My finger tapped against the empty glass in front of me, hoping if I stared at it, more bourbon would appear. By now Cal stood and was addressing the room, but I still couldn’t concentrate on anything being said. My eyes wandered to Maryellen’s slender hand as she grasped her wineglass, her shiny red nails a stark contrast to the white wine.
Slouching in my chair allowed me to have a better view. Her classic profile as she listened to Calvin’s speech, her occasional smile at his corny jokes. Every move her body made created a need in me. I had to force myself not to reach out and touch her.
Her leg moved away from mine as she leaned over to speak to the guy she was with. It made me wonder if I’d imagined it all.
The room broke out in applause and snapped the trance I’d been in.
“Could you get me another drink?” Lena asked.
“Absolutely.” Anxious to get up, I shot up from my chair and raced to the bar. Even though it wasn’t crowded, I decided to spend a few minutes away from the table. Once I got my drink, I took a sip, allowing myself to enjoy the burn of it going down my throat.
“How do you drink that stuff?”
Even asking me a question like that, her voice melted me on the inside. No one else had this effect on me.
“How do you not like it?” I asked her.
Maryellen scrunched her face up in disgust as she flagged down the bartender. She ordered another white wine while I ordered Lena’s champagne.
“It’s too…alcoholy.” Then she laughed. “I know it’s not a word.”
I laughed with her. “It gets the point across.”
She nodded and then took a sip of her pinot grigio. “Now that’s nice.”
“I enjoy a good wine, too, ya know.”
She looked my way, and our eyes connected. She didn’t take her gaze from mine when she responded. “I know you do.”
Everything around us went away in that moment. There were no other voices. There were no other people.
It was only her and I.
Until he showed up.
“Hey, there you are. Didn’t know what was taking so long.” The guy she came with was at her side, claiming his stake.
“Just chatting with one of my bosses,” she told him.
He craned his neck to look around her. Now I wasn’t sure he recognized me from outside the bar, because he reached out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Garrett Anderson. I believe you’re Chase Parker, correct?” he said.
His handshake was OK, better than I thought it would be. And he impressed me by knowing who I was. All that meant was he was in the industry.
“Yeah, nice to meet you,” I said. “What firm are you with?”
“I’m at Goldman.”
His chin went up when he said it because he thought that meant something. But management at Goldman burnt them out so bad and the turnover rate was awful. I’d give it another two years before he was at our doorstep.
“Cool, man,” I said and turned away.
Even though her attention was no longer on me, I could still feel her presence nearby. Her body was a magnet to mine, pulling me to her wherever she was, but I resisted. Grabbing Lena’s champagne, I was about to return to our table.
Right when she leaned up against me.
CHAPTER 6
