Her smile takes on a sly turn. “I heard about Rick’s accident. Your boy’s tough. He’ll make it.”
I lift my glass instead of answering. I don’t appreciate the club girls gossiping about Rick. To her his unfortunate situation is just a conversation starter. And that pisses me the fuck off.
Her gaze flicks briefly towards Natalie, then returns to me. “You look like you could use something better than amaretto. I’d be happy to help you out with that, big boy.”
I set my glass down and turn to look at her. “We already decided that I would come to you if I wanted to spend time with you and I haven’t.”
She doesn’t flinch. “Tonight’s exactly when you should say yes. You need to blow off steam with a woman who can handle you and you’re too proud to ask. That’s why I’m offering myself up to you.”
I meet her eyes, figuring if I shut the door forever, she’ll finally get the message. “I’m saying no. Not tonight. Not ever. No matter how many times you offer, the answer’s always gonna be no.”
For a moment, something dark flashes through her expression. Then she laughs, masking it with practiced ease.
“Suit yourself,” she says, her perfectly manicured fingernails tapping the bar near my hand. “If you change your mind, you know I’m always up for a laugh or two.”
She walks away with the same fake confidence she arrived with.
I don’t watch her leave. I look at Natalie instead.
She’s studying me, not the club girl. “She’s a persistent one,” she says. “I think she’s playing the long game, hoping you’ll cave one day, and she’ll end up becoming your old lady.”
I lift a brow slightly. “I fuckin’ doubt that. I’m not rich, handsome, or a club officer. She ain’t got nothin’ to gain by being my old lady.”
“You’re easier on the eyes than you think.”
I snort a laugh but don’t say anything because I’m too busy fightin’ off the blush creeping up my face.
Natalie continues, “You also own your own business, so you’re not exactly poor.”
“Rich is when your money works for you, not when you work for it,” I remind her.
Natalie’s brows furrow as she stares at me for a second before responding. “Did it ever occur to you that she might actually like you as a person. That’s possible, right?”
“It’s possible, but not fuckin’ likely. She’s not like us.”
She takes another sip of her drink. “What do you mean by that? What are we like? And why is she different?”
I drain my glass and motion to the bartender for another before turning to face her. “You and I were raised in care. Asked ourselves why parents didn’t want us enough to get off drugs and get their lives together. We wondered if we were made of the same fuckin’ flawed material they were. Your brother and I used to talk about this stuff all the time.
“And what conclusion did you come to?”
“That we’re different because we know we’re not entitled to anything in life. We always knew that we’d have to work for whatever we got. We value every bite we put in our mouths, the warm bed we sleep in and personal freedom in a way that other people can’t.”
Natalie’s expression turns admiring. “I’m not going to say you’re wrong about any of that because I’ve gone through a lot of those feelings as well. I think you and my brother are smart for figuring all that out. It’s usually the below-the-surface stuff that nobody ever talks about.”
“Yeah, well Rick is the brains of our operation. He’s so fuckin’ smart, like you.”
She holds my gaze without blinking. “I don’t see any difference between you and us.”
I study her for a moment. Natalie is a beautiful woman. I like how calm she is about things like club girls and learning how our business works. The only thing that really ruffles her feathers is things that have to do with her brother and sometimes me. She’s protective of us in her own way. And no matter how much I try and shut that shit down, I want her. Want her in a way I’ve never wanted another woman.
“I don’t like her, Nat,” I say. “I do like you though.”
“Good, I’ve been gunning for the job as your old lady.”
I spit my drink out, choking a bit. “What did you just say to me?”
Natalie shrugs lightly. “Don’t act like you didn’t know that.”
