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“I’ll see what I can do.” He winks. “But just know the reason I wanted you here is because you’re who I want them learning from. You’re helping mold the future of this company, and I want them to learn from the best.”
“Well, when you put it that way...”
“Excuse me.” A familiar voice pulls our attention to my left where Maddox stands, eager to encroach on our conversation. Extending his hand out for a shake, he announces, “Maddox Taylor. You’re Charles Edelman, correct?” he asks as my boss stretches his hand out to greet him.
“Yes, sir. And Mr. Taylor, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m a big fan.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you enjoying the party tonight?”
He casts his eyes over to me quickly and then shifts back to Charles. “I am. Attending tonight sort of happened on a whim. I wasn’t supposed to be in town, but a last-minute meeting pulled me to LA and some friends of mine insisted I come along, so I did. Even though my agent won’t be happy if my face ends up in a picture online,” he jokes.
“You do have a bit of a reputation, don’t you, Maddox?” I interject.
He arches a brow at me. “Keeping tabs on me, Penelope?”
“Being in PR means it’s my job to keep tabs on everyone. Knowledge is power in this industry; you must know that.”
Charles grins. “She’s right. And believe me, Maddox, Penelope is always right. I may not be married, but I’ve been around long enough to know that women have that magical intuition that can’t be ignored.” He places his hand on my shoulder, beaming with pride. “This is why Penelope is the best rep in our company. I know now more than ever not to argue with her.”
Maddox chuckles as someone calls for Charles across the room. He holds a finger up to them before turning back to us.
“If you’ll excuse me, duty calls. Enjoy the rest of your night, Maddox. And Penelope, nice work tonight. You’re officially off the clock. Now go have some fun.” With one more proud smile, he saunters off, leaving me alone with the man who has my body humming with energy for the second time tonight.
“Now that you’re done working, care to have a drink with me?” Maddox asks, stepping right in front of me so I have no choice but to look at him.
My mind is telling me to say no, but my vagina? That bitch is clearly not listening to any of my other body parts. “I suppose one drink won’t be the end of the world.”
His triumphant smile makes my stomach flip. “I’m sure there are worse things you could endure, like dealing with interns for the rest of the night, right?” With his hand on the small of my back, he leads me to a VIP booth tucked into a corner that’s really made for two people, although I’ve seen far more than that squeezed into the small space. The spot where he’s touching me is on fire, even with the barrier of fabric between our skin.
I wonder what his hands would feel like elsewhere.
As we settle in, he spreads his legs, and just the sheer size of him has me fighting to take a deep breath. I like a large man, like I told the girls, and Maddox definitely fits the bill.
He’s likely six feet and three inches of solid muscle and brawn with a face very similar to Jimmy Garoppolo. And the way he’s wearing that simple white shirt and black slacks only notches up his sex appeal.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Penelope, but I’ve been waiting to talk to you again all night.”
“Really? And why is that?”
“Because it’s not every day that the moment I see a woman, I’m captivated by her.”
I roll my eyes, even though the compliment sits in the center of my chest. “I’m sure you say that to all the girls. I’ve seen the pictures of you with women, Maddox. I know you’re not hurting for any female attention.”
He leans forward in the seat, so close that I can count his eyelashes. “You should know better than anyone not to believe everything the media says, right? I mean, if you’re the best at your job, I imagine you would at least know that. Not everything is as it seems.”
“And what do you mean by that?”
He shifts back and lifts his drink to his lips. “Exactly what I said.”
Silence descends on us, and I’m not sure if it’s awkward or intentional as I process his words. So instead, I decide to change the subject. “You said you came out to California unexpectedly? What are you here for?”
He nods. “A meeting with my agent and a few endorsement deals. Boring stuff that I don’t particularly care about. I just want to play football. Although, if I had run into Steve Harvey while I was out here, I probably would have shit myself.”
“Steve Harvey? Really? That’s very specific.”
His face instantly lights up like a little boy who’s just been asked who his favorite superhero is. “Hell, yeah. The man is one of my idols. I was just scrolling through Reels on Facebook one day and came across a bunch of Family Feud videos, which is, like, the best fucking show ever. Seriously, if I ever had a chance to be on there, I might pass out from nerves.”
