Page 9
My eyes narrow on my best friend and she grins at me, her blue eyes glinting with mischief.
“What do you want me to do with this information?”
“I think we should poison the caddies and take their jobs,” she says, straight-faced.
I scowl and shove at her shoulder. She laughs and sticks her tongue out at me.
“I’m kidding, obviously, but I think we should kiss Ben’s boots or something to get those shifts. You know Levi and Ezra tip well, and they’re professionals. Who better to learn from?” She looks pointedly at me.
“I don’t think Ben will go for it, no matter how nice we are. He hates us, remember?”
Rosie purses her lips and twirls a strand of dark red hair between her fingers. She’s a knockout in her white dress uniform, at five foot nine with sharp, angular features, a lean body, and that gorgeous long red hair of hers.
“Leave him to me, I’ll come up with something,” she whispers, and returns to her post.
I shake my head. Her antics will no doubt get her or me or both of us in trouble.
When the food is ready, I run it to Levi and Rhodes. “Here you are, gentlemen, enjoy.”
“Thank you—I don’t think I caught your name, dear,” Rhodes says.
I blink in surprise. People usually don’t ask. I open my mouth to respond, but Levi beats me to it.
“Her name is Thomas,” he says with a small tilt of his lips, and I should be annoyed that he only remembers my last name, but instead, a small part of me is beaming. Levi Carmichael remembers my name.
“It’s Hazel, sir.” I turn my smile from Levi to Rhodes and the older man’s eyes dart between the two of us curiously.
“Thank you, Hazel,” Rhodes says.
I take that as my cue to leave them. I can’t help but steal glances at Levi as he picks at his dinner. His dark brown hair is a little longer than how I’ve seen him wear it, and it falls perfectly across his forehead in a wave. The sleeves of his white button-up shirt are rolled up to his elbows, putting his tanned forearms on full display.
The bar gets progressively busier as more groups finish up their rounds of golf and come in search of dinner, so I don’t get to chat with Levi and Rhodes again until they ask for the check.
“Hazel, dear, it’s been a pleasure meeting you. Keep this one in check for me, will you?” Rhodes says, pointing at Levi as they stand up to leave.
“Yes, sir.” I don’t know what comes over me, but I offer a cheeky grin.
And—is that an actual blush I see on his face? The lights in the bar must be playing tricks on me.
Rhodes laughs and starts towards the exit. Levi walks away, then turns abruptly and walks back to the bar. I pause with their plates and glasses balanced in my hand and watch him struggle to decide on what to say to me. His eyebrows furrow and he opens his mouth a couple times.
Finally, he settles on, “If you want to get some actual advice to help you go pro, you need to be caddying, not working behind a bar.”
My mouth drops open and I scoff, which takes him by surprise. Wow, what sage advice from a man that knows nothing about me or my job.
“Yeah, well, I can’t exactly choose the jobs I do around here. I’ve been asking for the caddying position since I started.” I say, chest heaving. My cheeks heat, and I regret letting the inside thought out.
Shit, did I just snap at Levi Carmichael in front of the whole restaurant?
I grimace and peek up at his face. He towers over me. He must be, what? Nearly six foot three? I expect to see anger on his face, but instead, he’s biting his cheek in thought.
“I’ll put in a good word,” he says before turning on his heel and leaving me behind, speechless.
“I think I may have yelled at Levi Carmichael today,” I say to Rosie in the employee locker room when we’re getting ready to leave for the day. We both worked overtime and covered for others at the bar and dining room. I am exhausted.
“Ooh, I bet he was into it,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows at me and gathering her thick red hair into a ponytail.
“Doubt it.” I snort and grab my purse, ready to leave for the day. “He did say something strange though—he said he’ll put a good word in for me so I could caddie.”
