Kissing with Fangs by Ashlyn Chase Page B

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    â€œSit anywhere you like, guys,” she tossed over her shoulder. Kurt and Tory headed right over to Angie and Brandee, taking the table beside them.
    It seemed like old home week when Claudia returned. The guys were chatting with the girls, and Sadie stood between the tables with her hands on Tory’s and Angie’s shoulders. Claudia hated to break up the animated conversation, but she didn’t want to ignore customers, either.
    â€œHave any of you decided what you want?”
    â€œI want a job,” Angie said.
    Claudia was taken aback. “Seriously? I thought you were bartending at one of the local hotels. One of the nicer hotels.”
    â€œI was…I mean, I am. But my boss there is so hoity-toity. I miss everyone here. Maybe you could use someone part time?”
    This was the answer to a prayer. The only other employees Claudia had hired were a couple of students who could only work evenings.
    â€œThink about it,” Tory said. “As I recall, you became the bar’s manager because you were a klutzy cocktail waitress. It was bad enough when you bathed someone in beer, but imagine spilling hot tea in a customer’s lap.”
    Claudia’s cheeks heated. It was true, but she’d hoped her sobriety would result in a steadier hand.
    The bells jingled again. More customers.
    Angie nodded to the front door. “It looks like you could use some help. I’ve already handed the guys our menus.”
    â€œHey. I was just about to…” Whoa. Take your pride and shove it, she told herself.
    Sadie caught her eye and gave her a slight nod.
    If I don’t take Angie up on her offer, I should fire myself. “Can you start right now?”
    Angie laughed and jumped up. “You betcha.”
    Claudia ripped the order pad and handed half of it to her. “Grab a pen from behind the counter and have at it. Give the orders to Chris in the kitchen.”
    Brandee ordered a cup of Irish breakfast tea and plain salad, reminding Claudia she was lactose intolerant. The guys asked for coffee and cucumber-watercress sandwiches. Kurt joked that he just ordered them to find out what the heck a watercress was.
    The day progressed smoothly and Claudia’s prediction about a slow start couldn’t have been more wrong. Every regular from the old bar and a bunch of new faces showed up. Had Sadie known this was going to happen?
    The one thing that really baffled Claudia was why the woman wearing the giant hat was staying all day. She sipped her tea slowly and nibbled at her scone. Claudia checked on her regularly and was always dismissed with a wave of the woman’s gloved hand.
    Eventually, Claudia talked her into a fresh pot of tea, figuring the other one must have grown cold by then.
    When she picked up the pot with both hands, heat seared her. “Yikes!” She quickly set it down and blew on her fingers. Chelsea, one of the evening waitresses, rushed over. “Are you all right?”
    Claudia inspected her fingers. They stung and were dark pink, but not red or blistered. “I—I think so.”
    Chelsea mumbled under her breath, “You’d better get a good tip after that.”
    The strange woman rose and faced them. “You want a good tip? Here it is… Try picking up teapots by the handles, numbnuts.”
    Stunned, Claudia watched the woman glide to the cash register, drop a twenty-dollar bill next to it, and saunter out the door as if nothing had happened.
    ***
    Anthony straightened his tie, using the shop window as a mirror. He was anxious for some inexplicable reason. He trusted Claudia completely, and Ruxandra had promised to stay away, so what could possibly go wrong?
    Breezing into the small office sandwiched between the checkout counter and the entrance to the kitchen, Anthony spotted Claudia rubbing something onto the palm of her hand. As soon as he caught sight of the tube of ointment with the Red Cross symbol on