Page 55 of Rough

“All finished,” he stated dryly.

Sally nodded curtly, but she seemed satisfied. She turned to address me. “I’ll note in our system that Mr. Olsen is clear to reopen the club effective tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a slight professional bow.

“I’ll see myself out,” she said and spun on a heel, quickly vacating the room.

As soon as she was gone, I exhaled with relief and tried to relax. It was time to find Garret and tell him the good news.

I found him at the door with Bubba. All of the club patrons had left by now, and Garret looked drained and somber.

“Well, I have good news and bad news,” I declared. “Which one do you want to hear first?”

“Good news,” he mumbled in a grim tone.

“I got the health inspector to agree to reopen the club tomorrow night,” I said and grinned proudly.

Garret’s eyes widened in shock. “No way.”

“Yes way,” I said with a nod.

“How?” His features brightened.

“Well, that’s where the bad news comes in,” I said. “I got her to admit that the mayor asked her to come down here and find a violation to shut the club down.”

Garret’s jaw visibly tightened. “The nerve…”

“After some persistent coaxing, I got her to agree to have the cook fix the fryer issues while she watched. She told me before she left that she would note in her system that you are cleared to reopen tomorrow night. But the problem is, the mayor is still trying to pay people off to keep this place shut down.”

Garret’s upper lip twitched and his eyes were bloodshot with intense anger. “I’m going to confront the bastard, first thing in the morning.”

“I can go with you,” I offered and held my breath, hoping that Garret wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.

He looked at me and nodded with an inspired expression. “Yes, I want you there.”

My heart leapt with joy. Finally, I was making progress with him, and he was making an informed decision on his own to allow me to be a part of his life.

“Good. I am happy to support you and help you in any way you need,” I said.

Garret’s features softened. “I really appreciate that.”

“We should get some rest though,” I mentioned. “We have a long day and a long road ahead.”

Garret’s smile was so genuine that it surprised me. He patted my back and ran his hands through my hair.

“That’s okay,” he whispered softly. “With you by my side, nothing seems impossible.”

14

Garret

I must have given Felix mixed signals about accepting his offer to come with me to the mayor’s office the next day. I had patted his back and grazed my hands through his hair. It had been a gentle moment, but my nerves were still on edge, and I felt completely wired.

When he tried to seduce me by roping his hands around my waist and luring me in for a kiss, I pulled away.

I wasn’t trying to hurt him on purpose. I just wasn’t in the mood to have sex, even though a good fuck might have been exactly what I needed.

“I’m sorry.” I wiggled free from his grasp and held out my hand, walking away from the situation.