Spencer felt his pulse speed up as Cole leaned in closer, giving him a better smell of his spicy cologne. “So, how’s that sound? Is that a deal you can work with?”
Spencer ignored the bullshit deal and instead enjoyed the game this handsome manager was running on him. He was used to this kind of attention—he got it most evenings at his job, and he never fell for it. But the fantasy was nice, to think a handsome, distinguished man like this would want him for anything more than a one-nighter or arm candy to the company New Year’s party.
“Holy shit! That would only make it one fifty. Spencer, get it!” Brent shook his arm.
Spencer ignored his friend. He tilted his head slightly and met Cole’s amused expression. “This bracelet isn’t on sale, is it?”
“It is because I say it is,” Cole said sternly. He rested one hand on the glass and used the other to remove the piece of jewelry from inside the case. He slid it in Spencer’s direction, his voice raspy when he added, “I think it’ll look stunning on you.”
“Are you the manager?” Brent asked.
“You could say that,” Cole answered, his eyes never wavering from Spencer’s. He appeared to be in his late thirties, maybe a bit older, but whenever that smirk appeared, it added a boyish quality to his handsome face.
Spencer scoffed at himself, then shook his head. He’d tell the suit just like he told all the other ones at his job. He wasn’t for sale. He couldn’t be bought. “I’ll come back and get it when I can afford it… Cole. Thanks for the offer, but I’d hate for you to lose your job around the holidays for giving that bracelet away. You probably have a wife and kids that depend on you. Come on, Brent. Let’s go.”
“If he says it’s on sale, then buy it! He can’t falsely advertise that, then take it back,” Brent argued. “Buy it now, Spencer. Now’s your chance.”
“Your friend is right. I can’t take it back.” Cole tucked one hand in the pocket of his nice slacks, exuding so much swagger Spencer almost choked on it. “It’s a onetime offer, Spencer, that happens to come with dinner. Will you take it or leave it?”
Spencer swallowed the sick feeling that rose in his throat. Why did it feel every man he met, or every date he was treated to, began with a quid pro quo? Spencer gritted his teeth, and Cole’s debonair demeanor took a nosedive as he blinked and backpedaled what he’d just said.
“Not like that. I mean, it’s not a condition or anything. Dinner isn’t required.” Cole chuckled nervously. His brown eyes widened the longer Spencer scrutinized him. “But it would be nice. Dinner anywhere you wanna go. The Cavalier Bay or Luigis on the oceanfront?”
Spencer rolled his eyes as he listened to this man throw out the names of five-star restaurants that he probably couldn’t afford in an attempt to impress. He’d rather eat a monster burger at Denny’s than ever consume another plate of that frou-frou finger food. Spencer didn’t take anything that he hadn’t worked or paid for himself. It was his new mantra. He may not have had an extra one hundred and fifty dollars in the budget this week, but that was all right. Until he wrote his first bestseller, he’d have to be careful what he splurged on. Because one thing was for certain, he was never ending up back on the streets or relying on some rich bastard to take care of him ever again. Spencer wasn’t afraid of hard work. And at twenty-six it was nice to know he was capable of treating himself for a change, instead of receiving gifts he hadn’t earned. It would only lead to trouble.
Spencer turned to glare at his best bud. “Brent, I’ve been waiting on this store to have a sale ever since they first debuted their literary collection nine months ago, and it hasn’t happened yet. And I also haven’t seen this particular manager in here before. Now Cole comes from around the corner, takes one look at us, and suddenly says it’s seventy-five percent off. Come on, Brent.”
Brent’s mouth formed a perfect O as his wide eyes bounced back and forth between them.
“You’re wrong.” Cole came from around the counter and didn’t stop his advance until they were almost toe-to-toe. Without the glass display separating them, Spencer noticed Cole was taller than him by a couple of inches and