Page 21 of In Spades

“Hot damn, that was intense.”

With a startled yelp, I whirled around to find Hannah Jane loitering in the hallway. “Jesus, you scared me.”

She sipped her coffee, nonchalant.

“What are you doing up here?” I asked, rolling the cart one door down. No one responded when I knocked, so I let myself in.

“I wanted to see the Mystery Man in person,” Hannah said, following me into the room. She plopped down on the bed and smirked. “He’s fine as hell, but I didn’t peg you as one to go for a silver fox.”

I snorted. “Will is not a silver fox, and I’m not going after him.”

She gave me a nefarious grin. “You call him Will?”

“He told me his name, okay?” I said, rolling my eyes. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“You called him Mr. Solomon a minute ago.”

“Would you just get to the point already?”

“Kristin!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and prancing around on those skyscraper high heels she always wore. “I’ve never seen you interested in a man before! You totally have a crush on him!”

“Is there something you need, or are you just here to pester me?”

“You’re not denying it.”

“He’s cute, okay?” I laughed. “And very sweet. I can enjoy attention from a man occasionally, without it being a thing. Besides, he’s gotta be, like, forty. It would never work.”

“The fact that you’re saying it would never work is proof you’ve thought about what it would be like if it did work.”

I glared at her.

“Admit it. You’re wondering what it would feel if that tall drink of sexy water bent you over a bed and?—”

“Dear Lord, take me now,” I pleaded with the ceiling. “I’m a housekeeper. I doubt I’m his type.”

“Well,” Hannah said, dismissing my very valid points with a wave of her manicured hand. “Girls’ night tonight. Erica said Zoey is welcome to sleep over since your other three are occupied. She’ll pick her up from your neighbor after dinner so you can stay out later.”

God bless Erica Pelham.

She nannied before moving to Beaufort. After the birth of her daughter, Aly, she’d slowly gotten back into the childcare game. Erica had been a babysitting lifesaver more than once.

“See you at Jokers at seven?” Hannah asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” I had some steam that I desperately needed to blow off. “Is Isaac in town?”

Hannah Jane shook her head. “No, he and Luca are both in New York. Mad and I are gonna crash at her house after. You’re welcome to join.”

“Nah. Thanks, though.”

The other girls meant well, but I never felt like I fit in with them.

Hannah Jane and I were the closest, but that was only because we worked together. She was beautiful and refined. Someday, she would marry that billionaire who fell head over heels for her at Maddie and Luca’s wedding.

And I’d still be trailer park trash.

6

WILLIAM

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