Page 29 of Rebound With Me
Vince
After I got backto the office, I put together a market demographics package for a client, filled out paperwork for another deal, had a meeting with my sales team, got on a business development call with my brother, returned twenty calls and forty emails, and the entire time I had this big stupid grin on my face and the ghost of Nina’s lips on mine.
I don’t even know how long my partner Eve has been staring at me through the glass wall, but I can’t even pretend to not be happy when she strides in and shuts the door behind her.
“What is going on with you? Did you get back together with Sadie?”
“No. God, no.”
Eve knows about the Sadie situation because we had a client meeting later Saturday afternoon, and I was still messed-up about it. But I didn’t tell her any specifics. Like how she left me for a practically middle-aged elementary school principal and I followed him to his fiancées apartment and then decided to fuck her instead of kick the shit out of him. Eve would kick the shit out of me if she knew I’d actually planned that.
She crosses her arms in front of her chest and plops down on my sofa. “You met someone.”
“Hey, did the liquor license guy get back to you yet?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me you’re rebounding.”
“It’s not like that.”
“What’s it like? Do tell. I’m just kidding. I know you’re not going to tell.”
I love Eve like family and I’d trust her with my life, but she’s still my business associate and I have to keep some lines drawn between us.
“Is she hot?”
I grin.
“Of course she’s hot. Does she live around here? Shit, it’s not a client. Oh shit fuck please tell me you didn’t bone the twin chefs or I will murder you.”
“No! Not even one of them. She’s not a client. Or a potential client.”
“But she lives around here.”
“You’re not getting any more out of me.” She always manages to get more out of me. She’s the only one who can. Well, almost.
“Okay okay. Just tell me her name.”
“No.”
“Maybe I know her. Corky.”
“It’s not Corky. Get outta here.”
“Sparky.” She gave me so much shit about Sadie. “Tiffany. Amber. Lola. Ginger.”
“She’s not a fucking stripper! Her name’s Nina, alright?”
As soon as I hear myself say her name and feel my lips curl into a smile, I know I’m in trouble. I turn my face away from Eve, but I know she saw. I know she heard the way my voice got softer.
She has gone silent and it’s killing me.
I snap my head around to face her. “What?!”
Her lips are pressed together and her eyes are big as saucers. “Oh honey. You like this one!”
“Shut up. I barely know her. Shut up.”
“Oh, baby.” She puts her hand on my shoulder. “You finally met someone you actually like.”
