Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Blue Velvet Suit’s name was Ashton, next to him sat Garvey, and next to Garvey was Bing. I didn’t listen to the information after their names because frankly, when was I ever going to see any of these people again? They had all ended up at the gallery because of Bing. A client of his had a show that opened at the Logan and Bailey gallery downtown that evening. When he’d seen two of his closest friends across the street, he’d insisted that they, along with their dates—Lang and Malik—accompany his group to the gallery. It was nice, but to me, they should have declined. They were on a date, after all.
Malik, whom I knew and met on a number of occasions, was across from Bing, then his date, Cheryl, and next to her was Lang’s date.
“I’m Nicolette,” the stunning woman introduced herself, smiling at me. “I’m an interior designer at Weitzman King.”
The way she said it, like I should have known what that was, would have probably made me look bad, but thank God for Talia.
“Your company redid our lobby at Sutter,” Talia gushed, “and it’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you so much. That was my project.”
“Fantastic. Chef’s kiss on that.”
Nicolette beamed. “What do you do at Sutter?”
“What is Sutter?” Garvey asked her.
“Only the biggest real estate developer in Chicago and God knows where else all over the world,” Nicolette answered like he was an idiot.
“Oh, Sutter as in Aaron Sutter, the billionaire.”
“That’s the one,” Nicolette said, and then her gaze returned to Talia.
“I’m in acquisitions,” Talia responded, “and if you do any staging at all, I would love to talk to you about a building we recently bought that has commercial space we need to sell.”
Lang stood up then, and Talia and Nicolette both laughed as he and Talia switched places. He immediately moved his chair to the head of the table so he could be closer to me. It was a thing he did. Wherever we were, he always moved either my chair or his. In meetings, everyone knew they needed to leave a seat open next to me or he’d make an entire row stand up and move down. He wasn’t playing around.
Looking at him, at the furrowed brows and how fidgety he was, I figured out what the problem was fairly quickly.
“You haven’t eaten since lunch,” I said, grinning at him.
He whimpered, leaned in, and pressed his forehead to my shoulder.
“Is he all right?” Bing asked.
“Just starvin’. Did you guys put in a drink order yet?”
“No, they did not,” a handsome man in black jeans, a white dress shirt, and a bar apron said as he stepped up beside me. “Sorry I was late—we had a mix-up over whose table you all were—but I’m here now.”
“And we couldn’t be any more excited to see ya.”
“I’m Cody, by the way,” he said, and I knew flirting when I saw it, despite being a bit rusty with the drought I’d been going through. I hadn’t picked up anyone in over a month, which wasn’t like me. I loved sex and missed it.
“Well, Cody, it’s gonna be a big order. Are you ready?”
In answer, I got a wicked grin and a quick head tip.
“Okay,” I said, “I need water and a big-ass chocolate shake.”
“Ass,” he repeated, his gaze meeting mine. “Got it.”
I chuckled, pointing at Lang, who had not moved, still wedged against me. “He needs a water and a Dark n’ Stormy. Do you have the right rum?”
“Goslings?”
“That’d be the one.”
“Got it,” he apprised me.
“Perfect. And if you could bring us some nachos or whatever you got as far as shareable appetizers as soon as you can, that would be epic.”
“Anything you want,” he assured me.
I pointed to Talia then, who was still chatting with Nicolette. “She needs a big water and the largest Coke or Pepsi you’ve got, as well as a big-ass vanilla shake.”
“More ass,” he said, his gaze locking with mine again. “I hear you.”
The table found our banter very amusing, if all the laughing was any indication. As Cody took orders from everyone else, Lang sat up and glowered at me.
“What? Food and drink are on the way.”
“Don’t flirt with the staff,” he groused as soon as Cody walked away.
“Let him flirt,” Ashton told him, giving me a smile. “I always flirt with hot waiters myself, but he’s not even looking at me.”
“Aw, shucks,” I teased him, and he flushed a lovely shade of pink.
“Where are you from, Del?” Bing asked.
“Texas. Can’t y’all hear it?”
“I hear something, and it’s enchanting,” Ashton said with a sigh.
“See?” I snapped at Lang. “I can talk to people just fine.”
Everyone but Lang was laughing again.
I had to go to the bathroom and so excused myself. Once I was on my way back, I was stopped in the hallway by a wolf whistle. When I turned, Cody was there, smiling at me.