Charley was laughing and happy, and a server brought over more drinks. So while her newest friend was distracted, Poppy took advantage of the opportunity to slip away from the table.
Heading for the door, she took her cellphone from her purse and began to dial.
She was outside in the cold, leaning against the corner of the building when he picked up.
“This is exactly what I was talking about,” Poppy said before he even had a chance to speak. “I shouldn’t have your number… I have to delete it. I’m going to delete it.”
“And I’ll put it straight back in there when you’re sleeping,” he said, warmth in his tone. “I am so happy to hear your voice, baby. Is everything okay?”
“Mm hmm.”
“You and Charley having a good time?”
“Yep.”
“Naught looking after you?”
Poppy tucked her chin closer to her chest. “I’d rather you were looking after me.”
“Me too, baby. A water pipe burst in the street by one of my buildings. There’s water in a bunch of the apartments. I’m gonna be here for a while… I wanted to come surprise you. Believe me, I wanted to be there.”
“Probably best you’re not. Charley is here; your friends too. You know what happens to me around you when I have a drink in me. Everyone would see me throwing myself at you.” Her lips curled as her blood began to fizz. “You could still surprise me… later… if you wanted.”
“Could I?” he asked. Poppy loved hearing the smile in his voice. “How’d you want me to do that?”
“You have a key… and know where I sleep.”
“Mm.” The deep bass of that response could indicate he liked the idea… or that someone was around and he couldn’t be explicit. “There are rules.”
“There are rules because you don’t want to be the building manager who trades sex for rent, but see I still plan to pay you, so no trade,” she said, triumphant in solving the problem, though she wasn’t done. “And! And, okay, are you listening?”
“I’m listening.”
Despite his obvious amusement, she just kept going. “It’s not like sleeping with me opens the gates to anything because I won’t let you sleep with other women. So you can’t be one of those guys you don’t want to be, the sex for rent guy, because you’ll be getting rent and sex from me. And no other women, so, done, fixed, perfect… right?”
“You won’t let me sleep with other women?” he asked, subduing his laughter just to torment her. “How are you gonna stop me?”
Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head at no one. “I don’t have to do anything. I know you try to pretend you’re grumpy and that all the women in your life irritate you, but you bend over backwards for all of us. You wouldn’t sleep with other women because it would hurt me. There. See, I just solved another problem. Now you don’t have to worry about squeezing in a social life.” Sagging back against the wall again, she sighed. “You would never hurt me, First… not on purpose, not big like that.”
Even though the line went silent, Poppy knew he was there, and didn’t even care that they were just existing together rather than conversing.
“You know you make it harder every day.”
She adjusted her stance because the wall was cold and uncomfortable. “I would know that if you brought it to my bed once in a while.”
He laughed. “Okay, baby, Ritchie’s gonna take you home, okay?”
“Ritchie?” she said, screwing up her face. “I don’t want to go home with Ritchie. If I can’t go home with you, I’m going home alone.”
“He’s going to make sure you’re safe. He’ll take Charley home too.”
Thinking about it for a second, Poppy realized it made sense for Ritchie to take her home. She’d had more to drink that night than on most others. If Turner tried to take her home… she’d be a nightmare for him to deal with.
“Okay, but I don’t owe him anything.”
He turned his quick laugh into a cough. “No, you don’t, baby.”
“I’m happy to owe you something if… You know, if your sister wasn’t in your bed with your niece right now…”
“You’re by yourself, right?”
His concern for his sisters never ebbed, not even for a second.
“Don’t worry, I am a silent vault, locked up tight,” she said, mock buttoning her lips, forgetting, it seemed, that he couldn’t see her. Poppy relaxed. “I like keeping your secrets… our secrets… Tell me something no one else knows. Give