Read Online Blame It on the Bikini by Natalie Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Natalie Anderson
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hadn’t moved. Worse he had a smile on, not his usual full-strength-flirt one, but a small twist to the lips that somehow made him even more attractive. It was so unfair the way he could make hearts seize with a mere look. She turned back to the pretty women. ‘But he loves to play.’
And no doubt he’d adore three women at once. Maybe if she were to see him go off with the trio for some debauchednight, then she’d blast away the resurgence of this stupid teen crush and be able to concentrate wholly on the wretched assignment she had ahead of her.
One of the girls stood and went over to talk to him. Mya went straight back behind the bar and tried not to pay attention to the high-pitched laughter. But she knew it was exactly two and a half minutes until he joined the women at their table. Mya decided to let Jonny serve them from then on.
She ignored the way the women leaned forward and chatted so animatedly. She ignored the laughter and smiles that Brad gave each of them. Most of all she ignored the way he tried to catch her eye when she walked past a couple of times. Peripheral vision let her know he looked up and over to her; she refused to look back. She had far more important things to think on. And then she was simply far too busy. People began pouring in as the sun went down but the night warmed up.
‘Jonny, if I don’t take my break now, I’m going to miss it altogether.’ She leaned across to beg him.
‘Go now.’ He nodded. ‘Pete and I can handle it.’
She grabbed the oversized ancient laptop she always lugged round in her satchel all day and took it out to the small balcony Brad had led her to the other night. She didn’t really know why she’d brought it with her—it wasn’t as if she’d somehow type on her feet as she worked her shifts at the café and then the bar.
Her heart sank as she scrolled to the relevant document. The cases were all cited, but she’d have to try to get copies of them to read them in full. What library was going to be open at midnight? She didn’t have the Internet in her small flat as she couldn’t afford the connection. She didn’t even have a landline. She’d have to go to a twenty-four-hour café with wireless access andtry to do it from there. Downloading fifteen cases? Oh, she was screwed.
She’d hardly started the first paragraph when Drew came out and caught her hunched over at a corner table.
‘You can’t sit there studying. This is a bar, not a library,’ he grumbled. ‘It’s not the right look.’
It was the last thing she needed—her control-freak, this-place-must-maintain-its-cool-image boss coming down on her.
‘It’s my break—surely I can read?’ She looked up at him. Didn’t he get how desperate she was?
‘Not there, you can’t,’ Drew informed her coolly.
To her horror, tears were a mere blink away. She shut her laptop and stood. Swatting up screeds of legalese in the dark alley outside didn’t inspire her but if that was what she had to do, she’d do it. It was going to be an all nighter anyway. Followed by the brunch shift at the café tomorrow. How could she have screwed everything up— again ?
She walked out past the queue forming at the door and into the night, desperate despite the fact she’d only have a few minutes at most before Drew hunted her out. While the summer sun’s heat still warmed the air, it was now dark. Hooray for the safety torch on her keychain; she’d be able to read the fine-print text on the step at the back entrance of the bar.
‘Big essay?’ Brad had followed her, gazing at the ancient computer in her hand.
She nodded glumly, her stomach knotting again. ‘Due tomorrow and I’ve not done it and I don’t have half the case law I need,’ she confessed.
‘Tomorrow?’
She winced. Did he have to hammer home her incompetence?‘I need to read up.’ In other words, she needed him to go back inside and keep chatting to those women.
‘How long’s your break?’
‘Twenty
And no doubt he’d adore three women at once. Maybe if she were to see him go off with the trio for some debauchednight, then she’d blast away the resurgence of this stupid teen crush and be able to concentrate wholly on the wretched assignment she had ahead of her.
One of the girls stood and went over to talk to him. Mya went straight back behind the bar and tried not to pay attention to the high-pitched laughter. But she knew it was exactly two and a half minutes until he joined the women at their table. Mya decided to let Jonny serve them from then on.
She ignored the way the women leaned forward and chatted so animatedly. She ignored the laughter and smiles that Brad gave each of them. Most of all she ignored the way he tried to catch her eye when she walked past a couple of times. Peripheral vision let her know he looked up and over to her; she refused to look back. She had far more important things to think on. And then she was simply far too busy. People began pouring in as the sun went down but the night warmed up.
‘Jonny, if I don’t take my break now, I’m going to miss it altogether.’ She leaned across to beg him.
‘Go now.’ He nodded. ‘Pete and I can handle it.’
She grabbed the oversized ancient laptop she always lugged round in her satchel all day and took it out to the small balcony Brad had led her to the other night. She didn’t really know why she’d brought it with her—it wasn’t as if she’d somehow type on her feet as she worked her shifts at the café and then the bar.
Her heart sank as she scrolled to the relevant document. The cases were all cited, but she’d have to try to get copies of them to read them in full. What library was going to be open at midnight? She didn’t have the Internet in her small flat as she couldn’t afford the connection. She didn’t even have a landline. She’d have to go to a twenty-four-hour café with wireless access andtry to do it from there. Downloading fifteen cases? Oh, she was screwed.
She’d hardly started the first paragraph when Drew came out and caught her hunched over at a corner table.
‘You can’t sit there studying. This is a bar, not a library,’ he grumbled. ‘It’s not the right look.’
It was the last thing she needed—her control-freak, this-place-must-maintain-its-cool-image boss coming down on her.
‘It’s my break—surely I can read?’ She looked up at him. Didn’t he get how desperate she was?
‘Not there, you can’t,’ Drew informed her coolly.
To her horror, tears were a mere blink away. She shut her laptop and stood. Swatting up screeds of legalese in the dark alley outside didn’t inspire her but if that was what she had to do, she’d do it. It was going to be an all nighter anyway. Followed by the brunch shift at the café tomorrow. How could she have screwed everything up— again ?
She walked out past the queue forming at the door and into the night, desperate despite the fact she’d only have a few minutes at most before Drew hunted her out. While the summer sun’s heat still warmed the air, it was now dark. Hooray for the safety torch on her keychain; she’d be able to read the fine-print text on the step at the back entrance of the bar.
‘Big essay?’ Brad had followed her, gazing at the ancient computer in her hand.
She nodded glumly, her stomach knotting again. ‘Due tomorrow and I’ve not done it and I don’t have half the case law I need,’ she confessed.
‘Tomorrow?’
She winced. Did he have to hammer home her incompetence?‘I need to read up.’ In other words, she needed him to go back inside and keep chatting to those women.
‘How long’s your break?’
‘Twenty
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