Page 510 of Rock Me All Night
Without a word of explanation, Pete pulls out his cell phone and taps a text message. He nodsI've got this.
A moment later, there's a friendly sales associate unlocking the door. She smiles at Pete and shakes his hand eagerly.
"Mr. Steele, it's so nice to see you again. This must be yourfriend." She turns to me. "Jess, right?"
I nod. "Nice to meet you."
She doesn't introduce herself. "Let me know if you need any help. I'll be in the back finishing some bookkeeping." She blushes as her eyes meet Pete's, but she says nothing about it. "You can grab me once you've made your selection and I'll measure your prescription."
She disappears into the back room.
"You have the power to open closed retail stores?" I ask.
"I don't like to cause a scene when I shop," he says.
"So…"
"So I called ahead, promised I'd promote the place on social media."
"You do this every time you go shopping?"
"Only on occasion."
"You're a private guy for someone who fucks people in bar bathrooms."
His lips curl into a cocky smile. He's proud of himself. For the public sex or for getting that girl to scream at the top of her lungs? Hard to say. And contemplating the subject further will do nothing to cool me down.
I try to focus on the massive selection of glasses. There must be a thousand pairs in every shape and every color of the rainbow. I try a dozen, sorting them into noes and maybes.
Pete stays a few feet behind me, giving me space to browse.
My eyes catch his in the mirror. "What happened to that woman from yesterday?"
"She left when we were done."
"Do you—" I switch to a pair of rectangular frames. "Do that a lot."
He cocks a brow. "Depends on what you mean bythat."
"Have one-night stands?"
"Last few months, yeah."
Usually, I avoid getting into other people's business. But I want to know more about him. "Can I ask you something personal?"
His voice is light, teasing. "If you look me in the eyes instead of looking at the mirror."
I turn and take a step towards him, so I'm close enough I can see all the details of his face. "It didn't seem like you were enjoying yourself."
"That's not a question."
"Were you enjoying yourself?"
He shrugs. "It was fine."
Just fine? That girl was screaming like she was having the best lay of her life.
My eyes catch his. I'd never, in a million years, ask anyone else this question, but I feel like I can talk to him. It's dangerous.
