AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So…how was dinner with your sister?”
“She’s very pregnant. All she talked about was hemorrhoids and leaking breasts. I lost my appetite.”
I laughed. “Is this her first?”
“Pretty sure she thinks it’s the world’s first baby being born. I could see the pain in her husband’s eyes as she talked tonight.”
“I’m sure she isn’t that bad.”
“Over dinner, she yelled at him for breathing too loud. Breathing. He also wasn’t allowed to order sushi at the Japanese restaurant we went to because she can’t have it.”
“I can’t tell if you’re making that up or not, considering your propensity for telling random stories.”
“Sadly enough for my brother-in-law, I’m telling the truth.”
“Does your sister live here in the city?”
“Upper East Side. Moved from downtown near her husband’s job last year to be closer to her job at the Guggenheim. Now she can walk to the museum in three minutes, and her husband’s commute is three times as long as it was. So of course, she quit her job as soon as she found out she was pregnant.”
“You’re being hard on her.”
“She sure as shit makes it easy.” He finished the rest of his beer. “I’m going to grab another one. You ready for a refill?”
“I probably shouldn’t.”
He grinned. “One refill coming right up.”
While he was off getting our drinks, I sat pondering who, exactly, Chase Parker was. I’d never met a man quite like him before. He was someone I couldn’t put my finger on…he didn’t seem to fit into any one box. A businessman who ran a massively successful company—yet he looked more like a rock star with his shaggy hair and frequent five o’clock shadow. Custom-tailored, conservative suits covered a carved body and pierced nipple. He dated buxom blondes and joined strangers for dinner, yet had a standing weekly date with his sister. Even without factoring in what I’d learned tonight from Lindsey, the man was a complex package.
He returned a few minutes later with drinks in hand. “Miss me?”
Yes. “Were you gone?”
“So where is Becker tonight?”
“Bryant. And I’m not sure. We didn’t have plans. I suppose he’s home.”
“Tell me about him?”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m curious, I guess. I’m wondering what kind of a man you’re interested in.”
You. “What do you want to know?”
“What does he do for a living?”
“He’s in financial services. Manages mutual funds and stuff.”
“What’s his favorite movie?”
“I have no idea. We haven’t been seeing each other that long.”
“Does he snore?” He tried to hide his sneaky grin.
“Does Bridget?” I countered.
“I wouldn’t know. She hasn’t been in my bed. Then again, I’m sure I wouldn’t know if you snored even if you were in my bed.”
“Why is that? You’re a sound sleeper or something?”
“You wouldn’t be sleeping.”
I laughed. “I walked right into that, didn’t I?”
“You should get rid of Baxter and walk right into my bedroom.”
Why was I laughing when he’d just told me to dump the guy I was dating and hop in his bed? This man made me lose all sense of judgment.
“So…any other siblings, besides your pregnant one?” I asked.
“If you’re trying to cool me off, that’s one way to do it. Mention Anna.”
I sipped my drink. “Good to know.”
“It’s just me and preggo. How about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
“Just one. Owen. He’s a year older. Lives in Connecticut, not too far from my parents.”
“You two close?”
“We don’t get to have dinner once a week, but yes, I like to think we’re close. Owen’s deaf, so it’s not as easy as picking up the phone to actually talk, but we text all the time. And we do FaceConnect where we can type and see each other. When we were younger, we were inseparable.”
“Wow. Do you know sign language or anything?”
“Not really. Owen lost his hearing at ten from…an injury. He took to reading lips faster than signing. I’m pretty good at reading lips. I used to put in earplugs and pretend to be deaf like him.”
“Really? What I am saying?”
Chase mouthed something. I caught it on the first try, but screwed with him a bit. “Hmmm…not sure. Do it again.”
Again his lips moved. This time, he’d over-accentuated each word, but he’d mouthed You should come home with me clear as day.
“Sorry. Guess I’m rusty.” I smirked.
Chase bent his head back in laughter, and his throat vibrated.
God, that Adam’s apple really works for me. The damn thing was taunting me, jumping around, showing off. I needed to get the hell out of the bar before I did something I’d regret for a multitude of reasons.
Finishing my drink, I stood. “I should get going. It’s late. And I like to get to the office early to make a good impression with the boss.”
“Pretty sure you’ve already done that.”
“Goodnight, Chase.”
“’Night, Buttercup.”
Chapter 12
Reese
Saturday morning, I woke up feeling anxious. Not anxious in a nervous sort of way, it was more like the type of anxious I’d get for a date I was looking forward to. Only it wasn’t a date, I was working. On a Saturday.
