Page 22 of Strictly the Worst

I take a deep breath, because it’s going to be a long night if we keep annoying each other. I decide to take some videos as well, pretty much to try to keep up with her. I start with a panoramic, my eyes on my phone screen as I slowly twist around and video the beach, the now inky-black sky, the illuminated rafters of the hut we’re sitting in.

And I finally get to her. She fills the screen as she looks at me, a strange expression on her face. Beneath the lights, her hair is shining. Her skin is too. It’s pale and lustrous, the complete opposite of nearly everybody else here.

“You don’t need to video me,” she says.

“You took some shots of me.”

“Because you’re the kind of guy we want to appeal to in our pitch.”

“I am?” I tip my head, putting the phone down so I can look at her directly. “What kind of guy is that?”

“Rich?”

“I’m not rich.”

“You’re not poor,” she says softly. It doesn’t feel like a jibe this time, just an observation.

“No, I’m not. But most of that is thanks to my family, not me.” Or more specifically my dad. He was a financier. Made a lot of money in investments. And as a beneficiary of the family I get to share some of it. And I live rent free, which is a big deal in New York City.

“You have disposable income. You’re a good looking man. Discerning…” she trails off.

“You think I’m discerning?” I ask, confused because a second ago she was railing about my yacht girls.

“I think you could be.”

For a moment, neither of us says a word. I just look at her, trying to work her out. We’ve been working for the same company for almost two years now, but I know so little about her.

Hell, I didn’t even know she was divorced until she told me the other day. She’s more impenetrable than Fort Knox.

And now I’m thinking about fucking penetration again. Why does my mind do this? Why can’t it be normal? I knew I should have whacked myself off in the shower.

I was going to do it, too, until she heard me drop my damn bottle of shampoo and I realized that the walls in the cottage were so thin she could hear everything.

Including me touching myself and groaning, if I were to do it.

Which I didn’t. Because I’m a gentleman.

“I think you don’t know me at all,” I say softly. Her gaze doesn’t waver. Christ, she’s pretty. Especially when her hair is down which I know is a fucking cliché but it’s true.

“Can I take your food order?” the server asks, cutting through the silence. It’s almost a relief to pull my eyes away from hers as we give our orders and the server assures us the wait won’t be long.

Which is good. Because we need to get back to the cottage and she needs to go to sleep so I can take care of something very important.

Without her listening. Because that would kill me.

TESSA

Our food arrives ten minutes later. We decided to skip the appetizers and go straight for the main course, which turns out to be a great plan, because I’ve already got my heart set on one of the amazing ice cream desserts I’ve seen them bringing out to other guests.

I chose the Mahi Mahi tacos, which are glorious. Tiny handmade wraps, filled with flaky white fish, a rainbow of vegetables, and the most exquisite salsa I’ve ever tasted. Linc looks equally enamored with his meal – Bahama Curried Chicken, served with coconut rice and a charred side of flatbreads. He closes his eyes and groans as he swallows a mouthful and I realize again just how attractive this man is.

I wasn’t lying when I said he’s the demographic we’re trying to appeal to. I know enough about his background to understand his life has been extremely different than mine. Not that I blame him for that – we don’t get to choose who we’re born as.

“Would you like a taco?” I ask, magnanimously, because this food is too good not to share. He takes one eagerly, and then offers me a forkful of his chicken, and I get why he let out an orgasmic groan when he tasted it.

“Why does food always taste better on vacation?” I ask.

“The same reason everything else is better. Because you’re relaxed.” He tears off a piece of bread and offers it to me.

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