Something old something.., p.6
Something Old, Something New, page 6
part #3.50 of Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale Series
“No tattletale.”
“I promise. Now can we find somewhere else for you to pin me to the wall like those two?”
Mort nuzzled my neck. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we say goodbye to everyone and get an early start on our honeymoon?”
“We’re going back to our favorite hotel?”
“Nope, one even better. Tonight, I’ll make a proper husband out of you.”
I snorted. “Good luck with that.”
Mort’s composure turned serious. “I already got lucky that first night I met you.”
Considering how we’d met the first time, he’d come a long way indeed to be able to say that.
I hope you enjoyed this extra. If you’ve read this before the rest of the books in this series, you are seriously missing out. What are you waiting for? Start with the prequel Boyfriend Booked then jump right into book 1 Biker Daddy and read through the series to the fourth book Miles High. A sneak peek from Miles High is on the next page.
Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale Book 4
Sneak Peek
After two days of searching, thirteen rejections, and one emphatic “hell no,” I was on the verge of bawling my eyes out. The heat of the May sun and my long-sleeve shirt, paired with tailored pants, only made it worse. The material stuck to my damp back, and I deliberately avoided checking out what I was sure were stains under my armpits.
Great. Not only was I the loser who couldn’t find a job, but I was also one with stinky bomb pits, sweaty hair, and fogged-up glasses.
I swiped my glasses from my nose and rubbed at the moisture that beaded on the bridge of my nose and upper lip. Pinching an excess material of my shirt, I wiped the buildup of fog from the lenses, then replaced them on my face. The world became clearer. Unlike my life.
How on earth am I getting out of this mess?
I trudged along the sidewalk, past the fancy bar my former boss, Mort, had taken me to celebrate my twenty-fourth birthday only a few months ago. What I wouldn’t give to be back working at the crematory, but Mort continued to be stubborn about accepting back his business from the man who’d bought it out from under him.
This time I was even willing to touch a corpse or two just to have my job back. A shiver ran down my spine, and my stomach roiled, reminding me I’d skipped breakfast. The crematory hadn’t been an awful place to work. Being at the front desk meant avoiding what happened in the back, which was fine by me, thank you very much.
What was that? I backtracked two steps and read the notice plastered to the door of Heavenly Delight, one of the nicer restaurants Smoky Vale had to offer.
Wanted: Servers. Must be able to work extra shifts if needed. Inquire inside for more information.
Should I? I’d been so done with restaurant work since I was a teenager, but beggars hardly had options, plus the opportunity of extra shifts was too tempting. I needed all the money I could get ASAP, and unless I walked into a sugar Daddy who gave me the keys to his treasure chest, this would have to do.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, then put one foot in front of the other. I could do this. I had to do this until another way presented itself.
The door was heavier than I’d thought, and I had to put all my nonexistent muscles into it to get it to open. I slipped inside, the blast of the A/C making it worth it, even if I didn’t get the job. The cool air brushed against my overheated skin, and I had to force myself not to raise my arms for some of it to hit my pits from hell.
“Excuse me,” I said to the host.
“Welcome to Heavenly Delight.” He smiled at me. Then he sniffed, and his face wrinkled up. “Are you dining with us today?”
“Not really. I saw the sign on the door that you wanted workers and—”
“Let me get the supervisor for you. She’ll be able to help.”
As he disappeared to the back, I stood awkwardly, aware of the curious glances customers were throwing at me. I surveyed the room, taking in the level of occupancy and the number of waiters working the floor to get a feel for how well I would do working in a place like this. I’d never eaten here before. Whoa, it was nicer than I’d expected.
The central feature of the dining area was an L-shaped bar where a few patrons were having drinks. The gray and wood panel design was offset by a splash of orange chairs to elevate the aesthetics. The pendant lamps above the tables added a flair of class. Why had I never eaten here before?
You can’t afford it.
“Hi, I’m the manager, Coco Pavelle, she/her. Serge said you were interested in working for us?”
At the deep voice, I swung around. The manager wasn’t at all what I expected from the protruding Adam’s apple to the broad shoulders in a stylish rose-colored blouse with a tie. She’d paired it with a black pencil skirt and strappy heels that made her legs look amazing.
“I’m Miles, he/him.” I stuck out my hand and shook hers. “And Serge is right. I saw your vacancy, and I’m interested.”
She assessed me. “Hmm, any experience?”
“About eighteen months, but it was a while back,” I said honestly, digging into the folder I’d been carrying around all day to get my résumé. I handed the clipped pages to her. “As you can see, I come highly qualified. I’m am a fast learner with—”
“You’re hired.” She’d barely glanced at the résumé.
“Excuse me?”
She handed me back the folder. “Look, it’s not exactly rocket science. As long as you’re well-coordinated, polite, and know how to work hard, you’ll fit right in. You’ve worked in the industry before and we’ll train you on the job.”
“But—” I’d prepared a pitch and everything. I wanted to discuss my accomplishments and how my presence would improve the business.
“That’s assuming you really do want this job?”
I snapped out of it. “Yes, I do. And you’re right. I am a hard worker and a people person.” The most people person nerd ever. Was that a thing? I didn’t care. I would make it a thing to get this job.
“Good. Can you start tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes, we’re a bit short-staffed at the moment. We came under new management and are starting afresh, still filling out positions.”
“Um, sure, yeah, I can make it.”
“Good. Follow me to my office, please, and you can fill out the paperwork.”
The information thrown at me flew right over my head. After being turned down all day, it was surreal that I’d been hired with such ease. I’d been prepared to plead my cause, although that hadn’t worked so far, so it was probably a good thing I didn’t need to this time.
“Are you new to Smoky Vale?” I asked her when she handed me back my documents after copying them.
“Yes, why’d you ask?”
I shook my head, my stomach clenching. That explained why she hired me. “No reason. Just thought I’ve never seen you around before.”
“Well, that’s it.” She smiled at me. “Welcome to the team. I expect you to be here an hour before your shift starts so we can prep you.”
“I’ll be here on time.”
“Please do. I detest tardiness, Miles. See you tomorrow.”
I walked out of the restaurant in a daze. It shouldn’t feel so good to snag a job as a waiter when I was overqualified, but with the hellish last couple of weeks I’d had, this was a triumph. Maybe things were finally looking up for me.
Ignoring the niggling voice at the back of my mind, reminding me that this job was the least in the grander scheme of things, I returned to my car and drove off. I really should visit my father, but he would put me in a pissy mood for sure, and after the day I’d had, I wasn’t looking forward to that.
The fifteen-minute drive ended too soon. Before I unbuckled my seat belt, I checked my rearview mirror, then got out. I didn’t linger, walking as quickly as I could to the front door with my key already in hand. I unlocked the door, slipped inside, and shut the bolts behind me.
I kept my head straight as I passed by the living room and into the kitchen. Rubble, the Grimm Reaper member who’d taken to looking after me during the biker club's last showdown, had called some professional “cleaners” to remove the blood stains from my carpet. They’d replaced it instead, but I couldn’t unsee the pool of blood that had seeped into the fibers of the first one.
I already had two deaths on my shoulders. How could I be responsible for more?
Stupid. Stupid.
I should never have let Rubble leave after the bikers had dealt with Puddu, the man behind the latest confrontation with the club. I’d seen the way Rubble looked at me, and he would have stuck around had I asked him to, but being around me would result in big trouble.
You didn’t mind being around Mort.
But that was different. I’d feel bad if anything happened to Mort because of me, but Rubble was… just different. Since the first moment I’d caught a glimpse of the big man dwarfing the table he’d sat at, something inside me tripped. He’d looked safe, which was all kinds of dumb, given he was close to six and a half feet of solid flesh with big arms and muscles that could do severe damage.
And he was also unattainable to boot.
My shoulders slumped, and I rubbed at my back, which ached from all the walking I’d done today. I entered my bedroom and threw my portfolio onto the bed. Although it looked inviting after my long day, I ignored it and stripped and headed to the bathroom to take a shower instead.
Feeling much better after, I changed into a pair of my favorite gray lounge pants and a T-shirt. They both had a frayed hemline, but they were comfy. Besides, I couldn’t afford anything new.
I turned on the TV, which Rubble had moved into the bedroom for me. Before the incident, I would spend most of my time in the living room, playing video games or watching wildlife documentaries. But now, being in the living room gave me the shivers. I was never too comfortable there anymore.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I froze, hitting the Pause button, and waited. Knock. Knock. Knock.
I glanced around the bedroom. Where could I hide? But if it were them, they would have seen my car outside. Ignoring them would only complicate matters. They would eventually find me.
My heart thumping in my chest, I rolled off the bed and reached in the bedside drawer for my multipurpose nail clipper. It fit snugly in the palm of my hand, the metal cool against my flesh.
I pushed out the window of my bedroom in case I needed to make a hasty exit, then walked slowly to the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I jumped, placing a hand over my heart.
“Wh-who is it?” The words came out in a rasp, too low for whoever was on the other side of the door to hear. I cleared my throat. “Who is it?” I said, louder this time.
“Miles, it’s me, Rubble.”
Rubble? Heat flushed through me, followed by alarm. If anyone saw him standing out there, they might get the wrong idea about us.
“Rubble?” I unlocked the door and yanked it open, prying eyes be damned.
His long, blond hair was held back from his face in the usual ponytail that fell over his cut. His sleeveless shirt stretched over his shoulders and showed off both arms covered in tattoos. From the V-neck of his shirt, tufts of hair peeked out. I remembered what that hair looked like trailing down.
I licked my lips, dipping my chin and stumbled backward when I realized what I did and where his eyes had dropped.
By Gianni Holmes
The Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale
Boyfriend Booked
Biker Daddy
Dresses & Cuts
Fables Foes
Boys Night Out
The Mortician
Miles High
Crowe’s Creed
COMING SEPTEMBER
The Simple Rules To Not Fall For My Doc is a low angst, light daddy kink, forbidden romance between an oncologist and a patient in complete remission. The books in this series can be read out of order.
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About Gianni Holmes
Gianni Holmes is a retired high school Spanish teacher who loves romantic comedies and old TV sitcoms. She spends way too much of her time writing or impersonating her characters. Apart from her love of superheroes, she also enjoys cartoons and watches them regularly. Her mission is to write heat with heart, spinning compelling stories that will leave readers wanting more.
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www.gianniholmesauthor.com
Gianni Holmes, Something Old, Something New
