing of her cell phone slowed her steps. She glanced at the name on the face of the phone. Her sister Tory. Her stomach knotted.

“Hey, sis.” She threw up a silent prayer. “What’s up?”

“Hi, Bailey. I know you’re probably getting ready for work.”

“I’m on my way out the door.”

“Um, you know I hate to ask...”

“What is it, Tory? What do you need?”

“You don’t have to say it like that,” she whined petulantly.

Bailey silently counted to ten. “What do you need, sis?”

“I’m behind on my rent.”

“Again? Tory...”

“I just had more expenses than I thought this month.”

“More shopping and partying.”

“That’s not fair!”

“How much, Tory?”

“Twelve-hundred dollars.”

Bailey’s jaw tightened. She did a quick calculation in her head. Giving her sister twelve hundred dollars would dig deep into her savings, set her back on her own plans. But Tory was her younger sister, and she swore when their mother died that she would take care of her sisters, no matter what. “Fine. I’ll put a check in the mail.”

“Thank you, Bailey. I really appreciate it. I swear I’m going to do better, sis.”

“Sure. Listen, I gotta go.”

“Okay. Thanks again. Love you.”

“Bye, Tory.” She disconnected the call, and her shoulders slumped.

* * *

Bailey arrived at the Mercury Lounge, and the instant that she stepped through the doors she felt the energy and knew that it would be a busy night. Busy was good. Busy meant plenty of customers and lots of tips. She finger-waved and lifted her chin in salute to several of her coworkers as she strolled through the lowest level of the tri-level venue. She still had about an hour before her shift started and plenty to do until then.

Although she was originally hired as a mixologist three years earlier, the owner, Vincent Mercury, “saw something” in Bailey, and when an opportunity presented itself, he offered her the assistant manager spot with a nice bump in her salary. Combined with her duties of running the bars, things started looking up for her financially. That all changed, with one thing after the other.

“Vince in back?” Bailey asked Kim, the Friday night hostess.

“He went upstairs to check on the setup in the private dining room. We have that party tonight.”

Bailey squeezed her eyes shut for an instant. She’d totally forgotten. “Right.” She should have come in earlier. “Guess I’d better get busy.” She continued on toward the back offices tucked along a narrow corridor. She dug her keys out of her purse and unlocked her makeshift office that had been transformed from a storage room that was about a half inch bigger than a walk-in closet. The tight space was big enough for a desk the size of a small kitchen table, two chairs and a six-drawer file cabinet. She’d had the room painted white and hung a floor-to-ceiling mirror on one wall to give the illusion of space. A couple of potted plants, two wall paintings and a framed photo of her and her siblings made the space cozy without feeling overcrowded.

Bailey unlocked her desk drawer, put her purse in and locked it again. She opened the cover of her laptop and powered it up. The first thing that she needed to check was that all the staff that was scheduled for the night shift was accounted for and had not called out. Then she had to plan the scheduling for the week, verify the details for an upcoming local company luncheon and approve an order for linens that was requested by the floor manager. By the time she was done, it was about fifteen minutes before her shift at the bar was to begin, but she wanted to make a quick stop up to the private dining room and make sure that Vince didn’t need her for anything before she got behind the bar.

* * *

The private dining room was on the third level. One wall was glass and looked out over the city’s horizon. The space seated fifty comfortably, and for bigger events one wall retracted to join the next room that could accommodate another one hundred guests.

When Bailey got off the escalator the waitstaff was fully engaged in preparation. She spotted Vince on the far side of the room, giving directions while checking his clipboard.

“Hey, looks like you have everything under control,” she said, sidling up to him.

He barely glanced up at her over the rim of his glasses. “There’s always something that doesn’t get done,” he said, and his tone clearly relayed his annoyance.

“What happened?”

“The centerpieces were supposed to be crystal goblets with white orchids floating in water.” His brow cinched as he ran his hand through his golden-blond hair.

Bailey looked at the centerpieces, which were lovely but clearly not what Vincent requested. Instead, they were long-stemmed calla lilies in slender vases. And she realized immediately what the issue was. Even though the centerpieces were beautiful to look at, the size and type of flower obstructed the diners’ views of each other at the table. Bailey folded her arms and tried to think of an option.

“I have an idea.” She didn’t wait for Vincent to respond. She began giving instructions to the staff to take the centerpieces off the tables, load them onto a cart and two of them were to come with her to the basement storage room. She pulled out her cell phone and called Addison.

“Hey, Addie, listen, we’re in a bind. Remember those goblets that you used for your last catering job?”

“Yep. What’s up?”

“I need to use them for tonight. We still have them in our storage room here at the Mercury Lounge.”

“Sure. Not a problem. You didn’t need to call me for that.”

“I wanted to make sure it was okay.”

“Listen, I appreciate you being able to hold on to my stuff for me. With the catering jobs getting bigger and bigger, I’m running out of space in my apartment. Even though it’s been more cost-effective to purchase what I need instead of renting, it’s taking a toll on my square footage.” She laughed.

“I hear that. Anyway, thanks, girl. Gotta run.”

“Talk to you later.”

Once they reached the storage room in the basement, Bailey instructed the staff to box up the vases after removing the calla lilies. She laid the plants out on a long table, found a pair of scissors and started cutting the lilies down to size. Shortly after, the lilies were floating in the goblets and were being placed back on the tables.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Vincent said, his gray eyes crinkling at the corners with his smile. He gave her quick kiss on the cheek.

Bailey blinked in surprise. “Drive yourself crazy.” She patted his shoulder. “I have to get downstairs. My shift has already started.”

“Thanks again,” he called out.

She waved away his thanks and hurried off, pushing the impromptu cheek kiss to the back of her mind.

By the time Bailey returned to the ground level, the line for the early diners to be seated had grown. Every stool at the bar was taken, and the two bartenders were working their magic.

Bailey came around to the entrance of the bar. “Hey, Mellie, hectic already, I see,” she said and took her black apron from the hook and tied it around her waist.

“Girl, you would think this was the last stop in town,” she joked. She poured a splash of top-shelf rum over ice, dropped in a slice of lime and spun away toward her customer.

Bailey took a quick inventory of supplies and made sure that the snack bowls on the counter were freshened and full. Then she went to work, mixing and joking with the customers. She loved the teasing games she played with them, especially her regulars. It was all harmless fun, and it made the evenings fly by. And, of course, there were the more serious-minded conversations on politics, religion, cheating spouses and significant others and the customary legal questions. It all came with the territory.

She’d been going nonstop for about an hour when two seats in her section opened. One was quickly occupied. She took a cloth from beneath the bar counter and walked over to her new customer. She did what she always did: wiped down the counter, placed a bowl of snacks on the bar, shot him with her best smile and took his order.

“Welcome to the Mercury Lounge. What can I get for you?”

Carl Hurley scooped up a handful of nuts and tossed them in his mouth. He chewed slowly. “I’m actually waiting on my buddy until our table is ready. But how ’bout a Corona while I wait?”

“Not a problem.”

She turned away and went to get the beer and a glass. When she returned, the empty seat was occupied, and the two men were in an animated conversation. She was all ready to get into her routine when he turned and looked at her. Something hit her, like a flash or a shock or something; she couldn’t be sure. And for a moment she didn’t breathe when the light caught in his eyes, and he smiled. Not a full smile but halfway, just the corner of his mouth. She blinked and placed the bottle of beer and glass in front of her customer and forced herself to concentrate.

“Good evening. And what can I get you?”

The dark of his eyes moved really slowly over her face, and every inch that was exposed to his perusal heated. The pulse in her throat tripled its beat.

“Hmm, bourbon. Neat. Four Roses.”

“Coming right up.” She spun away, and her knees were gelatin-shaky. She drew in a breath and scanned the shelf for the bottles of bourbon, missing them twice before she recognized them for what they were. At least the glasses were right in front of her. She brought the glass and the bottle of Four Roses bourbon and placed the glass in front of him. “Say when.”

The warm brown liquid slid from the mouth of the bottle into the wide opening of the glass with a bare splash. The heady aroma aroused the senses.

“When...”

Bailey took her eyes away from what she was doing, and her gaze bumped right against his. She lightly ran her tongue across her bottom lip as she watched him bring the glass to his nose. Inhaled. Nodded. Took a sip. “Perfect.”

“Let me know if you gentlemen need anything else.” She managed to tug herself away from his magnetic pull.

“You okay?” Mellie asked as she dumped glasses in the sudsy water.

“Yeah, why?”

“You seem distracted. Not your usual bouncy self.”

“I’m good. A few things on my mind, that’s all.”

Mellie studied Bailey for a moment then shrugged. “Cool. I’m going to take my break as soon as things slow down.”

“Sure.”

“Wow, that guy down on the end is hot,” she said under her breath.

“Who?”

“Your customer. The one with the open-collar white shirt, no tie. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

Bailey’s heart thumped. “I try not to.”

“Girl, you must be angling for sainthood. Give me a minute with him.” She slid her eyes in his direction.

Bailey sputtered a laugh. “You need to stop.”

“And why would I do that?” she teased, emphasizing every word.

Bailey shook her head in amusement and went back to work.

* * *

Justin Lawson took a sip of his drink. His gaze kept drifting back to the woman who’d served him, subtly following her every move. “How long did they say we’d have to wait for a table?”

“At least a half hour. Didn’t think we needed a reservation.”

Justin glanced around. The lounge was pretty full with more patrons waiting to be seated. This was the first time he’d been to the Mercury Lounge. He’d heard good things about it, but he wanted to check it out before he brought Jasmine here.

“How is that case coming that you were working on?”

Carl sucked up a laugh. “It’s a mess.” He tossed back the rest of his beer straight from the bottle. “The usual corporate back room dirty deals, everyone trying to outmaneuver the other.” He shook his head.

Justin, like Carl, was an attorney. Both of them worked for one of the biggest law firms in Louisiana, and they both were working hard on the side to launch Justin’s nonprofit—The Justice Project—something that his father, Senator Branford Lawson, wasn’t pleased about.

What is it about my sons, Branford had boomed at the last family gathering. I build a legacy for them, pave the way for them and they go off and do what the hell they want anyway. If their father had his way, both he and his older brother, Rafe, would be embroiled in the political quagmire of Washington, DC. Rafe preferred the life of a jazz musician and womanizer. Justin always believed it was just Rafe’s way to piss their father off. But at least Justin, to appease his father, had agreed to take the position at the law firm Lake, Martin and Dubois, which is where he’d met Jasmine Dubois.

“Are you finished with the depositions?” Justin asked. He was almost done with his drink. He peered down the length of the bar to get Bailey’s attention.

“Should be completed by the end of the next week. I tell you, man, it’s been a nightmare.”

“Once we get The Justice Project off the ground, we can finally start doing the kind of work that we want to do—that needs to be done.”

“Not soon enough for me,” Carl said.

“Refills, gentlemen?” Bailey looked from one to the other, refusing to settle on Justin’s face.

“Another Corona for me.”

“And you?”

Justin studied the lines of her face, the way the tips of her eyes lifted ever so slightly, the soft rise of her breasts beneath the stiff black shirt, and the warm caramel of her skin. “I’ll take another.” He lifted his glass. The path of his gaze led to hers.

That spark popped between them again. Bailey sucked in a breath when Justin ran his finger around the rim of his glass.

“Coming right up.” She strode down the bar to retrieve the Corona from the icebox and filled a clean glass with bourbon.

“If you two get any hotter, you’ll set the joint on fire,” Carl teased.

Justin rolled his head toward Carl. “What are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about. You haven’t stopped checking her out since you sat down.”

“A man can look, can’t he?” He reached for a handful of cocktail peanuts.

“Yeah, but Jasmine’s doing her best to claim you.”

Justin heaved a sigh. “Yeah, Jasmine,” he murmured.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Let’s just say she would like us to be in a relationship, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He slowly shook his head.

“Hmm, makes it kind of tough with her being the boss’s daughter.”

“Yeah...exactly.”

“Here you go, gentlemen.” She placed the beer and glass in front of Carl and the bourbon in front of Justin. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“A table,” Carl groused.

Bailey smiled, and Justin’s insides shifted. He lifted his glass and let his gaze drop into the depth of his drink instead of the dark pools that were her eyes.

“We’re always busy on Friday nights. I take it this is your first time here.” She wiped down the space in front of them and refilled the snack bowl.

“It is,” Justin said.

“I wouldn’t want this to be your last time.” She was talking to them both, but her eyes were fixed on Justin. “Let me see what I can do about getting you a table.”

“We’d appreciate that...” Justin waited for her to fill the blank.

“Bailey.”

“Justin.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Justin.”

“Oh, and I’m Carl,” he said, feigning offense at being ignored.

Bailey laughed lightly. “Carl.”

Bailey and Justin shared a look of amusement before she walked off.

Carl’s cell phone chirped. He pulled it out of his pocket, checked the face of the phone and frowned. “Matthew...” He listened, and his expression grew tighter. “Okay. Give me a half hour. Thanks.” He disconnected the call and turned to Justin.

“What’s up?”

“I have to go back to the office. Matthew got a call from Judge Graham’s clerk. He wants us in chambers at nine tomorrow morning. You know how anal he is. I need to pull everything we have together on the obstruction case.”

“Need some help?”

“Naw.” Carl stood, finished off his beer and clapped Justin on the shoulder. “You stay. That’s why we have first-year associates for times like this. I’ll supervise, and they’ll work.” He lifted his chin. “Anyway, I’m sure you’ll have much more fun here than back at the office.” He set his beer bottle down. “Tab is on you. Later.”

Justin chuckled and lifted his drink to his lips just as Bailey returned.

“I got you a table. Where’s Carl?”

Justin’s brow flicked. “He had to leave. Problem at the office.”

“Oh, well, if you still want the table...”

He halfway shrugged. “Can I uh, order some food and sit at the bar?”

Her heart bumped in her chest. She felt slightly giddy. “Sure. I’ll get you a menu. Be right back.”

Justin watched her walk away and was immensely grateful for the anal Judge Graham.