Elio’s gaze shifted purposefully to the blondie, and it held for seconds too long before he looked away, shaking his head while removing the cigar from his lips and taking a drink before responding to Angelo.
“… down,” Milk completed. “I didn’t just imagine that, did I?”
“Nope,” I said, drinking the rest of the contents of my glass before dropping it beside me and getting to my feet. “Gotta go,” I said, without taking my eyes off Elio. “I’ll see you at the event.”
“Hey, take it easy; it might just be a normal eye-lock thing; it happens with strangers all the time.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know.” It happens with strangers, but I hated the tightness in my stomach. She was pretty, perfect, every guy’s ideal girlfriend. I knew I was pretty, too, and the whole package, but I also knew when there was someone better than me in all aspects.
Beauty, style, charm, a perfect rich-girl childhood, awesome parents, and a remarkable upbringing.
I didn’t want someone like that looking at what was mine, and I didn’t like what was mine looking at someone like that and realizing they could do so much better.
I hated this feeling. It was pathetic. Rarely did I feel insecure, but after that conversation with Casmiro and my growing feelings for this man, there was no controlling the pathetic nervousness that made my palms sweaty.
With a last farewell to Milk, who had also gotten up to seek Upper and the guys, I made my way toward Elio, who spotted me before I reached him.
Angelo stopped talking as he, in turn, spotted me.
“Hey, Angie,” I greeted, hooking my arm into Elio’s, clinging to him.
“Zahra.” He cleared his throat. “Wonderful evening.”
“It is, indeed.” I grinned, knowing I had interrupted some intense conversation between them. “Will you be attending the event?”
He shook his head. “Not immediately.”
“Work?” I asked, and he nodded, prompting me to look up at Elio, who made no attempt to shrug off my hold. “Cut him some slack, all work and no play… how’s he gonna get some?”
“He does not work for me,” Elio responded, looking down at me, tone firm.
“I work for him. He loves to deny it,” Angelo said, snatching the cigar from Elio’s hand. “That’s a third one too many.” Then he turned to me. “Please try to monitor his cigars; it’s getting worse.”
“One more word—”
“I will do that, Angie,fiercely.”
“I have no doubt,” Angelo said, with a curt nod my way and then one last glance at a glaring Elio before he walked away.
I went to stand in front of the frowning man. “He’s right; you should go easy on the cigars.”
“You should go easy on your inability to abstain from situations that do not concern you,” he stated, sounding irritated.
“That was rude.”
He made no move to apologize; his stare was almost blank, save for the irritation lingering in those eyes.
I sighed. “It’s just advice from people who care about your well-being.” I closed the space between us, rising a little to kiss the side of his neck. “And your health.”
“Hm.”
I rolled my eyes, fully standing on the heels of my feet. “Give me a kiss; let’s call a mini truce.”
“It is unnecessary to call a truce when there was no war prior to—”
“Ugh,” I groaned, cupping the side of his face and pressing my lips to his, hoping to God that the blondie saw it and knew he was fucking taken.
Breaking away from the kiss, my thumb grazed his bottom lip. “I have taken the liberty of getting you an outfit for the event.”
