Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“So, what’s been keeping you?” she said as if to offer me another line.
I smiled. “I wish I could say nothing could keep me from you …” I eyed her dress and raised my eyebrows, “but you wouldn’t find that funny. So . . . want the truth? It’s not really hot talk.”
“Hot talk?” she said with a laugh to her tone.
“Yeah, you know . . .”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t.”
“Well, okay. Let’s try again.” I shifted, and she mirrored my movements until our stools were both turned, and our knees almost smacked each other. “I couldn’t make it because my life is in shambles, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Still vague. Mind elaborating?”
The bartender brought my shots, and Christie ordered a margarita. “I would, but do you really want to know about the troubles of a divorcee?”
She raised an eyebrow as if she’d say yes, but after a moment, she smiled softly and shook her head. “Maybe not.”
“Thank you.” I sighed with relief, then tried to change the subject. “Any new assholes bothering you tonight?”
Her eyes glimmered with a hint of mischief, and my dick throbbed a bit. She seemed so driven and smart. Everything she said sounded calculated and measured, and it strangely reminded me of Darlene when we’d first met.
“None yet,” she said, then paused. “Well, there’s this one.”
“Oh,” I said, a little surprised. She tried to hide a wry smile, which drew a goofy grin from me when I understood her game.
She narrowed her deep green eyes. “He’s just a total idiot. He has the worst one-liners.”
“They can’t be that bad.”
“And he almost made me screw up my lecture.”
I nodded knowingly, wondering if I’d really done that. “He must be trying to ruin your life then. Is he cute, at least?”
“Should that mean anything?” She sipped her margarita after licking a clump of salt from the rim. The swift movement made my mouth water, and I licked my lips.
“I think it should mean something. I mean, if he’s ugly, you aren’t even attracted to him, so he’s just a plain jerk. But if you find him attractive, hot even, it may be easier to cut him some slack.”
She nodded slowly as if she were considering my words. “I could be convinced. He’d have to make it up to me somehow.”
I smiled. “Yeah? How’s that?”
She quirked an eyebrow but didn’t answer. I felt she wanted to take this game a little further but was hesitant for whatever reason. Had I really messed up her conference gig? I didn’t mean to. I had been so caught up in my own stuff, and I didn’t even get to see James.
“How was your conference?” I folded my arms over each other and leaned in, hoping she knew I was sincere. She seemed to realize I wasn’t playing anymore. Her smile seemed genuine.
Her eyes shimmered. “Oh my gosh. There were so many great speakers. It was amazing.” The light in her eyes dimmed at the word, and she propped her chin on her hands while her elbows settled on the table. “It would have been more amazing, though, if I’d had my phone. Speaking of . . .” She held out her hand expectantly and curled her fingers toward her palm in a gimme motion.
I hung my head in defeat. Then I downed another shot. “Well, if ya really want it, you may need to come back to my place.” How drunk was I? I couldn’t take her to my place.
Her gaze dulled to a flat look that made me hate everything that came from my mouth. I wiped my face as if that would change everything about my brain.
“That’s not—damn it, Christie, can you just cut me some slack? I have had a shit-ass kind of day. Month, really.”
She glared, her eyes turning to ice and making the room feel a lot colder. “I’m sorry that your mistakes made life difficult for you, but I sure as hell won’t go anywhere with you, and obviously I’m wasting my time playing these games. I’ll just get a new phone. Thanks for nothing.” She stood up.
“I wasn’t trying—” I sure wasn’t going to finish that sentence since she was already across the room. She slipped out the door. I ran for her, really wishing she hadn’t misinterpreted what I said. How was I supposed to know she was going to jump to conclusions? By the time I made it out the door, though, she had already slipped into a cab, which was convenient for her because cabs didn’t just appear like they did in movies. But apparently, they did for her.
I threw my hand out as if I could punch the air, wishing for a moment that I could. This was really turning out to be a night from hell, and the soft buzz in the back of my head was steadily becoming a headache.