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A slice of green pepper bounced off her head. She shot Adler a death stare. “Seriously? You’re throwing food at me?” She picked it up from the floor and placed it on the table. “What are you, a child?”
Adler shrugged. “Sometimes, yeah.” He flashed her that smile of his.
She rolled her eyes, ignoring the stirring in her belly. “What exactly did he think was going on here?” She gestured between them.
“Nothing,” Adler mumbled, his mouth full.
She shot him a glare.
He swallowed and took a sip of tea. “Okay, yes. He probably thinks you and I were . . . you know.”
“Oh, my, gosh! How embarrassing. How many girls has he seen you with?”
Adler’s brows shot up.
“Don’t answer that!” She put her hand up to stop him. “I don’t think that’s something I need to know. Anyway, we have things to discuss. Are you sure you’re up for this? You’ve never planned a fundraiser by yourself.”
“You’re right. I haven’t, but I need to prove to my parents that I can do this. Believe it or not, even though I’m thirty, they have a difficult time giving me any responsibility with the company.”
“I knew I liked your mother.” Leila pointed a green pepper at him.
“Ha ha. Funny.” Adler poured more sweet tea for them. “Let’s get back to business. Tell me what you want, and let’s start planning what you’ll be needing.”
Chapter 11
Adler walked into Broadway Saloon, a new honkey-tonk in downtown Nashville, with his old college buddies, Daniel and William. It was jammed-packed with bodies, typical for a Saturday.
William found them a high-top table and motioned for the server. “It’s too bad Tristan couldn’t join us. I guess that girlfriend of his has him tied around her finger.”
Daniel, his eyes focused across the bar, added, “Yeah. It’s been a while since we’ve hung out. You’d think he’d be here anyway.”
Adler followed Daniel’s glance. Three women, two brunettes and a blond, all with long hair and tight dresses, were dancing together in a circle. He shook his head and accepted the beers the server placed on the table. “He said he’d talk to Stacey and see if she wanted to come down. You’ll need to get used to her. They’re getting serious, and they’re really great together.”
“Well, I’m glad for him,” replied Daniel. “He never was into one-night stands.” He gestured toward the three women on the dance floors. “Now there’s some hotties—one for each of us.”
William smiled wide and raised his beer. “Let’s get this party started. There’s fun to be had.”
“Hell, yeah there is,” agreed Daniel with his beer in the air and enthusiasm in his voice.
Adler didn’t feel the excitement that he usually did. He was here for the guys, but only Leila held his interest, and her brown hair and hazel eyes filled his thoughts. Even though their meeting today had its rocky moments, it ended up on a high note, at least for him. When she left the house, he had her number and a promise that they would talk again soon.
“Ad.” Daniel gestured to his beer.
Adler blinked rapidly, held his beer high, and took a deep and long drink.
The beer and whiskey shots William ordered helped Adler relax, and soon Daniel pulled another table up to theirs and invited the women to join them. Adler found himself next to the tall blond. She was beautiful, and her black dress left little to the imagination. She had moves, that’s for sure, and dancing was simple and fun with her as his partner. The way she could move her hips left him speechless. By the end of the third song, he led her off the floor with his hand on her back. He was warm and needed a drink.
“Hey, there’s more people at the table. Do you know them?”
Adler followed her gaze and hesitated. Tristan and Stacy had arrived, but with them were Elizabeth, Brady, and Leila. His heart fell and flipped at the same time. He dropped his arm. “Yeah. It’s my cousin and some friends,” he yelled in her ear.
His dance partner caught his eyes and flashed a sexy smile, settling in closer to him. He stepped away, trying to put space between them.
“Well, you finally decided to get off the floor and join us.” Tristan smacked him on the back in greeting as Adler separated from the python-like grip of his dance partner. “And who is this? You two seemed to be getting along well.”
Tristan was being obnoxiously loud. Adler raised his brows. “It’s good to see y’all here. This is . . .” He hesitated. What was her name? She’d told him once or twice, but he had no recollection at all what it could possibly be. He wasn’t interested. Luckily, she wasn’t shy.
She wrapped her arm around Adler’s waist and leaned in closer to the table. “I’m Tabitha, but you can call me Tabby.”
