Page 107 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

"Yeah, I know. But we're talking about you, babe. You've got the brains, you've got the experience, and I'm betting you have the capital. The only thing missing is faith in yourself."

She rolled her eyes. "You listen to all those motivational dudes, don't you?"

"Again, deflecting, my dear."

After guzzling down more champagne, she took a second to scoff at me, her cheeks tinged pink. "Deflecting. Projecting. Transferring. Repressing. Denial. Rationalizing. Min—"

"It sounds like you've seen your share of therapists," I interrupted.

"Who me?" she said with a laugh. "You know, for the first time in my life today, I had an inkling of what it felt like to be a lecherous guy."

"What? How?"

"Venus' boobs. My God, they're spectacular, and all I wanted to do was stare at them. But I kept having to remind myself to look up. Keep my focus on her face, her eyes. And it made me think of all the times I've said that to a man.My eyes are up here."

She was definitely getting a slight buzz.

"I mean," she went on, "did you see her flashy red bra under that suit?"

"Uh, no. Unlike you, I've learned to keep it in my pants."

Clapping a hand over her mouth, she suppressed a laugh. "That was all highly unprofessional of me. God, how embarrassing. And here you were just saying I should start my own company. Please don't tell anyone. It's not like I'm talking to the CEO of the whole damn enterprise or anything. Oh, my God, I'm such an idiot."

"First of all, you're talking to me.Me. I'm just Max to you. I want you to be able to tell me anything, to be completely comfortable and yourself around me."

"Weirdly, I am," she said, shutting her eyes.

I waited, hoping she would expand on that, say something more, say anything else that might give me hope.

"I am too," I finally said.

But she didn't appear to hear me, her eyes still closed, her breathing slow and steady. I watched her carefully, wondering if she was asleep, if it was even possible to fall asleep just like that.

And knowing I might not see her for a while, I studied her, memorized the way her lashes lay against her cheeks, the heart shape of her face, the way her nose turned up a little at the end. It was all so her. So fucking enticing to me. The whole damn package.

A noise at the door caught my attention, and I looked over to see one of the caterers enter the room. "Ah, sorry to interrupt. But I was told to go ahead and get started on the breakdown."

Annalise's head popped up. "Oh, whoops. I meant to clean up a bit."

"Ma'am, respectfully, that's what I get paid for," the man said with a smile.

"I'm too tired to argue. But thank you. I appreciate it."

Watching her interact so pleasantly with someone that others in Annalise's position and with her upbringing might look down upon, it only fueled my obsession with her.

Oblivious to my thoughts, she leaned back to stretch and yawn. "I've got to admit, as much as I want to celebrate tonight, I've got nothing. A big part of me just wants to go home, put on my comfy pants, and curl up on the couch for the rest of the night."

"Understandable."

"You're coming, right?"

We were supposed to be going on that date tonight so I could reveal my real name, but obviously, that was out now. "No, I can't. I've got Max Sterling commitments tonight."

"Oh."

Was that a look of disappointment on her face?Hell, yeah, it was. Score one for Plan A.

The caterer left with a cart full of dishes, plus a generous tip from Annalise, and I pushed back my chair, not wanting to hold her up from her big night out. But her next words stopped me in my tracks.

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