Page 48 of Unbossly Manners

We’re having another workshop next month.

Anything sooner? Or you could show me one on one.

I wanted the tile floor of the bathroom to swallow me up. What the hell had Selena been thinking? I would never talk to Derrick like this.

I guess I hadn’t been subtle the other night, he’d texted.

I didn’t want to presume ;) BTW, I would’ve said yes.

How’s Saturday?

Perfect. Have a great night xo

I walked to the tall windows and lay my forehead against the warm pane. “I hate you.”

She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her cheek to my back. “You’ll thank me.”

“Or kill you.”

A few nights later, I was out with Derrick. I’d debated canceling but then I found I was kind of excited. I’d informed Jackson, per the agreement, but he didn’t have much of a reaction. He’d been distracted by some file that had gone missing.

Derrick had picked me up at Kat’s and we were a block away from some super-secret speakeasy.

“How did you find out about this place?” I asked, shifting my crossbody purse.

I was tall, and with heels, I was almost as tall as Derrick. I wore a little black skirt and a pink sequined halter top and I felt sexy as hell. I was only slightly intimidated by the fact that he’d probably been with dozens of women. Derrick Jacques was not short of female attention, plus he was fifteen years older than me. He’d had more time to build his sexual resume.

“I busted some guys here a few years back.”

“For what?”

He squinted at me through one eye, considering. “It’s better not to know.”

I rolled my eyes but took his arm as he led me to the back of the dive bar. An old English phone booth stood next to a wall of books. Derrick picked up the phone and held the receiver between us, so I could hear.

“Good evening. This is the librarian. What book can I get for you tonight?” A woman’s voice asked over the line.

“Crime and Punishment,” Derrick answered.

“How many copies?”

“Two.”

“Come right in.”

We stepped out of the booth and the wall of books slid to the right. Derrick led me through the opening, and the wall closed behind us. A woman dressed in black slacks, a black button-down, and black-rimmed glasses escorted us down a narrow set of stairs.

The basement was dark, with soft lighting from chandeliers creating shadows on the bookcases that lined the walls. There was a small bar with several patrons; red velvet circular booths sat across from the bar, with low tables in between. At the far end of the room was a stage, a quartet of musicians played soft jazz.

“This is awesome,” I said intoxicated by the ambiance. The music coursed through me, and I bit my lip, holding back a smile. It wouldn’t be cool to jump up and down clapping, but that’s what I felt like doing.

I’d heard of places like this, but I hadn’t had the money or time to explore the city since I arrived. My mom had worked in the city her entire life, but she’d purposely raised me outside the city.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Derrick was dressed in dark denim pants and a patterned navy-and-white, short-sleeved button-down top. His dark hair was thick and parted on the side. On the way to our table, a woman recognized him and stopped him for his autograph. I felt proud to be by his side.

We ordered our drinks and after the waiter delivered them, I sat back, excited to be here with this man, despite the precarious way I got here.

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