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“Hi.” Payton could tell by the way this woman’s eyes were lingering that she was interested, and it probably should have scared Payton how little she cared.
“I don’t recognize you,” she said with an accent that Payton couldn’t place. Scottish maybe? “Is this your first time here?”
Payton nodded. “Yeah. Just visiting.”
“Where are you from?”
“New York.”
The woman stepped into her space as the man beside her tried to squeeze in to order a drink. “What’s your name?”
“Payton.”
“I’m Lisa. Look, Payton,” she said, her hand on Payton’s hip now. “I like to get straight to the point. I see you have two drinks in your hand. I don’t want to get in the middle of anything. Are you single?”
Payton blinked, a smile on her lips as she tried to remember the last time someone had ever been this confident with her. “I’m here with someone,” she said, taking a sip of her own drink and doing her best to subtly put a little more space between them.
“Are you the girlfriend?” Lisa asked as Madison appeared at Payton’s side.
There was already a smile coming to Payton’s lips as she was about to say that yes that was her girlfriend. It wouldn’t be real, but that didn’t mean that Payton wouldn’t enjoy saying it.
“No,” Madison said matter-0f-factly. “Thanks,” she said to Payton, taking the beer from her.
Payton stared at Madison but couldn’t get herself to form any words, and shecould feel Lisa looking between them.
“Well, in that case,” Lisa said a smirk coming to her lips.
“What?” Madison asked Payton, eyebrow arched. “You are single. Go for it.” She was gone before Payton could say anything, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Payton gulped her drink, trying to swallow the massive lump that had formed in her throat, her eyes stinging with tears that threatened to fall.
But she wasn’t sad.
She was in shock, and as she tried to process what had just happened, there was anger coursing through her veins.
Apparently, there really was nothing to talk about, because if Madison had any feelings for her at all, that wouldn’t have just happened.
32
Madison returned to the hotel after midnight, exhaustion taking over. She had no idea how many miles she’d walked. She knew she couldn’t come straight back here. She was too restless, too anxious.
She still didn’t know exactly what had come over her in the bar. She’d been making her way towards Payton, and she was a pretty good lip reader. Not that she needed to be. The way that woman had been looking at Payton made it incredibly obvious what she was after.
And a part of her really wanted to get to Payton, to slide an arm around her waist.
But she hadn’t done that.
She’d done the opposite. She’d basically pushed the two of them together.
And now she felt sick.
She got undressed and took a long shower, trying to wash away whatever this was. This time next week, she’d be glad that she did this, when they were back in New York, trying to work together again.
But right now? She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Payton wasn’t here. So that meant that she was either still at the bar, hours later, or she was with that woman.
Madison turned off the shower and dried herself before slipping into her robe. When she opened the bathroom door, the suite was still quiet.
She inhaled a shaky breath, regret washing over her as she padded into the living area, making sure that it really was empty. There was no sign of Payton.
