Page 158 of Positively Pricked
"YouandNaomi," she clarified. "Get this. He told the catering company that the two of you trashed one of the serving stations and ruined a super-expensive rug."
I felt my jaw drop. "What?"
"Andthat'swhy he refused to pay. Because of the damage."
I felt my gaze narrow. I knew I hated that stupid rug. "But that's a lie," I said. "Wedidn't trash anything. It was Zane and Teddy." I paused. "At least that's what I heard."
"Who's Teddy?" she asked.
"You remember," I said. "The guy who was drunk?" When she made no response, I added, "You know, Zane's cousin? The guy on the plane? The one who thinks I'm a ho-bag?"
"Ohhhhh," Charlotte said. "Him? He sounds really annoying."
Hewasannoying – and from what I'd seen, he was a terrible judge of character. It was one of the many reasons I'd come to believe that his theories about Zane were just a little far-fetched.
Oh sure, Zane could be a hard-ass, but a cheat? And a slimeball? And hell, even a killer? I wasn't seeing it.
Or maybe, I just didn't want to see it. After all, I was so drawn to the guy that it was dangerous.
I blew out a relieved breath. "Wanna hear something funny?"
"What?"
"I was sure you were going to give mebadnews."
She laughed. "I know. That's what made it so delicious."
I felt myself smile. Zane's lips were delicious – all warm and wonderful, like a sweet tantalizing dream. Would I be kissing him again?
Yes.
Or, at least I sure hoped so.
Into the phone, I said, "Thanks for letting me know, but I really do need to get going."
"But wait," she said, "there's one more thing."
"What's that?"
"Guess who finally paid the bill."
"Who?"
"Your boss."
Now, that surprised me. "He did?"
"Yeah, and he told the company flat-out that they had to hire back anyone who might've been fired due to the misunderstanding."
"Really?"
"That's what Naomi says."
I had to point out the obvious. "But they didn't hiremeback."
"Right. Because you weren't part of the deal."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well obviously, it's because you already had a job."
Yes. I did. Working for him.And it had been a roller-coaster right from the start. Again, I glanced toward my hotel room door. It was funny how many times my feelings about him had shifted.
Did I hate him? Or love him? I froze at the mere thought.Love?Of course, it was ridiculous. I didn't love him. It was only that, well, I didn't hate him nearly as much as I used to.
I might even like him a lot more than I cared to admit.
It was a terrifying thought, especially with the way he operated. And yet, only a minute later, I was off the phone and crossing the hall.
Whatever happened now, I vowed that I wouldn't regret it.
