Page 5 of Love on the Line

Trish cocked her head. “And he looks like he stepped out of a magazine, wearing designer clothes and acting snobby-like. I mean, what’s he doing here anyway?”

“Hmm. That is kind of strange.” Then again, there was no law against dressing nice.

“For what it’s worth, I think the guy’s a jerk. It’s a gut thing, but I’ve learned to trust it.” Trish gave a curt nod.

Emily snagged one of the shots and raised it in the air. “Bottoms up.”

The girls picked up the others and drank them.

The back of Anne’s neck tingled. Something didn’t feel right. She lowered her voice and spoke to Trish on the side. “I don’t like it. One time a group of men followed us after they bought us a round of drinks. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, though. Can I pay you separately for these, and you tell the guys we said, ‘Thanks but no thanks’?”

“I’ll be happy to deliver the message.” Trish clamped the drink tray under her arm and left with a bounce in her step.

* * *

Devon glanced up when Trish returned to the table.

She faced him, meeting his eyes with a smug smile. “The ladies paid for the round you sent over and said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”

Heat flushed through Devon’s skin. He didn’t give a flying fuck about whether the girls accepted the drinks. It was Paul’s deal, not his. No one smirked at him and got away with it like this bitch of a waitress with a stick up her ass.

She must have realized her mistake because the smug look disappeared, and she swallowed, taking a step back.

Paul clasped his hands together. “Great. We’ll take our check.”

Trish blinked, and her brows furrowed like she was trying to figure out a puzzle. “All right then…I’ll get it.”

She hurried toward the bar. Good, she should be nervous. Devon would have a word with her manager before he left. He dragged his attention back to Paul. “Why are you so happy those girls paid for the round?”

“It confirms I’ve chosen the right person for our wager. The blonde is the only one who spoke to Trish.”

“So, what of it?”

“I’ve been watching her. She’s obviously the designated driver, been taking care of her very tipsy friends, and now refuses free drinks.” Paul leaned across the table. “She’s a person of character, which I think will make it harder for you to win her over with your usual tactics.”

“Just wait and see.” Devon scoffed and held out his hand. “We have a deal?”

“Absolutely.”

They shook on it as Trish came by with the check.

Devon snagged the bill and said to Paul, “I got this. You’ll be paying up later.”

Paul stood and grinned. “Good luck. I believe this will be harder than you think. I look forward to winning.”

“We’ll see about that.”

After Paul left, Devon slid his credit card onto the tab and waited for Trish to return with it. On the tip line he wrote, “.01”.

Standing, he shot a look at the blonde again. Not hard on the eyes, but clearly beneath him. He’d have her eating out of his hand. This was going to be fun.

Let the games begin.

---