I pour myself another glass of wine. Alcohol is the only remedy here, so I tip my head back and take a big gulp.
“Sarah.” Spencer smiles seductively at her from across the table. “Do you like to dance?”
Her eyes light up. “I love to dance, Spencer.”
“Me, too. I can’t wait for the real music to start.”
Okay, now it’s my turn to get angry. If he dirty dances with her, I swear to God.
“Do you like to dance, Lottie?” Richard asks.
I smile sweetly. “I do.” I sip my wine. “You can tell so much about a person by the way they dance.”
Richard grins like he’s winning me over. The poor fella thinks he’s getting in here. I kind of feel bad that he’s tied up in this mess. “I’m going to the bar to get another bottle of wine for us.” I stand before they can object, and I walk to the bar and wait in line.
What do I do? What do I do? Should I leave?
I don’t want to be here if Spencer is into Sarah. Watching him with her would be my worst nightmare.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Spencer whispers behind me.
“Washing my hair, what does it look like?”
“I don’t know what kind of bitch pills you’re on tonight, but fucking cut it out.”
I turn to him and thumb my chest. “Me?” I shake my head and turn my back on him. “How about you cut it out?”
“Let’s get out of here,” he says suddenly.
I frown and look over my shoulder. “What?’
“I don’t want to be on a date with her. I only ever intended on staying for an hour.” He pulls out his phone. “Sebastian is calling me in exactly twenty minutes with my get out of here plan. Let’s go somewhere, just the two of us.” He puts his hand on my hip bone, the contact unnoticeable to anyone else because we are covered by the crowd around us.
“Are you kidding me?” I whisper. “Sarah really likes you.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like her.” He squeezes my behind. “I like you.”
I swat his hand away angrily. “You’re a pig, Spencer Jones, and you’re too late. You had a chance with me, and you blew it.”
“You fucking blew it, not me!”
I turn to him, and I swear, I have never been so infuriated in my life. “I… I blew it?” I stammer. “You have got to be joking?”
“You kicked me out and didn’t call me.”
I shake my head in disgust. “You are the most unromantic jerk I have ever met.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” He smirks and squeezes my hip bone. “Now, let’s leave. If Wyatt gets in my way, I’m punching his lights out. Prepare yourself for my attack.”
“Ha.” I huff. “I would like to see that. He would wipe the floor with your wimpy behind.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
I swat his hand away from my waist. “Stop touching me,” I whisper as I shuffle forward in the line.
He immediately pulls me back against him to show me who’s the boss here.
“I’m leaving in twenty minutes. Are you coming with me or not?”
“Not. She really likes you.”
“And this is why I’m leaving. She’s not my type. I have zero attraction to her.”
I glare at him, unresponsive. Spencer links our pinky fingers together and his eyes drop to my lips. “You’re my type,” he breathes.
“Next!” the barmaid calls. I break out of his grip and step forward.
“I’ll have a… erm…” My brain is completely fried from having him so close. “Can I have a…” Good grief, I can’t even string two sentences together. What is it with this man?
Spencer steps forward to rescue me. “She’ll have a bottle of Louis Roederer.” He smiles casually and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Give me your number.”
His hot breath tickles my neck and I feel goose bumps scatter my spine.
“What?” I frown and find myself staring at his big luscious lips.
“I don’t have your fucking phone number. Give it to me.”
My tingles instantly fade. “I don’t want you to call me. And stop swearing all the time.”
He rolls his eyes. “You can lie all you want about who you are to them, but don’t lie to me. Give me your number.”
The barmaid hands over the bottle and I pay her without thought. Without another word to Mr Spencer, I walk back to the table.
He’s such an asshole.
Moments later, he comes back to the table with another bottle of wine. He sits down and smiles calmly, placing his phone on the table.
My poor heart is hammering in my chest. This is devious behaviour at it’s very worst.
Sarah’s date wants me to leave with him, …and even worse than that is the fact that, I want to.
Spencer’s phone dances across the table, the name Sebastian lighting up the screen.
I roll my eyes. He has got to be kidding me.
“Hi, Seb,” he answers cheerfully. “Oh no.” His face falls as he pretends to listen. “Oh… really?”
I roll my eyes. Good grief. What next?
“Sure, yeah, I’ll come and get you now.” He listens and frowns at Sarah, shaking his head with fake annoyance.
I stare at him, deadpan. What a douche.
He ends the call. “Sarah, I am so sorry but I have to go. My friend Sebastian has driven into a ditch about half an hour out of the city, and his pregnant sister is in the car. I have to go and help them.”
Sarah’s face falls. “Oh no.”
“I’m so annoyed.” He sighs. “This was turning out to be such a great night, too.”
“What ditch?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.
“Dead Guard Ditch,” he replies without hesitation.
I sip my wine and stare at him. “Sounds creepy.”
He narrows his eyes. “It is.”
He turns his attention to Sarah. “I’m sorry, but Richard will have to take over the reins tonight.”
“That’s okay, Spence, I can handle it.” Richard smiles.
I roll my eyes yet again. It’s obvious that Richard knew all along that Spencer was leaving early.
“Will you call me?” Sarah asks Spencer.
My heart drops for her. Damn him.
“Of course. What’s your number?” he asks.
She smiles and reads it out to him, and he ‘apparently’ puts it into his phone.
“What about if I want to contact you at work?” he asks her. “Do you have a work email?”
“Yes.” She smiles excitedly. “It’s sarah@ conradmailroom. com.”
“Okay.” He stands and shakes Sarah’s hand. “Lovely to meet you. My apologies about tonight.”
“That’s okay.” She giggles. “Call me.”
Spencer shakes Richard’s hand, and then he moves closer to me.
“Goodbye, Mr Spencer. Have a nice life.” I tilt my chin to the ceiling.
He narrows his eyes at me again. “Have fun in that mailroom, Lottie.”
I smile sweetly. “I intend to.”
Our eyes are locked, and he raises his eyebrow in a This is your last chance to come with me way.
I wave. “Goodbye Spencer.” I sip my wine.
After a beat, he gives a subtle shake of his head and leaves the restaurant without looking back.
“Looks like I have two dancing partners tonight.” Richard smiles, jiggling in his seat.
Sarah and I laugh at his goofy moves. “You sure do.”
Spencer
I walk into another restaurant on a mission, riled up and severely pissed off.
She didn’t want to come with me. She wanted to stay with him.
Her fucking bodyguard.
I should have knocked that fucker out on her porch like I wanted to.
My skin prickles. I bet he made his move on her that night after I left, the fucking snake.
Masters gives me a quick wave from the table they are sitting at along the back wall. I double booked myself tonight. My first stop was with the date from Hell, followed by my second stop of dinner with my three best friends.
I storm over and see Bree, Masters, and Sebastian glancing at their menus.
“Hi,” I grunt and fall into my seat.