Page 47 of Rival Desires

A hot blush crept up my cheeks as Mallory’s wide-eyed stare landed on me.

“Ah, crap, Rylee, Mallory didn’t know?” Nat grimaced apologetically. “My bad.”

“You hooked up with Cory McCrae?” Mallory’s voice dropped to a stunned whisper.

“We’ve...uh...had a thing going on a couple of times.” I fumbled for the right words. “It’s a bizarre, convoluted tale.”

“Talk about awkward,” Mallory chimed in, “having to go up against your...um, hookup buddy for the Seaworth account? Yikes!”

In an instant, the burden settled back on my shoulders. “Yeah, it was kinda weird, but I guess it doesn’t matter now. Cory’s gonna snag the account no matter how amazing my pitch is. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nadine axed the whole competition and signed with Cory immediately. And I couldn’t really blame her.”

“Come on, what Sergio pulled isn’t on you,” Nat insisted, her voice unwavering. “And if Nadine can’t look past that and give you a fair shot, then she doesn’t deserve someone as talented as you in her corner.”

“Damn straight!” Mallory echoed, hoisting her wine glass my way before downing the last drops of its rich, burgundy goodness.

We drained our glasses and split the remaining vino between us. As I placed the bottle back on the table, my phone buzzed to life with an incoming call. The urge to ignore it was real - I’d been bombarded with calls since Sergio’s shenanigans hit the rumor mill - but it could also be someone crucial, so I grabbed my phone to peek at the screen.

Ugh, Dad.

I winced as his name popped up on my screen. Seriously, of all the times for him to call, but I couldn’t ignore it. If I did, he’d unleash a barrage of texts and voicemails that would haunt me for days, followed by a monstrous guilt trip. So, with a heavy sigh, I steeled myself and picked up. “Hey, Dad.”

“Well, well,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I was starting to think I didn’t make the cut for your VIP call list.”

I rolled my eyes and counted to five, trying to keep my cool. “I’m out with some friends,” I explained, hoping he’d get the hint and spare me the lecture.

But of course, he couldn’t resist. “Out with friends?” he scoffed. “Shouldn’t you be working? Putting in extra hours? I heard you were competing for a big account.”

I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath, reminding myself he meant well. “It’s my business, Dad,” I said calmly. “One of the perks is that I can decide when and how I work. And right now, I’m taking a much-needed break.”

Dad let out a sigh that was heavy with disappointment. “I don’t know what else to tell you, kiddo? How long do you think it’ll take before your little adventure tanks your career prospects back home?” He paused for dramatic effect. “Who’ll hire you after you go bankrupt with your own company?”

I felt my stomach twist into a knot, and the delicious meal I’d just had sat like a rock in my gut.

“Stop lecturing me, Dad,” I managed to say, trying to sound confident. “I like it here in Palo Alto. I’m not moving back to Sacramento.”

I stopped myself from telling him that even if my business went under and I had to move back home, there was no way I would work with those same jerks again. I’d rather work at a chain of sex shops than deal with them.

“Well, I guess there’s no convincing you, is there?” Dad sighed, clearly defeated. “Always were a stubborn little thing.”

Little thing? Seriously? I was an adult for crying out loud. I could feel myself reverting to my teenage self, desperate to prove I was my own person. But I didn’t say anything. I just bit my tongue and chalked it up to Dad being Dad.

“I gotta run, Dad,” I said, cutting him off before he could launch into another lecture. “The server’s coming with the check.”

I ended the call before Dad could start up again and turned to my pals. They were giving me “the look” - the one that says, “We’re here for you, girlfriend, but we’re not gonna ask unless you want us to.”

Finally, Nat raised an eyebrow and asked, “You doing okay, girl?”

I forced a smile and replied, “Oh, just the usual stuff. Dad being his regular charming self.” I inhaled deeply and looked around at the group. “You know what? I’m not quite ready to head home yet. What do you say we hit up a club, let our hair down, and forget about reality for a bit?”

Thirty minutes later, we were at Natalie’s favorite haunt, lining up tequila shots and surveying the human ocean. We weren’t hunting for any dudes tonight. Not after what Sergio had pulled and the week I’d had. Nope, tonight was strictly about getting wasted with my friends, something I hadn’t done in forever. In the past, even before I moved here, I always kept my wits about me when I hit the town. But tonight? Screw it. All bets were off.

So, I chugged that shot like it was my job and immediately flagged down the bartender for another. Who cared about the taste? I was good as long as it made the world go fuzzy around the edges. The club’s music and lights pulsed in a hypnotic rhythm as a bead of sweat snaked its way down my back. I could only imagine how sweltering it was out on the dance floor, with bodies grinding against each other in a sweaty mess.

“Ever wonder how many people tonight will wake up with a stranger in their bed?” I yelled in Nat’s ear, practically breathing my tequila breath on her.

She shrugged, a smug smile on her face. “If we three gals hit the dance floor, we could have any dude we want, just like that.” She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

“Not interested,” I shot back, downing my drink and waving for another. I was teetering on the edge of tipsy town and about to tumble into drunk city.

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