Beck shrugs, unbothered. “And neighbor.” He leans in, dropping his voice. “And maybe a little more if you want to meetme here later tonight.” He says it like it’s nothing, but it confirms everything.
And I suddenly can’t breathe, and my mouth completely forgets how to work.
“This is crazy,” Riley doesn’t even bother to hide the way she’s eating this entire thing up.
Beck pours himself a seltzer, props his elbows on the bar, and looks at me. “I meant what I said, Maddy. You should meet me up here later. The view is wild at night.” He lingers on the wordwildjust long enough to make my heart skip a beat.
Riley nudges my ankle under the bar, as if to jump start my brain again. “She’s got plans, but maybe she can squeeze it in.”
I nod, dumbly, committing to nothing and everything.
Beck smiles, downing the rest of his drink. “See you around, Maddy,” he says, before pivoting back to his bar duties.
Riley grabs me by the wrist, dragging me toward the railing. “Girl, holy freaking hell. The way he looked at you? That man wants more than just a business meeting in that hot tub. You never said he wasthathot!”
I groan, shaking my head. “Why is my life like this? He’s myboss,Riley! And he’s been ignoring me ever since the night of Elizabeth’s wedding… He hasn’t shownanyinterest.”
“Okay, but he is now!”
“But why?” I throw my hands in the air out of frustration.
“Because you’re hot, smart, and the irony is amazing.” Riley is positively vibrating. “Youhaveto go.”
I manage to shake my head. “Are you kidding? I’m going to lose my job. I’ll get fired and blacklisted and end up on a reality show about hot messes who can’t hold down a job because they sleep with their bosses. You said to be careful, too.”
“Stop it,” her voice grows stern. “You’re allowed to have a life. You’re allowed to have sex if you want to. You are not about toget fired from your job. He was practically undressing you with his eyes, and he’s mega fucking hot.”
I bury my face in my hands. “It’s so unprofessional.”
“He owns the company. Hemakesthe rules.” Riley’s tone softens, just a little. “And… Maddy, after what Wes did to you? You deserve a win. You deserve, at minimum, a really good lay. Though I guess you already had one.”
I snort. “I’m not sure my self-worth should be directly tied to dick.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not. But it is tied to your happiness, and right now, you’re miserable. What’s the worst that could happen? You go, you have a fun conversation, maybe you get laid in a hot tub. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you find out he’s an even bigger tool than Wes and you never see him again except at work.”
I try to picture that. It’s notsobad, actually.
“But what about Caleb?” I protest weakly.
“He’s a grown man, who hasn’t acknowledged he finger fucked you. Maybe he was just trying to make you feel better. Beck is hot. Do it.”
I laugh, finally, the tension breaking. “You’re so pushy.”
“I know. And you love that about me. You don’t have to, if you don’t want to,” Riley says, raising her lemonade in salute. “But remember to relax and have fun—and be prepared to share every detail.”
I shake my head, but I’m already thinking about what swimsuit to wear. I look over at the bar—Beck is laughing at something the manager said, eyes glancing over every now and then—and I feel something tighten low in my stomach.
“Okay,” I say, with false bravado. “I’ll do it.”
When the elevator doors open onto the rooftop at 10:02, the pool space is empty, and the glow of the surrounding city reflects off the glass railing.
I step out, every cell in my body vibrating.
There’s no sound except the faint trickle of water and the low hum of the pool heater. The deck is deserted, just as Beck promised, and the only light comes from the pool and the city around us.
I walk toward the hot tub, pretending I’m not about to hyperventilate as my eyes meet his.
“You showed,” Beck is bare-chested, his arms spread along the ledge, head tilted back, eyes on me. There’s a bottle of champagne on the table, sweating in its bucket, and two flutes ready to go.
