over my shoulder while August shakes his head.
“Beckham is an ass to work for. Everyone knows it.”
“So I’ve heard,” I say. But I thought if I stayed out of his way and did the job I am paid for it wouldn’t be such a big issue. I guess I was wrong.
“If you need money, Jacinta, ask. I’m happy to help you and Oliver out, you know this.” I look past him and see Rylee at the door. She offers me a wave before she walks back inside. She has a lot of faith in him, and I don’t blame her. August is crazy in love with her. All he sees is her. Even when I tried to make him see me, it was only glimpses.
“I don’t need money. The work I do pays well. Mr. Harley pays well …” I pause. “It’s just harder than I thought it would be.”
His hand reaches out, and he touches my shoulder. “Jacinta.” His green eyes hold empathy.
I shrug his hand off me. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Oliver should be okay until I’m back. I don’t know what time that will be, though.”
“Oliver can stay the night. I have his room still set up. Go. Have a kid-free night. Rylee mentioned you probably need one.” His hands slide into his pockets.
“She really is amazing,” I say more to myself than anyone else. He knows who I’m talking about right away. “I mean, I knew it.” I shrug.
“There isn’t anything wrong with you. You know that, right?”
“So I keep telling myself, but somehow, the world keeps showing me otherwise.”
“You have bad taste in men, is all.” He winks, and it’s one of the first times I’ve seen him joke.
“Happiness looks good on you,” I tell him honestly. It’s true. It really looks amazing on him. “I have to go. Call me if he needs me, right?” I ask.
August nods and watches as I get back in my car. I glance back to the house, and he offers me a small smile before I drive off.
I didn’t know what to wear, but my guess would be anything but casual. And as I get out of the taxi, I see I’m right. I spot Mr. Harley straight away, his suit as immaculate as it is every day. But tonight’s is all black, even the undershirt, with gold cufflinks, and somehow that makes him appear even more intimidating.
He doesn’t spot me straight away as he’s typing away on his phone, oblivious to the world around him. Women walk by. They stop and stare. Hell, I damn well stare. He may be young, but he carries himself well.
My long, purple dress just barely drags on the floor, even with my heels on. I’m short, but luckily for me, I learned to sew and can hem my own dresses. I make my way to where he’s standing and stop in front of him.
He doesn’t notice.
Hell, and if he does, he doesn’t pay me any attention.
Not that I was expecting him to in the first place.
“Mr. Harley.” He finally looks up at my voice.
His dark eyes rake over me before they land on mine. “You’re late.”
“I’m early, actually,” I say, smiling. “Should we go in?” I ask.
He looks at his watch as he slides his phone into his pocket. “Yes, the clients haven’t arrived yet, thankfully.”
I nod, and he opens the door for me.
A quick peer over my shoulder at him, I am surprised when he looks down at me with a frown on his face.
“I was raised with women, Miss Leigh. I know how to open the door for a lady.”
“Thank you.” I walk ahead.
The hostess looks up, but it’s Mr. Harley her eyes land and stay on.
He doesn’t even have to say his name. She simply directs him to a private booth and he tells her who he’s meeting. She nods and walks off, telling him she will bring a bottle of wine as I pull my seat out to sit across from him.
“Next to me, Miss Leigh. If we plan to land the Jackpot account, I need you to sit near me so you can steal his full attention.”
At his words, I push the seat back in and pull out the one directly next to him. Sitting on it, I have to remember not to let my cheeks redden at being so close to him. That the smell of him is not intoxicating. That he is not intoxicating.
“You drink wine?” he asks.
I have to mentally shake myself