Page 16 of Gin & Trouble

“I’m really sorry, Uncle D.” Zach hung his head.

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine.” Frowning, I nodded to his phone. “Did you record that nightmare?”

“Yeah, but I’ll delete it. That was harsh.”

“Thanks.” I gathered the pieces of the Chewie costume and did my best to ignore the whistles and catcalls from the growing crowd.

Zach tugged on the chain hanging from the collar around my neck. “We should get the hell out of here. I don’t like the way Bondage Darth Vader is looking at you.”

Sure enough, the Amazonian woman stood with one hand on her hip and the other white-knuckling her lightsaber. I couldn’t see her face, but I swore she was shooting death beams at me.

“Let’s go.”

6

Frankie

I hit the ladies’room in a blind panic, crashed into a stall, and dropped to my knees. I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to vomit, or I was in the midst of my first panic attack. Either way, I didn’t want to take the chance of having to pay to have puke removed from my costume.

Two women came into the bathroom chatting away.

“That guy was way too gorgeous to be a gamer. I bet he was an actor.”

“I know, right? That Princess Leia bikini looked just like the one from the movie.

“Oh my God. Did you see his abs?”

“Totes hots. And those green eyes.” She sighed a dreamy sort of sigh. The same kind I would have let out if the hot guy were anyone else—anyone except Dante Marchionni.

“And that bulge! I almost passed out when his scarves got hung up in his belt.”

My anger overrode my nausea. I pushed to my feet with every intention of telling these two to go to hell. Except, what business was it of mine if other women checked out Danny’s package?Dante’spackage.

Danny didn’t exist. He was a pretty lie.

A pretty lie told by the enemy.

The only reason I’d agreed to meet him was to tell him I knew who he was and to demand he lose my number. But my heart had gotten in the way of my head. Had his nephew not asked about my job, I might have never worked up the courage to dump Dante.

It was no surprise the teenager had recognized me from the office, but Dante hadn’t. Why would he? I’d worked there for months and not one of the high and mighty Marchionnis had acknowledged my presence.

The women continued to gossip. “You don’t think he stuffed tube socks down there, do you?”

“I say we find out. I wonder if he’s into threesomes.”

The conversation devolved into giggles.

What the hell kind of women titter like birds over having sex with a man they don’t even know?

The kind who’ve seen an incredibly handsome Italian wearing nothing except knee-high boots, a collar, and a gold bikini with a couple of scarves attached to it, that’s who.

The bathroom door opened and the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air, followed by Sophia’s commanding voice. “Leave. Now!”

The women gasped and whispered, but hurried out.

When I’d returned home, Sophia had given me a lecture about staying out all night without bothering to call her. Given the situation with our brother, she had every right to worry. But when she’d started asking about the sex, it’d taken all of my willpower not to burst into tears. Needless to say, I hadn’t gotten around to telling her Danny was Dante.

I hunkered down as one stall door after the next swung open.

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