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“First of all, Ryan and I wouldn’t date for many reasons. And secondly, we don’t know that Calista and Anthony hooked up. And I truly don’t care if they did.”
“But Ryan might care,” she said, attempting to reinforce this idea, one that didn’t sit well with me for some reason. “Why would a guy want to hook up with a woman his brother has . . . you know,” she whispered, leaning closer to me, “had his cock inside.”
I would’ve choked on my wine at her words had I been mid-sip. Instead, I nearly knocked the glass over. And that’d be a waste of a good glass of red.
“Hey, Calista,” I heard Christian greet her as she headed our way, her clickety-click heels announcing her presence.
She swept her straight blonde hair that hung like a curtain to her back. It swished from side to side as she strutted toward us. Runway walking? Catwalking? Whatever it was called, it was like an art form for Calista.
I’d make it two steps before falling if I even attempted to move in her silver stilettos and matching curve-hugging dress that showcased her assets. All of them. Breasts. Legs. And if she did a twirl to show her backside, probably her ass, too.
The woman was a goddess. And no man seemed to be immune to her. Except for Enzo, of course. He never gave her a second look.
“Hey, babe,” Calista said once I stood to greet her.
Babe. I hated when she called me that. Was my sister right? Was Calista only fake nice?
She reached for my arms and pulled me in, kissing both my cheeks.
“Oh. Hi, Maria.” Calista had dialed down her tone to “drab” when she addressed her. She must’ve known Maria wasn’t a fan.
“I’m going to leave you two to chat. I’ll walk around and check on the remaining customers.” Maria squeezed my arm, a good luck embedded in her touch, then left.
“My usual,” she ordered from Christian, offering a megawatt smile.
“Espresso martini coming right up.” He tapped the bar top twice and nodded.
“So, now that I’m here. Tell me, tell me. Who is this mystery man you think I need to meet?” Calista set her clunky, silver clutch on the counter and slid onto Maria’s former seat.
I dropped back down on my chair while my sister’s words rang like a death knell in my ears.
Ryan wouldn’t want a girl his brother had sex with . . .
“Yeah, um. Question first.” I polished off the rest of my wine and then faced her. “Are you friends with Anthony?”
Her head shot back a little, and she arched her shoulders to gain an extra inch on me. “Just on social media. He followed me a few months ago, and I followed him back. That’s all.” She dismissively flicked her wrist. “He’s your ex, babe. You and I have known each other for years. We all used to hang out together when you two dated. Why would I go behind your back and hook up with him?” Her brows stitched together. “That’s what you’re asking, right?”
“No, um.” Shit. I’d offended her.
And I wouldn’t say we were friends-friends. We’d met through a mutual acquaintance when I briefly lived in New York and discovered we were both originally from North Carolina. We’d kept in touch here and there, but nothing significant enough to call it a friendship. I guess when she decided to move back to Charlotte four years ago to be near her family, we became friends. Not that she was home that much because of work, so was it really any different from New York?
Christian handed Calista her espresso martini, buying me a few more seconds to ponder what to say.
“The thing is, the guy you’re meeting tonight is Anthony’s brother. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be weird for you,” I said once Christian moved away again.
She batted her lashes a few times. “You want to hook me up with Ryan Rossi?”
No, not hook up. Jeez. “Have you two met before?”
“We met in passing once when he was in town, but we’ve never hung out.” She sipped her drink. “But Anthony’s Anthony. And Ryan’s Ryan.”
“I don’t know what that means.” And also, I needed to keep drinking to survive this night. Screw the price tag of the wine. I reached for the bottle I’d left on the counter and filled my glass.
“Anthony’s famous and attractive. But Ryan?” She smirked. “Ryan’s hot as fuck. And the whole Navy SEAL thing just gets me going, you know?” She fanned her face with her free hand. “To be honest, I have my eye on someone else, but Ryan may be just what I need to make him jealous. At the very least, he’ll be a good lay.”
I frowned at, well, everything she’d said. “Wait, who are you interested in?”
“Hold that thought,” she said. “Mr. Hot as Fuck just walked through the door.”
