Heading for the bar, I order another drink, dying for more liquid courage. Apparently, all the shots from the previous bar wore off on the way over. I need something to take the edge off the anxious feeling that’s overtaking my body. If I could numb myself to feelinganything, I would.
James and I mingle with Caleb close by, a look of boredom on his face. He’s had to muffle several yawns, and we’ve only been here for an hour.
A slap to my chest makes me jump.
“Wanna tell me whatthe fuckBlake Adams is doing here?” James spits, his voice laced with venom.
“Easy, bro,” I warn, not liking his tone. “If anyone’s gonna make her life hell, it’s me.”
“Theo—” he starts, but I cut him off.
“I know what I’m doing, James,” I snap, tired of his lectures. “I’m gonna make sure Blake wishes she’d never come back.” My jaw tenses, and my hand clenches around my beer bottle.
I lock eyes with the woman in question. It’s the first time I’ve seen her tonight, and the breath gets knocked out of me. Her long dark hair cascades down her shoulders in waves, one half pinned back off her face. The makeup she wears is subtle, very much like the Blake of old. Her black dress is tight around her bust, giving her—I’m reluctant to admit—the best cleavage I’ve ever seen. It’s elegant, understated, and exactly like Blake.
I detest that even though my mind hates her, my heart and body react to her like they’ve always done. I hate how I’m so confused when she’s around.
Turning away, I go back to the conversation with James, hoping to avoid her at all costs.
Chapter Eighteen
BLAKE
Nerves wrack my entire body, being in a room full of people I don’t know. The only reason I’m here is because of the case, and for the first time, I’m now regretting being on it. Standing here nursing my glass of wine with no one to talk to feels awkward and uncomfortable. I should be networking, talking to prospective clients, but I don’t have it in me tonight.
Things with Theo have been terse, to say the least. We’ve been at each other’s throats and not in a good way. I’m exhausted both mentally and physically, and I’d rather be anywhere than here right now.
The doors open, and my gaze drifts over, hopefully to see someone I know, but when they walk through, I wish it had been more strangers because Theo strolls in, his hair down and a grin on his face. If I’d allow them to, my knees would have buckled under how good he looks in his suit. James follows closely next to him, and my god, has that man aged well. He always intimidated me—he was freaking hot—butI liked the guy. Two other men I don’t recognize stand with him, their auras sucking all the air out of the room. There isn’t a single woman here who doesn’t eye them with lust.
Shuffling on my feet, I lower my gaze. The submissive move is unlike me, but as I said, I’m exhausted, and the minute he sees me, he’ll use it as an excuse to torture me more than he already has. So I step back out of the way, watching people interact and listening in on conversations they don’t realize I’m hearing.
So far, Jenni from accounting is having an affair with her co-worker, and he wants her to leave her husband, but she’s refusing. I mean, if you don’t love the guy… why don’t you just leave? I roll my eyes at the pair of them before moving onto the next person.
“The sheriff is ready to pick her up. I want it dealt with as quickly as possible. No one is to know. Get her when she goes to the bathroom or something.”
My back straightens as I listen to an older woman on the phone. I’ve never seen her before, but her conversation doesn’t fill me with much confidence. I don’t want to ignore it, but I also don’t have anything else to go on. The inner lawyer in me screams to keep listening, but she walks off, taking her conversation with her.
An hour passes by, but it feels like an eternity. My back is protesting, and my feet ache from standing in one position for too long, but I see Frank and Michael headed my way, so I straighten my spine and plaster a smile on my face.
“Blake, why are you standing over here?” Frank asks. “The senator wants an update.”
Michael frowns, which doesn’t do him any favors. He’s a man who is definitely looking his sixty-six years. His suit pulls tightly around his portly frame, and I wonder if he’s ever heard of a tailor. His short hairis white, not a hint of any color, and I watch as his beady eyes take me in. If the ground could swallow me up, that would be great.
“Oh, I was, um, getting a drink. I was just on my way to find Theo,” I reply, feeling like an idiot. This evening is going from bad to worse.
Frank and Michael turn on their expensive heels, weaving through the crowd. I follow behind them, knowing I’m about to walk into the lion's den. They stop in front of Theo, disrupting his conversation with James and his tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed friend.
Good lord, are all of his friends this good-looking?
Theo doesn’t bother to glance in my direction, giving pleasantries to everyone but me. After Frank tells Theo that the senator wants an update, I fall into step with him, crossing the vast room to find him.
“Couldn’t have covered up a bit more?” Theo sneers, his tone low enough for only me to hear.
“Don’t look then,” I snap, suddenly feeling self-conscious. When it comes to other men, or any person for that matter, I’ve never cared. I am who I am, and I won’t apologize for it, but with Theo? I’ve always cared what he thought.
“Can’t help but look when you’re practically falling out of your dress.”
“Wow, I wondered when the sexist remarks would come out. It’s not enough that you’ve tried to sabotage me, now we’re using the sex card? I have a vagina and tits, Theo, big deal. Doesn’t mean I’m not as good as you are,” I hiss, quickening my pace and wondering why the hell the room seems a mile long.
