Isaacs.
I don’t greet him by name. I need to reel him in.
“Are you a fan of corgis?” I ask dryly.
“God no. Can’t stand the little buggers.” He laughs drunkenly. “I didn’t even want to come to this function. Trying to keep the girlfriend happy.”
“Same.”
“She’s a new model.” Isaacs nods his head toward Mandy’s new friend. “Got rid of the last one. She was getting uppity.”
I consider myself a fairly callous man, but the way Isaacs talks about his girlfriends like they’re in the same category as a car is unsettling. It reminds me of my father.
“I might need to upgrade again, though. I’ve never seen a nicer pair of tits on a female.” He jerks his chin toward Mandy.
The possessiveness is immediate. Unyielding.“She’s mine.”I manage to relax my clenched fist before I can punch Isaacs in his gelatinous face.
At my feet, the dog seems to pick up on the tension.
Isaacs’s eyes bug out.
Forcing my shoulders to relax, I add, “It’s just so difficult to find a trustworthy woman nowadays.”
Isaacs lets out a belly laugh then slaps me on the back. “She must be a real good lay to get a reaction like that out of you. The curvy ones are, I think. They’re eager to please—they overcompensate for not being skinny.” He sighs wistfully. “I miss real breasts.”
Christ almighty.
Mandy and Isaacs’s new girlfriend return, loaded down with plates of dog snacks.
Before I can stop her, Mandy bends down in front of Pepper to feed her a cupcake.
Isaacs isn’t even trying to be subtle. He guzzles his wine, his eyes firmly glued to her tits.
It takes all my willpower not to stare too. It’s just that they look like they could fall out any minute. And when she lifts her wine glass to her lips, I can see a pale pink crescent, just begging me to put my mouth on it.
“See? Salinger’s watching Pepper!” The young woman pouts at Isaacs. “You could have watched Matcha.”
Isaacs belches. “I’m a man of means. I don’t dogsit.”
“Salinger has money, and he’s dogsitting.”
“Salinger’s also getting to sleep with a girl who likes putting out and gives him a better performance than a discount sex doll, amiright, Sal?” He slaps me on the back.
“The fuck did you just say about her?” Fuck the contract. I’m going to kill him instead.
Isaacs stammers as I round on him. Then Mandy’s hand is a warm weight on my arm.
I unclench my fist.
“I think Mr. Isaacs is just a little tense, Salinger,” Mandy coos at me, still rubbing my arm. “Claire was telling me you’re working on a big contract. Something with the port? He’s just blowing off some steam. You can’t say you weren’t doing the same last night.”
Her tone is flirty, and she pokes her tongue out at me.
“You’ll have to excuse him,” Mandy purrs to Isaacs, who melts at her smile. “He’s a big-shot investor, and you know how tightly wound they can be.”
Isaacs chuckles. “Oh, I bet he gives you a workout.”
“You have no idea.”
