Prologue #2
I could feel Chris’s stare. He was determined to get me to look at him, but I refused.
I knew as soon as I looked up, I’d get roped into his shenanigans.
I was completely content to sit at the table, stare at my drink, and block out the world.
The journey with these two women was one Chris was going to have to take on his own.
Chris must have picked up on my apathy, because a few seconds later, he raised his hand and motioned for our waitress to come over. When she did, he rattled off the two women’s drink orders. She nodded as she jotted them down and then disappeared into the crowd.
“I’m Gail,” the brown-haired woman said as she extended her hand to Chris. “And that’s Nina.”
“Nina,” the blonde woman repeated as she snapped her gum and continued to stare at me. “What’s your name?” She set her elbow down on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand before leaning closer to me.
I stared at her for a moment before I turned my focus to Chris.
This was a far cry from a night of drinking and playing pool.
When I’d agreed to come out, it was to hang with a friend.
The last thing I wanted to do was encourage this woman.
While I was a lover of the female sex, my life was a shit show, and the last thing I wanted to do was bring a woman into it.
“I need to take a piss,” I mumbled as I pushed back my chair and stood.
Nina sputtered after me, but I didn’t look back as I stalked to the bathroom. I pushed hard on the door, and once I was inside, I turned and flipped the lock. Now alone, I took a few deep breaths.
It was a bar bathroom, so I was only there for a few seconds before my skin began to crawl. After I washed my hands, I dried them and tossed the paper towel into the trash by the door.
I’d secretly hoped that with my hasty retreat, Chris would get the message and send the two women packing before I got back.
I was wrong.
While the two women were still sitting at our table, Chris was nowhere to be found. I glanced around. Had he really left me?
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but years of living with my grandmother had instilled in me tact.
I couldn’t just ghost these ladies. They’d been kind enough to come sit with us.
While a relationship with them was never going to happen, it was my responsibility to let them know that I was leaving as well.
Both women turned to look at me as soon as I approached. Not sure what to say, I gave them both an awkward smile and an equally awkward head nod. “Chris leave?” I asked as I stood behind my chair, hoping that they would realize I was not going to sit.
Gail waved toward the front door with her head. “He stepped outside to take a call.”
My gaze followed her gesture, and I studied the door. Lucky bastard. “Oh, he did?”
Nina’s hand was on mine, and out of instinct, I yanked it away. Then I felt guilty, so I gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ll go make sure everything is okay,” I murmured as I headed toward the door. As soon as I was outside, the cold air hit me, and I felt like I could breathe again.
I closed my eyes and stilled my mind as I allowed my body to relax. Even though it had been six months since I’d been discharged, I was never going to get used to “normal” life. Maybe Chris was right. Maybe I did need a job. All of this free time was going to my head.
“I don’t know, man. I’m spread pretty thin.”
Chris’s words had me straightening and looking around. I remembered Gail telling me that Chris had stepped outside to take a call, so I headed in the direction of his voice. I walked along the outside wall, but just as I reached the corner of the building, I stopped.
“I get it. Torres Investments would be huge for us, but I just don’t see how we can cover it. I had to let three guys go last week.” He sighed. “I’m hanging by a thread.”
My entire body froze. Did he just say Torres Investments? As in, Emery Torres? Suddenly, I needed to know everything. Who was the job for? Was it Emery? Did I dare hope? What if I took the job, and it was for some obscure board member?
I paused. Would that be so bad? Maybe that was my in. It may not get me next to her, but it could get me through the door. Once I was in her stratosphere, then I could work on getting closer.
“Why does she need a bodyguard? Did they say?”
She. The likelihood that this had to do with Emery was getting better by the second.
Chris sucked in his breath. “I don’t know, man. Can I sleep on it?”
The response must have been favorable, because a moment later, Chris said his goodbyes and the conversation ended. Taking that as my cue, I moved around the corner and faced him.
“Everything okay?” I asked
Chris lowered his phone before stuffing it into his back pocket. “Yeah, just a work call.”
I raised my eyebrows. How did I ask about what I’d just overheard without admitting that I’d been eavesdropping? The last thing I needed was for Chris to catch wind that I wanted to get close to Emery. I loved my friend, but he was anything but discrete.
“Anything I can do to help?” I asked as I shoved my hands into the front pockets of my jeans and shrugged my shoulders.
“I’d say let me hire you, but I already know the answer to that.”
I scoffed. “I never said no.” I glanced back at him. “For the right job, I might consider it.”
Chris paused, raising his eyebrows as he studied me. “What kind of job?”
“What do you need?”