Page 104 of The Shake Off

I couldn’t deny it. This was no longer the deal we’d made.

This – whatever it was between us – had evolved way beyond a one-night-stand. I wasn’t even sure if we hadn’t evolved beyond fuck buddies. Truth be told, it hadn’t felt like that for a while now, I just didn’t want to admit it.

I might have been determined not to catch feelings; convinced that I wouldn’t.

But, it seems, that hadn’t stopped the feelings from catching me.

TWENTY

ACE

Lowe thought I didn’t have good acting skills, but she’d never seen me at a garden party surrounded by snooty academics and people with way too much money, and not only look interested, but have them believe I was interested.

I wasn’t.

The only thing remotely interesting at this entire party was Payton, and she’d been dragged away from me almost as soon as we’d arrived. I hadn’t spoken to her the entire time we’d been here.

For the past twenty minutes, I’d been watching her from my spot in this circle of guys I’d found myself in; and I was certain I’d never seen her look so beautiful. She was deep in conversation with her boss, wearing a smile brighter than the sun, blinding everyone in the vicinity with her light. The long, flowy dress with all the colored flowers she was wearing made her look like the prettiest summer garden. The whole thing was finished off with a pair of those heels that had me salivating every time she wore them.

These ones were pink, and I’d already promised myself I’d be wearing them as earrings later.

Thanks,Cosmo.

Her hair was curled into those big waves I hadn’t seen since the first night we met, and it had my hands itching to run through them, capture the silky strands between my fingers and inhale deeply.

Payton Lopez was quite simply the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my entire life.

Unfortunately, the guy who’d been talking for the last twenty minutes took my smile as I watched Payton to mean I’d been listening intently to what he had to say.

I hadn’t.

“What’s your perspective, Ace?”

I tore my eyes away from Payton to find every other set of eyes on me. All seven sets.

“I’m sorry, I got distracted. My perspective on what?”

Barrett, the guy in the white shirt who I think was on the board of New York Education – or was on the board of something – turned around to see exactly what I’d become distracted by, and a knowing smile formed on his lips. If I wasn’t convinced he was gay, I’d have punched him straight on the nose.

“On whether authors have more pressure with a follow up book or a first time, never published.”

I stood there, pushing one hand down into the pocket of my chinos, just like he was doing, and rocked back on my heels.

“Well…” I began, peering around the group while I tried to come up with a suitable answer.

Another one.

Thanks to my ability to think on my feet, and the crash course Lux had given me on books this morning, I’d been able to adequately keep up with the conversation which had been firing on all cylinders since I’d gotten here. Or in layman’s terms, I’d been able to bullshit my way through them with relative ease.

Subjects I’ve contributed to so far included Radley Andrews attending Columbia to study English. Hadn’t known that.

The record-breaking pre-sale figures for the biography of President Andrews and her campaign trail. Hadn’t known anything about that either, but I hoped it didn’t include me or my Opening Day disaster.

And Callie Malone’s new book. Never even heard of her, or her new book, but I swear not one of them realized.

I’d done an awesome job, even if I did say so myself.

I was used to guys wanting to talk to me. I wasnotused to guys not really knowing who I am or how my season was going.

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