Page 64 of Wingwoman
Blech. Seedy. And had to be against some sort of code of ethics for performers, right?
I scrunched my nose. “Well don’t worry, you don’t have to do that with me.”
His gaze slowly raked down my body. “I dunno. Some nights, this job’s not bad at all.”
I cringed. “Was that your idea of a compliment?”
While I knew I wasn’t the hottest girl in the room,not bad at allwasn’t exactly my idea of pillow talk.
He laughed at that and shook his head. “Sorry, you got me there. What I meant to say was: Some nights, this job is soul crushing. But nights like tonight? I’m surrounded by the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He lifted my hand and brushed a kiss to my knuckles.
It might have been romantic by some definitions.
If he wasn’t clad in solely a jacket and banana hammock.
“Better,” I said. “But I still think you say that every night to one sucker in the room who looks like they’ve got a fat wallet.”
Again, the bartender rushed by me without so much as a glance in my direction.
I sighed, tapping the empty martini glass base against the bar.
“Here,” Top Gun said, taking the glass from me and waving down the bartender. “Allow me.”
The bartender immediately rushed over and suddenly I was no longer invisible. “Drake,” he said, “What can I do for you?”
I arched my brow. “Drake?”
“Stage name,” he whispered, then slapped his palm down on the bar. “I would love a bottle of water, Shawn. And for this beautiful girl…”
“A water as well, please,” I said as my phone buzzed against the bar top. Maxie’s name popped up.
I picked up the phone to read the message, but Drake’s groan interrupted me and he brushed a surprisingly soft hand against my wrist gently. “Aw, come on, just water? You waited all this time for a glass of water?”
I shrugged. “I’ve got to get home somehow…”
My words faded as across the room I saw Julianne, my soon-to-be stepsister, sidled up next to Josh, batting her big, stupid fake eyelashes at him.
The fajitas I ate for dinner soured in my stomach.
She wasflirtingwith Josh.
MyJosh.
No, no, wait. MyclientJosh.
And of course she was flirting with him. She was raised here in Texas and he was country royalty in these parts. If I was being fully honest with myself, they weren’t a bad match. All of Viv’s daughters loved animals and horses. From the little we’d spoken, I could tell they were smart girls. Well-educated and fun-loving. They weren’t just some vapid, bottle-blondes looking for their MRS degrees. They had goals and aspirations for their life beyond wanting to grow a family. Which theyalsowanted, of course.
Shit.
My phone buzzed again and this time, I swiped my thumb up to look at the message before Drake could distract me again.
Maxie:
We debated showing you this, but after some deliberation, we figured you’d be more mad if we kept it from you.
My brows furrowed as Carrow’s text was next.
Carrow:
