“Don’t want to put a hole in the wall. Or get wine all over the carpet.”
Jumping into the bathtub—still wet from his shower—Beck placed the bottom of the wine bottle in his sneaker, lifted it, and began pounding the sneaker against the fiberglass wall.
“Beck,” I started, but he wasn’t listening.
He pounded again, checked the cork, then did it once more. I was about to stop him when the cork popped out. Beck jumped back from the dribble of wine that escaped and held the bottle upright, completely uncorked. I stared at him, amazed.
“What other hidden talents do you have?”
Beck’s suggestive grin told me immediately I shouldn’t have asked.
“I’d be happy to show you.”
20
MAE
“You’re such an ass.”
I left the bathroom laughing. But also…
“We are not drinking wine from those,” Beck said, catching me as I picked up our glasses.
“What do you propose… Beck? Where did you get wine glasses?”
He proceeded to pour the wine that he’d opened with his sneaker into each glass.
“Ellie.”
“Um. Who’s Ellie?”
He handed me a glass.
“Your first client.”
Sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room, I curled my legs under me, taking a sip of wine. For as hard as we worked, I should be more tired. And I was, but also… content.
“I feel like an idiot. I didn’t even ask her name. Some businesswoman I am. She won’t be a client for long.”
Beck lifted his filled wine glass to me, sitting on the bed, propped up against the headboard. “Au contraire. I went down after my shower and asked for proper wine glasses. Made sure Ellie knew how grateful we were for getting us in here last minute and told her you were excited about working with her. All’s well.”
Air toasting, I took another sip.
“You know, I get it.”
“Get what?”
“Why women fall at your feet, despite the fact that you’ve slept with half of Cedar Falls. You can be extremely charming, Beckham Claymont.”
“First of all, you know how much I love that name,” he said, clearly meaning just the opposite.
“I do. Which is why I use it. It’s a great name.”
“My parents don’t even pretend it’s anything other than pretentious. I swear they found it by looking at Yale attendance rosters. Beckham. Seriously.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Second,” he said, ignoring me, “I haven’t slept with more than a third of Cedar Falls, at most.”
