Page 106 of Flaunt
“Sara, would you like to dance?” Banks asks, searching my eyes for a hint of how I feel.
“Yes.”
“Wait.” Joshua’s smarmy voice taints the air. “I wanted to see how you’re doing, Sara.”
I turn toward Banks. “I’m great.”
We take one step to leave when Joshua grabs my arm. I stop in my tracks and glare at him.
Banks whirls around and squares his shoulders to Joshua’s. “Ihighlyrecommend that you don’t touch her again,” Banks says, his voice low and cold.
Joshua smiles, sloshing his whiskey around his tumbler. “What is this little ruse the two of you have going on? It’s quite entertaining.”
“Excuse us,” I say, narrowing my eyes. I place a hand on Banks’s chest, urging him to go. Instead, he stays in place, his gaze glued to Joshua’s.
“You know,” Joshua says, arrogance dripping from each word. “Your job opened back up. I could probably get you in for an interview.”
Banks bristles but defers to me.
I’d like to rip him a new asshole in front of everyone at this party, but that’s unprofessional.And that’s probably exactly what Joshua is banking on.
“Good luck filling it,” I say.
Joshua’s face turns beet red. He clenches his free fist and glares at Banks. Whatever composure he’s managed to maintain has been eroded by the alcohol and the loss of control of the situation.
Like he ever had control to begin with. Asshole.
“Did you know that I was fucking your fiancée two weeks ago? Yeah, for most of this year, she was sucking my cock while apparently leading you on. Just thought I’d share.”
He smirks, thinking he got one over on Banks.
Banks’s eyes flood with fire but he stays cool, pulling me closer to him.
“That was you?” He laughs and looks at me. “Babe. What were you thinking? This is the guy you were with? He isn’t even your type.” He winks. “Although, you did say you were pity fucking for a while now, so nowthatmakes sense.”
I laugh, amused at how well Banks is playing this off. Except … he’s not. He wants to rip Joshua’s throat out.
“Your fiancée is a little whore,” Joshua spits, upping the ante to get the reaction he wants.
Banks smiles menacingly. “It will take a little more than that—a little more sophistication—to get me to react here. Don’t get me wrong. I’d absolutely love the experience of sending your nose crashing into your cranium with my fist, and if you’d like to arrange that later, I’m more than willing to open my calendar. Do you need my business card?”
“Fuck you,” Joshua says.
The two large men from earlier arrive just before Banks cuts the distance between himself and Joshua. My heart pounds as I watch the scene develop in front of me.
I grab Banks’s arm and hold tight.What’s going on?
“We’ve been sent by Mr. Petterson, Mr. Eubanks,” the man with the mustache says.
Joshua stands tall. “Does he want to see me? Where is he?”
“He’s requested we escort you out. And we’d like to do that as quietly as possible, but it’s up to you, of course,” the other man says.
“What?” Joshua stammers, his eyes wide.
“This way,” Mustache Man says, encouraging Joshua to head toward the exit.
“Call me,” Banks says, grinning ear to ear.
