Page 92 of Counterfeit Connection

We finally get our drinks and I slip a chilled tumbler into her delicate hand. “He’s just jealous the most beautiful woman on the planet is with me and not him. Everyone else is second at best.”

“Keep saying things like that and we’re going to have to find a dark corner and do something about it.”

I watch her take a slow, long sip from her amber-filled glass. My mind jumps and dances to the million things I’d like to see those lips do, along with a few things I’ve already been on the receiving end of. “Why, Ms. Logan, I think you might be a tease.”

Kaitlyn places her free hand on my chest, pressing up on her toes. “It’s only a tease if there’s no follow-through.”

I swear I growl a little. She has turned me into a caveman. “You’re walking a very thin line, baby.”

“Walking? I’m dancing all over that line.” She kisses me on the cheek and returns to her drink with a wicked grin. “Come on,” she takes my hand. “Work the room. I know you want to.”

“Fine, but only because I want to show you off.”

Kaitlyn

He’s in his element. This is his crowd. It’s where he’s comfortable, and I love to see it. He is practically glowing as he introduces me to old mates from university, former colleagues, and even a few friends of his late brother’s. On top of that, I’ve also met two very well-known soccer,ahem football, players, multiple celebrity chefs, and so many other people I can barely keep track.

But I’m thriving on his arm.

“I am going to find the ladies’ room,” I whisper into his ear.

“Let me take you…”

“No, no. It’s all right. Keep mingling.”

He presses a kiss to my cheek. “I’ll be right here…waiting.”

He holds on to my fingers until he can’t hold them anymore. Every few steps I turn to watch him. He’s smiling, laughing…acting every bit of the mogul he is. No one would know what we’ve just been through. With each step I take, I remember moments here with him. I remember touches, soft kisses. Chills run up and down my body all the way to the ladies’ room and even continue as I push open the door.

The sinks and the mirrors above them are filled with the images of the ladies in front of them. They’re laughing and talking, that is until one woman makes eye contact with me, then the room becomes eerily silent. Weird, but okay. The entire time I’m in the stall, it’s all whispers and words I can’t make out.

When my stall door opens, there are three women left of the seven or so who were around when I entered. As I approach thesink, they part like the Red Sea to let me wash my hands. Just as I turn the faucet off, the silence is broken by the redhead to my left, who’s clearly had a drink too many. “So…you’re her.”

“Pardon?” I ask her.

“You’re the skank American who thinks she’s good enough to lock him down,” she slurs.

“American, yes. Skank? Hardly.” I move to walk around her, but she steps into my path.

“We’ve all heard about you. We know you’re a lowly horse girl from Virginia, and you think you have the ability to keep Griffin Shaw satisfied?” She scoffs. “That’s a grown woman’s job. He’ll get bored. He gets bored of everyone, and he’ll come strolling back to one of us like he always does. Eventually, he’ll realize this is where he belongs. You don’t belong in his world. You don’t belong here.”

“I’ll take lowly horse girl as a compliment. I’d rather shovel it than sling it any day. I’d appreciate it if you’d take your abject jealousy somewhere else and let me get back to my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” she cackles. “He wouldn’t know the word commitment if it came up and sucked him off.”

“Well, that was very ladylike of you. Why don’t you and your schoolgirls find someone else to talk shit about so you can feel better about yourselves. It’s been simply lovely.”

I toss my paper towels in the wastebasket at their side, flip my hair over my shoulder as a punctuation mark, and fade back into the hallway. Once I’m out of their sight, I rest my back against a wall, taking in a few breaths. I never talk like that to anyone. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never responded to mean girls ever, but this was different. I don’t know exactly why.

I raise my chin and start scanning the room. That’s when I notice Griffin stalking through the crowd toward me.

“You were in there so long. I was starting to worry,” he says as he approaches. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, yes. I’m okay.” I push up from the wall and straighten my back. “It was just a little crowded in there.”

“I was looking for you and you seemed upset when you walked out. Did something happen?”

Can he read my mind?“There were a couple of women in there who were a little rude. It’s nothing you need to worry yourself with.”

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