Page 5 of Last First Date
The photographer gives me a bland look. “Meeting up with the thong crew?”
Darcy bites her lips to hold in her laugh. Well if it isn’t every man’s dream come true—I’m practically naked in front of a hot chick and she’s hurting herself to keep from laughing at me.
I tilt my head to one side and tap at my chin with my index finger. “Honestly, I couldn’t say if my lunch date is the type to wear a thong, go commando, or what. But I’ll be sure to ask your little sister once we finish up our—” I pause and look him square in the eye— “special meeting.”
His fists clench, and for a split second I think he might deck me. But I can see the moment he reconsiders and relaxes his shoulders. Interesting.
Guess he reconsidered the wisdom of putting his hands on another man who isn’t wearing any pants. Especially when Mister Fancy there is wearing a jacket that probably costs three times more than my bespoke suit.
“Now, now, boys. Let’s just get our work done and then we can all run along and play,” Millicent von Albrecht says in an oily, dangerously polite voice.
Ugh. How someone who always comes across so phony and cloying can be related to Darcy is beyond me, truly. I’ve only been on the job for a hot minute, but Darcy has an impeccable reputation for being level-headed at a scene and is also known as one of the most blunt-spoken women in town. I don’t think she has a fake bone in her entire body.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at Mrs. Von Albrecht, but just barely. Instead, I saunter casually over to the lighted area and wait for some instructions from the hoity-toity photographer, doing my best to give the distinct impression that he’s wasting my time.
It’s hard to look both bored and serious with this underwear crawling up viciously between my butt cheeks, but I’m sure as hell going to try. Thank goodness I had so much experience being both bored and serious when I was still practicing law.
The photographer takes a few test shots and I suspect he’s trying to make me look crappy out of spite for the snippy remark I made about his little sister, but I know how to look good in a photo and so it’s not happening today.
Instead, I lock eyes with Darcy and give her my best smolder. I can’t believe I’m just now noticing how smoking hot she is. You’d better believe I’m going to use this opportunity to get her to notice me too, including all my best fire-engine-red clad assets.
Darcy steadfastly returns my gaze, refusing to let her eyes drift down to my dick even when I’m directed by the photographer into a distinctly lewd reclining position that threatens to cause all of my secrets to overflow this ridiculous, tiny underwear.
Too bad. I’d love to make this girl blush, but perhaps a more hands-on approach would work better. Well, I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and I’d love nothing more than to get hands-on with her.
Once the photos are done, I leave to put my suit back on. But I can definitely hear Darcy’s mom working extra hard to matchmake between her daughter and the snotty photographer as I leave to dig this stupid thong out of my butt.
Millicent von Albrecht is definitely barking up the wrong tree with that one. If Darcy’s not impressed by my toned down version of rich guy swagger, she’s definitely not going to buy whatever that other guy wants to sell her.
At least she and I have something real in common, whereas that trust fund baby has probably never even seen a firehouse up close and personal, let alone worked in one. Someone needs to save her from that schmuck.
Well, I guess you can call me Mister Rescue. I get back in my suit in record time and step out to hear them blathering on and on about whatever they’re having for lunch. Time to break up this boring scene and make my escape with the lovely Darcy.
I get right up next to her like we’re old friends and take her hand in mine, twining our fingers together without batting an eye. “Come on, Albrecht. Let’s head out for lunch.”
She stops breathing for a second, but she doesn’t pull away. “Abernathy, what’s going on? I told the other guys I was having lunch with my mother today.” Behind us, Millicent clears her throat. “And Hesse,” she adds lamely.
“But we have that mentorship luncheon today, remember?” I say, giving her hand a little squeeze with mine.
I’m praying that she takes the hint and starts playing along right away, otherwise I’m going to look like even more of an idiot than I did strutting out here in that sorry excuse for underwear.
“Oh?” she asks absently, then pauses a moment. Her forehead wrinkles up and she squinches up her eyebrows at me. I can practically see the gears whirring inside her head and then her face clears. I swear I’ll never be taking this particular woman to Vegas because she’s terrible at bluffing.
But then her eyes widen, and I can tell she’s really going to sell this fib for all she’s worth. “Oh no, was that today?”
She turns her face away from me, but I’m not letting go of her hand, so she’s stuck there, her hot, muscled body right next to me. She flashes her mother an apologetic, tiny smile. “Well Mother, I’ll simply have to take a raincheck for tapas.”
Then she gives a small smile and fingertip wave to the photographer. Hesse. Hesse the horse’s ass.
I tug Darcy by the hand and pull her to stand even closer to me, putting myself between her and the smarmy photographer. And then I finally see her cheeks heat, turning them a dusky dark rose color that makes me want to see the rest of her skin turn that color, preferably without any clothing in the way.
“I’m sorry, but we’re going to be late if we don’t go right away.” I nod once to Mrs. von Albrecht and turn to face the door. If we’re going to pull off this bluff, we need to get moving before one or the other of us blows it.
She leans over and kisses her mother’s sharp cheek, and Millicent von Albrecht gives me a cold, reptilian looking glance that sends a chill down my spine. I’m pretty sure she knows I’m making this whole thing up, but maybe if we get out of here quickly enough, she won’t say anything about it to me or Darcy.
Darcy and I don’t say another word to each other as we head out the door, through a corridor and then the fancy art deco entryway, and then rush out into the sun. When we’re both finally outside, the spell breaks and we start laughing.
“What on earth, Thom? I don’t know what you were thinking.” Darcy frees her hand from mine and shakes her head at me, the laughter lingering on her mouth.
