“Knox and I go way back.We were friends in college,” I explained.
Cynthia looked at Knox with a peculiar expression before saying, “So, they really knew how to pick them for tonight, huh?I tried to listen to both.Such a bore.”
He nodded.“I agree.I was suspicious when I saw the names but figured the organizers knew what they were doing.Clearly not.”
I slurped the last sip of my margarita, then said, “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
I wanted to refresh a bit, and he obviously wanted to talk shop with Cynthia, so I went straight to the ladies’ room and took stock of my appearance.My lipstick was worth its weight in gold because it looked as if I’d freshly applied it.It was the kind that was difficult to remove, but that was a trade-off that didn’t bother me.
After washing my hands, I returned to where I’d left Cynthia and Knox.I was just about to announce my presence when I heard her ask, “So, is Amy your date?”
“No,” Knox said with a laugh.
I winced.From the tone of his voice, it sounded like he thought it was the most ridiculous idea.
“She’s a very good friend, and I figured she’d enjoy tonight,” he continued.
“Right.It seemed a bit strange to me, you bringing someone to an event like this.So, does that mean you’re free?We can meet up as usual after and have a little fun.”
My stomach bottomed out.Why was I eavesdropping on their conversation?Clearly, this was a booty call.
I backtracked quickly, hoping they hadn’t noticed me, and went straight to the bar.I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
Why did I have this pit in my stomach?I hated it.Knox was a free agent.He could pick up as many women as he wanted.
“There you are,” I heard him say.
I winced and then turned around, plastering a smile on my face.“Hey.”
“I didn’t see you pass by Cynthia and me.”
“You two were talking”—I swallowed hard—“so I decided to wait here.”
“What can I get you to drink?”
I wanted to know how their conversation went.Did they agree to meet later?Was he leaving here with her?But I couldn’t ask him that without admitting that I’d eavesdropped.
“What do you want to drink?”he asked me again.
I yawned.“Um...”
I looked at the menu printed on the bar counter.It was pretty sparse.
“I’ll have an apple juice,” I told the bartender.
“Coming right up,” he said.“And you?”
“Same,” Knox replied.
How could I find out about his plans with Cynthia without being obvious?
“Cynthia seems nice.How do you know her?”I asked him in what I hoped was an easygoing tone.
“She works for one of our subcontractors.She’s very smart, and she’s spearheaded many projects with my managers.”
“So, you see her regularly?”
Why is my voice so high-pitched?
