Page 14 of Billionaire's Secret Baby

I cleared my throat. For someone who hated me, Lola sure was good at reading my mind.

“Look. It’s nineteen-fifty an hour. Six shifts. And you pick your hours. Find me a deal that’s as good as that. We could use you, Lola. And besides, you won’t evenseeme.”

There was a pause. And I waited for her to hang up.

Only, she didn’t.

“Fine. But here’s the deal. I work one evening a week.”

“One?” I said, incredulously.

“I’m not kidding,” replied Lola.

Some of our waitresses worked three evenings—some two, even. Butone?

“That’s not really—” I said, but then I heard Lola sigh on the other end of the line, and backed up again. “Okay, okay,” I said. “You do one close. Six shifts. And you work the bar. Zeke says you know about wine.”

“Yeah. A bit.”

“Thank you. There’s no way I can get you to do two evenings?”

“No. It’s really important.”

“May I ask why? Only, Zeke’s gonna want to—”

“I have a kid.”

“Oh,” I said. “Right.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“So I’ll see you Tuesday?”

“Yeah. Thank you, Lola. See you Tuesday.”

She put the phone down, and I was left with the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Like someone had just walked on my grave.

Chapter 5

Lola

Ifanyonetellsyouwaitressing is an easy job, they’re a liar.

I’d always been good at it—my sunny personality and big smile were an enormous help. ButThe Blue Orchidwas like nowhere I’d ever seen.

An elegant, grand dining room spread across the ground floor. White tablecloths and silver cutlery spread across the room. The private dining rooms were up a wide, spiral staircase at the back of the room, beautiful and spacious, hidden behind sliding screen doors. The walls were covered in historical memorabilia, pictures of Manhattan from before the era of skyscrapers. It was like something out of a history book. And the food?

Oh, the food was something else.

Sumptuous roasted chickens, with crisp leafy salads. Juicy steaks and fries delivered on silver platters. And classical French cuisine, right from the history books. Stuffed ducks and grilled fish, simple salads and home favorites, like cottage pie and beef bourguignon.

Pretty soon, I was working the floor, taking orders, making recommendations. I familiarized myself with the menu. But working at the bar with Andy, the wine sommelier? That was a different story.

At first, I got the impression that Andy didn’t like me very much. He was a sassy character, with a lean physique and a salsa dancer’s hips. He’d moved to New York from Baltimore to be an actor, but like so many people, he’d wound up working in restaurants through his twenties. But Andy was a smart guy with a nose for wine, and before long, he’d wound up as the wine sommelier atThe Blue Orchid.