The Boy Who Has No Belief - Victoria Quinn Page 0,72
I imagine you in a bar, with a bunch of guys buying you drinks and staring at your ass, I’d lose my fucking mind.”
I felt my cheeks redden at his honesty. “I know that I’m the only woman you want to be with, so those girls can do their best, but it’s not going to make a difference. I guess that’s why I’m not jealous. I’m not threatened.”
A slow smile moved on to his lips. “I’m glad you feel that way. Means I’m doing my job.”
“You are.” I had the perfect man, but I wasn’t scared to lose him. I trusted him the way I trusted my own family. It was ironclad. “So…how many drinks?”
“I honestly paid for my own drinks.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Drinks were sent, but I never took them. Women came over, but I asked them to leave me alone. So, the answer I gave is truthful. I paid for my own drinks.”
That kind of loyalty in a man was unheard of. “Maybe I can buy you a drink sometime.”
He smiled. “I’d definitely take that one.”
It still baffled me that women way hotter and way younger wanted him, without kids who were practically teenagers, and I was the only woman who interested him. Men were always visual creatures, carrying about appearance above all things, but since he was so smart, his intellect needed to be satisfied to be happy…and that worked out in my favor. “I’m guessing the person you didn’t want to see provoked you?”
His smile immediately disappeared at the mention of the subject. “He did.”
“And…it didn’t go well?”
He shook his head. “He tried to talk to me, and I told him I wasn’t interested. It escalated and escalated… Ryan was so passed out he didn’t hear a thing, thankfully, because I said some pretty hard shit.”
“That was wrong of him to start stuff at your friend’s bachelor party.”
He was quiet for a long time, staring at his hands. “That wasn’t his intention. He was just trying to talk to me, but I wasn’t interested.” He lifted his chin and looked at me.
I stayed quiet, hoping he would open up to me on his own.
“Apologized, said he wanted to rekindle our friendship, he’s thought about me a lot over the last ten years… I told him to walk away or I’d break his face.”
I tried not to react to the harsh threat. “You guys were close ten years ago?”
He nodded. “Best friends since first grade.”
“Wow, that’s a long time.”
He shrugged.
“You know…good friends are hard to find.”
He stared me down.
“Sometimes it’s good to forgive and forget, you know—”
“Not this.”
“What is this?”
He stared me down, starting to get angry again. “He’s a piece of shit. Just take my word for it.”
19
Derek
Ryan texted me. Dude, I’m still hungover.
It’s Tuesday.
I know. I’m totally failing at work right now.
And you’re probably making it worse by texting.
LOL. I was never going to get employee of the month anyway…
I went back to work.
He texted me again. Want to get together after work for a drink? They do say to drink when you’re hungover.
That shit’s a myth. I drank all weekend, and I still felt like shit.
Sure. Just tell me when to meet you.
K.
I went back to work, then Emerson walked over. She had lunch in her hands, turkey apple sandwiches with spinach salads. She set mine in front of me.
“This looks healthy.”
“The guys will be disappointed, huh?” she said with a smile. “We can’t eat burritos every day.” She went over to the guys and handed them their food.
Emerson came back and took a seat across from me with her laptop open.
It was distracting having her so close to me, with her hair all big and curled, her sweater sliding off her shoulder slightly and showing that sexy skin underneath.
We hadn’t talked about Kevin since my penthouse, and I was grateful that it was over. She didn’t mention it again, and we’d never have to talk about it. “What are you working on?”
“Editing your book.”
“Isn’t that Astra Books’ problem?”
“But I want it to be perfect. I’m a lot more invested in this story than they are.”
“I don’t know about that since they’re the ones making the money.”
She shrugged. “Money isn’t everything.” She held her sandwich with one hand and took a bite. “Have you told your parents about Lizzie?”
I shook my head. “I was supposed to have dinner with them on Sunday night, but I canceled.”
She didn’t react to what I said even though she knew why I canceled. “I bet they’ll be happy.”