“Neither is his wife,” someone said on the other side of Ethan. Kaylee leaned forward, but the man was leaning back. She couldn’t get a glimpse of who’d made the comment.
“Can Theo help you at all?” Ethan asked quietly as the waitress worked her way to them.
“Yes. The CEO listens to him,” she murmured. “Maybe more so than the others. Certainly more so than Ray. But Theo isn’t overly fond of change. He’d rather have a young buck step up to the plate. That young buck being white and privileged, of course. Just like how he started.”
“Like how they all started, I imagine. People like to keep with what is known and comfortable.” Ethan glanced over his other shoulder at the waitress, then angled his head the other way, having her step into the space just behind their chairs. “I’d like the steak, please. Medium rare. Fully loaded potato.”
She scribbled down his order before smiling down at Kaylee. “And for you?”
“Same, except no chives on the potato. And another glass of wine.”
“Another martini for me, then.” Ethan pointed to his glass. “Gin, dirty, two olives.”
“Yes, sir.” The waitress nodded and continued down the line.
“A woman who eats red meat?” Theo glanced down at her, chomping on his bread. “You don’t see that too often.”
“It’s too heavy for me.” Donna brushed at her stiff bob, as though trying to get it out of her face. With all the hairspray, even a hurricane wouldn’t disturb it.
“Chicken is fine for takeout, but when I’m at a good restaurant, nothing is better than a nice, juicy steak.” Kaylee sipped the last bit of wine. She probably shouldn’t have ordered the other drink, which would make it more difficult to keep her hands off Ethan, but she wasn’t about to stick to water in front of these guys. An open bar meant they liked their alcohol and assumed everyone else did too. She’d heard the stories from various Christmas parties. They were boozy affairs. She wanted to somewhat fit in.
“I get chicken nearly every day of the week. I’m sick of it.” Theo scowled.
“His waistline isn’t.” Donna glanced at his protruding belly, smaller than the rest of the VPs. Clearly Donna watched his weight for him. As well as she could, at any rate.
“Is the CEO here?” Ethan asked quietly, pulling Kaylee’s focus back to him.
“Yes. He’s down the table a bit. He’s never said much to me, but he’s never berated me, either. That seems like a good sign. The never berating, I mean.”
“Hmm.” Ethan thought for a moment. “Then I’ll work on Theo. Befriend him, if I can. Hopefully that’ll help.”
“He seemed interested in real estate.”
“An easy in.” Ethan smiled at her before his gaze dipped to her lips. “Your beauty hurts my eyes.”
Kaylee’s stomach flipped and sparklers went off in her body. She laughed, and the smile that rose in its wake was shy—a good match for her burning face. Something about the way he complimented her made her feel prized. Cherished. He seemed so genuine. Sometimes he almost seemed dazed, like he couldn’t believe his luck that she was there with him.
If it was an act, it was a damn good one. A believable one.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her hand moving to his knee of its own accord. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
He winked at her before leaning to the side so the waitress could set down their drinks.
Thirteen
Ethan checked his phone while Kaylee visited the restroom. Dinner was thankfully over. He’d had to choke down the overdone steak and undercooked potato—the cooks clearly hadn’t been up to the task of the private dinner crew. Afterward, they’d hung out by the bar, speaking with those who wanted some face time with Kaylee.
Despite the wound-up persona he knew she attempted to employ at work, people seemed to genuinely like her. They smiled and chatted, friendly and amicable. He had a feeling that she let down her defenses a lot more than she knew.
“Ethan.” Theo, holding an empty glass, stopped beside him. Ethan had taken a strategic position by the bar for just this reason.
“Hey, Theo.” He put his phone away, ignoring the text from Janie that said, Are you doing the horizontal ugly dance yet, Romeo?? He leaned back against the bar, facing the room.
Theo ordered a drink and hung out for a while, not speaking. Finally, he said, “So how long have you been in the real estate business?”
Ethan shifted, turning just a bit toward Theo for the sake of politeness. “My mother had a gift for real estate. She was the one that got me started. As I got older, she trained me to help manage it so she could free up her time to pursue purchases.” And her art, but Ethan didn’t mention that. He doubted Theo would think it was as neat as Ethan and his friends did. “I took her teaching to heart. I’m not as good as she was, but I do okay.”
“And that is your full-time employment?”
“No. I only bring in enough money from that to pay for my property taxes. The rest I save up until I have enough to buy the next great thing.”
Theo accepted his drink and turned, looking stiff. His version of hanging out. He probably needed a Xanax to relax. “So what do you do for funds?”
“I’m a fitness model with a sponsorship. As you can probably guess, I don’t need much to live on with my housing paid for.”
“You don’t live with Kaylee, then?”
“No. Not yet. She’s hardheaded about making her own way. I won’t let her pay rent, so she won’t move in.”
Surprise flitted across Theo’s face. “I doubt I would pass that up. I’d rather keep my money than throw it away on rent.”
“She owns her own home, but yeah, I hear you. I’m just happy she doesn’t have her hand out, know what I mean? Usually I get broads who are looking for a free ride. I’m not about to complain that she’d rather earn her own way.”
“No, I guess not.” Theo sipped his drink. “Any tips on an up-and-coming market in the States?”
“Many, Theo.” Ethan gave him a cheeky grin. “But I wouldn’t get in as cheaply if I told everyone what I know.”
Theo’s shoulders shook as he chuckled. “Donna and I will have to have you two around for dinner so I can get more martinis in you and pry it out.”
Kaylee walked back into the room, her hips swaying and her dress moving around her legs like a live thing. She scanned the area before her gaze landed on him. An achingly beautiful smile lit up her face.
“She’s a firecracker,” Theo said, noticing where Ethan’s attention had gone. Ben and his wife had stopped her for a chat. “She gets things done in half the time it takes everyone else. Makes the other directors look bad.”
“Do they hate her for it?”
Confusion crossed Theo’s face and he shifted his stance, now more centered. Thinking. “I haven’t heard about it, if they do.”
“My buddy is eyeing her pretty hard for a mini-golf facility that’s about five months from opening. He needs someone on operations.” Ethan put out his hand to still Theo. “Not that he can afford her. Not at first, anyway.” He dropped his hand and resumed his unaffected lean. “But yeah, she’s got an eye for business. She’s young yet, but she’ll get there. I’m holding on. I’m like you—I don’t mind a free ride.”
Theo chuckled again. His smile drifted away. “What is she, twenty-four? Twenty-five?”
A twinge of fear pushed through Ethan. He didn’t know. “Twenty-seven, I think. I should know that.”
“Twenty-eight tomorrow, then, right?” Theo grunted. Ethan kept his face free from surprise, though it wasn’t easy. He should’ve known her birthday was so close. How had he missed that in all his social media stalking? “Don’t worry about the number. Women don’t like to be reminded of it, anyway. As long as you don’t forget the actual birthday, you’re fine. Donna turns twenty-one every year.”
“Good tip. And shit yeah. Her birthday. I’m terrible with dates. Anniversaries have been a real nightmare in the past.”
“Do yo
u know what I do?” Theo glanced at Donna, probably making sure she was still out of earshot. “I program reminders into my phone leading up to the anniversary or birthday or whatever. I call them something else. Something I’ll remember. Like ‘golfing with Pete.’” He grinned and leaned toward Ethan slightly. “I don’t have a friend named Pete. See what I mean? So it lodges in my head. I don’t plug ‘anniversary’ in on the actual date either, because I should remember that, right? We guys shouldn’t need to put things like that on our calendars.” He rolled his eyes. “So I have another code name for that, business related. If she ever goes snooping, and randomly brings up that she hopes I won’t be doing X thing on our day, I say no, no. I’m planning to cancel it, or something to that effect. It works. Trust me.”
Ethan laughed as Kaylee broke away and headed toward him. “I better try that. It’ll save me a great many headaches.”
“See that you do.”
“Hey,” Kaylee said as she stopped next to him, her eyes twinkling.
Theo raised his glass to Ethan, nodded to Kaylee, and wandered away.
Her smile fell. “He always does that to me.”
“I don’t think he means it in a bad way.” Ethan ran his fingers down the back of her arm and took her hand. “He wanted to talk to me about real estate. I think you’re okay where he is concerned. Ray, however…”
“You really hate Ray.” She laughed and glanced at the bartender. The takeaway was obvious—she didn’t plan to drink any more.
“Hey, is it your birthday tomorrow?” Ethan asked.
Surprise lit up her face. “How’d you know?”
“Don’t look his way, but Theo mentioned it and I had to pretend not to be surprised. I said you were twenty-seven.”
“Good guess. I’m twenty-six. How old are you?”
“Thirty.”
“Old fart. Yes, tomorrow is my birthday. And no, I don’t want to do anything for it. Theo knows about it because he loves cake. He knows everyone’s birthday. I get the feeling Donna doesn’t allow sweets.”
“He should be thankful.”
“Anyway, how much longer do you want to stay?”
“I’m on your time. We’ll stay as long as you want.”
“Poor planning on your part…” She glanced at an invisible watch. “How long have we been at this godforsaken party?”
He laughed and swung her hand. “Shall we leave now, then?”
“Well…” Uncertainty stole over her expression.
“Or we can stay. Really, I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
“I mean…it’s just that…” She bit her lip, pulled her phone out of her clutch, and glanced at the time. “Oh. It’s nearly nine. I guess it’s not that early.” She sounded disappointed.
Warmth filled his chest. She didn’t want this to end. She was into it. Into him. She had to be.
He pulled her closer as another thought drifted through his head.
She’d started out the night in a professional vein. She’d organized all this through the website, regardless of whether the gig had been accepted. Knowing her, and he was learning, she’d think he was on duty, even though he’d assured her several times that he wasn’t.
Suddenly, the way before them was clear.
Patience is a virtue.
All good things come to those who wait.
Blue balls are the pits.
“Let’s head out, shall we?” he said, pushing off the bar.
Her eyes dulled and the corners of her mouth turned down. A moment later, her expression had cleared. “Sure, yeah. Sounds good.”
His heart twisted. She thought he was done with her. That this was the end.
What a silly girl.
“Do you need to say goodbye to anyone?” he asked.
“Oh, um…” She glanced around, met someone’s eyes, gave a stiff wave, and turned. “You and Theo are having a bromance, huh?”
He laughed as he fell in step with her, now knowing whose gaze she’d caught. “He wants us to go to his house for dinner so he can get real estate tips out of me. When he wants something, he pulls out all the stops. You’re welcome.”
“Let’s hope he pulls out all the stops, huh?”
Ethan let his arm fall around her as they walked out of the restaurant together. “Being here with you has made me realize how much I’ve grown to hate these gigs.”
She jerked back as though struck. “You need to work on your bedside manner.” Her voice was ice cold.
It dawned on him how his words had sounded. He laughed as they pushed through the doors and he handed off his valet ticket. “I can see why no one picks on you. That was terrifying. But what I meant was, having this much fun with you has reminded me of how tired I’ve grown of my less-than-PC profession.”
“Ah. Then forgive the tone.” She sighed and jutted out a hip. “It wasn’t until tonight that I realized how much I’ve grown to hate heels. I think Madison has the right idea.”
“She usually does. She’s a smart lady.”
“And she’s helping Colton with his playground?”
Ethan laughed. He had no idea if she actually thought it was a playground, or if she was just playing along with their running joke. He figured he’d leave it be for the moment. “She’s doing as much as she can, yes, but she’s paying the bills at the moment, so she has limited time.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize. That’s cool that she’s helping him pursue his dream.”
“They make a good team.” He opened the car door when it pulled up and handed her in, then got in the driver’s seat and started toward her house. “Do you really not celebrate your birthday?”
“Yes. I hate birthdays. You get your hopes up, but it never lives up to your expectations. Then you’re worse off than if it were any normal day. Today was a good day. I’ll call this my birthday.”
“Hmm. Dismal.”
“I’m jaded.”
“So how about your friend with benefits? Still abandoning your heels around him?” He hoped the tightness he felt in his chest didn’t come through in his voice.
She looked out the window and took a deep breath. “I think I need to quit sitting on the pot.”
“Come again?”
She huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t tell you, but he’s hoping we’ll be more than friends. Nothing he’s said outright…I can just tell. I’ve been upfront about where I am with all of it, but…”
“He’s hoping you’ll come around, without realizing women never do.”
“Almost never, exactly. He’s trying to play the nice guy, too. You know, to get what he wants. Listening, trying to be supportive, whatever. But when I talk about my day, or some problem I’m facing at work, his eyes glaze over almost immediately. It’s like, dude, if you’re this bored with me, why are you trying so hard to stick around? Find someone you like.”
“You’re gorgeous, you’re smart, you’re powerful, and you hold the world in your hands. You’ve sucked the poor guy in.”
“Until I start talking. And then my boobs get all the attention.”
He laughed as he got onto the freeway. “Ouch.”
“Yeah. We don’t talk much anymore. I can solve my own problems.”
“What kind of problems?”
She was quiet for a moment. A soft tune played in the background. “Like the VP thing. And various hiccups I have at work. Don’t you just…I don’t know…like someone to talk to about your day?”
“Yes. Everyone does.”
“And who do you talk to? I can’t imagine the girls that hire you are interested.”
“Astute. No, they’re not. I tell the guys, or Madison and Janie if it isn’t something guys talk to other guys about. Though I don’t have many of those situations.”
“I need more friends,” she said quietly as he turned back to the window. “I mean, I have friends, but I left them all behind in New York. Most of them have husbands and kids, so getting together was always challenging.”
“I hear you. We
ll, now you know the guys and the girls I hang out with. And you’re practically Colton and Madison’s neighbor. Janie will be happy to badger you whenever she’s there. That chick isn’t happy unless the whole block is over for a party.”
“She’s cool.”
“Yes, she is.”
He pulled off the freeway, feeling giddy. Seeing the plan unfold in front of them. He loved these shocking little twists and turns in life, even though half the time they worked out badly.
At her house, he slowed everything down. Helped her out of the car and let his touch linger. Walked her to the door with his hand on the small of her back. He wouldn’t be staying, even if she begged, but he wanted to assure her with his touch that it wasn’t because of her. It was because of their current situation. A situation that was about to be radically changed. Maybe for the best.
Maybe for the worst.
Fourteen
“I had a good time tonight,” he said softly as they stopped on her front stoop. “That’s not the norm at a stranger’s company dinner.”
“Ah. Well that’s just it, isn’t it? We’re not strangers. We’ve known each other for all of a week now. Now we’re acquaintances.”
“Acquaintances, then,” he said. “Bordering on friends.”
She smiled sweetly and her eyes sparkled. “Let’s round up. Friends.”
“That’s why I like smart girls. They know how to round.”
She laughed and threaded her key into the lock, getting it on the first try. Alcohol wouldn’t be in their way tonight, he knew. Not that it mattered. She turned back to Ethan with large, deep eyes, open all the way down to her soul. “Thank you. For tonight, I mean. You were perfect.”
He fell into her gaze, his head dizzy and his body weightless. “It was my pleasure. Truly.” He closed the distance between them, not able to help himself, and wrapped his arms around her.
Her arms encircled his middle and held on tightly. “You said my impulse would be to question you, but that I shouldn’t. You never finished telling me why.”
Desire and heat unfurled within him, crawling up his spine and sinking down. His cock stiffened as he rubbed his hands along her back before stopping just before the swell of her butt. Her smell, sweet and feminine, tickled him in the best of ways. He wanted that smell lingering on his sheets.
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