Page 35 of The Ex Next Door
On second glance, she remembered Paul, who’d worked with Rob at his first tech job. She and Rob ran into him a few times at some of the corporate gatherings. He always seemed to be a bit inebriated at the events, with some beautiful blonde hanging on him. Privately, Rob told her he thought Paul had a drinking problem and a few months later when he was let go, everyone wondered if he’d said something to the wrong person in a moment of drunken stupor. She and Rob made it a practice never to have more than a single glass of wine at corporate parties.
“Guys, this is Rob Holloway’s ex-wife, Amy.” He waved his arm to the other two men seated with him. “These are some of my buds.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet y’all.”
“You been working here long?”
“Just a couple of weeks.”
“If you don’t mind my saying, that Rob is anidiotto let you go.” He gave a smarmy smile. Some women found his type attractive. Very smooth, usually wearing silky Italian suits and driving a BMW. “I always thought he was a jerk.”
Amy was not one of the women who found Paul attractive but she smiled anyway.
“Well, thanks. Nice of you to say. What can I get y’all?”
She took their drinks and placed them with Declan, then went to her next table. Throughout the evening, she noticed Paul getting loopier and drunker as she kept serving him beer.
“Don’t worry,” one of his friends said. “I’m the designated driver.”
Still, Amy worried. Obviously, Paul might really have a drinking problem. She’d seen a lot of people get happy after drinks in the two weeks she’d worked here but none that had to be rolled out of here. Yet his buddies were simply encouraging him, as if having a driver was all that mattered.
Amy caught him swaying a bit on the way to the restroom. “Paul? Um, do you think maybe you’ve had enough to drink tonight?”
“Why do you care?”
“I care because you’re my friend and I’m worried you’re drinking too much.”
“Aw, Amy. You’re so sweet. Tell you what, I’ll slow down.”
He did not. Worse, he got a bit looser with his hands. He kept putting them on Amy even after she asked him nicely to stop. Once, a hand on her back, then lower to her waist. The last time he touched her hip.
It was his friend that finally intervened. “Paul, stop. You’ve had too much to drink and you’re making a gall-darn fool out of yourself.”
“Screw you. Amy and I are friends and she likes me touching her.” He regarded Amy. “Don’t you?”
“Is that why she keeps removing your hands?”
“You don’t know what you’re talkin’ ’bout. You’re bootiful, Amy. You know that?” Paul pointed and slurred his words. “Maybe we can finally go out now that Rob dumped you.”
“Is there a problem?” Suddenly Declan was behind Amy, towering over the group.
“No, we’re leaving,” said the friend. “Let’s go, Paul.”
“I’m not leaving. I still have this drink to finish.”
“Let’s go,” Declan said, hooking a thumb to the door. “You’ve had enough tonight.”
Paul scowled. “I’m not going anywhere until Amy says she’ll go out with me.”
Paul’s friend scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What? She’s beautiful!” Paul yelled. “Rob’s an idiot. He took my job, and he had a beautiful wife, too, and now he dumped her.”
That’s it.If Paul saiddumpedone more time, she was going to throw a glass of water in his face.Dumpwas an ugly word, a word that should only be used when attached to the word “truck.”
Paul’s friends moved to the door and one of them held it open.
“I’m not asking again,” Declan said.
