What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,65
at her seared tuna.
Ralph didn't mention having any plans for after dinner, so Valentine decided not to remind him that they technically had until one in the morning. She managed to get through the rest of the evening with only some light flirting. She avoided anymore touches, and even refrained from winking at him. When it was time to leave, though, she couldn't exactly stop him when he put his hand on her back. She was just thankful that she'd put on her jacket first.
She didn't look at Ari or Harper as she left the restaurant.
“Well, I had a lovely time,” Ralph said, rubbing his hands together in the cold night air. She nodded and took a small step away from him, fussing with her hair to mask the movement.
“It was a lot of fun. I'm sorry for canceling so many times,” she apologized. He waved her away.
“Oh no, things happen, I understand. Not a big deal at all.”
Really? Then why'd you complain and cry about it to Del, huh? A real man wouldn't do that. No, a real man would follow me into the bathroom and pin me against the wall and almost convince me to fuck him while his ex and my date were less than fifty feet away. I need professional help.
“Del will be glad to hear that,” she said.
“Oh yeah, tell him I had a great time.”
“I'll be sure to.”
Ralph wasn't getting the hint. He just kept smiling down at her like an idiot. Val smiled back, then overtly glanced at his jacket pocket.
“Oh!” he exclaimed, then he fumbled with his pocket and pulled out what looked like a greeting card envelope. “Sorry, almost forgot.”
He handed it over and Valentine didn't bother opening it. She could feel the shape of the bills inside it, so she just shoved it into her clutch.
“I never forget,” she laughed. “Well, thanks for the dinner, it was very delicious, and very fun.”
She started heading down the stairs, her ride was already waiting at the curb, but then Ralph suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her. When he started reeling her in close, she glanced at the windows of the restaurant. Ari's back was to them, thankfully, but she held out her hand anyway, stopping Ralph from pulling her into a hug.
“Can I see you again?” he asked in a husky voice. “There's a tech conference coming up in a couple days, and it would be nice to ... to have a date to bring to the meet and greets.”
Valentine gave him a strained smile.
“Oh, that sounds ... wonderful, but I can't,” she replied, and he frowned.
“But you said you had a good time tonight.”
“And I did. But as of two days ago, my nights at ...” she hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “All my nights were booked exclusively by one client. So I won't be seeing anyone else.”
Ralph looked a little crestfallen.
“Oh, gee. I mean, you're worth it, so I can understand, I guess.”
“But there's some other great girls there,” she assured him. “In fact, call Del and ask him about Angel, I bet you'd love her. She's a sweetheart, she loves to talk, and she's drop dead gorgeous.”
“Yeah? Sounds nice,” he started sounding cheerful again.
“She's the nicest. Make the call. And really, thanks for the dinner.”
And with that, she pulled free of him and hurried down to the waiting SUV.
It was just after nine-thirty, so she went ahead and gave the driver instructions to take her to Ari's loft. Then she called Bailey and asked for an extension on her evening, grudgingly telling her the date had gone better than expected. The other girl encouraged her to take all the time she needed.
When she finally got to the apartment, Valentine dropped her coat and heels into a pile by the door, then sat her backpack on the table. She made herself right at home, pulling a bottle out of his wine cooler and pouring herself a glass. She grabbed a second glass and carried all three items into the living room, arranging them neatly on the coffee table. She frowned at them, then went off in search of a candle, wanting to create a fun little mood.
It was just after ten by then, so she got comfortable on the couch, and she waited.
And she waited.
... and she waited.
By the time midnight rolled around, the candle had burned down and she'd drank all the wine. She was too tired to get really angry, so she went to his