"Dude, that was like three years ago when Casey and I were together. And I don't do married women. Ever. It's a hard and fast rule."
Frustrated with my refusal to just spill the beans about what had caused my good mood, he rolled his eyes and poured himself another glass of whisky. He took a drink and then got right back to his interrogation.
"Fine. So if it isn't melon girl or Casey, who put that smile on your face today?"
"I do see other women than ex-girlfriends I haven't been with in years and the produce saleswoman, Jack."
His eyes grew wide and he barked, "For fuck's sake, will you just tell me what the fuck is making you so happy today, Eric? I'm sick of this cat and mouse game, and I'm not drunk enough to not care, so put me out of my fucking misery already, will you?"
As much as I enjoyed busting Jack's balls, I did sort of want to tell someone about Maddie. Since he was the closest thing I had to a best friend, I figured why not? Maybe talking about it would help me figure out why I couldn't get her off my mind.
"Okay, but I can't explain this whole thing, so don't ask me to."
He arched one eyebrow and leveled his gaze on me. "I'm intrigued. What can't you explain?"
After I took a sip of scotch, I tried to put together what I wanted to say and finally just said what was on my mind. Even if it sounded bat shit crazy.
"Do you remember that guy who came into the restaurant a week or so ago? The one with the jet black hair and goatee? He owns the employment agency DeVille Staffing."
Jack thought about what I said for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. He drank a shit ton of cognac, didn't he?"
"Yeah," I said, remembering how much Louis DeVille liked his drink of choice.
"Okay. So you're happy because of him?" Jack asked, completely missing the point.
"No. But I was talking to him that night and mentioned I needed a maid. He told me to come in and talk to him, so I did. By the time I left his office that day, he had me convinced I needed a cook for the house."
"Dude, you live alone. You eat most of your meals here, for fuck's sake. What do you need a cook for?" Jack asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I didn't think I did. I walked into his office wanting a maid, and I walked out with his promise that he'd send me the perfect cook."
"Sounds like a quack to me. You, better than anyone else, would know where to find a great cook. Hell, if I wanted to hire someone like that, I'd ask you for help. What makes this guy think he knows better than you?"
I shook my head, still not quite understanding why the owner of DeVille Staffing had been able to convince me that I needed to hire a cook. "I have no idea, and to be honest, I'm not sure how he made me agree to it, but I did and she showed up at my house this afternoon to start as my live-in cook."
Jack smiled broadly and excitedly smacked his leg. "Now we're getting somewhere! I knew it was a woman. You had that look on your face. So what happened? What's she like?"
Everything I knew about Maddie raced through my mind. "Hot. Like fucking hot. Brunette with big brown eyes hot."
Wincing like he was in pain, Jack leaned back in his seat. "I love that look. That big brown eye thing never fails to make me want a woman. How's the body?"
"Gorgeous. Big tits, great legs, and an ass I can't wait to have in my hands."
"Damn. She doesn't sound like any cook I've ever seen, and we've had a lot come through these doors. Where's she from?"
I shook my head. "I have no idea. I didn't ask. DeVille said he'd check out all the applicants and send out the best one, so I left everything up to him. I don't even know what kind of experience she has. All I know is she showed up today and I couldn't take my eyes off her. Hell, thank God for my desk because I had a hard on the whole time I was sitting there talking to her."
"So now you have a cook you don't need and no maid that you do need. This DeVille guy doesn't sound very good at his only job of filling positions. At least she's hot. There's that."
"Yeah, I guess. It's just weird. She's not like any woman I've ever been interested in, but from the minute I saw her, I couldn't take my eyes off her."
"Well, what's the name of this super-hot woman who's got your head all turned around?" he asked, chuckling.
"Maddie Thompson."
"So now you have a gorgeous woman working for you as practically a servant. I think this might be a fantasy come true. Why do great things always happen to you?" Jack asked, practically sulking.
He wasn't wrong. Having Maddie living with me did seem to be an opportunity for something pretty great. I'd be a fool not to take advantage of that practically dropping in my lap.