Page 58 of Bang Buddies With Benefits
“No. Well, maybe. I mean we asked forMexicanShrimp Cocktail. Since we’re trying to learn from you and work at adding diversity.”
Wow. What did one say to that, as the way the food was cooked was hardly the issue I had with the firm’s lack of diversity? Like, yep, good job with the onion and cilantro, everyone. It’s what minorities have been working decades to fix.
It’d never been clearer that I needed to make partner to affect real change.
My assistant, Miko showed up and saved me from blurting out a sarcastic response. She switched to Japanese, as it never failed to make the old white guys nervous and uber aware of their limitations.
Unfortunately, her query also cut me deeper than I’d like to admit.
“Where’s your sexy fiancé?” Miko was in on the ploy, to a certain extent, and had been nothing but kind and encouraging about doing whatever it took to change things from the inside out.
I’d meant to update her, the way I’d done late one night as we’d been combing through files. At that point, it was to tell her things were changing. Between the case keeping me out of the office and refusing to cry while I was inside of it, I hadn’t brought myself to tell her that we’d broken off our fake engagement the night I destroyed our real one.
“Later,” was all I said to her, softening it with a smile. And then I requested Rodger follow me because I had something to say to all the partners.
Big surprise, he knew exactly where to find the rest of the gang. Bill, Gary, and the rest of the men’s ruddy complexions made it clear they’d been imbibing in cocktails stronger than the shrimp one I set aside because this chat was going to include hand gestures—although time would tell which ones.
“Where’s your better half?” Gary asked, and hardy har-har, they laughed at their own joke. Not that Zac didn’t deserve that sort of title. He was better than me in a lot of ways. But when it came to loving another person, the best part about it was that neither one seemed to think they were better, only that they were worse off without the other person.
And I’m not going there or else I’ll cry.
“He’s, uh…” It was more tempting than I thought, to make up an emergency on his behalf. More, so I’d stick to the not-crying thing. But that wouldn’t hammer home my assertion that I deserved the job, dating, engaged, or anything in between.
“Running late, and extremely sorry about it.”
I froze, afraid to move at the familiar voice that awoke every one of my nerve endings, and then everything within me shattered and burst at the arm snaking around my waist.
At the Pavlovian response I experienced at his cologne, and how being pressed so firmly against his side melted my anxieties, his presence a riling comfort I craved.
The quick glance I meant to take turned into unabashed ogling. His blue eyes sparkled, his dark, gelled up hair was the perfect mixture of rugged and refined. Then there was the charcoal suit, crisp white shirt, and skinny black tie. The entire look bordered on indecent, and it certainly gave me indecent thoughts, no border about it.
“…no way I’d miss Catalina’s big day,” he said, his smile spreading across his face as he flashed it at the partners. It spread even wider as he aimed it at me.
What? I was having a big day?
“Well, we haven’t announced anything quite yet. Soon, though. Very soon.”
Right. That whole thing. “Um, Zac’s not my fiancé.”
His grin cracked, his expression a hint crestfallen. And I slid my arm between his jacket and shirt, silently telling him I didn’t want him to leave.
“The truth is, we’re not together.”
“Which is why I showed up tonight to fix that.”
“That’s not what I”—I whipped my head in his direction. “Wait, what? You did?”
His gaze flicked from the partners back to me. “Yes. I have a whole speech prepared and—”
“And I can’t wait to hear it. But I need you to, um, go grab a drink or something and wait for me.”
His dark eyebrows drew together, and he was so sexy I could hardly think straight.
“Please,” I added. “There’s just something I need to do, but don’t leave. Promise?”
Slowly, he nodded, his arm slipping away from me.
“Oh, and don’t go near the shrimp cocktail. Just… don’t eat anything yet, okay?”
