Page 73 of Only For You

She smiled hesitantly. “Sort of. They’re new.”

The woman turned her eyes back towards the bar, and I scanned her profile distractedly as I wondered if she were here for Will.

Her eyes slipped my way again, and her brows drew together. “What is it?” Her fingers flew to her mouth. “Is my lipstick smeared? Shit! I don’t wear so much usually, and never a colour this dark. Do you have a mirror?”

“No. Your lipstick is perfect. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to stare. I was just wondering how many of the women here tonight are hoping to meet Will.”

“Oh.” She shook her head with relief, and her shoulders dropped. “All of them?” Her laugh was light but self-conscious. “My friends dragged me here for a Galentine’s Day long weekend, and this is the first I’ve heard about Hot Daddy Will. I’m not usually the kind of girl who joins man hunts, but they thought it might be fun.”

Someone behind us snorted, and we both turned around. A young blonde woman who barely cleared my shoulders blinked up at me, rolling her lips as she tried not to laugh. I arched one eyebrow, and she whispered something behind her hand to a friend. That friend’s eyes darted straight to Miss Louboutins before she burst into giggles.

Miss Louboutins’ cheeks bloomed red with embarrassment, and before I knew what I was doing, I’d stuck out my hand to the shy brunette trying to get into Will’s pants. “I’m Abbie.”

She gave my hand a puzzled glance before the corner of her mouth twitched, and she slipped her palm into mine. “It’s nice to meet you, Abbie. I’m Liberty.”

A few people ahead of us moved away with drinks in hand, and the line moved a step closer to the bar. The crowd shifted enough to give me my first glimpse of Will for the night, and my pulse sped up while desire coiled low in my belly. He was so sexy behind the bar. Always had been. Hands moving competently, dimple flashing, and eyes dancing, totally in his element.

“I think that’s him,” Liberty whispered, pulling her phone out of her Burberry pouch. Burberry. She opened Will’s social mediaprofile, and her glance bounced back and forth as she compared it to the real thing. “He’s better looking in the flesh, don’t you think?”

“Much,” I agreed, adoration fluttering behind my ribs as heat pulsed between my thighs.

Liberty swiped through her feed and pulled up the digital bingo card that had been circulating on socials. I thought about the copy I’d saved on my own phone and the aggressive crosses marking off the six items that applied to me.

“Have you seen this?” Liberty asked, angling her screen towards me. “I wonder if anyone will get lucky this weekend.”

“I’m sure they will, but it won’t be you,” said a venomous voice behind us, followed by the sounds of someone trying not to laugh.

I spun slowly to face the nasty blonde who had snorted earlier. She was hanging off her friend and vibrating with her own cleverness. On closer inspection, it was obvious they’d already had a few drinks, so I reined in my temper and crossed my arms.

“You think you’re in with a shot?”

“Oh, I know I am.” She stumbled forward as if to share a secret. “I’ve been here since lunch, and he’s already pulled me aside twice.”

I smiled tightly, both irritated and amused by this girl’s delusions. “Good for you. I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”

Her smile was both condescending and intoxicated. “Tiana.”

“And what did you and Will talk about when hepulled you aside, Tiana?”

“He told me he prefers…blondes,” she replied, casting Liberty a disparaging look.

Liberty crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face the bar again. That was the smart, mature thing to do, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Blondes, huh? Guess I’m in with a chance, too. Don’t you think?”

Tiana narrowed her eyes, then fished her phone from her pocket and sloppily scrolled through to her camera roll. “I noticed your friend there has her bingo card ready. Poor thing has some catching up to do.”

She tilted the screen my way, showing that she’d crossed off two of the pink squares.

42

Abbie

I raised my eyebrows.“You’ve exchanged numbers, eh? I’m impressed.”

Tiana flicked her hair over her shoulder and shared a victorious look with her sidekick. “He practicallybeggedme for my digits. I said it was only fair to swap.” Fingers dragging across her phone screen, she opened up a contact listing named “Daddy Will” and flashed it at me. The number attached didnotbelong to Will, and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from bursting into laughter.

“Efficient work,” I congratulated her. “So, what else do you think you’ll check off tonight?”

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