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“Freya,” I growled under my breath, biting my tongue before I said something I would regret.
“It’s nice to see youagain.” He chuckled, and Lacy squealed in response. Her feet practically danced in place as she whined like a schoolgirl.
I rolled my eyes, hoping he would see. And most definitely hoping Mr. Thomas couldnot.
“You’ve met before?” Lacy wailed. “I thought you didn’t know who they were?”
I felt cornered, knowing that I couldn’t be the reason the Ellisario’s didn’t sign with us, so I faked my best smile. I made sure I seemed elated to be talking to him even though there was a good chance I would spit in his drink at the first opportunity.
“Yes, we just met maybe ten minutes ago.” I made sure not to look him in those startling blue eyes. I could feel him peering into what felt like my soul, his eyes never leaving me.
And my luck, that went on for the entire meeting until finally Tina came over to free me. From where we sat, I could see her hands waving obnoxiously from the other side of the red rope until the bouncer let her by. At that moment, I could feel my heart lighten with ease.
“So, you’re the Ellisario’s.” She didn’t smile the way I’d imagined her to.
Typically anything with a dick was greeted with warm smiles and an annoying bubbly laugh, but this smile looked jarred. It looked tense, like she was hating every second of it.
I had hoped she would seduce him, or whatever it was that she did around men, and finally get him to stop looking at me. But as she looked at him more, I sensed that she might hatehim as much as I did. If not more? I had never seen her like this. And I wished I was being dramatic, but in all the years I had known her, she was the epitome of a flirt with almost everyone she laid her eyes on.
It was intriguing. I wondered if she knew them. But then again, she would have told me that, right?
“Come on, Freya. We should get going.” She continued to look at Dustin suspiciously as she yanked me away into the dancing, sweaty bodies and toward the front door.
I turned back to Mr. Thomas and Lacy, who didn’t care about my absence. The two looked mesmerized as they blinked at the Ellisario family.
My eyes briefly met Dustin’s, who continued to watch me until I disappeared into the crowd. And even when I couldn’t see him anymore, my mind could replay the same intensity in his eyes. The strange pull they had over me.
“What wasthatabout?” I asked once we braced the cold of night, and our ears could hear without yelling over the music. I could still feel the beat of the music rumbling within me as we both danced out into the open air.
“I was in a work meeting, or at least, I think. I should have at least said bye!” I was probably yelling, but it was hard to tell. My ears still felt like they were underwater as each word that came out of my mouth was rather muffled.
She shrugged me off. “Oh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine.” She looked back at the club curiously, still thinking about something bothering her. “I just don’t trust that family. Andespeciallythat guy. I don’t think you should either.” Her hand waved down a taxi, which pulled up abruptly, and we both slid in.
Its grimy interior was better than expected, but I could tellthe previous customers had a good night. Either that, or they were struck with food poisoning. Either way, the faint smell of puke tickled my nose as I slid closer to the window, pressing my head against it to help with the constant spinning.
I gave the driver directions to my apartment, my eyes closing intermittently as I tried to sleep the nausea off.
“What do you mean you don’t trust him?” I couldn’t help but let my curiosity speak for me. My eyes shut as I spoke. With the room still spinning, it felt like a good idea to get my mind off this topic. Unless I wanted to terrorize this poor taxi driver with another case of puke-stained seats.
“Just don’t go near him. Okay?” Her voice was cold and sharp. “I mean it, Freya.”
I wanted to question her further, but I knew how Tina was, and if she wasn’t telling me all of it now, there was no way she’d break after a million questions. She was stubborn that way, so I dropped it despite my dying curiosity. And rather than ask again, my mind replayed it in my head.
Perhaps it was his unnerving look? That was enough formeto dislike the guy. I hated the idea that he was attractiveandan asshole. He could have at least had something wrong with him. Maybe a crooked tooth. Or a wonky eyebrow.Anythingto make me feel better about hating him rather than that he was nearly perfect.
“No problem there.” I spat out.
I still couldn’t shake the disgust that coiled in my throat at the thought of him being so forward. Were all guys like that? Maybe I had read far too many romance novels, but I wasnotabout to settle for a guy that tries to fuck you after only speaking maybe two sentences to you. Regardless of how hot he was…
I scoffed at myself, but it was hard to pull the “what if” thoughts out of my mind. What if I had gone home with him? What if it helped land the biggest deal in my career?
I shook the thought, mainly because it was ridiculous andsouncharacteristic of me.
The taxi halted in front of my building, and as I got out, I couldn’t help but force at least one more question from my lips.
“Why don’t you like them? The Ellisario’s?” I had to ask one last time. If not to understand, then to at least stop the unrelenting cycle of questions spinning in my mind.
Her lips pursed. “I have my reasons. Just trust me.” She was cold and sharp, and oddly enough, it made me a little more intrigued by them.
