“Negative.” She says loudly, and I’m about to respond when the lights dim, and the play starts. Levi looks over at me with a huge smile, and I know that tonight is going to be a huge topic of conversation with my friends at The Magnolia Club when we meet up for drinks next. I sit back and tell myself to concentrate on the beginning of the play. The stage lights up, and a woman dressed as a unicorn goes running and neighing like a horse. Then follows a man dressed as a dog. When they start singing a song about wanting to eat chicken wings, I have to press my hand to my mouth to stop from laughing. This play is a crock of shit, and I can’t believe I am here.
I turn around to sneak a peek at Katherine, and she offers me a small smile as she wrinkles her nose and pretends to gag before turning back to the stage. I look forward again and allow the warmth of her smile to seep inside of me. This play might be crap, but at least I was here with her. And the comfort of that was enough to keep me going for the next two hours.
“When the unicorn was fighting the vanilla ice cream cone, I nearly lost it,” Katherine and Brielle are laughing as we leave the theater. “I thought I might get us kicked out of the theater for laughing so loudly.”
“I was having a hard time not laughing as well. Everyone was taking it so seriously.” Brielle responds, and I nod in agreement.
“You ladies want to grab something to eat?” I ask as we find ourselves in the street. “Or some drinks. Or both?”
“We shouldn’t,” Katherine says quickly. “But thanks for the offer.”
“No worries.” I try not to feel disappointed. “Maybe next time.” My phone beeps then, and I see a missed text from Zac. I open it quickly and roll my eyes when I see his message asking if I had gotten Katherine’s number for him yet. “Never going to happen, buddy,” I mutter under my breath and turn to Levi. “What about you? Want to grab a beer?”
“Can’t say no to a beer after I just lost two hours of my life on that horrific show.” He nods. “We can get a cab and go to Red’s bar, if you want.”
“Perfect.” I nod. “Well, it was nice seeing you ladies tonight.” I address them all, but my eyes are only on Katherine. I wish we were the only ones out here. I wish she’d agree to go out to drinks with me. I just wanted to spend the night talking to her, laughing with her, just being with her. “Can I hail you a cab?”
“I think we’re going to walk and talk, but thanks,” Katherine says as she plays with her hair. “See you at work on Monday.”
“See you on Monday.”
I watch as they walk away from me and pull out my phone and text Katherine.
I want to see you tonight.
Naked.
On my face.
I watch as she reads the texts and then turns around to look at me. There’s a look on her face that tells me that she’s not opposed to the idea and that’s all I need to keep me going. Tonight is going to be a good night.
Chapter Seventeen
Katherine
“It was so much fun at the show last week,” Marina says as I step into the office. Her eyes are bright as she hands me a cupcake with a smiley face on it.
“What’s this for?” I ask, taking it suspiciously. “Please tell me no files were accidentally emailed to the wrong person again.”
“No,” she laughs. “I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to hang out with you and your friends and for getting us a box. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I still can’t believe I was hanging out with my boss, the CEO of the company.”
“I didn’t exactly get us into the box,” I say. “I didn’t even know he was going to be there.”
“I know, but the fact that you guys are friends, it’s just like, wow.”
“We’re not friends, Marina,” I say firmly. “Please don’t think I have any sort of relationship with him.” I am saying that to remind myself of that fact also. I’d gotten several texts from Jack the last few days but I’d ignored them. Mainly because I wasscared of how quickly I’d fall for him if we had sex. Even though I knew I had already half-fallen for him without it.
“Well, whatever the relationship is, I think he thinks you’re cute together,” she grins. “I saw the way he kept looking at you. And when he asked us if we wanted to go for drinks? I don’t think he cared about the rest of us. I think he just wanted you.”
“I don’t think so.” I lie quickly. I know he wanted me. Maybe as much as I wanted him.
“What don’t you think?” Xander asks as he walks into the office. He has glitter all over his face and I walk over and touch his cheek.
“Why do you have glitter on your face?”
“Standard 24-hour party,” he yawns loudly. “It just ended. Don’t tell me.”
“When did this party end?”
