Page 12 of No More Billionaires

“Yeah, News Dude. Chill. I’ll walk with you, darlin’.”

Jason swayed on his feet and offered me his arm with a drunken smile. “Come on. I’ll just Sir Gallahad you to your car, my lady, and then I’ll come back.”

Larson stepped forward, bumping Jason’s extended arm. “Don’t bother. I’m leaving anyway. My car’s in the same garage.I’llwalk with her.”

He nodded toward the back of the bar. “You can go back to your buddies.”

“Larson,” I protested, baffled at his apparent animosity toward my new friend.

“You didn’t tell me you and Richie Rich had a thing going on.” Jason’s gaze bounced between Larson and me.

“We don’t,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Larson, there’s no need to trouble yourself. Thank you very much—for everything. I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Okay?”

He did not agree that it was okay. In fact, he offered no response at all unless you counted narrowed eyes and lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line.

I turned and went with Jason, who lurched unsteadily toward the exit door. Just before we walked through, I glanced back over my shoulder to see if Larson was still there.

He was.

In fact, he stood in place, his eyes tracking me out the door and across the large front window until I was out of sight.

FIVE

Off and Out

All through the next workday I felt Larson’s gaze on me.

Sure enough, whenever I’d glance up, he’d bejustlooking away or he’d drop his head to study something in his hands.

It was almost funny. And completely unnerving.

After the show, he must have sprinted from the set because he was out of the studio and at my desk in the newsroom within minutes.

“Have fun on your date last night?” His tone was more challenging than curious.

I looked up from my computer where I’d been logging off. “Sure. Jason’s a lot of fun.”

Or hehadbeen until he’d consumed all the alcohol in Georgia.

“Well, I’m glad you made it home okay. I was concerned you’d end up carrying him back to the parking garage or watching him puke his guts out on the sidewalk.”

I wrinkled my nose at the mental image. All those chicken wings. “No, thankfully. Hewasa tad over-served, but we made it to the garage okay. He didn’t go back to the bar, though. I gavehima ride home.”

In fact, he’d passed out in my car, and I’d had to prop him up on the way to his front door.

Not that I was going to share those details with Larson.

He smirked. “Going out with him again?”

A big fat “No” caught in my throat. I stared up at Larson a few seconds, tilting my head to the side.

“I’m not sure. Maybe. If he asks. Why all this interest in Jason?”

He huffed a quick laugh. “I’m not interested inJason. I just thought you didn’t date. Deb said you just went through a bad breakup or something.”

“She did, huh?” I looked around the newsroom. “Where is my big-mouthed friend and supervisor at the moment?”

“Don’t be mad at her. I was prying.”

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