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“You’ve spent the entire evening ignoring me.”
He frowns. “I’m confused, Angel. You said you wanted space. And this is a work thing, not a date.”
I lower my eyes. “Stop taking her side. She’s being rude, and you’re letting her.”
“When you talk like that, you sound like a teenager,” he mutters.
I scowl, then duck under his arm to escape. He pulls me back to him. “Okay, look, at least get through dessert with me. This is a work thing, after all. I’ll drive you right home after, but I can’t leave early. People are already talking about me.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because they have nothing better to do in their unimportant lives.” He takes my hand and leads me back through the crowd without waiting for me to decide. I guess I’m staying for dessert.
Jolene wastes no time in laughing when I sit back in my seat. She gently touches Arthur’s arm and leans into him. “That was so embarrassing.” Arthur ignores her, and as she continues to stroke his arm, jealousy begins to build. He’s paying her no attention, so I should be relieved, but I’m not. I don’t want her hands on him, soothing him. “I know a good way to relieve that stress, Arthur,” she whispers, straightening his tie.
I slam my hand over his, and he looks at me with surprise. “Forget what I said,” I hiss, standing. “I don’t need space at all.” He looks confused, but he stands anyway, and I pull him to follow me. The cloakroom door is the first thing I see, and I cautiously open it, praying there’s no alarm.
“Meli, where are we going?”
I pull him inside the room and close the door. “I’m feeling daring,” I whisper, taking his tie and tugging him closer. He grins. “And you still look very stressed.” I unfasten his belt. “I’m good at relieving stress,” I add. He kisses me, and I reach into his trousers, smiling when I find him already hard.
“As great as this could be,” he says, stilling my hand, “I’m not having sex with you in a cloakroom.”
My confidence falters and I smile awkwardly. Men love spontaneous sex, and I’ve never been turned down. I decide to go with it since I’ve already begun, and I lower to my knees, hoping to convince him. “Who said anything about sex?” I purr in my best seductive voice. I try to unbutton his trousers, and again, he stops me. This time, he fastens his belt before placing his hands under my arms and lifting me back onto my feet.
“I respect you more than that,” he tells me, cupping my face in his hands. “You deserve to be worshipped, not fucked on some strangers’ coats.”
“I don’t mind,” I say, glancing around.
“I do,” he says with a smile. He places a gentle kiss on my forehead then takes me by the hand. “I’ll take you home.” I force another smile, embarrassment and shame washing over me. I’m mortified.
ARTHUR
We get in the car and my mobile rings. “Bert,” I answer.
“Sorry I didn’t make it. I’ve been dealing with some shit.”
“You find out what the fuck is going on?”
“Seems we started a war. The dick we beat up on the Abbey Road estate, he’s the brother of one of the E15 elders.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. It’s not what I need right now. I didn’t bother to do a full check on the little shitbag because I thought it was a simple job. Or maybe my head was too full of a certain brunette. It’s a niggling thought that I immediately push away.
“I’ve tried to call Leon and Max, but they’re not picking up. This is their fucking mess.”
“They didn’t show to the dinner. Jolene was there with two guys I’ve never seen before. I think they might be her security, but she didn’t go into detail. Look, do we really need this war? We could move Ma out and wash our hands completely.”
Albert goes quiet for a minute. “Man, we grew up on that estate. It’s ours, and no little rats are taking it. The people there look to us for help, and we can’t just wash our hands and walk away. Besides, you think they’ll stop there if we don’t put up a fight?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. “You’re right, I know you’re right.”
“Get your head in the game, Art. You don’t have time for women now. This is priority.”
I growl in frustration. “You don’t need to tell me that,” I snap. “Just find me Leon and Max.” I disconnect angrily and immediately feel guilty when I see the way Meli is watching me. “Sorry,” I mutter. “Work stuff.” I was hoping to wine and dine her tonight, impress her with a luxurious gift and a good night. Instead, I’ve been a complete dick. I guess it’s best she finds out now anyway.
The driver stops outside the gates of my house. I forgot to direct him to the clubhouse first, and I can’t get out here and leave my driver to drop her home because I don’t like the thought of not seeing her home personally. I press my key fob and the gates open. “I’ll take you home soon,” I tell her as the car rolls to a stop at my front door. “I just have a few things I have to do.”
“You really want me out your way tonight,” she says.
