I’d laughed when she pulled those out, since I hadn’t worn them in ages, but Sasha couldn’t be swayed.
As if I could change myself by wearing fancy lingerie. I was still the same girl who had once turned down Chad Horwick in high school for Dylan because I was too nervous to go out with the prom king. Wealthy, beautiful men sent me shaking in my knees … but I had always been attracted to them.
I’d left home quickly once I had the dress on, afraid Evie might spill something on it, but this night out alone had simply been dull.
Before I could reply, a notification popped up on my screen from the Altika Fitness app. I smiled, looking at the familiar interface that had helped me get my life back on track after I’d left Dylan. Back then, the app’s simple workout routines and encouraging reminders had been one of the few things that made me feel strong again.
And now, starting Monday, I’d actually be working for them. I’d be joining Altika Inc. as a software engineering intern. After juggling months of studying while working my day job as a receptionist at a law firm, I’d finally gotten that acceptance letter. The thought still sent a thrill through me. Even without a formal degree, because I’d had Evie when I should’ve been in college, I’d earned this. And thankfully, it would pay better.
I glanced at the time and sighed. It was getting late, and I was ready to head home. Ready to close out my tab, I reached for my purse, my drink untouched.
There goes another twenty-five dollars, I thought as I tried to catch the bartender’s gaze.
There were very few things I could promise Evie, but a stable income was one of them. I was determined that even though Evie didn’t have a typical family, she would at least have all the benefits of a working parent without the drama.
Just as I was about to push off from my luxury stool, a man caught my eye.
The same handsome man I’d seen a while ago.
He was wearing an expensive suit that fit him like a glove. He had a white shirt underneath, crisply ironed and without a single wrinkle, even at this time of the night.
He was older, maybe in his late thirties, while I was only twenty-four. He was basketball-player tall, and had wide shoulders. His head was topped with dark-blond hair, cut short over a broad forehead. He was arrestingly handsome, and I caught my breath, even as I noticed the flecks of white in his hair. He carried it well.
Everything about him was perfect, except for one tiny, disagreeable detail. A woman on his arm. No, scratch that. The woman practically fell on his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and … I turned away. But not before I caught a snippet of their conversation.
“I think that’s the drink speaking, Tahlia, not you,” he said.
My gaze had fallen on her a few times earlier tonight, when I’d seen her compulsively check her purse.
Now, her purse was by her side, but he was taking her arms off his neck and trying to pry her off his lap when our gazes met. I turned away, but not before I felt a small jolt of electricity crackle in the air between us.
What was that?
I heard the woman say something, and when I looked back, the man was still watching me, intrigued andinterested.
Strange.
He finally turned to the woman speaking to him and shook his head, standing up abruptly. It looked like he wanted to leave, but Tahlia wasn’t having it.
“We’re having another drink,” she insisted, settling down on the chair he’d occupied and signaling to the bartender that she wanted a refill.
The man put his hands on his hips in frustration, and our gazes met again.
I gave him a small, commiserating smile, and he tilted his head at me, smiling back, as though tempting me to laugh at his situation. The fact that he could find the humor in this circumstance only made me want to laugh more, but a real laugh this time, not a hushed one.
Deciding that my presence wasn’t pleasant for the woman with him, I turned away. No one wanted witnesses when you were having a bad day.
Retrieving my bag, I was about to walk off, aiming for a path that steered clear of them, when he caught my gaze. He got up and walked over in the direction I was headed, coming to a stop in front of me.
Oh boy. I could get into trouble with a man like this.
I needed to get into trouble, if you asked Sasha, but I also needed to not steal another woman’s date if you believed in girl code like I did.
I snuck a quick glance over my shoulder and caught Tahlia’s glaring at us.
The man took a step closer, and those brown eyes flashed with amusement as he looked at me. My heartbeat sped up. He was handsome in a way that reminded me of someone distinguished and powerful.
My heart swooned.
