He gestures to me. “I assume you’re asking for advice.”
I smile and pop gum in my mouth. “That’s funny, I assumed you wanted advice from me.”
“You should look up the wordjokebecause I don’t think you know the definition of funny.”
I whistle. “You’re just on a fucking roll today, aren’t you?” He can’t answer. A server swoops in with his earlier drink order. Club soda for him and a cocktail for the girl. She sets the cocktail on the bar, and I grab the club soda off the tray.
I pause before I put my lips to the rim. “You’ve never taken a sip of alcohol,” I say to Moffy, “which means you don’t know what it tastes like.”
He stares at me, blank faced. “Is there a question in there or are you just Nancy Drew-ing shit out loud?”
“I’m more of a Hardy Boy, but nice try.” Our eyes lock, more headily, all the while I put my lips to the glass and sip.
Sharp alcohol bites my tongue. “It’s spiked with vodka.” I look for the server.
“Just let it go. It’s not a big deal.” When he sees me searching for a server, he adds, “Farrow, it’s fine.”
He refuses to complain, but he can send back a spiked drink. And if the act makes him feel like an asshole, I’ll fucking do it for him.
Maximoff tells me, “Declan would just drop it.”
“I’m not Declan,” I remind him for the forty-fourth time this week. I catch a server’s attention. “I need a bottled water,sealed.” I give her a fifty-dollar bill.
“Right away.” She darts behind the bar, scoots beside the bartender, and then tosses me a bottled water. When I turn around to Maximoff, he looks stunned.
He licks his lips, emotion raising his carriage.
“Take it.” I pass the water.
He holds the bottled water like he’s never seen Evian before.
“It’s just water.”
Maximoff is frozen still. “You didn’t have to do that.” He means get him the water.
“Okay, but I did.” It’s not the first time he’s been like this after I helped him. I step closer. “Don’t you see, Maximoff? There’s a cement wall in front of you, and you’ve just been told to besatisfiedwith staring at it.” He listens intently. “And so you just stand there, not able to see the other side.” The wall is paparazzi.
The wall is the people who spike his drink.
The wall is hecklers and his lack of privacy.
Screw it all.
“What’s the alternative?” he combats. “Me hating my life?”
“No!” I shout as chatter escalates around us. “It’s my job to help you over the wall! Declan may’ve told you to accept the shit in your life, but I’m going to give you what you’ve never been given!”
Like a bottledwater, for one.
That’s a solution that Declan never thought of. Or maybe he just listened to Maximoff stubbornly sayjust let it go.
Maximoff opens his mouth to speak, but the brunette slips up beside him. Yanking his attention to the left, and he tells her, “Give me one more second! Your drink is on the bar!”
“Take your time! I’ll be waiting!” She bites her bottom lip and slides onto her stool.
My pulse is wedged in my esophagus.
Maximoff whispers in my ear, “The talk I wanted to have with you…” His voice is noticeably tight. “I can’t have her in my car unless she signs an NDA. So you’ll need to take her to the VIP section while I hang around the club’s security.”
