“Thanks, I think.”
Milo wraps his arm around my back, his fingers digging into my hip. “We’re lucky men, aren’t we? To have such spectacular women on our arms? And don’t let Danielle’s beauty fool you. She’s bloody brilliant too. You’d be wise to listen to her ideas.” He gives the man a pointed look.
When Darren starts talking to Kandi, I lean in and tell Milo, “Way to lay it on thick. Think he got your meaning?”
His hand slides around to my belly and he turns me so we’re almost chest to chest. “Darren is the kind of man who likes to feel important. Butter him up and make him think you’re his friend, and he’ll show you how important he is by doing you a big favor.”
I press my hand to his chest, to anyone else, we look like a couple, being affectionate. “If this doesn’t work, this entire miserable night is for nothing.”
“I certainly wouldn’t call tonight miserable. And if this doesn’t work, I’ll quit.”
I look up to see if he’s lying, but his eyes are unwavering. “You’re that sure?”
He nods, bringing his hand up my bare back and my stomach drops. “There’s only one thing I’m unsure of about tonight, but it’s not him.”
There’s another meaning behind his words, but I don’t trust myself to question it. I’m the world’s worst flirt. I have no idea if that’s even what he’s doing or if I’m imagining it.
“What are you unsure of?” I ask.
His fingers ride along my spine and I swear my knees are going to give out. Milo’s arm goes around me when I buckle a little. “Nothing anymore,” he grins at me and now I know. He’s flirting. He’s really flirting, and he’s very good at it.
“Well,” I clear my throat and take a step back. “Happy you’re all . . . knowing and whatever.”
“Milo and Danielle,” Darren calls. “Let’s have a few drinks.”
He moves so his hand can touch my skin again. “Yes, let’s do that.”
The walk over to the table feels like miles. Each step my heart races faster, knowing I have to now pretend I’m his date or it could be because he realizes I’m not as unaffected as I thought.
When did this change?
When did I suddenly look at Milo and not want to knee him in the balls, but instead, see if his beard scratches when we kiss?
“What would you like to drink?”
“Water please,” I say to the waiter, wanting to stay sober. No way am I going to follow in my two dumbass friends’ footsteps and drink. Kristin and Heather both own the t-shirts on that. I’ll stick with sober and fully in control.
“We see who is the sensible one out of this lot,” Milo jokes and then his hand is behind my chair.
The rest order drinks and I sit back as the men discuss cars.
I start to sing “Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” to keep myself from going crazy. When I get to sixty-two, Kandi takes matters into her own hands.
“Milo,” she purrs. “Darren hates to dance and I love this song, would you mind dancing with me?”
“If that’s all right with your fiancé?” he asks looking at Darren.
“I don’t mind at all.”
He gets to his feet with a smile. “Then I would love to.”
Well, don’t ask me, Milo. I’m totally not fine with it, but whatever. You do you, I’ll be here with my water not hoping Miss Skinnyass falls and busts her ass.
I should’ve ordered vodka.
Now I’m forced to sit here, watching them walk to the dance floor. His hand doesn’t touch her, but it’s close, and I seethe.
Then, she stops, turns, and her wrists rest on his shoulders. Milo’s hands are on her waist, and I have to grip the seat to not make a scene.
I don’t like him touching her.
I don’t like that I don’t like him touching her.
I shouldn’t give a shit if his hands are on Kandi or any other woman for that matter, but here I am, staring at them, seething.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Darren asks, pulling my gaze away from Milo.
“Yes, you’re a lucky man.”
“I agree. She keeps me young.”
Oh honey, that ship is long gone, just like your hairline.
“That’s great,” I say.
“Yes,” he agrees, looking back at them dancing. “It really is.”
“You’re lucky to have someone who makes you happy.”
I don’t want to think about Peter, but I do. I remember dancing with him in the living room, smiling, laughing, and being silly.
“I was sorry to hear about your husband,” Darren says. “I didn’t know him, but I remember the news of his murder.”
I always wondered why people apologize. Darren didn’t kill Peter, so why is he sorry? It never was something I cared about until it happened to me. My heart was broken after his death, but I found myself having to comfort others. They didn’t know what to say, and I would do what I could to help them help me.
Losing someone unexpectedly is impossible to explain. There was no deterioration or something that we could cling to like the way he fought or how prepared we were.
He went to work one day and never came home.
“I appreciate the condolences,” I tell Darren.
He pauses again. His eyes keep finding Milo and Kandi, which makes me wonder if he’s actually as comfortable as Milo seems to think.
I watch them on the floor, my own jealousy tingling in my gut, and I push it aside. Milo is my employee. He can dance with whoever the hell he wants. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I do a pretty good job at it until I see him smile down at her, her fingers playing with the back of his neck, and something inside of me aches.
“I know what this is,” he says before sipping his drink.
“What, what is?” I lean back and regret it as my dress shifts again. Seriously, I’m going to burn it when I get home and dance around the flames.
Darren places his glass on the table, spinning it as he talks. “You’re here to get me to sign the papers.”
“I promise that’s not why I’m here.”
It’s really not. I’m here because my assistant is an idiot and I let him talk me into trusting him.
“I’m not trying to be difficult,” he says.
Now it’s my turn to push. “Then why the hold up?”
“There’s complications with the paperwork,” Darren informs me.
He’s full of crap. That paperwork was gone over multiple times, everything is in order, but as much as Milo might know guys like him, I do as well. I know him, or guys like him, in the business world. He likes to feel important, needed, and have women at his mercy.
I’m the wrong girl though.
“I’m not sure how that’s possible,” I push back. “Why don’t you tell me what the issues are so we can resolve them.”
“There was another company that requested permits, and I think the wires are crossed.”
Such a liar. I thoroughly researched this property before we purchased it. There were no permits filed since the previous owners basically let the complex crumble. It was a shithole. Each day this property sits untouched, we’re losing money.
This is a power play.
“Even if that’s the case, I don’t see why that would tie up our permits. You know that we’re the owners.”
Darren appears to mull over what I said. I don’t know if he thinks I’m stupid or going to play his game, but I came to win tonight and he’s not getting out of this one.
He shrugs. “I’ll look it over again on Monday.”
I bet he won’t.
“You two look cozy,” Milo says before I can respond to Darren.
“Not half as much as you two did,” I fire back.
His eyes widen, grin grows, and I realize I just gave myself up, letting him see I was paying attention. “You noticed, did you?”
“No, actually, I was too busy having a stimulating conversation with Darren.”
Milo takes his seat with a cocky smirk.
Jerk.
“Well then, why not let us all in on what you were discussing.”