My plans involved a hunky Great Dane, an appropriate amount of junk food to ease first-week-at-a-new-school stress—a ritual that had carried over into adulthood—and switching the channels between reruns ofFlipping OutandHouse HuntersInternational.
I wasn’t sure if those plans werebetter, but they definitely sounded more appealing. My ex had gotten our friends in the breakup—more like he’d stolen them using the tactics that made him such a great salesman. He’d convinced them I was a drama-hungry liar, and he’d had to end things to stop enabling me. So, reality TV itwas.
I dipped my head in an elegant, restrained nod I hoped would convey that yes, indeed, I’d already committed to a posh Upper East Side dinner party, a hip Williamsburg gallery opening, or candlelit yoga overlooking theHudson.
And then Vance once again opened his big mouth, proving that while Sebastian wasModern Man’s greatest liability, Vance might bemine.
“What’s the matter, Sebastian?” Vance asked. “Afraid your new co-manager will see firsthand how little game youhave?”
“I have more game than anyone in this room, and you know it,” Sebastiansaid.
“Actually, wedon’tknow that.” Justin nodded at me. “Now that we have a new member on theteam.”
I almost laughed.George could handle herself fine in a roomful of men. Georgina, on the other hand, not so much. What kind of after-work event required game anyway? But in order to earn their trust, I needed my team to believe that I understood men as well as women. “I do all right,” I said with a half-smile. “But I try not to pick up dates at a work event if I can helpit.”
Sebastian laughed and raised his chin. “This isn’t a work event. This is drinks at the local watering hole for those who can handle it. No office talkallowed.”
The group looked on as Sebastian and I held each other’s gaze. He’d posed a thinly veiled challenge meant to put me on the spot, and one I wasn’t sure I could afford to turndown.
Vance plugged his ears. “I think this is the kind of stuff HR has warned me about,” he said before leaning over to add quietly, “but off the record, this could be a great chance to demonstrate your earlierpoint.”
“Whichone?”
“About how using a common interest is a more effective way to meet someone than pretending to be someoneelse.”
“Oh.” The irony practically hurt. Who was I to teach anyone about dating? I glanced at my feet. “I don’t really work that way. I mean, out in thefield.”
“If you don’t test your theories, how do you know they work?” Sebastianasked.
I glanced up. Judging by the silence and all the eyes on us, Vance’s comments hadn’t been private at all. If I didn’t say something, I’d startblushing.
“I’ll bet Georgina can teach you a thing or two,” Vancesaid.
“She’ll probably be fighting off guys as soon as we walk in the door,” Justin said, winking and nodding as if encouraging me—as if he thought he was beinghelpful.
Sebastian studied me, seemingly curious about my response. A flush began working its way up my neck. “Just another Thursday night,” I said, but my voice had lost some of itsconfidence.
He tilted his head as if he’d caught me in a lie. “Yeah? I’d like to see that. Figure out what I’ve been doing wrong all these years.” His eyes sparkled as my confidencedrained.
“I’m not here to teach you how to get a date,” I said, which was laughable considering women obviously flocked tohim.
“But that’s what the magazine is about, and if you’re going to come in and start changing things, you should know what you’re dealing with,” Sebastian said. “We help men level up. Teach them how to refine their palates, decorate an apartment, build the perfect fire, and assemble IKEA furniture without breaking a sweat. If you think we learn these things to impress our friends . . . well, I’m not sure this magazine is the right fit foryou.”
“It’s true.” Justin gave me a short nod. “We do all that to getlaid.”
Vance pointed at Justin. “Comments like that are the reason we’re in thismess.”
“You make them all the time, sir,” Justinsaid.
“Which is why we need Miss Keller,” Vance said. “And not just from nine-to-five. We could all stand to be better men in and out of the office.” He clapped his hands together once. “So, happy hour itis.”
Crap. How had I gotten myself into this? I wasn’t even equipped for a rough-and-tumble night out with these guys, much less proving to them that I could score. Excluding Sebastian, it’d been months since a man had eventriedto strike up a conversation with me. If these guys found that out, they might not trust me to helm this ship. Yet happy hour was also prime bondingtime.
Before I could answer, Sebastian shot to his feet. “Is this presentation over? It was fun and all, but some of us have real work todo.”
“It can be funandenlightening,” I said, looking up at him. “I’m looking forward to taking this publication in a better direction with you, Mr.Quinn.”
“If you’re proposing we walk on eggshells to please peopleoutsideof our demographic,” he said, gesturing behind me at the slides, “then I assure you, that direction will bedown.”
