Page 20 of Once Upon A Player
“Well, good.” She hitches her bag over her shoulder and picks up her portfolio. “I mean, I don’t mind popping round next weekend if there’re any last-minute things you want to discuss or anything. What about Friday afternoon?”
I’m used to girls suggesting we get together, and I rarely need to think twice before agreeing or not. But this is Violet, the girl I can’t get out of my head, and for the first time ever, I don’t have a quick-fire answer.
Is she still talking business?
“Friday,” I repeat, mainly to give myself a couple of seconds to think. I’m not meeting Harry and everyone until the evening, and I can clear my schedule in the afternoon, but I’ve got a much better idea.
“Oh, bugger, I forgot it’s your birthday next Friday.” Her cheeks go pink, and she swings her portfolio in front of her like a shield. “Sorry. Maybe I should just call you, after all.”
I don’t need to ask how she knows it’s my birthday, since shit is always being splashed in the papers about me. If she reads the gossip columns, it’s common knowledge I’m hitting my quarter century. But my chick radar is buzzing, and there’s no way I’m going to wait until Violet calls before seeing her again.
Even if she has no intention of moving out of the friend zone?
“Nah, next Friday afternoon’s good.”
“Are yousure?” She doesn’t look convinced. “I would’ve thought you’d be out celebrating with everyone.”
“I’m meeting my brother and his girlfriend in the evening. Listen, you couldn’t do me a huge favor, could you?”
“What favor?”
I’ve asked loads of girls out over the years, but I’ve never had nerves spiking through my gut before. And I’m not even asking her out on a real date. I need to make sure she knows that, otherwise there’s no way she’ll agree.
“Come with me, as a friend. It’s really low key, at his local. My sister’ll be there, too.” Jesus, could I make it sound any less exciting? I’m even fuckingsweating. If I didn’t feel like such a prat, it’d be funny.
“You want me to go out with you to a family thing?”
I can’t tell from her voice whether she’s considering it or thinks it’s the worst idea ever. Since when did dating get so hard?
This isn’t a date.
Allllright, then.
“Only my brother and sister. My dad’s not coming.” I can’t imagine my dad sitting in the beer garden of the Toad. “And a couple of good mates. I don’t know if any of the others are bringing a plus one, except for Harry who can’t exist without Alice. Like I said, you’d be doing me a huge favor.”
“You’d rather take me, as a friend, than one of your real girlfriends?”
I’ve never taken any of the girls I’ve gone out with to a casual family thing. Never occurred to me to even ask. It’s like my public life is a separate entity, where gorgeous girls drape me across their arms like a prized accessory, and the paparazzi is an occupational hazard.
Yolanda is the only one who fits into both sides of my life, the same as I do with hers. If she wasn’t in the Bahamas this week with her current boyfriend, I would’ve asked her to come with me.
I would’ve still asked Violet first.
With anyone else, I’d respond to Violet’s question with,You’re a girl, and you’re my friend, that’s as real as it gets.But I wouldn’t be in this situation with anyone else but Violet.
And I don’t think she’d appreciate me pointing out the bloody obvious.
Just tell her the truth.
“Yes.”
She tucks her hair behind her ear, and although I’ve seen a thousand women do that before, I’ve never found it so damn sexy.Focus, Carter.
“Okay then. I suppose I owe you one for letting me loose on your penthouse.”
It’s not the greatest reason for her agreeing to go out with me, but I’ll take it.
“I’ll pick you up from your place.”This isn’t a date. “Or do you want to go from here?”
