Page 72 of Cocky Prince
She moves to the door.
I stand and follow her. “Hayden.”
She turns, and I reach over her shoulder and close the door partway so that no one can see inside. “Don’t miss me too much.” I lean down and kiss her lightly.
Her gaze, half-lidded, focuses on my mouth. “You can break the rules, but I can’t?”
“When I need to. And I needed to kiss you.”
She smirks and opens the door. “I’ll remember that the next timeIneed something.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hayden
Iendedup going to a movie with Mira last night. We saw some romantic comedy guys would call a chick flick, but I call awesome. I cannot believe Paul yesterday. What the hell was his deal? He didn’t put my mind at ease that everything is fine at Blue. If anything, our encounter in Adam’s office ratcheted up my nerves. I may have jumped too soon in assuming Adam wasn’t involved in the ugly side of Blue Casino, which worries me, given he’s my new boyfriend.
Mira and Nessa sip Rum Runners next to me at the Beacon Restaurant. After the movie, Mira and I made plans to meet up with Nessa this afternoon. Work and, if I’m honest, Adam, have monopolized my time this week, and I wanted to catch up with the girls.
“So you and Adam?” Mira says. “That’s all going well? You guys are getting along?”
I pray to God he isn’t involved in whatever scheme Paul is up to. “You’d be surprised how well we get along.” Mira glances at Nessa, who shrugs lightly. “Is it that hard to believe?”
Mira ponders her drink before answering. “It’s not hard to believe you guys have chemistry. That was obvious from the beginning. But yeah, I guess I never saw Adam getting serious with anyone. Or you, for that matter. Work has always come first.”
It’s true, but at the same time, Adam is important to me now too. “I can’t explain it,” I say. “This thing with him just works.”
Nessa smiles. “I understand. Sometimes lo—uh,relationships take you by surprise.”
“That’s right.” I grin.
Mira’s mouth pulls back at the corner, as though she’s skeptical. “What about Blue? With all the time you’ve been spending with Adam, have you learned anything?”
“No, but there was a situation with Paul yesterday. He got super agitated when he found out I was working with Adam to replace his assistant.”
Mira’s eyebrows rise. “Did you ask Adam about it?”
“We were at work.”
“But after?”
“I went to the movies with you. I didn’t get a chance.”
She bats her long, dark lashes several times, her astute caramel-brown eyes narrowing. “Hayden, tell me you’re not backing down from this because of a man.”
“No, I’m just withholding judgment until I have evidence.”
She sets down her Rum Runner and leans forward. “But you are looking into it, right?”
“I will, and I have. The suites I told you guys about aren’t under construction anymore, but Blackwell has guards in front who won’t let me in.”
“And that doesn’t tell you something?”
“Of course it does. But all it tells me is that Blackwell isn’t letting employees into the suites. I’m walking on shaky ground where our CEO is concerned. The last thing Blackwell is going to do is make an exception for me. If you have any ideas on how I can get in there, I’m all ears.”
Mira purses her bow-shaped lips and twists them to the side. She turns to Nessa. “What do you think?”
Nessa’s expression is thoughtful. “Now that you mention it, I might have something. I received a phone call in marketing a couple of days ago from a vendor who lost her contact information. She was searching for someone to send her customized napkins to for a party the casino is supposedly hosting the night of the burlesque and auction. I asked her what party, and she said it was for some grand opening. When I told her I didn’t know anything about a grand opening, she stammered and quickly got off the phone. If the suites are finished,” she continues slowly, “and the burlesque and auction event is the same night, do you think the party is for the new rooms? I mean, if the marketing department were involved in promo for the suites—which we haven’t been, and that’s weird—we’d show them off to the wealthy muckety-mucks coming into town. Throwing a party for the suites during the burlesque weekend makes sense.”
