“I’m not complaining.”
Leo hums tightly. “I just have higher expectations, I guess. Especially when I’m out with a woman and plan on paying.”
“That won’t be necessary?—”
“I always pay. Money isn’t a problem for me.”
I bristle in my seat, pressing my fingers hard enough into the side of my glass I’m surprised when it doesn’t shatter.
“I’ll be paying for my dinner.”
A beat of silence. “I see. So, you don’t believe me, then.”
“Believe you about what?”
“Photography is a real career, Aubrey. I didn’t go to law school, but I’m still successful.”
“Okay, I’m going to stop you there. I’m really not in the mood to deal with your projections. Successful or not, I’m still paying for my own meal. The only time I allow a man to pay for me is when I think there will be a second date.”
“You’ve already decided that I’m no good, then? Has this all been a joke to you? You’ve wasted my time!”
Aubrey sucks in a breath, and I stand, grabbing my jacket from the back of my chair before tossing money onto the table.
Her tone dips to glacial levels when she does the same. “Watch it.”
“And this is why I prefer speaking to women in my studio rather than outside of it.”
“I’m not sure that’s something to be proud of. There’s a reason your cousin had to set you up on a blind date, and it isn’t because women have a hard time respecting successful men. I’d suggest working on that larger-than-life complex you seem to have before attempting this again. And for the record, drinking tequila by itself is fucking gross.”
“I’m not the only one who was set up here. Maybe if you considered not being such a judgmental cunt, you wouldn’t need to be put on these dates, either. It took you all of two minutes to decide you didn’t want to give me a chance. I saw it!”
I round the table faster than I realize. My knee knocks into the side of it when I catch the flicker of pain in Aubrey’s steely gaze, feeling it cut at my middle. Leo goes to stand, but I grip his shoulder before he can, shoving him deeper into his seat. Anger spears through me as I plant my other hand on the table and lean into him, my jaw pulsing.
He’s far bigger than me, but in this position, he’s forced to tip his head back to stare at me. With surprise colouring his expression, I speak slowly, each word spiked. “Your cousin vouched for you tonight, and because I care about him, I’m not going to make you choke on the rest of your food. But if you speak one more word to Aubrey, now or in the future, I won’t let that stop me from teaching you a lesson in respect.”
I step back and grab Aubrey’s purse from the ground before draping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her away from the table without another word. She doesn’t speak, but her breathing is heavy, giving away how deeply those words haveaffected her. Her armour is near impenetrable, but she has her weaknesses the same as everyone else.
“I’m still paying my own bill. He doesn’t get that win,” she says before we get too far.
With a quick nod, I release her. My best friend grabs her wallet from her purse and, with a lift of her chin, walks toward the bar. I don’t move a muscle as she calls the bartender over and gets handed a card machine. My chest tightens with regret when I steal a look over my shoulder to the man sitting alone at the table, scowling as he tips his glass of tequila back into his mouth.
Fucking asshole. And I set her up with him.
“Let’s go,” she says, returning to my side with a blank expression.
“You up to go somewhere else, or do you want me to take you home?”
Some light sparks in her eyes when they dart up at me. “Where?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Is that a trick question? Because after tonight, you’ve lost some credibility.”
I try to let that slide off, but shit—it’s the truth. “I know. Just let me make it up to you.”
“Fine. Yes, I trust you,” she mutters.
And that’s all I need.
