Page 37 of Force Play
Ella looks surprised. “Ari isn’t his name?”
“No, it is. But the story is a bit more complicated than that.”
“I’m more hung up on the fact that he can cook,” Lo chuckles.
“So was I,” I laugh. “But he made some Korean dish—bibimbap, I think it’s called—and it was really fucking good. Spicy as hell, though.”
Liv cocks her eyebrow. “So he’s cooked for you?”
“Not for me, no. He just happened to cook and said he didn’t want to just make a single serving since he has a roommate.” I push myself off the counter I’m leaning on. “Now, are we getting ready or what? It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m ready to go dance my ass off.”
We decide to hit up the same club we went to last year.
The one where Matt decided not to join us because “he had to work the next day,” but really, he was spending it with his other girlfriend instead.
Cheating prick.
But I refuse to let thoughts of him plague my mind right now. We’re here to have fun. I look good, and I feel good.
My gold dress is skin-tight, hitting above my mid-thigh. The strapless bustier on top pushes my tits up and gives me more cleavage than I can usually manage. With my dark hair in soft curls, bright red lipstick on my lips, and strappy black heels on my feet, I look hot right now.
And I think Ari agrees.
I swear his eyes about popped out of his head when he saw me walk over to the VIP table we reserved for tonight.
He’s dressed more casually, but goddammit, if he doesn’t look good tonight anyway. Dark gray jeans, a long-sleeved black T-shirt, and those stupid glasses.
Those stupid, sexy black-rimmed glasses.
It’s honestly annoying that he looks as good as he does.
It’s starting to make me want him, and I hate it.
We mainly keep our distance from each other through the night. Like I told the girls, we aren’t really friends. We’re merely roommates right now, determined to not make our living situation utter hell.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t catch Ari’s eyes on me while I’m dancing. He always looks away quickly, going back into conversation with whoever he’s with at the moment, but I always notice.
I haven’t had somebody looking at me like that since I was dating Matt.
It feels kinda nice to have that again, and, surprisingly, I don’t really mind that it’s Ari doing it.
The night is fun. The drinks are divine. The dancing is slutty.
It’s all perfect.
That is, until I notice a blonde woman walking to the bar in the main section of the club.
Anna.
Matt’s mistress-turned-girlfriend.
Which means he’s around, too.
I glance around the crowd nervously, and he spots me before I spot him, gesturing for me to come out to the main floor to talk to him. Without thinking, that’s exactly what I do.
“Good to see you, Luc,” he says, licking his lips. I can smell the alcohol on his breath.
The man is absolutely plastered right now.
