Page 67 of Laila Manning
“Come with me.” Carly slid her hand in mine and pulled, but Zeke tightened his hold on my waist, never breaking the conversation with the man I recognized from the big city news station. He merely glared at her for a moment, mid-sentence, and continued without missing a beat.
Which, of course, made me giggle because the ridiculousness of the whole thing was just too much.
Zeke, Mr. Big, Bad and Serious, was being attentive and caring, while continuing on with his dark business dealings.
It was all a bit mind swirling to keep up with.
“Oh, come on, Cueball, let her come with me to the bar.” Carly whined, pulling my arm again. “If not, I’m going to cause a scene, and that’s bad business.” She droned on dramatically.
“It’s fine.” I whispered to Zeke, glancing over at the bar across the room. “Just come find me when you’re done.” I leaned up and kissed his cheek, drinking in the open affection between us. “I’ll be okay with her.”
“Dove.” He warned, flicking his glance at the bar. “I made you a promise, and I intend on keeping it.”
“I know.” Smiling up at him, “I’m trying to be a good friend, too.” I shrugged, “Help me figure out how to do both.”
“I don’t like it.” He said, and I could feel the growl in his chest as the man he was talking to stared at us openly like he was witnessing history in the making. I could almost hear his newscaster’s voice shouting out the headline of our affair.
“Come find me in a few minutes, then I’ll let you steal me away, even if Jed is still being a bad boyfriend.”
He looked over at Jed’s big back as he laughed at something the woman said, and Carly’s nails dug into my wrist as her bright blue eyes darkened like a storm was brewing. “I’ll make sure he wraps things upquickly.” Zeke said perceptively, loosening his hold on my waist and letting Carly pull me away into the crowd.
“Slow down.” I hissed as she weaved through one elegant evening dress at a time until we were pressed up against the elaborate mahogany-topped bar. “Jesus, Carly.”
“I was going to tear her fake ass chlorine green extensions from her ugly fucking head if I stayed put one more second.” she muttered, waving down the bartender intensely. “Four shots of tequila, top shelf.” She demanded without so much as aHi, how are you.
“Uh, I’m not drinking.” I corrected, sending an apologetic smile to the young girl readying the glasses.
“None of them are for you.” Carly snapped her fingers as the bartender froze, “Four shots. Now. Please.” She added, and if she hadn’t added the please at the end, I probably would have slapped her.
I bit my tongue as the girl set the glasses and the limes down on the bar top, eager to leave us to help more polite guests, I was sure. When she was out of earshot, I slapped Carly’s arm. “That was so rude.”
“I’m sorry.” She sighed after tipping back the first glass and hissing in her exhalation. “I’m wound up and angry and horny and none of those make for a clear head.”
“Ew.” I shivered and shook my head. “I didn’t think you got jealous.” I mused, “What with the whole exhibition kink and all.”
She scoffed, downing her second shot. “I’m rabid when it comes to other women trying to get what’s mine, on a good day.” She shivered and grimaced at the second shot. “But it’s ten times worse lately.”
I put my hand on top of hers to stop her from throwing back number three in rapid-fire succession, “Wait.” I pushed it away. “Just slow down.”
“I can’t!” She whined in a way that was so very not like her, I was shocked. “I can’t fucking stop because I can’t get control over myemotions!” She looked at me with wide blue eyes, and I recognized the panic in them. “I’m positively manic.”
“Take a deep breath.” I ordered and picked up the two shots and handed them to a passing woman, “Here, on the house.” I winked, trying for confidence I didn’t possess, and the woman paused only for a moment and then smiled.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” I waved it off and turned back to Carly, who looked like she was either going to burst into tears or vomit. “Okay, back to the problem at hand. Jed chatting with a woman nearly—” I looked out over the crowd back to the table where the woman brushed her hand over Jed’s upper arm like she was feeling for muscles and I cringed as Carly groaned, “Twice your age,” I fibbed a little to make her feel better, “It doesn’t actually bother you; I know that, and I think you know that.” She rolled her eyes and huffed, but didn’t contradict me because she knew I was right. “So, there’s something else pushing these emotions up to the surface, or perhaps something you’re subconsciously trying to cover up with the very unlike you jealously. So, which is it?”
She hesitated and looked around the space as if she were looking everywhere but at me.
“What is it?” I urged and then held my hand up, thinking better of it. “If you don’t want to tell me, I understand, but maybe you should at least talk to Jed about it. Something tells me he has no idea you’re upset about something.”
She sighed and leaned against the bar, “I’m late.”
My mind swam as I tried to figure out how she could be late to an event she was already at, and then it clicked.
And millions of different emotions buzzed through my head at lightning speed creating panic before I forced myself to imagine thatthe panic was a physical thing inside of my head and I grabbed it mentally, forcing it to stay still and stop causing mayhem like my therapist had taught me. I glanced back at the table for Zeke, knowing I was going to need him ASAP if this conversation went the way I thought it was going to go, but he was mysteriously missing. And he was nowhere between there and the bar, on his way to me.
He was gone.
