I smile at her teasing, but inside, I’m cringing. “Please don’t remind me. I made such an ass of myself. But it’s fine. I’ve moved on.”
Hopefully, by the time we get downstairs, that declaration will actually be true.
“Oh, Jasalie, where’s your passion?” Lilla asks me. “Not just for sex but for life? Where’d it go? Did you even know what an important cultural figure hit on you? Probably not—you never read magazines, and you seem like the type who hardly turns on the news.”
Of course I know who Dylan Wild is. The California Cougars are the hottest team in America right now. They’re the newly-crowned kings of the sporting world. And being their quarterback, Dylan Wild is the hottest guy—in every way—in the league.
I clear my throat and brush past Lilla to open the hotel room door for us.
“Like I said, I’m not interested in sleeping with a player.” I let Lilla walk out ahead of me. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Okay, but you’re sure you reviewed all the names and faces from the Cougars media guide?” she says as we walk down the hallway.
“Of course. It’s business. I always take my work seriously. But remember,” I warn her. “A lot of the players have significant others. So don’t just start randomly hitting on anyone with a penis. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine. Besides, you never know with these athletes. Usually, they’ll sleep with anyone.”
“Sounds like a dream come true,” I say sarcastically.
“Shut up.” She swats at my arm with her purse.
Lilla’s too young and naïve to be suspicious of love. She still thinks it’s fun and exciting. And part of me wants to feel that way, too.
We reach the elevator bank, and I press the down button.
“Plus,” she adds. “I checked the Apex employee guidebook, and as long as they’re not contract clients, I can sleep with any of the players I choose. So if Dylan Wild and I end up falling in love and start a relationship—”
She giggles, but my stomach lurches for some unknown reason. I almost feel…
Jesus Christ. I’m freakingjealous.
“I heard Dylan Wild has a girlfriend,” I announce.
“How can you be sure? Those gossip magazines are always wrong,” she argues.
“Lilla, he was just on Hollywood Now! with her. Even I saw it.”
“Well, maybe it’s not serious. Jase, do you think my hair looks okay?” she asks me nervously, looking at herself in the wall mirrors.
“Your hair always looks gorgeous. That’s why I told you to go easy on the hairspray. You don’t need it.” Lilla’s red hair is so shellacked with spray it’s hard to imagine it ever moving again.
“What about my dress?” she asks next.
“The dress is adorable, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate for a work function. That’s why I suggested you wear your navy skirt remember?”
I probably worried for nothing. Bill is no ordinary boss. He’s too much of a sexist pig to care about what’s appropriate.
“You were right to suggest that skirt, but I wouldn’t have had any fun wearing it! So, I took the risky route. You look nice too, Jasalie,” Lilla says, but she averts her eyes when she says it.
I’m wearing black dress pants and a pink blouse that’s too informal for a business function, and I know it’s not my best look. But the cream blouse I had picked out fell into the sink while I was in the shower, and I panicked and threw on this top. At least my black pumps only add an inch to my giraffe-like height.
“Bill will probably try to flirt with you on sight,” Lilla says as we step into the waiting elevator and press the lobby button.
“I think my last dismissal of him may have finally done the trick,” I say without much conviction.
Bill is definitely a crappy boss, but if I can get promoted, that means a new supervisor, more money, and more security.
As the elevator reaches its destination, the doors open wide. Lilla grabs my arm and practically pulls me out of the elevator and into the lobby bar. “Oooh, look at all that testosterone!”
