Page 22 of Mafioso's Muse
‘And he said that he could lift me one-handed. For whatever reason, I decided to test that claim.’
She laughed once in disbelief. ‘So, you just ran at him and hoped for the best?’
‘I’m fairly certain that if Vaughn Gallo says he can do something, then he can do it.’
Lili regarded her for a long moment. ‘You like him.’
‘He’s intense, but he’s nice enough.’
She shook her head. ‘No, I mean youlikehim.’
Willow considered the accusation before replying, ‘I’m not afraid of him like some people are, if that’s what you mean.’
‘Well, you should be. He can’t be trusted.’ She lowered her leg and turned to face Willow properly. ‘No woman should feel safe with that man—even if he is hot in that dangerous, inked-to-the-brink kind of way.’
Willow shook her head. ‘You don’t have to worry. I don’t think he’ll be coming near me anytime soon.’
‘Good.’ Then Lili’s curiosity won out. ‘Why not?’
‘He got all weird after it happened and literally fled the building.’
Lili exhaled noisily. ‘The man’s known for being weird and intense. I mean, what sort of person pays for a box in pretty much every theatre in the city, then sits alone in it?’
‘A secure man with a lot of money who enjoys his own company?’
Lili gave her a doubtful look. ‘There are only two reasons I can think of. Either women know he’s dangerous and steer clear, orheknows he’s dangerous and stays away from them.’
Willow felt oddly defensive on his behalf. ‘He’s entitled to time alone, away from the pressures of his life, without being judged.’
‘His thug life.’
The other dancers began to gather up their belongings. Harrison passed by them on his way out, and the pair fell silent.
‘We have the whole weekend off,’ Lili said. ‘Why don’t we forget about lifts and weight—and Vaughn Gallo—and go out for a few drinks. The season hasn’t started yet, so no one will judge us.’
‘Not true. The dietician will judge us harshly.’
Lili waved the comment away. ‘We’ll jog the calories off on Sunday. It’s not like she weighs us.’
‘She doesn’t need to. A single glance as I enter the room and I swear she knows exactly what I’ve eaten.’
Lili stretched her arm above her head, trying to loosen up her shoulder. ‘There’s a new bar in Federation Square. Only opened last week. We could go check it out, have some bubbles and a dance—with our heels touching the ground.’
‘How very normal of us.’
Lili nodded in agreement. ‘I hear it has this amazing retro interior and music to match.’
‘Sold.’ Willow grabbed her bag. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
They said their goodbyes to the remaining dancers, then headed for the door. Willow almost ran straight into Harrison as she stepped out into the hallway.
He caught her by the arms. ‘You ladies off?’
‘Yes,’ they replied in unison.
Harrison eyed Willow as he released his grip on her. ‘Any plans for the weekend?’
‘Movies, markets. The usual,’ Lili answered confidently.