CHAPTER NINE #2
“Shit. Sorry,” I mumbled. And I was stuck.
Did they order drinks or dinner, too? Just appetizers and beer?
Everyone was looking at me, and I felt myself growing even more anxious.
Sala had moved so close that my body was starting to sweat on that side from her being pressed against me.
She gazed up at me with adoring blue eyes, as if we’d been dating for years and she had a claim on me.
I felt eyes on me and looked up to see Daisy watching us, her face carefully blank. She gave me a small smile. “Everyone else ordered cocktails. Tallon ordered appetizers for the whole table.”
I studied her a moment before replying. She’d known how I was feeling and why. She knew I’d been anxious and unsure of what to order, and she’d rescued me. I knew I felt an unusual connection to her, and I hoped it was mutual.
Was she as infatuated with me as I was with her? I doubted that was possible.
I bet she didn’t lie awake thinking about me or get off in the shower while images of my naked body ran through her head. That’s what I’d been doing on a daily basis since we’d met.
“I’ll take a whiskey. Make it a double, please.”
“No problem.” Her eyes moved off me to take in the entire group. “Would y’all like your drinks now or with the food?”
“Now would be great,” Tallon smiled at her. “And probably another round once the food gets here.”
“I’ll have them right out,” she smiled and was gone in a flash.
I watched as she walked away. Her ass in that skirt was spectacular, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
I saw Tallon checking her out, too, and wanted to kick him under the table.
Sala was practically in my lap now, though, so it would have been difficult to do it without jostling the hell out of her.
But his date took care of it.
She took his chin and wrenched his head around to look at her. “Our waitress is just a little too beautiful.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked before thinking.
Her eyes widened at the tone of my voice. “Just that I bet I can guess which of the Salazar clubs she works at,” she giggled.
Sala joined in. “Yeah, it’s not any of the restaurants, Bailar, or Salazar Nights, I’m thinking.”
She had named the two Salazar clubs that were not ‘members only’.
Bailar was a popular twenty-one and up dance club.
I’d rather have my toenails pulled out than go there.
Well, maybe not. But close. And Salazar Nights was an upscale, luxury club where many of West Bay’s most exclusive parties were held.
On other nights, it was a roaring twenties-themed jazz club with a glamorous vibe. I’d been to many, many events there.
I’d never seen Daisy there. And I would remember.
“And I’m sure she doesn’t work at Saffron—unless there’s a ‘happy endings’ massage component to that gym and spa that I don’t know about,” Tallon’s date snorted.
Tallon looked uncomfortable, while I felt murderous. I hated them talking about her this way. I stood up abruptly. “I’ll be back. I’m going to the restroom.”
“Oh, I’ll come, too,” Sala said flirtily, holding a hand out so that I’d help her down from the stool.
“No.”
Her mouth opened, and she stared at me.
“Jack, man. What the hell?” Tallon hissed out through clenched teeth.
“Um, sorry. I just… want to go by myself.” I shouldn’t even have to explain that. I stalked off. I needed some air.
I strode across the rooftop and went to the restroom where I stared at my reflection in the mirror and breathed deeply. I had to get myself under control. I couldn’t let the way I felt about Daisy be too obvious. She might think I was nuts, and I would scare her off. I had to play it cool, go slow.
I’d just never had to worry about this before. I mean, hell. I’m pretty sure Sala was offering to fuck me or blow me in the bathroom. That’s the type of night I was used to. But here I stood, more worried that someone was going to hurt Daisy’s feelings than interested in getting laid.
“Of all the sucky coincidences,” I said to myself in the mirror. “Why would I have to see Daisy when I was out on this stupid date Tallon made me go on?” I would just have to find her and explain the circumstances.
And hope she’d still go out with me.
I splashed some water on my face, took a few more deep breaths until I felt calm, and then exited the restroom.
And almost ran right into Daisy.
She was standing in the hallway outside the bathroom, staring at her phone, and looking upset.
“Daisy?”
She jumped and spun around at the sound of my voice.
“Sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?” She didn’t look okay. Her eyes were wide, and she was breathing fast.
“Um… fine,” she whispered. “I’m fine.” She seemed to pull herself together, not wanting me to see how she was really feeling. “Can I help you, sir?”
I winced. “Don’t call me ‘sir’. I thought we were past that.”
She got a bemused look on her face. “It’s okay,” she said gently.
“I know we’re not friends. You were really nice to me after I practically murdered you with hot soup.
And you like hook-ups. That’s all you wanted from me.
I get it.” Her face looked fine, but her eyes were sad.
“I thought I would be okay with that. But,” she shrugged, “I guess not.”
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. That’s all she thought I was. Just some rich asshole who wanted to fuck her and then blow her off. But I wanted to be so much more, and she had zero clue as to how I felt about her.
“Please say you’ll still have dinner with me tomorrow night,” I blurted.
Her eyes widened. “I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate that very much…”
“She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t have girlfriends.” The look on her face got worse. “I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just, I’ve never wanted a girlfriend.”
Daisy laughed a little. “Sorry, it’s just you’re not really selling this.”
I grinned, relieved she hadn’t just hit me and walked away. “What I’m trying to say is that I don’t normally ask girls out, and I was really looking forward to hanging out with you tomorrow…”
“I’d be tomorrow’s sure thing, right? While you’re out with tonight’s hook-up?” she said. “Like I said, I get it. We would’ve had fun, but that’s all it would be for you.”
“That’s not true. That’s not all I was looking for. And I’d really like to go out with you. Give me a chance to prove I’m not playing you?”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I think you’re an amazing guy, but I swore off men like you after my last boyfriend.”
“Guys like me?”
“Players,” she said bluntly, but not unkindly. “Good-looking, rich, players. I’m not interested in that ever again.”
“I’m not even really on a date,” I protested.
She gave me a look.
“No, I’m serious.” I explained to her about Tallon, his date, and the whole fix-up thing.
By the time I was done, it seemed like she might be softening towards me.
“You said you’re not interested in players, and I get that.” I took a step towards her, and her eyes shot up to mine. “What are you interested in?”
“Honestly? I’m just trying to get through college so I can go back home.
That’s all. I’m not looking for a date or a boyfriend or anything like that right now.
I was being ridiculous to even agree to that date in the first place.
” She gave me a small smile. “Now I need to get to work. Have a nice night, Mr. Lancaster.”
“Wait.”
She stopped and looked at me over her shoulder.
“Why did you look so upset a minute ago?”
A shadow passed over her face, and I could swear I saw fear. “I wasn’t upset. Just texting with a… friend.” She turned and walked back out onto the patio.
I stood there for a moment, thinking. She was obviously lying. I know she’d been upset when she looked at her phone. Even scared.
And I wanted to be the one to make it better.