Making His Baby(162)
“Maddie,” I say, softening my voice as I lean against the counter near her. Her breathing is faster. She isn’t cleaning the pot. She is standing there, nervous.
“Tell me what you feel when you see me. Tell me I am not reading the signs your body screams when you are near me. Tell me you are attracted to me.”
“I can’t,” she whispers but her eyes tell me differently.
“You can,” I tell her.
“I see it in you. You are unlike anyone I have ever met, Maddie. I feel a connection with you. I need to pursue it. It will drive me crazy if I don’t.”
“Rocco, please. Don’t do this. I need this job.” She is trembling and I just want to pull her in to protect her.
“No one needs to know. I want to be with you. I want to explore this feeling I have. I saw you in my office doorway when I was with Tasha. I saw the need in your eyes. You didn’t want to go. Did you, Maddie?”
She shakes her head slightly, but enough that I know she admits it.
“Don’t, please,” she says.
“Listen to me. I stopped because of you. As soon as I saw you, something changed in me. I don’t want Tasha. I don’t want anyone now, except for you.”
“Please, Rocco. Don’t do this. I don’t want this.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not going to be just another one of your lovers. I hear how they talk. You’ve slept with more than half the women here. I refuse to be added to your collection.”
She walks away from me, the pot unwashed and I hear the front door open and close.
“Damn it.”
Chapter 5
MADDIE
“Good morning, Maddie.” I look up from my work at the kitchen counter and smile as Joanne walks into the kitchen. “You are here early. I didn’t expect you in until later.”
“Good morning. I hope it’s okay.”
“Yes, of course. But we don’t open until eleven. It gives you plenty of time to prepare.”
“I wanted to look at some new recipes.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that. I like an employee who takes initiative to go above and beyond what is expected. If you need anything, any help at all, I’ll be around.”
“Thank you.”
I like Joanne. To be honest, I didn’t choose to start my shift early to gain brownie points or take initiative. I had to get my mind off Rocco and what better way to do that than to delve into work? Besides, I figure if I can get the majority of my work done before he comes in, I have a better chance to avoid him when the time comes. I just hope my libido can stay put when it does happen again. I fell asleep to the image of him kissing me again.
Lunch comes and goes with no issues, work related or boss related. If everything goes well the rest of the day, my hopes of getting through this job will be stronger. Just as I finish that thought, I am interrupted by a crying waitress dressed in black and white, running through the kitchen.
“Tasha?” I call out. “Are you okay?”
She runs out the back and slams the door. Do I go after her? Without another thought, I wipe my hands on a nearby cloth and walk through the back door to find her sitting on a wooden crate in the alley, her face in her hands.
“Tasha?”
“What do you want?” she mumbles, sobbing.
“I just want to help. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not. I just got fired.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Just go back to your work. Leave me alone. I have to figure out what I’m going to do. I should have known not to get involved with him.”
She had to be talking about Rocco. Joanne must have found out about them and she fired her. “How long have you been here?”
“If you even care, three years. Just stay out of it.”
She gets up without looking at me and walks away, disappearing around the corner of the building.
I walk back in, determined to help. Joanne is a sweet woman. As soon as I walk into the dining area, I see Joanne disappear into her office so I follow her and knock lightly on her door before entering.
“Come in, how is everything going so far?”
“Good, for me.”
“Ah, you just ran into Tasha.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” She clasps her hands together, giving me her full attention.
“I saw Tasha. She was pretty upset after getting fired. Can I ask why you let her go?” I pretend that I don’t know, even though I’m sure I do.
“There are a number of reasons. She has been late twice lately without enough notice and her breakage rate is very high. She is just not cut out for this line of work.”