Free Last Call by Alannah Lynne

piece of
cantaloupe around in her bowl. “I don’t know what to do about
Gavin. It seems hopeless to think he’s ever going to care about me.
At least the way I do for him.”
    “Why do you say that? I thought last night
was a positive step. I was a bit surprised, though, to hear you
took friends along.”
    She stabbed the cantaloupe and brought it to
her mouth. As it neared her lips and she caught its sweet scent,
her stomach sent out a warning growl: Don’t you dare. Following her stomach’s command, she left the fruit untouched and
lowered the fork to her plate. “I thought it might make the evening
less awkward.”
    She played with the corner of the napkin and
debated how honest she should be. Deciding she had nothing to lose
and everything to gain, she said, “Sometimes Gavin makes me
nervous. Not that I think he would ever hurt me. At least not
physically. But he’s so… intense.”
    “His intensity is what makes him such an
asset to Holden Enterprises. He’s single-minded in his focus.” Max
smiled. “Sometimes that can be intimidating.”
    He was right, as usual. Most people found her
father intimidating. Some even called him dangerous because of his
strong personality and tendency to be overbearing.
    “There’s more.” His words were a statement,
not a question.
    She tried to meet his gaze, but couldn’t.
“Sometimes, I wonder if he even likes me.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone likes you.
You’re a beautiful young woman. Any man would be crazy not to fall
in love with you.”
    “You’re a little biased, don’t you
think?”
    “Absolutely. But that doesn’t change the
facts.”
    She wished she shared her father’s
confidence. “On the way to Anticue, I tried to engage him in
conversation, but it only made him angry.”
    Her daddy smiled knowingly. “Gavin’s not a
big conversationalist.”
    “He spent a lot of time talking to the
bartender.” She slumped in her chair. “He was really into her.”
    Her father’s gaze drifted to the pool and he…
smiled?
    “Why are you smiling? It was awful.”
    He jerked his attention back to her and
frowned. “I’m sorry you were uncomfortable.” Taking hold of her
hand, he said, “Sometimes, Gavin’s going to need to do things you
might find unpleasant. Probably, the less you know about his work,
the better off you’ll be.”
    The hangover must be making her brain fuzzy
because she couldn’t have heard, or at least understood, her father
correctly. “You mean… he was supposed to flirt with the
bartender?”
    His smiled returned and his eyes gleamed. “He
didn’t know it, but that was my plan.”
    She pulled her fingers free of his grasp and
leaned back in her chair. “Then why did you insist I go?” How could
he be so insensitive to her feelings? And what kind of crazy
assignment required Gavin to flirt with a skanky bartender?
    Her father’s brow rose. “You’re the one that
insisted you go. If you remember, I suggested it wasn’t a good
idea. But you argued. If I were too insistent that Gavin go alone,
he would've gotten suspicious.”
    “Suspicious of what?”
    “He would wonder why I didn’t want you to
go.”
    Needing to concentrate so she could follow
this crazy conversation, she scrunched her eyes shut to block the
overpowering light. “So… You want Gavin to…”
    “Become friendly with the bartender.”
    Dread settled over her like a cold, wet
blanket. “How friendly?”
    “As friendly as necessary.”
    Reading her despair, he reached across the
table and patted her hand. “Eat your breakfast, sweetheart, and
don’t worry about Gavin.” His jaw took on a determined set, and his
eyes turned to steel. “Don’t worry about that bartender, either.
She’ll be a non-issue in no time.”
    He dropped his napkin to the table and pushed
his chair back. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few phone calls
to make.”
    Knowing Gavin would be forced to spend time
with the bartender made the leftover contents of