“Yeah, you’re in good hands. Just watch your mouth.”
“I got you.”
“I’ll see about that. I got to go. Talk soon.”
I disconnected before he could say anything else, and spent a few hours going over numbers and answering e-mails. I managed a small handful of clients who had money to burn. They typically only reached out when we took in a big profit or stood to take a large loss, which happened sometimes. Mostly, I served a who’s who of Palm Beach County from my small stucco office building.
I was used to coming and going for my workouts, leaving my competent staff to take care of shit when I was gone. Which was good, because I was going to need them over the next few months.
When six o’clock came, I showered at my office and put on a crisp white shirt and dark jeans. I still had my SUV from earlier, so I didn’t bother to go home and switch cars. I went straight to the Southern and asked for a table in Claire’s section.
Of course, fuckface Bryce came to greet me as soon as I finished speaking with the hostess.
“Hey, man, is Claire cool with you being here?”
“She most certainly is. Spent the night at my place last night.” She was going to be pissed as hell over that little zinger. Fuck her rules.
Bryce held up his hands, palms out. “No need to get in a pissing match. I’m just looking out for Claire and her girl.”
I lowered my voice. “My girl.”
“Yeah, it’s sort of hard to miss that little fact, but where’ve you been?”
“Stay out of it, man. I’m here now.”
We had a two-second staring contest, and he was the first to look away.
“Right, so now that all the chitchat is over, can I go see my other girl?”
He nodded. No freaking way was he going to get one over on me.
“Amanda, please see Mr. King to table forty.”
“Of course.” She smiled, looking me up and down.
I gazed beyond her, looking for Jules. She was standing at a large table, smiling as she took an order, her formfitting white shirt outlining her tits. As the hostess walked us past Jules, I paused next to her.
“Good evening,” I said to her but looking toward her table, being the ever-friendly businessman.
She didn’t even turn my way, only muttered, “Good evening.”
We’d have to do something about that.
Seated at table forty, I made myself comfortable.
A few moments later, she appeared next to my table and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m starting to think I would’ve been better off leaving you with Darla.”
My hands on the table in front of me, my heavy steel watch weighing down my wrist, I raised my eyebrow at her greeting and demanded, “Come close.”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”
“Come close, Claire.” This time, she leaned in without arguing.
“After you take my drink order, I want you to text Molly and tell her I’m going to double her hourly rate while she stays late. Extra late. Because I’m going to take you home, and hope to fucking God I can wait until we get there to f— To screw ... your brains out. I’ve had enough cat-and-mouse, and now I’m done playing.”
I’d decided this all on my drive over. I was a man, one who was used to being in control, and I was finished with all the chasing.
Jules’s eyes burned emerald, but she didn’t say a word.
