Page 46 of For Your Eyes Only
Shall we try again tonight? Dinner at 8?
My lips twist, and I realize I’ll be at the Rhino getting ready to dance.I can’t tonight. I’m so sorry. Tomorrow?
Tomorrow I can tell him face to face all the things I should have told him before that first kiss. That incredible, amazing kiss I’ll never forget.
It takes a little longer for him to reply, and my heart sinks. I want to see him again so much. If only I hadn’t said I’d dance tonight. I don’t want to do anything but be with him—at the same time, a realization unfurls in my stomach. He didn’t want to see Glitter Girl tonight. He wanted to see me. Warmth surges through my chest. I want to squeal, and his text appears.
Tomorrow, 8. I’ll pick you up, and you can tell me who beat me out for tonight.
“No one,” I say in a smiley, dreamy, oh-so happy tone, falling back and hugging my pillow to my chest. “No one could ever beat you,Marito.”
Of course, he can’t hear me, so I simply reply,I can’t wait.
CHAPTER13
TRIP
“Glitter Girl is dancing tonight.” Franco’s voice on the phone is somewhere between a smirk and a challenge.
“Make sure she doesn’t get groped.” I walk over to the mini-bar in my suite. “I’d like to keep at least one of my promises to these girls.”
“Already lost interest? I thought you’d want to be there.”
“Not tonight.” For some reason, no longer care about the fantasy-girl with the, granted, dream physique. Okay, it’s Gia. The reason is Gia. “I’ve got something else going on.”
Franco’s voice turns serious. “It’s actually more of a request. We still haven’t found the guy who went after her, and you’re one of the few people who knows what he looks like.”
Do I?“It’s been a few days, Franco, I’m not sure I remember him.” Also, I’m not interested in going to the Rhino anymore.
“You’ll remember better than someone who’s never seen him at all. I could really use your help tonight. We tell the girls their safety is our top priority.”
Fuck. Exhaling, I pinch the bridge of my nose. He’s throwing my words in my face, my dumb speech. “Sure,” I nod. “I’ll be there.”
“See you in a few.”
Ending the call, I look at the phone in my hands for several minutes, wondering if I should tell Gia what I’m doing tonight and why.
I dismiss the thought as fast as it appears. We’ve only gone to dinner once. I’m not sure if buying her coffee counts for anything. I guess we did have that drink at the club…
Still, telling her what my plans are and why sounds like boyfriend shit. It’s also something I’ve never even done on the few occasions when Ididhave a girlfriend.
I do what I want to do and when.
Yet I feel unsettled.Dammit. I knew when I kissed her this would happen…
* * *
The Rhino is unusually crowdedwhen I enter through the side door. Not interested in mingling with the patrons, I go straight to my usual seat in the VIP section. A waitress brings me a vodka neat, and Franco steps out from the office. When he sees me, he lifts his chin, speaking briefly to a bouncer and crossing behind the mob of what looks like predominantly drunk frat-boys on the main floor.
“Thanks for coming out.” He steps through the velvet rope and sits beside me at the table. “Not having a photo puts us at a real disadvantage tonight, especially with this crowd.”
“Is it a south-Florida holiday I don’t know about? It’s too early for the world cup.”
“I think it’s the spillover from the soft launch today.” My brow furrows, and he explains. “We’re transitioning Glitter Girl to the subscription-only site. She did a little welcome livestream this afternoon and said she’d be dancing tonight. It went viral.”
I only have a surface understanding of what he’s referencing. I know about our subscription site, and I’ve heard several of our girls make significant amounts of money performing behind the paywall—of which we take a twenty percent cut plus monthly room and board.
“So she’s not going to dance live anymore?”