AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Laura shrugs. “It wasn’t difficult.”
The shocked expression on Nicole’s face makes me smirk and then I fix Marshall with a hard stare, loving how he immediately looks worried.
“I believe you have a young reporter who has just joined your editorial team.”
“I have many. Who are we talking about?”
Laura stiffens beside me as I say casually, “I believe his name is Oscar Callahan. He approached Laura to secure an interview with me, and I don’t appreciate his tactics.”
A silent message passes between us and I’m positive Oscar Callahan will be unemployed at the start of business tomorrow. It’s how our world works, and Marshall knows the score if he is ever going to enjoy the same easy relationship we have shared so far.
I nod and say apologetically, “If you will excuse us, our table is waiting.”
As we move away, Laura is quiet and I know what happened didn’t escape her and as we take our seats at the best table in the restaurant, she accepts the menu from the waiter and pretends to study it, only the fact she’s chewing her bottom lip revealing she’s fuming inside.
The waiter leaves us to make our choices and I’m surprised to receive a swift kick on my shin that actually hurts.
It makes me smirk, and she holds the menu up to block out our curious fellow diners and hisses, “Why did you say that? Oscar could be in trouble now.”
I shrug, disguising my laughter at how melodramatic she is. She has obviously watched too many rom coms because who hides behind menus these days?
“I don’t like him.” I shrug as if I couldn’t give a fuck about her college crush, when inside I am so not done with that scumbag yet. He will regret ever laying eyes on her, let alone his dick, and I lean forward and say darkly, “I don’t like his methods and you should be flattered that I am taking your side.”
“My side!” She stares at me in dismay. “It was years ago.”
“Is that why you cried yourself stupid all night and turned up to work a hot mess? Is that why you emptied your heart in my bedroom and confessed what a mistake you made?”
I lean forward even closer and say darkly, “I don’t appreciate people who use others to get ahead at the expense of their emotions. He deserves everything coming to him and you will soon learn that Ineverplay fair. I wouldn’t be here now if I did, so get off your soap box and choose the god-damned meal because we have more important things to discuss than an old flame.”
She says nothing at all and leans back, raising her menu in front of her face to make a point, leaving me to contemplate the menu as well as the contract we are about to discuss.
CHAPTER 31
LAURA
Iam in way over my head. With one sentence, Troy has ruined Oscar’s career. I’m not stupid. I know that was his intention and despite my bad history with him, I don’t want to be the reason he falls. I am so mad and yet there is a part of me that loves how Troy did it for me. For my tattered honor and I hate how much that impressed me.
As I study the menu, I begin to feel even more out of my depth, and I don’t understand what any of it means. Words swim before my eyes that appear to be in a foreign language and where the hell are the prices?
I lower my menu to find Troy smirking at me and he raises his eyes.
“Have you decided?”
I’m guessing he knows full well I haven’t, so I toss the menu on the table and say flippantly, “I would like you to choose for me. You eat here so often, I’m certain you must have sampled most things. Why don’t you impress me?”
“Of course.” His lips twitch as I grab the glass of water the waiter poured before he left, wishing it had miraculously turned into wine. Troy leans back and nods to the waiter who is hovering nearby, who reaches us almost immediately.
“We will both have scallops to start, followed by venison and a bottle of the Saint Emilion.”
He hands the menu to the waiter who retrieves mine and now I have nowhere left to hide and take a deep breath.
This is it. The moment of truth and so I wait for him to speak and tell me how my immediate future is about to pan out.
“What are your conditions?” He says as he stares at me with a blank expression.
“Um–” I glance around, noting this very private conversation is happening in an extremely public place. Even though the tables are set quite far apart, there may be a lip-reading professional studying us as we speak.
So, I cup my mouth on one side away from prying eyes and lean closer and say in a whisper, “I want my own room.”
