My Only Exception Read Online Free PDF

coincidence that two friends from Tennessee had ended up here. When I’d applied to Wilmington University, he had too, with the excuse that someone needed to keep an eye on me.
    I was really blessed that he had decided to go to the same school as me. I couldn’t imagine coming so far away and not knowing a soul. But lately, we were lucky to squeeze in a quick lunch together, so it was a real treat that we were scheduled for a shift working at the same time.
    I sighed. “Ditto. Not that we’ll have much time to see each other, judging from the crowd out there.”
    “Well, you know who is working tonight, so that means we’ll be slammed.” I looked back to where Braden was coming out of the break room.
    He walked up to us, leaning in front of me to grab a ticket book. “Yeah,” Braden inserted. “You can thank me for all the extra tips you’ll bring in tonight. You’re welcome.”
    Wyatt shot Braden an irritated look and walked off, pushing through the kitchen doors before going out into the dining area of the restaurant.
    Braden glanced to the doors Wyatt had disappeared out of. “See, not everyone’s a fan.” He smiled good-naturedly, obviously not bothered at all. 
    I raised my eyebrows at him. “True.” Wyatt and Braden had never really gotten along. If you asked me, it was more that Wyatt didn’t like Braden than vice versa. I think it worried him that I might eventually give in to Braden’s seduction and then end up hurt. And if there was one thing that got Wyatt furious, it was me getting hurt. He’d always tried to protect me growing up, manhandling anyone who tried to bother me, and it hadn’t stopped when we’d reached adulthood.
    I raised my eyebrows at Braden. “As far as more tips go, that’s only if they’ll agree to sit in anyone else’s section. There were girls that waited four hours for one of your tables the other night while practically my whole section was open.”
    He gave me a knowing look. “Except for the party of ten that sat in your section for hours. All male, and all members of the university’s baseball team. And every one of them checking your ass out every time you walked by. You’re one to talk, Presley.”
    I felt my cheeks heating up recalling that night. I had thought the guys would never leave. I was asked out twice by the time they finally left and had been forced to turn them down in a way that wouldn’t offend them. Luckily, I’d succeeded without insulting anyone and the tips had been awesome. Thank goodness, because it seemed most of the patrons had been waiting to sit in Braden’s section.

    I sighed in exasperation. “Braden, that was one time. It doesn’t even compare to the countless people that eat here specifically to see you.” I over-dramatically tossed my blonde hair over my shoulder and fluttered my eyelashes. “We can’t all be rock stars, now can we?” I started to walk by Braden laughing and then let out a squeal when he hit me on the butt with his white bar towel. I turned around long enough to toss him a dirty look and take off out of the kitchen. Braden’s laughter trailed after me. I breathed a sigh of relief that we’d been able to go back to normal after the other night. Hopefully, he’d written it off as meaningless drunken behavior. Hopefully.

CHAPTER 5
    Time passed quickly as I juggled the busy Friday night crowd. It meant great tips, but also meant that I was running my tail off without so much as a water break. By the time I clocked out and retrieved my things from my locker, I was beat. All I wanted to do was take a long, hot bath and go to bed. I threw my bag onto my shoulder and called out a goodbye to the few kitchen staff who were still closing down for the night.
    As I was making my way toward the back door of the building, I heard Braden’s voice from behind me. “Presley, wait up!”
    I suppressed the little shiver that just hearing Braden’s voice call my name produced. I could listen to him say it all day.
    I