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Wren
By Friday,I had made up my mind. That didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous, but I was determined enough to override it. I was twenty-two. I could go to a party without guilt. Iwould.I might not have fun, but that was beside the point. Life was for experiencing, not hiding.
Callum arrived at Good Music before Adam. I thought he was going to stride right by my desk, but when I offered him a quiet good morning, he stopped and stared, holding me in his jeweled gaze.
His jaw was tight. Tense. Working at grinding his teeth to dust. That couldn’t have been a good habit.
I held up the little plant Adam gave me earlier in the week. “Do you know anything about succulents? I don’t, but I really don’t want this one to die. It’s cute, right?” He wasn’t reacting in any way, so I forged on. “It’s against my instincts not to water it. You water plants, don’t you? That’s just what you do. But not succulents. They hold water in their leaves. That’s why they’re so plump. And I just—”
He lowered his head, and without a backward glance, walked away. Not even a blink or a middle finger. Callum Rose walked away in the middle of my sentence.
At first, I was stunned, my jaw flapping like a fish on dry land.
Then, a giggle burst out of me at the absurdity of the entire situation. What kind of person walked away in the middle of a sentence? Without saying a single word? Who did that?
My eyes burned and my nose tingled as my laughter died down, but I refused to acknowledge that feeling.
A cold blast of air and Adam Wainwright’s cheerful gait distracted me from my rude dismissal. He was smiling before he got to my desk. Before I could even greet him.
“Good morning, cutie,” he cooed at me. “Are you gonna say yes to me today, or are you gonna break my heart?”
“I’m going to say yes.”
I was even more determined to go now. Spite was a powerful motivator. Callum Rose didn’t want me at his fancy party, so I’d show up and stay until the last straggler left. I’d shut the damn thing down to show him he didn’t get a say in what I did.
Adam pumped his fist. “I thought I’d have to do some more coaxing and sweet-talking.” He nodded a few times and grinned down at me. “Holy shit, this is gonna be lit.”
“No coaxing necessary.” I straightened my spine. “I have to go home after work, so I guess I’ll meet you—”
He smacked his forehead. “Of course you do. I’ll send a car for you.” He slid his phone across the counter. “Type in your address and phone number. I’ll make the arrangements.”
I felt slightly guilty for getting Adam’s hopes up. I wasn’t interested in him romantically, and that wouldn’t change. I wasn’t even going to the party because I wanted to spend more time with him, although I certainly wouldn’t hate it. But I typed in my number and address like a good little girl and bit my lip when he winked at me.
After years of hiding away, being flirted with by a rock star didn’t feel so bad. Even if he was the wrong rock star.
The drive from my great-aunt Jenny’s townhouse in Queens to the sleek, modern high-rise in Manhattan went faster than I expected. Faster than I wanted. Too caught up in all the scenarios that could happen tonight, I’d barely watched the scenery.
I took a deep breath when the driver opened the door and then placed my hand in his so he could help me step out of the SUV. That was a good thing too. I’d worn heels tonight, and I was more of a ballet flat kind of girl.
I’d bought a sexy dress during my lunch break on Wednesday, so heels were necessary. And even I could admit the extra three inches they gave me boosted my confidence. So had the Veronica Lake finger waves in my hair and perfect wings of eyeliner at the corners of each lid. Great-Aunt Jenny had said I lookedva-va-voom, and well…maybe I did feel a little of that.
Adam was waiting for me just inside the lobby doors. When he saw me, he pushed outside to meet me. His eyes swept over me, stalling on my bare legs for a beat before he ended on my face.
“Why do I know for certain there’s something delicious under your coat, cutie?”
If only he knew every time he called me cutie, I thought of the brand of clementines I bought at the grocery store. Then again, Iwasround and small, so maybe it was purposeful. I almost giggled at the thought.
I tucked my hand in his offered elbow, and in the pool of light spilling from the lobby, plucked up a little bravery.
“That’s because there is,” I replied.
He chuckled and tugged me a little closer to his side. “Oh, we’re going to have fun.”
All that bravery came crashing to the floor when we entered the lobby and a tall, glowering man stepped from the shadows. Callum fell into step with us on the way to the elevator, flanking me on the opposite side. He didn’t greet me verbally, but I guessed his scowl said it all.
“Tell me whose party this is again.” The silence between the three of us was too much, even for me.
“Benson Martin.” Adam leaned back on the wall beside the elevator, watching me from under hooded eyes. “He’s…uh, rich. I’m not really clear on what he does to make his money, but he has a lot of it. He’s generous with it too. Always throwing the best parties with the best weed.”
