Page 13 of Playing for Keeps
He contemplated hanging around since he was enjoying the banter with Allie. “I’ll just get the bill, thanks,” he said in the end. Probably better to call it a night.
She handed over the bill along with the card reader. “I have another thought about your date,” she mused.
“Enlighten me,” he said as the machine spat out his receipt.
“Going for a meal on a first date is a lot of pressure. People often start with going for a drink or coffee.”
“Right, so I even got that wrong?” He sighed. “Is that why Rebecca suddenly had to leave? An entire meal in my company was too much?”
“It’s a toss-up between that and the shirt, isn’t it?” She bit down on her lip. “Sorry, I’ll stop teasing now.”
“You’ll have to find someone else to tease anyway, since I need to go home and burn my shirt.” He grinned at her as he stood.
“It was nice to meet you,” she said.
“You too.” He raised his hand to wave, then left with a smile on his face.
CHAPTER 6
Used to organising her own schedule, it took a bit of restraint for Allie to stick to someone else’s. She had to force herself to wait in her room until it was time for her shift on Sunday morning.
In the foyer, Daisy was behind the reception desk, engrossed in a call. She smiled at Allie and continued talking in a friendly but professional tone.
“Good morning,” she said to Allie when she ended the call. “How are you?”
“Fine, thanks.” Automatically, Allie leaned on the front desk, peering over it. “Is there any post?”
“Post?”
Allie’s heart rate increased as she realised she’d slipped into her usual routine back at the Fox Hill Club.
“Are you expecting something?” Daisy asked.
In a panic, Allie’s mind raced. “Not the actual post,” she said with a nervous smile. “I just meant is there anything I need to know …” Oh, god, where was she going with this? “News or gossip,” she said, a little too loudly. “I meant, is there any news?”
“Oh.” Daisy cocked her head. “Is that a London expression or something?”
“Something we say in Surrey. It’s probably really colloquial.”
“I’ve never heard it before. I kind of like it, though. How are you settling in, by the way?”
“Good.” Allie breathed a sigh of relief at the subject change. “I worked my first restaurant shift last night and I think it went well.”
“That’s great. The staff are mostly nice, just don’t get on the wrong side of the chef.” She lowered her voice. “He can cook really well, but he’s prickly.”
“In my experience chefs often are,” Allie said.
“I guess so.”
“Anyone else I should be wary of?” Allie leaned a little closer. “What’s Kevin like?”
“He’s great,” Daisy said, while reaching for the phone as it rang. “He’s a lovely boss. You’ll like him.”
While Daisy dealt with a membership enquiry over the phone, Allie moved through to the empty restaurant. Kevin appeared from the back almost immediately and greeted her cheerfully.
“The mornings are quiet in the restaurant,” he told her. “We don’t offer a full breakfast, just pastries and drinks, so you’ll manage the restaurant by yourself. Try not to bother the kitchen while they’re busy with lunch prep.”
“Okay.” She pushed her tongue into her cheek, reminding herself to tread lightly and not slip into manager mode. “I’m surprised there isn’t a demand for cooked breakfasts. You’d think people might want a good hearty feed before they set off on the course. Or when they get back, if they’ve been out early.”