Page 22 of The Hookup
“You like reliving memories, huh?”
She flashed him a flirtatious smile, her mascara’d eyes wide open and shiny. “It was an unforgettable wedding. I had a great time.”
“It was work for me,” he told her.
“You didn’t enjoy yourselfat all?”
He stared at her, knowing she was fishing for something. What did she want him to say? That he’d had a great time talking to her and that he wished they could take things further. He didn’t wish for anything of the sort, but it was what she was probably hoping for.
It was the furthest thing from his mind. “It was work, and I had to deliver. You can’t do a job for Tobias Stone and mess it up.”
“No you can’t. But you did great, and I presume he’s very happy.”
“He hasn’t complained yet.” And that was a good sign. Though right now, Tobias was most likely busy doing other things. Relaxing, he hoped. The guy didn’t get much down time, and after what had happened to him in the past, it was good to see him having a turn for the better.
“I bet he and Savannah are sitting under the stars and making plans for the future.”
“Or they’re having a lot of sex,” he quipped, getting straight to the heart of it.
She laughed. “That’s my idea of heaven.”
“Having a lot of sex?”
The color rose in her cheeks. “Sitting under the stars and talking.”
Typical woman.
“Anyway,” she said, holding up her cocktail glass. “What’s in it?”
“It’s a variation of a fresh orange juice and vodka and Southern Comfort liqueur and other stuff.”
“A slow comfortable screw up against the wall,” she repeated, not even blushing as she said the words. Didn’t sound to him as if she was naming the cocktail either. This woman didn’t bat an eyelid. She didn't hold back or do any of that subtle flirting shit. She was shameless and said it like it was, and he liked that. Though she was going to be hard to shake, and he hoped him having a drink with her—out of politeness, and because she was the cousin of Tobias Stone’s new wife—didn’t put any ideas in her head. He hoped this would be the last he saw of her, because he couldn’t start anything with her, a short-term encounter, or one wild night in bed. While he could break his own self-imposed rules, and allow himself to become temporarily distracted by her, his brain gave him all the reasons not to indulge this eager woman’s whims.
He was only being polite. After all, she’d come here with a colleague from work, as she’d said, then hopefully she would bring other PAs and secretaries next, and, maybe, their bosses. This was how word-of-mouth spread.
And he was only going to make small talk and have one drink with her.
“You came here with a friend?” he asked, not sure whether to believe her or not.
“Yes, I told you. I came with Erin.” She blinked, then frowned. “You think I came here alone, don’t you?” She looked around the room. “Ask him,” she said, pointing to one of the servers. “Ask him if you don’t believe me.” Something about his assumption had ticked her off.
“I believe you. It’s no big deal,” he said, not understanding why she was getting so riled up about the matter.
“I’m not that desperate that I’d come here alone, just to see you.”
Okay.
“My friend and I wanted to come for a drink, and I thought I’d check out where you worked.”
“Okay. I hear you.” He lifted his bottle again. “Do you feel better now, now that you’ve explained?”
“Yes.” She let out a sigh as she lifted the glass to her cherry red lips. He hadn’t remembered her lips being so red before, and he guessed that she had touched up her lipstick while he’d gone to get the drinks. “She wanted me to tell her about the wedding, and then she left.”
A long awkward pause followed, until she asked, “How long have you worked here?”
“A couple of years.” He had started building his empire four, almost five years ago and now had a handful of bars, and a club. This place, The Oasis was the only one that had a club, The Vault, in the basement of the building, it was an upscale establishment, and entry to it was by membership only.
“And how do you know Xavier?”
