Page 32 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
“Woah! Easy there,” I exclaimed as a woman ran straight into my chest just as I entered the bar.
Familiar wavy brown hair.
A floral scent I’d committed to memory.
“Hallie! You’re already leaving?” I asked as I reached out to steady her. My pulse pounded a fierce rhythm that mirrored the alarm flashing in those beautiful eyes. If it weren’t for the man standing so close to her, I wasn’t sure I would have ever looked away. But the second I registered who it was—his light hair, those gray eyes, that smug presence—I felt rage boil in my veins. Fury surged, sharp and sudden, and the urge to pull her beside me was overwhelming, but I expected her to object to such a chivalrous gesture. Still, I couldn’t help the edge in my voice. “Henry.”
Panic filled Henry’s eyes as he realized who had just caught him attempting to cheat on his wife. “James! It’s nice to see you, man. How are you?”
“I’m doing good, man,” I replied mockingly. “How’s yourwife, Henry?”
Hallie stiffened, her muscles tense beneath my touch, while a furious red haze clouded my vision. Henry Edisonwas notorious for trying to pick up unsuspecting women in his free time. Despite my reservations regarding his behavior, I had never interjected in something so trivial before. It wasn’t my business.
Until now.
His gaze flickered between me and Hallie before a look of realization crossed his face. Henry wisely decided to take three giant steps backward, putting some much-needed space between him and Hallie.
“She’s doing well.” The CFO slipped back into place, completely professional. “Thanks for asking.”
But when Henry didn’t take the hint, instinct took over. My arm wrapped around Hallie, pulling her firmly against me. The air thickened with tension as we stood there, locked in a silent standoff. A few long seconds passed before Henry finally got the message and turned to leave.
“I need a drink.” With a sigh, Hallie slid off my arm and onto a vacant barstool.
I braced myself for her usual fire—sarcasm, sharp retort, maybe even a shove. What I didn’t expect was for her to slink off in defeat as if she’d lost all hope.
“Why so sad, Hal?” I asked carefully.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she stared straight ahead. “Why do you always drink Old Fashioneds? Are they that good? You know what? Fuck it. Joey, can I have an Old Fashioned, please? I might as well see what all the hype is about since I’ve been writing about them for a month.”
Joey gave a mock salute and turned away to make her drink.
I tried again, softer this time. “Hallie, are you okay?”
She didn’t look at me, just rested her forehead on thebar top. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and not from laughter. The dimly lit bar seemed to offer little solace as the noise of the crowd swirled around us. I reached out, resting a hand lightly on her arm, hoping to offer a sliver of comfort.
“Of course I’m not okay!” she shot back up. Instead of the angry glare I expected, defeat etched her face. “This entire series is a disaster.”
Making his way back to our spot at the bar, the bartender served us our Old Fashioneds. With two large, somewhat desperate gulps, Hallie drank half of it, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Not wanting to be too far behind her, I downed mine and motioned for Joey to grab us another round.
“Why are you so set on ruining my articles?” she asked me softly. “A normal person would have moved on by now.Sophisticateis a big magazine, but it’s not like it’s a highly respected news publication. These are supposed to be fun and light-hearted pieces, but you’re acting like I’m going to ruin lives by publishing my articles. Why do you care so much?”
WhydidI care so much?
I already knew the answer. Unlike most things in my life, this wasn’t business. It was personal. Two years ago, I’d fallen for a woman that had been doing her own hunting for a man on Wall Street, much the same as what Hallie was doing now. I hadn’t realized it at the start, but she’d wanted nothing more than to find someone that could bring her status and wealth. She cared more about the material things I could provide for her than my actual feelings.
I waited until Joey set down another drink in front of me so I could down half of it before I continued. “My ex-girlfriend,” I finally replied as Hallie sat patiently, waiting for me to give her a logical answer to her question. But my answer was far from logical.
“What does your ex-girlfriend have to do with this?”
“To all intents and purposes, she was a lot like you. Looking for a man in finance, someone with money, that could provide her with the lifestyle she’d always wanted. She used me. At first it was just a Dior purse. Then it was a trip to Italy. Then came the listings for homes in the Hamptons. The final straw was realizing she had raided my safe, taking thousands for a shopping spree. The last thing I want is for any of my friends to have to deal with that, too.”
Hallie’s jaw dropped open in surprise. I waited for the look of disgust I’d grown accustomed to receiving, the look I hated. But it never came. Instead, she reached over to squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that, James. No one ever should. But I am not Cassidy. I’m not going after these men for their money.”
“So, what are you doing this for?” I asked her. She’d made it abundantly clear the first time I’d met her she didn’t hold a very high opinion of people like me. Yet here she was, trying night after night to date the very men she detested.
“For a promotion. For my dream job. You know that.”
I arched a skeptical brow as I finished the rest of my drink. For someone claiming this was all just for a promotion, she was sure putting in an awful lot of effort.
