Page 32 of Electric Blue Love
“Yeah, I have quite a few buddies from college here actually. We all graduated and took jobs in New York, but it appears our companies like to try and get a bit of fresh blood each year, so here we are.”
“You should go hang out with them. I’m so sorry. I had no idea you had friends here. I just assumed they were people from your company.”
“Nah, I’m the only one from my company. My boss thought I was the best fit since I have a client in the community. And Perry is just someone I partied with in college, we see each other often enough. Happy hours and parties on weekends occasionally.”
She moved to stand, and I followed, putting myself between her and the exit.
“No, don’t go. This is nice,” I motioned between us with a hand. “Talking to you in person.”
Her face flushed like it did every time I gave her even the smallest of compliments, but she nodded slightly. “Okay, but let’s at least go over there so it’s not like I stole you away."
“I think they’d understand,” I muttered and chuckled to myself.
We grabbed our drinks and I led her across the bar and introduced her to my buddies. Bianca shook hands, repeated names back and smiled up to the guys in such a sweet, charming way they were all eating out of her hand.
“How do you know this guy?” Aaron, a co-worker of Perry’s that I’d only met twice, asked as he patted me on the shoulder like we were best buds.
I cocked an eyebrow at him but didn’t push his hand off me like I wanted to.
“We met on a flight from New York awhile back,” Bianca answered.
Aaron’s eyes lit up as if that was all the information he needed to know she was available.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pulled Bianca to me in a possessive stance. She shot me a confused look but didn’t pull away as I held her there making sure Aaron understood she was mine. It was petty and not even true, but I wanted to protect her. Needed to in some caveman, messed up primal desire.
“We’ve kept in touch,” I added for no other reason than to make it clear I had put in the time with her.
Aaron nodded, glancing between us. “I see. Well, Court here’s a great guy. You don’t go through the shit he has without knowing how to appreciate a good thing.”
I smiled a big, fake, toothy grin at Aaron and silently fumed at Perry for sharing shit he had no business sharing. Bianca’s body molded into mine as if she understood my need for her sweet goodness. The anger rolled off me as I looked down at her. Even in those ridiculously high heels her head sat just above my shoulder. “What do you say we grab another drink?”
I pulled her behind me without waiting for her response, knowing full well she already had a nearly full drink in her hand.
When we got to the bar, she finally spoke. “Actually, I shouldn’t have another if I’m going to be in any kind of shape for tomorrow.”
I nodded.
“Tab?” I motioned to the bartender.
“You don’t have to stop on my account. I’m just gonna catch a cab back to my apartment.”
“You live far?” I asked as I signed the check.
“No, Orange and Grove.”
“I’m staying at the Courtyard, we can share a cab.”
“Those are in two completely different directions,” she said with a smile.
I just grinned back at her.
She bit her bottom lip and her nervousness reminded me of why I’d found her so intriguing in the first place. She was innocence wrapped up in a tempting little package that she hid in plain sight. She’d been born in a generation that flaunted everything and balked at nothing and she’d gone unnoticed because she didn’t try to be noticed. She didn’t dress trendy or have pink hair. I hadn’t spotted any piercing or tattoos – she was just your average college girl. But God, she was so much more.
I held the door to the bar open. The cool air greeted us, a welcome feeling after being in the hot bar. I inhaled deeply and let the door fall close behind us. Bianca smiled at me, stepping onto the sidewalk and freezing in place. I followed her line of vision to a group of guys piling out of a cab. It was clear they were already drunk from their loud and exaggerated movements, but they were put together well – rich, frat guys in polo shirts that cost as much as my entire wardrobe had in college.
“Ready?” I reached a hand out for her and she opened her mouth, her eyes darted from me to the group of guys.
“Bianca!” one of the guys called out and a look of uneasiness and panic took over her face. I stepped toward her just as the guy, wearing a striped Lacoste shirt and jeans that looked like they’d been freshly ironed – or probably dry cleaned I thought, reached us.
