I let the compliment slide. It was what men did in bars after all.
“What do you do?” I asked. “Other than spend time in places like this?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You think this place is impressive?”
I nodded, glancing around. “It’s… kind of where people go when they’ve made it. You know?”
As soon as I said it, I cringed.
Of course he didn’t think this place was impressive. He probably saw it as just another stop in a week of polished venues and private clubs. Meanwhile, I’d walked in feeling like I didn’t belong, and opened my mouth just enough to prove it.
He didn’t answer, just kept gazing at me, his thumb running circles over the back of my hand.
“I’ve never seen you here before. What brought you here?” he asked.
My roommate pushed me to do this.
“Don’t we all want to be someone else for a day once in a while?” I answered.
“So, who were you pretending to be?”
“I was pretending to be a rich, confident woman who wouldn’t need any man to rescue her.”
“How about a rich, confident woman whowouldlet a man satisfy her every desire?”
“That’s up for consideration,” I answered, feeling bolder as the drink coursed through my veins. “How often do you do this?”
“Ah. So, you think I come here often?” he asked, not tearing his gaze from me.
“I do,” I said, looking around while my cheeks flushed under his piercing stare. “You probably come here for business meetings or to find dates. Going by your clothes, I bet you’re successful at the first, and going by your charm, you’re definitely successful at the latter.”
He chuckled, the smile lines at the corners of his mouth appearing. “I’m charming?” he asked, looking like he found this conversation very enjoyable. “I thought the guy was the one who usually had to do all the complimenting.”
I took another sip of my drink. “I wasn’t trying to compliment you. It was an observation. You fit right here, and with an ease I could never manage. I stick out like a sore thumb.”
My red-gold hair was up in a minimalistic updo. I was medium height at five-six. Nothing about me screamed exceptional, except that a few guys had told me I had a dazzling smile.
He shook his head as he leaned in. “You do stick out—but in a good way. The first thought that came to my mind when I saw you was to wonder where your date was. I watched you for ten minutes before I got hopeful that you were here alone.”
I felt happier after hearing that. For once, I had done something right. Sasha would be proud of me.
“Well, lucky for you, there is no one else here with me tonight,” I said with a smile. “Are you lucky often, Jonah?”
He regarded me with a wry look. “Never when it has mattered as much as this.”
“Ah.” I took a generous sip of my drink, feeling bolder. “And what do you have planned for your lucky evening?”
“To spoil you.”
I raised one eyebrow. I very much wanted to be spoiled. “I would have guessed you’d sayruin youinstead.”
“Do I look like the kind of guy to ruin women?” he asked with a devilish look on his face that said he was no stranger to it.
I nodded. “You’re exactly the kind of guy I should stay away from.”
“Well, lucky for the two of us, you’re pretending to be a different person. A rich, confident woman who doesn’t have to stay away from ruinous men like me.”
“Lucky again,” I observed.
