Moonstone: Gems of Wolfe Island One

“Sixty-seven’s a two-top.”

“So? Give me another two-top.”

“I don’t have one right now.”

“Crap. I’ll give you the tips for the trade, then. I just can’t do sixty-seven.”

Travis glances over my shoulder toward the table. “A couple hotties? What’s the problem, Luke?”

“I just can’t.”

“Fine with me. You take the foursome at twenty-three, and I’ll take care of the ladies.” He raises an eyebrow.

“Easy. They’re customers, not cheesecakes in a bakery window.”

He laughs and walks toward Katelyn’s table. I saunter toward the middle-aged foursome who are seated at twenty-three, no pad in hand. I take their drink orders quickly and drop them off at the bar, turn, and—

Travis juts into my path. “Hey, Luke. No deal.”

“What do you mean no deal?”

“I mean they want you. Apparently they requested seating in your section.”

Fuck. “Tell them I switched sections.”

“You don’t think that’s the first thing I said? They asked me to get the manager. Lo’s talking to them now.”

“Fuck it all.” I rub my forehead. “And here she comes.”

Lois approaches us briskly. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Luke, switching tables with Travis, but those two ladies want you to serve them. Are they friends of yours?”

“Not really. One of them was with Zee Wolfe when she went into labor. Remember?”

“Right. Now I recognize her. The blonde. So what’s the problem?”

“Nothing. I just owed Travis a favor. Now he owes me one.” I glare at him.

“Hey, man, none of this is my fault,” Travis says. “I owe you nothing.”

“You owe me something,” Lois says. “Get back to work. Both of you.” She touches my forearm a little more than casually.

I pretend not to notice and head straight to Katelyn’s table. “Hi, Katelyn.”

She beams. God, she’s beautiful. “Luke, guess what?”

“What?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. This is Alicia. Alicia, Luke.”

The other woman is attractive—short hair and a girl-next-door vibe—but nothing compared to Katelyn.

“Hi, Luke,” she says. “Nice to meet you. Katelyn’s told me all about you.”

“You have?”

“Of course! I have some great news. Alicia and I are celebrating.”

“Oh? Celebrating what?”

“My new job. I’m going to work at Wolfe Enterprises as Reid Wolfe’s assistant. Alicia is his personal secretary, so we’ll be working together closely.”

Just as well. As much as I thought having Katelyn working at The Glass House was a good idea a couple days ago, now I’m glad it’s not happening. No way can I leave her if I see her every day.

“Congratulations. That’s great news.”

Katelyn frowns slightly. “I thought you’d be happier.”

I force a smile. “Of course I am! It’s great.”

“I wanted to come here to celebrate, but I called and the host said you were booked. But then Reid called for us.” She beams. “I guess when you know the right people…”

I nod. “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” I hate the words that come out of my mouth. I got through the first thirty-three years of my life because of who I knew.

Because of who I was.

Kind of makes me sick to think about it.

“What can I get started for you, ladies?”

“A bottle of bubbly, I think,” Alicia says.

“That’s too much,” Katelyn replies.

“Actually, Reid told me to order it. Unless you don’t like Champagne, of course.”

“Who doesn’t like Champagne?” Katelyn laughs. “I haven’t had any in… I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever had any, to tell you the truth.”

“Then we have to have it,” Alicia says. “What do you recommend, Luke?”

Ask me to recommend Champagne? I can do that. “I no longer drink alcohol, but I personally think the best is Dom Perignon.”

“Dom Perignon it is, then,” Alicia says. “And the Beluga caviar.”

“Caviar?” Katelyn says.

“Yes. Reid said to order it.” She turns to me. “He would have come with us but he wanted to get home to Zee and the baby.”

I simply nod. Is Reid Wolfe footing this bill? Already it’s over six hundred dollars. Alicia probably has an expense account.

So will Katelyn.

I groan inwardly.

She’s about to enter a lifestyle that I left behind.

All the more reason why we can never work.

My heart breaks just thinking about it.

“Good enough. The sommelier will bring your wine.”

“Aren’t you going to write it down?” Katelyn asks me.

“Nah. I’ll remember.” I turn and walk swiftly away from table sixty-seven, put the wine order in with the sommelier, and the caviar order in with the sous chef.

I do a quick check-in with my other tables and then walk briskly through the kitchen and outside to the alley.

I need some air.

My mutt is there, scraping at the ground. “Hey, Jed. You hungry, boy?” I walk back into the kitchen and grab one of the assistant chefs. “You got any meat scraps? Bones?”

“Check the composter,” he says.

“Thanks, man.” I grab two fresh bones, both with substantial meat on them, and head back out to the alley.

“Here you go, boy.” I hand Jed one of the bones.

He takes it and lies down.