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And that was exactly what I fucking needed right now.
Another world.
Somewhere I could relax and not have my business brain begin to list all the things I needed to do now to get this new project off the ground if I didn’t have that investment I was relying on.
Could the company afford to go all-in on our own?
I shook my head and unbuttoned my cuffs, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows as I maneuvered my way through several groups of people crowded around tall bar tables. I caught the odd look my way, a doubletake here and there followed by a whisper.
Since spending more time here in Boston recently, I’d found myself on more than a few gossip channels and websites after dating a well-known socialite for a couple of months. We weren’t seeing each other anymore, but it seemed like it had earned me some kind of following. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for after years of keeping out of the spotlight, but it had become unavoidable being in a city like Boston and with the age of social media running rampant.
I tried to ignore the looks, instead doing what I do best and taking in the building around me. Everything appeared old and worn, even a little run down, almost like the place had actually been here since the English arrived, but its imperfections were strangely comforting.
It reminded me of home.
Bet the beer isn’t as good.
I stepped up to the bar, leaning into it as I tucked my fingers into my tie and tugged hard, loosening the piece of fabric that some days felt like a noose. It hung limp around my neck, and I sucked in a long, deep breath while I patted my pockets, searching for my wallet. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding.”
Nothing.
No wallet, no cell phone, no cash.
I hung my head, cursing softly under my breath. I’d left everything in Simon’s car and sent him back to the hotel.
A body moved into my space—I felt it instantly. But before I could step back and put some distance between the offender and me, a sweet voice questioned loudly, “Bad day?” I lifted my chin, using one hand to brush my long hair back from my face so I could see the young woman in front of me.
She sat on one of the barstools, but her body leaned into mine, her eyes looking up slightly through long, thick eyelashes. Her heart-shaped face was framed by long brown hair, the slight wave in it curled around the curve of her cheek.
The bustle of the pub wasn’t overly loud with some soft rock playing in the background and the hum of conversations swirling about, but I still found myself leaning in closer like we were in some thumping nightclub. “You could say that,” I answered, letting out a harsh huff of air and shaking my head. “Work. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep looking at the goal for tomorrow while dealing with the bullshit of today.”
Her head fell to the side as she sat up straight, the smile that slowly grew on her face instantly feeling infectious. “I hear you,” she said loudly, her head bobbing up and down. “I’m in school and working too, trying to save and learn as much as I can so I can open my own business. But last week my landlord tells me he’s raising the rent next month, and there’s no way in hell me and my roommate can afford to stay there.”
Her shoulders started to slump, the pressure of the crap she’s going through obviously weighing heavy on her, but before I could say or do anything to help lift her mood, she caught herself. She slowly pulled them back into place, sitting tall and proud and lifting her chin, her eyes catching mine once again. She shook her head and let out a breathy laugh. “Wow, I’m so sorry,” she apologized, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t mean to lay my problems on you like that.”
“I don’t mind,” I responded, wondering for a moment if it would be too much to ask to hear more about her business plans, eager to know more about her and whatever it was she seemed so determined to work for. “Sounds like we could both use a drink.” I patted at my pockets again, hoping in the back of my mind that maybe I’d just missed my wallet before.
But no.
I didn’t have it.
“I don’t have—”
She waved her hand, cutting me off. “No, don’t worry about it,” she insisted, but fuck that. There was something about this woman that intrigued me. It wasn’t a feeling I got very often. My first instinct was always to be suspicious or question motives. I knew I could be standoffish—a fun trait I got from my dad. I didn’t trust easy and didn’t let people in, and it had got me called an asshole on more than one occasion, but I’d always been okay with that.
It kept people at a distance I was comfortable with.
Which was usually as far away as possible.
Only, this felt different.
“Seriously—”
“Look, we’re both short on cash,” she countered, almost making me laugh. The need to correct her was right there on the tip of my tongue. I wasn’t short on cash, far from it. But my objections melted away when she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, this thoughtful look washing over her as her eyes flickered to the bar for a second before returning to me. “Fuck it,” she cursed, grabbing my hand as she leaped down off the barstool, landing gracefully in her scuffed pair of white sneakers.
“Um, are we going somewhere?” I asked with a frown but still allowing her to drag me out onto what looked like a dance floor.
She hit the center of the space, spinning back toward me with this sparkling grin. It was confident, playful, and sexy as fucking hell. There was this wild, free-spirit energy swirling around her. The sparkly, over-the-top pink sequin top and the pair of dark wash denim shorts she wore were this strange mix between casual and chaotic.
