The CEO Gets Her Man by Anne Ashby Read Free Book Online Page B

fingers.
    Snatching a white handkerchief from his top pocket he knelt beside her, uncertain whether he should touch the woman. With a wry grimace she took the offered cloth and placed it against a cut close to her ankle.
    Jase shot a murderous glare at the reason for the sudden silence throughout the restaurant. Now the centre of attention, the waitress stood stock still, her eyes and mouth open in dismay.
    “Get this cleaned up,” he snapped.
    “The tray...” Her eyes were on their guests. “I…I…”
    “Get!”
    Thank God a competent waitress appeared next to Debra and whispered something in her ear which sent the klutz tearing off toward the kitchen.
    “I’ll have reception summon a doctor, Mrs. Laurie. I can’t apologise—”
    “Don’t be silly, dear boy.” She dabbed the cut and peered down at it. “It’s only a scratch.”
    George supervised the clearing away of the debris while Jase escorted the group to a nearby table. The return of the culprit with a container for the broken glass drew his glare again.
    Her guilty glance in his direction slid away as soon as their gazes touched. As he continued to placate the guests, furious whispering hummed between the maitre d’ and his waitresses.
    Karin touched his arm. “Jason, stop glaring daggers at that poor girl. It was an accident. Relax.”
    Jase threw his head back. Relax? When one of his staff had just doused guests with an interesting mix of red wine and orange juice? The colours were blended on Joyce Harper’s white top and all over Karin Laurie’s expensive cream skirt. Not to mention the possibility the glass could have slit an artery instead of making a slight nick on her ankle.
    “Is she new? I haven’t noticed her before?”
    “Yes,” he muttered. “And likely to be very short-term, I suspect.”
    “It was an accident, Jason. Don’t harangue the poor girl. It could happen to anyone.”
    Not in my hotel. His expression must have conveyed his continuing anger at the laxness of his employee.
    “Look at it like this, Jason.” He couldn’t believe her eyes actually twinkled. Sitting there with liquid sprinkled all over her lovely clothes and blood oozing from her leg, her eyes sparkled with merriment. “If anyone had to have a tray of drinks upended over top of them, isn’t it fortunate it was me?”
    Some of Jase’s ire trickled away. If she can look on this mess with humour...
    Debra’s stilted apology when she approached the table some moments later resurrected Jase’s annoyance. While her words of apology were acceptable, her tone and body language could only be interpreted as haughty.
    Thankfully, Mrs. Laurie didn’t appear perturbed by the assertive nature of their newest waitress. She sent the girl away with a kind smile.
    After assuring himself that Mrs. Laurie and her guests were comfortable, Jase picked up the first aid kit he’d had delivered and employed, and marched toward the kitchen. Where is that Debbie?
    He sighted her, apparently helping the pastry chef. Good! George has sent her where she can do less harm. Her body stiffened as if she sensed his approach. He stopped at the pastry kitchen door.
    “Debbie, a word please.”
    Her face tightened, but she stalked toward him, her head high.
    Before he could open his mouth on all he intended to say to her, his cell phone rang.
    As the on-duty maintenance man blurted out a problem with plumbing on the third floor, and the possible flooding which he feared might eventuate, Jase was torn. The urgency of the plumbing matter quickly asserted itself as Jase’s priority. He muttered, “Another time,” before rushing to the third floor.
    ****
    “The boss has his eye on you,” George sidled up and whispered in her ear as Debra picked up a full coffee pot.
    “Oh God, not again.” Last night’s fiasco blazoned across her mind in glorious Technicolour.
    “Forget last night,” George ordered. “Just don’t give yourself away.”
    Debra took an unsteady, deep breath.