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He places his hand on my lower back. It’s so close to my waist. You’d think he is attempting to claim me in front of these guys.
One of them, a tall guy with dark hair and a perfect smile, gives me a friendly wave. “Hi, Mia.”
The other guy to his left leans back and waves at me as well. “Nice to meet you.”
Meanwhile, the guy who’s standing has been checking me out since the moment Carter brought me over.
I clasp my hands together and give them all a polite nod. “It’s great to meet you all.”
“Wow,” the guy standing says and crosses over to us. “Sorry to be so straightforward, but you’re gorgeous.”
I smile, but deep down, I’m praying he doesn’t say anything further. They might be playing nice right now, but they’re young investors who like to play around with their money. To them, I’m no different than a promising TV series or private club. Another venture for them to seek out to satisfy their egos.
“Thank you,” I say as politely as I can.
He cocks his head to the side. “You’re Carter’s assistant?”
I shake my head. “I’m an intern, but I work directly with him.” I flash a pair of hopeful eyes at Carter. “We’ll see if he decides to hire me when my contract ends.”
The guy huffs. “I’ll make room at my workplace if he doesn’t.”
“Calm down, Connor,” Carter says. He holds his arm out so Connor doesn’t think to take a step closer to me. I even feel his hand grip my hip tighter for added protection. “She’s my employee. I won’t allow you to mess with her.”
Connor throws his hands up in the air. “Whatever, dude. I was just being friendly,” he says, making his way back to the bar.
Carter peers over at me, then back at his friends. There’s an awkwardness in the air, but the kind of discomfort one would experience when they’ve just met someone and have no idea what to talk about. Of course, I don’t have much in common with Carter’s friends, nor do I have any interest in getting to know them.
“Have you really never met these guys before?” Carter asks.
“Why would you ask that?” My voice is low, so they can’t hear me.
He shrugs. “Because you’ve been working in entertainment for a while,” he whispers. “I thought maybe they could have invested in a production you worked on.”
“They haven’t,” I say a bit louder. “I would definitely recognize them if they did.”
“Are you saying we’re so handsome, it would be tough to forget us?” Connor asks, a big smile on his face as he continues to check me out.
I face him, despite how much I would prefer if he didn’t gaze at my body. “I usually stay away from men with big egos. I would have memorized your faces to know to steer clear anytime you came around.”
“Ouch,” one of the guys seated on a barstool says, a grin plastered on his face. “I like her.”
Carter rubs the back of his neck. “I’m going to show Mia around the rest of the club,” he says, leading me over to a more private section.
“Is this why you brought me here?” I ask Carter. “To make me feel uncomfortable in front of your friends?”
“No,” he says, keeping his hand on my back. Admittedly, I don’t mind if he keeps it there. “We’re attending a gala here next week.”
My eyes widen. “We? You mean I’m invited?”
He nods. “This place is a lot nicer at night. You’ll like it.”
I peer around at the orange walls with its massive windows draped in thick, red curtains. This place is fancy.
“Are the other interns coming?” I ask.
Carter shakes his head. “Nope. Just you and me, beautiful.” He pulls me in closer to him, his hand finally reaching my waist.
I place my hand on his chest and push him away. I don’t expect to feel his sculpted pecs through his suit, but it makes my heartbeat quicken.
