He made no effort to elaborate or ask me any personal questions, and I cursed internally.
We finally got to the restaurant, where a line of people waited to get in. David ushered me inside, easily bypassing the crowd. I hated feeling guided by him, like I was some accessory to his well-cultivated outfit. We were seated at a table with hard acrylic chairs and odd-looking light fixtures. Everyone there was either injected with plastic or hopped up on god knows what. The glazed, bored look in their eyes gave me the creeps.
I looked down at the single-paged menu and sighed. Nothing looked appealing, so I couldn’t even enjoy the food.
David stood up to chat with a few people who had passed by our table. He brought me up to his side to introduce me and looked satisfied with how well I seemed to fit in his arms. I stiffened and smiled at the people in front of me without providing any notable commentary.Do I really want to be arm candy for this guy?
We finally ordered, and I sipped my martini while David texted on his phone.
Once he was done, he gave me an appraising look and leaned back in his chair like a king holding court. “How come I’ve never heard of you until now?”
“I don’t usually date.” I shrugged.
“So you’re shy,” David said condescendingly.
It really bothered me how many men seemed to think I was sweet and innocent.
I gritted my teeth. “No, I just never find anybody interesting.”
“Until me.” He laughed triumphantly, and I dug my nails into my palm.
He stared lasciviously at me from across the table. “I like your outfit. We look good together.”
I gulped down my martini. “That matters?”
“It’s a big part of who I date, but I do look for more in a partner. I wouldn’t be a good lawyer if I didn’t do my research. I already know you work for your parents, which means you’re a dutiful daughter and will take care of things at home. And yes, the fact that you’re veryattractive bodes well for my business. I attend a lot of galas and host a lot of parties, so I need someone who looks good in a dress. You’re quiet and well mannered, so I know you won’t make a fuss. Also, since you don’t date, I know you’re not a slut.”
Something within me snapped. I’ve never felt such unadulterated rage. It consumed my entire body. Years of oppression and patronizing remarks from men in my life had all built up to this moment. This douchebag managed to offend my entire existence in the span of one minute. I’d never met someone so calculating in their observations. Last date I’d go on with a lawyer, that’s for sure.
What the fuck am I doing here?
I got up and threw the rest of my martini in David’s face. “Clean yourself off. I don’t date slobs.”
I walked out of the restaurant without looking back and called an Uber to take me to Elspeth’s house. I was seething and needed to cool down before going back home, or I might lash out at my parents too. I wasn’t ready to pick a fight that’d been festering since puberty. I had no idea what I was going to tell them once they found out I publicly humiliated David. They would definitely hear from the grapevine, and I just needed a few hours to collect myself.
I was grateful for an empty house to come down from my rage. Elspeth and William were at the pub throwing a big event for the real estate office down the street.
I stomped up to my room and threw down my purse in a fit. I was so sick and tired of meeting everyone’s expectations, being treated like a child by my parents and the men they set me up with, but most of all, whatWilliam said after I confronted him the day after our hookup.
It was true, of course. I was a coward, but he’d never said anything so personal and mean like that to me before. Still seething, I threw my alarm clock across the room and screamed. It nearly missed William as he came through the doorway.
His eyes were wide with shock, and he held up a hand to calm me like I was a wild animal. I felt like it too and reveled in his caution.
I wasn’t, however, too angry to notice his posh outfit. William was wearing an all-black suit. His dress shirt was taut against his pecs, and his shoulders looked broader in the sleek blazer. His hand tattoos peaked out from his cuffs, and it made him look like a James Bond villain.
My insides fluttered despite my anger toward him.
“You okay?”
I was done being respectful and agreeable. “Fuck off.”
William’s eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
I knew I was being immature, but I hated men at the moment and their assumptions about me. “You heard me.”
William stiffened and looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Don’t talk to me like that, lass.”
I bristled at his harsh tone with the word “lass.” “I don’t need another man telling me what to do, William.”
