Chapter 19
Nineteen
SUMMER
“Let me get this straight: You shot him, and he’s wearing the bullet around his neck like a trophy?” Even over the din of the bar, Hazel’s booming voice in my ear is crystal clear.
“Basically, yes.” I glance toward the restrooms. My latest Plus One client—John or Ron or Sean or something—has been in and out of the restroom all night, clutching his stomach and somehow growing increasingly pale.
His ex is drunkenly cackling on the dance floor with her bridesmaids.
John-Ron-Sean paid me to crash his ex’s bachelorette party with him.
The anxiety has him nauseated to the point of inducing vomiting, while she couldn’t give less of a shit.
I’m pretty sure his ex hasn’t even registered our existence.
Not that John-Ron-Sean has given her much of an opportunity when he’s spent less than fifteen minutes outside of the restroom all night.
Working for Plus One has reached a new insufferable low.
“Marry this man right now, Summer!” Hazel squeals. “I can hop on a plane tomorrow.”
“Hold off on booking your flight. No wedding bells yet.”
Kissing Noah, making him come, and finding that bullet on a chain around his neck unlocked something in me. I’m addicted now. All I want to do is race out of this bar and straight to his place.
I’m not sure how much he can do physically with his injury, thrusting-wise, but I’ll happily climb on top if that’s what he needs. Now that I’ve gotten a taste of Noah, I’m insatiable. I need more, more, more.
He whimpered. I’ve never made a man whimper before, but now I want to elicit that sound from his lips every day for the rest of my life.
I’ve got a mental checklist of all of his fantasies, and I plan on making every one of them come true.
From the restroom, John-Ron-Sean finally emerges. Somehow, he looks worse than ever. I’m hoping that means he’s going to end our date soon. I’m so ready for this night to be over.
“Hey, my date is on his way back. I have to go.”
“Wait, you’re still doing that? I thought Mr. Biggest-Dick-You’ve-Ever-Seen praised your art and you decided to quit?”
“I said I’m thinking about quitting. I still need the money.”
“Yeah, because your commission rates are trash. You need to charge more—I’ve told you that. They’ll pay it, Summer. Your art is worth it.”
I’m really not in the mood to get into a debate about my rates right now with Hazel in the middle of my fake date. “Thanks, Hazel. I seriously have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
John-Ron-Sean gives me a feeble wave when he gets close and heaves a sigh when he climbs onto the barstool next to me. “Hey, Willow. I’m not feeling so hot. You mind if we call it a night?”
Willow? I don’t bother to correct him. It’s not like I know his name either. I try not to look relieved by his offer as I stuff my phone in my purse. “That’s totally fine.”
For some reason, though, he waves to the bartender for another drink. “How about one last round and then we’ll head out?”
I bite back a sigh. He’s the client, and he’s already paid in full for hours of my time. The least I can do is stick around for one more drink.
A flash of movement at the entrance catches my attention while John-Ron-Sean attempts to flag down the bartender. A slender figure, black dress, platinum blonde hair.
Is that—?
No, it can’t be.
Fuck, it is.
Victoria. Fucking Victoria.
Of all the people who could show up to this bar tonight while I’m on a date with a client, it’s her.
Just in time to catch me in public with another man. Clearly on a date.
And if I come clean that I’m being paid to be here, I’ll have to explain my job, and she’ll realize my relationship with Noah is fake too.
Panic surges in my chest and I spin toward John-Ron-Sean, who is now handing me a shot. I’m pretty sure the last thing he should be doing while nauseated is drinking alcohol, but I keep my mouth shut. “Hey, I’m sorry to do this, but do you mind if we—”
“Summer?”
My stomach drops to the floor. No, no, no.
Reluctantly, I turn to find Victoria standing behind us, staring daggers as her gaze ricochets between me and John-Ron-Sean.
I’m so fucked.
“Hey, Victoria!” I force a smile and lift my glass like we’re all here to celebrate. “Want to join us for a shot?”
Her nose turns up at the glass I hold out to her, even though she obviously came here to drink by herself. Who could blame her with a fiancé like Carson?
She turns her scowl on poor John-Ron-Sean. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m-I’m . . . uh—” John-Ron-Sean sputters, panicked gaze darting to me. If he can’t handle being in the same room with an ex, he definitely can’t handle being the target of Victoria’s wrath.
“He’s an old friend from school. We ran into each other, and we were just catching up. You know, on old times. On memories. From . . . school.” God, I’m a shitty liar.
Victoria doesn’t look like she’s buying it for one second, but John-Ron-Sean nods vigorously. “Right. Old friends. Classmates. Crazy times.” He lets out an awkward laugh, and I almost want to shake him. He’s not making this lie any more believable. “Anyway, I was actually just heading out.”
John-Ron-Sean tosses the shot down his throat, cringing and coughing violently as he sets the glass on the bar and fishes for some dollar bills from his wallet. “Get home safe, Willo—Summer.” To Victoria, he offers an awkward wave that turns into a half-bow. “Nice meeting you.”
She stares at him in silence until he scurries through the crowd and out the door. I don’t know if I’m more relieved or terrified to be alone with Victoria.
I brace for her to attack me, pull my hair, scream at me.
Instead, she slides onto the stool John-Ron-Sean abandoned.
She holds up a single finger to the bartender, who quickly slides her a drink.
A bearded man from the other side of the bar shouts that her drink is on him, and she ignores him as she returns her glare to me.
She clutches the drink like she’s more than ready to toss it in my face. “Are you cheating on my brother?”
“No! Of course not! I would never do that.” Even though I anticipated the accusation, it still feels like she dropped an anvil on my stomach.
Her icy blue gaze pierces me. “Do you even care about him?”
“Yes, I do.” I blurt the words, but as soon as they leave my mouth, I realize they’re true.
I do care about Noah. I want Victoria to believe me, not just so she doesn’t catch onto our lie, but because I want her to think I’m good enough for her brother. I would never mistreat him, and I want her to know that.
“I care about Noah a lot. I know his last relationship wasn’t a good one, and I get why you’re suspicious of me.
” I swallow around the lump in my throat, my heart pounding at Victoria’s laser-focused attention on me.
“But I would never cheat on him. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt him. Noah is . . .” I search for the right word.
Noah is incredible. The best person I’ve ever met.
My new favorite person. “. . . special.”
Her eyes roll at the cliché. Victoria ignores me to sip at her drink, and I wait in awkward silence while she downs the entire glass.
Despite the drunk man’s offer to pay for her drink, she slaps cash on the bar before leaving her stool.
For one blissful moment, I think maybe she believes me. Maybe she finally accepts that this thing between Noah and me is real. More real than either of us has acknowledged out loud.
But then she folds her arms and glowers at me. “I don’t trust you, Summer. I don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth, and you may have Noah fooled, you may have the whole family fooled, but not me. And I’ll make sure he knows what kind of person you really are.”