“You couldn’t have been farther from the truth.” I lifted my glass to my lips. “Men like me aren’t entertainers. We’re the ones being entertained.” I shot her a quick look.
She rolled her eyes. “With this attitude, no wonder you’re lonely.”
I was about to respond to her when a familiar face approached me and engaged me in a conversation I wasn’t ready for.
My plus-one used that opportunity to excuse herself before I could stop her. Each time I tried to end the conversation, this newcomer, an elderly woman, would bring up something else.
She spoke to me as if we were buddies, and although her face looked familiar, I couldn’t place where I knew her from. I would’ve dismissed her from the start if she weren’t old enough to be my mother.
Out of respect, I stayed, listening to her while keeping an eye on my plus-one, who was standing alone by the champagne tower. I noticed the looks she drew and the way heads turnedtoward her. Within seconds, she captured the attention of almost thirty percent of the men in the room.
At this point, I knew it was only a matter of time before one of those dogs walked up to her.
“She’s pretty,” the elderly woman’s voice snapped me back to the present. “Is she your woman?” she asked in Russian.
A faint grin appeared on my lips. “No.”
“But you would like for her to be.”
I wasn’t sure whether that was a question or a statement.
“It’s complicated.”
“Not from where I’m standing.”
“What do you mean?”
She beamed at me. “I think you know.”
I looked in her direction, but this time, she wasn’t alone anymore. She had a companion, the young man who entertained us a few minutes ago. To make matters worse, she was smiling as he talked to her with a hand in his pocket.
My blood boiled, and my fingers clenched into fists at my sides.
The elderly woman followed my gaze and said softly, “The sooner you accept the truth, the better for both of you.”
I didn’t respond, didn’t take my eyes off the annoying scene unfolding in front of me either.
“Do right by her and thank me later.” She tapped my shoulder and walked away.
Without a moment of hesitation, I headed toward them, a scowl perched on my face.
“My God, you have such a beautiful voice,” she said to him, chuckling as if she were having a good time.
“Clearly, not as beautiful as you are,” he answered with a seductive look, attempting to woo her with his charms.
She lowered her head, tucking the strands of hair that framed her face behind her ear.
Flames of anger shot through me, and every muscle in my body tensed. I quickened my pace, refusing to slow down until I joined them. “What’s going on here?” I asked, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist.
At first, I thought she was going to try to yank my hand off, embarrassing me in front of this man.
But she didn’t.
“The lady and I were just talking,” he answered in accented English, a hint of arrogance lacing his tone.
“He’s the young man who sang a few minutes ago,” she chipped in, grinning at him.
That little gesture only fueled my rage.
