Oh, who was she kidding? She’d never been in a situation like this, and most definitely not with a man like this. The few men she’d gone out with in the past had been closer to her age and, well... safe. They’d had desk jobs and been regular looking. Not ripped security guys who looked like they’d jumped off the cover of a romance novel. And fine, maybe her face was getting a little hot, but that was probably due to the vodka in her cocktail.
Yeah, right.
Clearing her throat, she glanced around the crowded bar. Monty’s Tavern, a fabulous gastro pub with an old-world nautical theme, was located in the heart of Hudson Island’s downtown. The food was delicious, the cocktails were even better, and the atmosphere was upscale but not stuffy. The restaurant was packed, and the bar area was crowded with locals and tourists. They’d been lucky to arrive right when a group was leaving and had snagged a tall four-top.
She turned her attention back to Xander. “I really appreciate your help with the police report. I didn’t realize how much Ididn’tnotice until you gave your statement.”
When the deputy from the sheriff’s department had arrived, they’d taken her statement, which had been pretty basic. Then they’d asked for Xander’s, and he’d provided so much more detail. From the damage to the car beside hers to the small dents in her windshield frame. She was sure it had been a branch that had fallen onto her car, but he’d pointed out the lack of any debris—aside from the shattered glass—inside her vehicle. When she’d been ready to write it all off as a freak accident, he’d pointed out that it was vandalism.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Noticing the smallest details is what I do for a living.”
“True.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I still kinda feel like an idiot.”
He shook his head. “Don’t. The majority of people would have come to the same conclusion as you. One positive is that you’re smart and don’t use your car for storage, so nothing was stolen.”
She winced. “That’s only because Iusedto leave all my crap in my car. A few years ago, when I was living in Seattle, my car was broken into, and they took everything. Lesson learned.”
“At least you learned. Most people don’t. Another positive is that this happened at work, so the resort’s taking care of it.”
Freya was 100 percent thankful for that. Kwon had arranged for her car to be towed and said the resort would foot the repair bill since it had happened on their property. They were also arranging a rental car for her and were covering the costs of that as well. She was beyond grateful she wouldn’t have to deal with either of those expenses.
“I do feel a little guilty though,” she said after taking another sip of her drink. “I mean, with the damage to the windshield frame, who knows how long it’s going to take to fix my car. And they’re paying for me to have a rental car for the entire time? That’s a lot.”
His eyebrows shot up, and humor colored his face. “Freya, sweetheart, how much does one night at the resort cost for a basic room?”
She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. The man had a point. “About nine hundred.”
“And how much does a fifty-minute massage cost?”
She lost the battle and grinned. “Two-fifty.”
He took a drink of his beer and then set his glass down. “Exactly. I’m sure they’ll be okay footing the bill for your rental car. If anything, you should get an upgrade for shits and giggles.”
She laughed. “I’ll think about it, but if they question me about the upcharges, I’ll be sure to point them in your direction.”
He held his hands out. “By all means. In fact?—”
Xander’s words cut off, and his mouth fell open as the two empty seats at their table were pulled out.
Freya’s eyes widened in shock as two women, wineglasses in hand, sat down. One in the empty seat next to her, and the other in the seat beside Xander.
“Um, can I help you?” Freya asked just as Xander groaned and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Fuck my life.”
Both women were smiling at Xander, wide toothy grins that screamed mischief. Though the woman beside Xander looked vaguely familiar, Freya had no idea who these women were or what they were up to. However, something told her they knew Xander, and whatever was about to happen was going to be entertaining. A slow smile spread over Freya’s face.
Xander looked at both women and grumbled, “Aren’t you two supposed to be grilling steaks tonight or something?”
They laughed, and Freya’s eyes widened. The women were ridiculously pretty. Like unfairly so. The one beside Xander was probably around her own height, but in a million times better shape than her. She had long, wavy, jet-black hair and tan, sun-kissed skin. The other woman was no slouch either. Not at all. If Wonder Woman had a doppelganger, it was the tall, slim brunette beside her.
The familiar-looking woman next to Xander patted his arm like he was some cute little child. She didn’t bother responding to him and turned her attention to Freya. “Hi, I’m Esme.” She extended her hand across the table.
She shook the woman’s hand and admired her firm but not obnoxiously hard grip. “Freya.”
“I’m Tash,” the woman beside Freya said, holding out her hand.
“Hi,” she said, shaking Tash’s hand.
Ordinarily, Freya would have been intimidated by both women, but the humor lighting their eyes immediately put her at ease.
