Page 2 of It Happened In Paris

“No. Give her the Don Julio 1942. I’m buying.” I pointed at the tall, dark bottle. With a resigned shake of his head, he complied.

“Thanks, but I was fine with the cheap stuff,” she scoffed and mumbled, “I don’t know how a small town girl like me ever thought I could fit in with all of this, anyway.”

As the bartender set the shot with lime and salt before her, she struck me as fitting in nicely. I had initially pegged her as an elegant Parisian—her strapless black dress accentuated her curves, the tops of her breasts rounded above the neckline, and blonde ringlets cascaded down her back. The tasteful diamond earrings and a bracelet embellished her look.

“Want my advice?” I offered, even though I knew I shouldn’t meddle, yet she was too captivating to ignore.

She crossed her legs, nearly brushing mine, and paused with the salt shaker in hand. “Where are you from?”

“New York. Manhattan, to be precise. And you?”

“Upstate. Imagine that. Two New Yorkers sitting at a bar in Paris. One about to cause a scene and break up with her unfaithful boyfriend. And the other?” She arched an eyebrow at me.

“Trying to decide if I should make a deal or not.”

“What does your gut tell you to do?” Her tongue darted out, licking the back of her hand as if tasting her next move. She shook the salt on the damp spot and waited expectantly.

Our eyes met. I didn’t know who the dickhead was who pissed her off, but if she were mine, I’d fight for her—she deserved someone better than the man she had.

A man like me? According to my mother, it was time for me to think about settling down; she and the board members of Buchanan Energy preferred a family man at the helm rather than a playboy, so she claimed.

After a long draw from my drink, I replied, “My gut says this deal is all wrong. I should walk away.”

“Then you should,” she agreed, raising her shot glass as if to toast the idea.

I leaned closer. “It also whispers that I ought to take you away from here, show you a good time, remind you that you deserve better than some asshole who cheats and leaves you drinking tequila alone.”

Her lips curved. “Is that your advice?”

I gave her a sly smile. “Yes. So what do you say? Make my night. Let’s walk away together.”

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Richard.”

Her eyes pierced me, mixed with raw anguish masked by anger, so vulnerable—until they darted to something behind me. Her jaw dropped, shoulders slumped, and her cheeks flushed.

I turned and saw Adrien entering the club, arm in arm with a woman, practically joined at the hip.

Was he the cheating man she despised?

Something my father always said hit me.Who you do business with says more about you than it does them.In that second, I made my decision about the deal.

“That asshole!” she shouted.

“Viv, don’t do this.Pas ce soir,” the bartender warned once more.

Defiantly, she licked the salt, downed the tequila, grimaced at the flavor, then sucked the lime wedge. I drained the rest of my Macallan as well.

She stood, placing a hand on my shoulder—a jolt of electricity passing between us. I half-expected her to say something like,“Let’s get out of here, my handsome savior.”

Instead, she chose her original intention. “Thanks for the advice. But my instinct tells me to ruinhisnight.”

Like a woman scorned, she strode away. I watched her go, squinting through the club’s hazy light. She marched right up to Adrien, and though I couldn’t catch her words, they clearly were venom-filled based on his response. He released the other woman and seized Viv by the elbow, dragging her into the throng of partygoers.

Admiring her boldness yet worried for her safety, I trailed after them. The crowd thickened as I pushed further, making me wonder if it was a fire hazard—another sign to scrap the deal.

I staggered forward as if intoxicated, and my mind suddenly grew a little foggy. A couple of glasses of Macallan wouldn’t normally have me in this state. Had the bartender slipped something into my drink? I wouldn’t put it past Adrien to be colluding with him, only to stupefy me into signing this deal.

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