Page 9 of Dark Love

The color of the champagne is off. It’s just a shade or two from the pale gold it should be. There’s something… I lift the glass to my lips and take a sip.

Ginger ale. This is a glass of ginger ale with some mineral water.

She doesn’t drink.

The sweet little librarian doesn’t drink.

How did she get into my club? “Who let you into my club? My bouncers know better than to let trouble inside.” Anyone can see she doesn’t belong here.

“I am not trouble. I’ll have you know I’ve never gotten so much as a speeding ticket or detention in school. My parents never needed to ground me once. I’ve never cheated on a test or paid my taxes late. Trouble isn’t even in my vocabulary.”

That temper… “Who let you in?”

She folds her arms across her chest and glares at me. It’s like a kitten glaring at a mountain lion. “I have just as much right as anyone else to be in here.”

No. You don’t. The people who walk in these doors understand the rules. The filth found in here should never touch you.

“After the week I’ve had, I deserve to have some fun.”

“What kind of week did you have?” Someone else needs to die.

“It was my first week at a new job. Well, not my first week since I had to go in for training before this, but it was my first week actually working working, you know what I mean? I want my coworkers to like me, but this is a hard job with lots of burnout and people seem a little bit wacky. Nice. But completely nutty. A few girls from work asked me to join them for drinks after work, and I thought it would be the perfect way to get to know them. But I was wrong. I should have gone with Adonis’ group to eat dinner. Dinner was safer. It doesn’tinvolve drunk creeps or sexy guys that can crush bones with their bare hands, but think I’m trouble, which I’m not.”

She rambles…

“Do you think this is funny? Because let me assure you, it isn’t.”

“Definitely trouble. Who is Adonis?” So that I can kill him. It’s not logical, but the thought of any other man looking at her makes my blood boil.

“My boss. That’s his name, Adonis.” She tips her head to the side.

Her boss, the creep, wants to take advantage of his power. “Don’t have dinner with him.” I need a drink.

“Why not? How else am I going to get to know my coworkers?”

Innocent little librarian. “Because dating your boss is a dumb idea. Those things never work out. If you like the job, avoid the boss.”

“Dating my boss? He didn’t ask me out on a date. He asked me to go with the work group to eat dinner.”

How did she get into her mid-twenties without understanding how this world works? “It’s a precursor to asking you out. He’s seeing if you’re worth the effort first.”

“Excuse me? First, you tell me that I’m trouble. Then you drink my drink. Now you’re telling me that my hot boss wants to ask me out.”

You’re definitely trouble.

“My boss isn’t interested in me at all.”

Every man that looks at you is interested. They’re just afraid of taking their shot and missing. “You’re wrong.”

“Am not.”

I want to kiss those pouty lips. Focus… “Fifty bucks says he asks you out within a month.” It’s an unfair bet.

“I don’t gamble.”

“You don’t gamble, and you don’t drink. What do you do?” Women like you don’t exist in my world.

I lift my glass to my lips to avoid reaching up and brushing a finger across her wrinkled brow. “You should leave.” Before I can’t control my baser impulses.

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