Gemma’s sultry smile and revealing black number, does nothing to ease the tightening in my pants as we wait in line at the movies for our tickets. She spent the entire drive to the cinema purposefully teasing me, her fingertips lightly grazing my arms, while warm, wet kisses trailed along my neck and jaw.
There were moments I honestly thought we’d never get here on time, half-expecting to turn back and drive to her place to finish what she intentionally started. But thankfully I managed to hold back with just enough self-control, knowing we’d have the whole night ahead to savour one another.
It’s our second official date, and this time Gemma insisted on something more low-key with a lot less walking after the first date left her with sore, blistered feet. We just finished dinner at an Italian restaurant, and now we’re about to watch a movie together.
“You’ve got a choice of horror or action,” I say to her, hoping she’ll go for the latter.
She glances up at the monitor, squinting at the movie times for the evening, and lets out a sigh. “Hmm… I don’t recognise any of these new releases, so I’ll let you decide.”
After settling on the latest Marvel movie, I quickly pay for our tickets, along with some snacks and drinks, before heading towards the usher. A gangly young man with ginger hair scans our tickets and points us to the direction of our cinema. Taking Gemma’s hand with my free one, I guide us towards CinemaFive, relieved that we’ll be watching the movie on the larger screen.
“Jason?” a sweet, velvety female voice suddenly calls out from behind me.
I whip around and, to my astonishment, it’s Mila, looking jaw-dropping in a sky-blue strapless dress that perfectly hugs all her curves. But she’s not alone.
Next to her stands a tall, blond man, sharply dressed and seemingly around her age, studying me with a curious expression. I take a quick moment to size him up, my eyes immediately catching his hand holding tightly onto Mila’s. Undeniably he’s a handsome guy with a preppy vibe that screams money, a type I can’t help but think Gemma would be better suited for.
“Mila? What a surprise to see you here!” I exclaim, my face alight with a genuine smile.Without thinking, I release Gemma’s hand and pull Mila into a tight hug, ignoring the glare from the man beside her. He doesn’t let go of her hand—instead, his grip tightens, like he’s holding her on a leash.Possessive much?!
She giggles and gives me a little squeeze before pulling away. “Yeah, we wanted to watch the new Marvel movie that came out this week.”
“No way, what a coincidence. We’re watching it too.” I chuckle.
Gemma clears her throat, snapping me back to reality, and I realise I’d momentarily forgotten she was beside me.
“Mila, this is Gemma, my date. Gemma, this is my friend Mila. We’ve known each other for years. Her sister’s a good friend of mine.”
Mila gives a small wave and a closed lip smile. “Nice to finally meet you, Gemma.
Jason’s mentioned so much about you.”
“Oh? I hope they’re all good things.” Gemma grins at me as our eyes meet.
“Of course! Nothing but the sweetest things.”
I glance over at the other guy, noticing he’s still quietly watching me. Deciding to break the ice first, I offer my hand to his. “Hey, I’m Jason.”
He stares at my hand for a moment, hesitation flickering in his eyes, before finally shaking it. “I’m Dean, Mila’s date,” he announces in a deep, confident voice, sliding an arm around her waist as if staking his claim. I don’t know what it is, but the gesture sparks a fierce urge in me to yank his arm away.She’s not yours, Jason, she’s not yours!
“Jase is my boss actually. I babysit his son every second week,” she informs Dean.
“He’s my boss too! I’m his newest bartender,” Gemma adds.
I’m about to chime in, when I hear Dean scoff like an immature, arrogant little prick.
“So what they’re essentially implying is that you only hire young, attractive women, hey old man?” he quips, fixing me with a self-satisfied look.
What the fuck did he just say?“Dean,” Mila warns, her gaze sharp and her brow furrowed.
Meanwhile, my jaw tightens and every muscle in me goes taut at his subtle jab. As much as I crave wiping that smug expression from his face, I remind myself he isn’t worth a stint behind bars.
Shrugging off his feeble insult, I keep my voice even. “Actually,” I say, “if you must know, I only hire the most competent and hardworking people. Their appearance, age, or background doesn’t matter to me. Whatdoesmatter are their core values, with respect at the very top—something I’m sureyouunderstand.”
Dean drops his gaze, a flicker of embarrassment betraying him despite his attempt to conceal it.That’s right you pathetic, disrespectful little fucker!
I glance back at Mila and instantly notice the slight curl of her lips. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s pleased with my response or because I just put her moron of a date in his place.
When Dean looks back at me, the arrogance that was once there is now gone. His lips tighten together, as he offers a small nod. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to come off as disrespectful. It’s just, one would think you’d have averyspecific criteria for new employees.”
