Page 9 of The HalloQueen

“Do you still want to find her?”

He looked down at me and ran a thumb down my neck, “shouldn’t we be talking about you and me, not me and her?”

My brow arched, “Is there a me and you?”

He shifted slightly, moving his hands, and pulled me even closer to him, “remember, we’ve been casually dating for a while. Those were your words, not mine.”

“You come on really strong, Tommy.”

It was his turn to raise his brow at me, moving both hands to my neck, holding me firmly but sensually, “Tommy?”

“Too soon? I thought we’d been dating for a while.”

He laughed brightly, “I do not think anyone has ever called me Tommy before. Though, it doesn’t quite go with the french pronunciation, non?”

I shrugged, “You’re Tommy now.”

He laughed again, “As you wish, Annabel. I can be your Tommy. Are they kissing yet?” He spun me slowly so I was able to see Shannon and Trae better.

“Ugh, no. They’re drinking.”

“So we get another dance?”

“Looks that way,” I sighed.

“Why did you say we were dating? Was it just to not tell her that you and he had?”

“Oh, he and I never dated, we just…”

“Ah.”

I bristled, ready to defend myself if he was going to judge me for the things I'd done with my body, especially when he was seemingly trying to reach the same goal, “Shannon is my friend and she has low self-esteem. When she realized Trae knew me, I knew she was going to drop him, but she deserves to be happy. You were the closest victim. I knew that if I found myself otherwise occupied tonight that she would let herself keep him.”

“So you’re telling me if I’d been,” he paused and looked around the dance floor and locked his gaze on a guy that looked like he just sauntered off his daddy’s sailboat, gesturing to him with his chin, “If he’d been next to you instead of me, you’d be on this dance floor with him?”

“Probably.”

“I don’t think I like that answer, beauti-”

“Oh my god! It’s you!” two women charged toward us and practically pushed Thomas off me, “can we have the presale code? We love your store.”

I laughed, “For sure, Queens! Want to take a quick clip for our page?”

Thomas looked at me curiously and crossed his arms with amused patience.

“Oh my god, really?! Yes!”

“Of course! Here,” I handed them their business cards with the code printed on the back that would let them shop before launch day. “Could you guys shake your asses for me when you show me your cards?” they laughed and blushed like I asked the impossible, and after they wiggled a little I stopped them, “No, bitches! I said SHAKE YOUR ASS!” I yelled and they burst into laughter and gave me the footage I wanted. “Thanks, ladies!” I waved at them as they walked away. “Sorry,” I grimaced at Thomas and held my hand out to him, “buy me another drink?”

A slow smile crept over his face and I yawned, “gosh, sorry, I didn’t think I was tired.”

He appeared to shake himself, “Non, I’m sorry. Of course, I’ll buy you a drink.”

I took his hand and wove through the crowd to the opposite side of the bar from Shannon and Trae and climbed into a stool, “So, you come and go from France a lot? How did you end up with the Halloween store?”

He flicked something off the bar, “It’s a fast way to make some cash this time of year. You’d be surprised how much comes through that place.”

“No, I bet it’s a cash cow, but what are your plans for after the holiday? Are you suddenly going to turn into Santa and sell Christmas trees?”

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