Page 11 of Where There's A Will
As he nodded, the light bulb went off in my head. That’s where I knew him from! He was the bartender who had placated me with Goldschlager.
Shit, shit, shit.
He was there that night. He knew what I did with the food. His boss had probably sent him around to deal with Hugo.
Shit, shit,shit.
“You work at…” I started to open my mouth to speak, but Will got in first.
“I thought that was awesome, by the way.”
My brows knotted together. “You did?”
He nodded. “The guy was clearly a dick. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”
I didn’t, he was right. And Hugo was definitely a dick.
Will reached across and placed his hand over mine. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drag up bad memories for you. If it’s any consolation, the hostess lost her job over it too.”
His words washed over me as I felt the heat from his hand flood through my veins. It had been such a long time since a man had touched me, my body was super-responsive. I’m sure he was being kind and neighbourly though. Why else would he have stopped by?
When he took his hand away, I felt bereft. I enjoyed his touch. I wanted him to do it again. But he’d only been in the apartment less than fifteen minutes; it was probably too soon to jump his bones. Right?
“What do you do, Montana? I commented earlier you appear to be very busy and rushing around a lot.” Will’s tone was light, all business, nothing to allude to the fact his thoughts were on the same level as mine.
I shook my head, as if bringing myself back to the present, and took another sip of wine. “I’m an executive assistant for a management consultancy.”
The job wasn’t exactly what I’d planned after graduating college with a business degree. The aim had been more for consultancy, but it turned out I didn’t quite have the sales smarts most of the companies required. However, I had excellent planning and organisational skills and that made me invaluable to them. Currently, I supported a small team that worked in Human Resources consultancy. Some of the projects were quite interesting and I’d learned a lot while I’d been there. However there were times when I was taken advantage of, like getting lunches and coffee, or picking up dry cleaning. It was also where I’d originally met Hugo, although he’d moved on shortly after we’d got together. I worked hard and it paid well. Plus the bonuses were worth all the hassle.
“Sounds…” Will paused, as if searching for the right word. “Important?”
A giggle escaped my lips. “It’s hardly important. There are times when I find myself filing client paperwork or photocopying and wonder why I’m not doing something more worthwhile.” I wasn’t actually sure what worthwhile was though. I wasn’t good with kids, so teaching or nannying wasn’t an option. And I hated not having a personal restroom, meaning I’d struggle volunteering on those charitable ventures in Asia or Africa.
“It’s not like I’m saving the planet with my job either,” Will said. “I’m looking to entertain people.”
You certainly entertain me. Listening to his swoonworthy accent was enough. He could recite the telephone book to me and I’d be captivated.
“Would I have seen you in anything?”
He threw back his head and let out a laugh. “Not yet. I’m still waiting for my big American break. So unless you’ve seen an online UK TV channel, then no.”
I frowned. “It’s not dodgy, is it? I mean, one of those adult channels?”
His laugh deepened. “God, no! It’s mainstream. I had a tiny, tiny part in an early Tom Hardy series. We all know what happened to him.”
“Mmm, he may have a sexy British accent, but he’s not my type. I prefer the preppy look.” I wrinkled my nose, then ground to a halt. Had I said that out loud? I looked into my glass and found it empty. It must be the reason why my mouth was running away from me. Given I hadn’t drunk properly in a month, the wine was having a quicker effect on me than usual. I was becoming a proper lightweight.
Will stood up and took my glass, heading towards the kitchen to get us refills. As he walked away, I took the opportunity to check him out. The firm bicep I had grasped earlier wasn’t the only strong, tight thing about him. His jeans were practically moulded to his thighs and his ass. I bit my bottom lip as I stared. Could this be the way to move on from Hugo after all?
He came back and resumed his place on the floor, though this time he sat next to me, our backs against the sofa, legs gently resting against each other. The warmth coming from his body relaxed me and before long, it seemed only natural I lean my head on his shoulder. The effects of the wine were definitely making me bolder.
“Tell me more about London,” I said.
“What do you want to know?”
Everything.
“I don’t know. What’s your favourite bar? Your favourite walk? Or park? And what’s Harrods like?”
