“Did you sleep with him? Is number seven the first to be crossed off the list?” Jeannine practically bounced in her heels.
“Could you keep your voice down?” I asked, glancing around to make sure Matt Donaldson wasn’t within hearing distance. “Of course I didn’t. He happened to be at Bailey’s the same time I was.”
“And how does that get you into this smoking hot dress your father will surely pitch a fit over?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Bailey said. “Spill.”
I sighed. “He pointed to it, and I chose it. No big deal.” My girls laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in. “Why is that so funny?”
“Because he’s on your dirty girl bucket list!” Jeannine squealed. “He wanted to see you in this number.” She pointed at the Prada. “He’ll be totally down to help you with the list. Just ask him. Plus, he’s a fantastic choice for a one night stand.”
“Stop,” I hissed, eyeing Bailey for help.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I agree with her.”
“Traitor!” I gaped at her. “You’re the most sensible one of us all! You’re supposed to have my back when Jeannine takes these wild ideas of hers too seriously.”
“It’s just sex,” Jeannine said. “Chill out. Besides, I’m fully in favor of you letting your hair loose before your dad stuffs it behind a habit.”
“Great, now you’re making nun jokes, too,” I mumbled, wishing I’d never told her that I felt like I was about to become the next member of Sister Act.
Bailey chuckled, glancing over her shoulder where Gage, Rory, and Warren talked to half of the other Sharks across the room. The amount of good looking men in tuxes was enough to get every single female within breathing distance pregnant. “Rory is one of those men that is down for absolutely anything,” she said. “And while that is fun, it also gets him into trouble. I think it might benefit him to sleep with someone like you.”
The worried look Rory wore earlier flashed behind my eyes. “What do you mean trouble?”
Bailey lowered her voice as if he might overhear us from fifty feet away. “Gage actually picked him up from jail earlier. That’s why we were almost late.”
I gasped, covering my hand with my mouth as my eyes darted to him. His back was to me, but I knew his short cut blond hair and muscles anywhere.
“What’d he do?” Jeannine asked.
“Another bar fight. The man has a temper,” Bailey answered.
“That’s not a shocker. He’s ferocious on the ice,” I said.
Jeannine nudged me. “Ohmygod you are so strung up on him. How are you not pursuing this right now?”
“I’m here for business.”
“You’re always everywhere for business, Paige,” she said and sighed. “And soon that is all your life will be. If you don’t live a little now, you might not ever get the chance.” She spotted a server over my shoulder and hurried toward him. “That’s not how I wanted the plates arranged!” She said as she stormed toward the back of the room where I assumed the kitchen was.
“Don’t listen to her,” Bailey said, squeezing my wrist.
“I’m not.” That was a lie. Jeannine’s words were sitting cold and hollow in my chest, the fear of never getting a taste of anything exciting before I signed my life away chilling me to the bone.
“Sure,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Okay,” Jeannine said, popping up behind me. She motioned toward the table we stood next to. “I have a confession.”
“You slept with Rafael,” I said.
She rolled her eyes. “I never screw my employees. Especially not the good ones.” Her forehead puckered and I started to get worried.
“What did you do?” I raised a singular eyebrow, but let it go. Whatever Jeanine had planned, it would be harmless. She was the wild one out of our pairing, but she’d never do anything to embarrass—
Fuck. My. Life.
“You didn’t,” I hissed at her as I saw my name card on the table.
Paige Turner. And directly to my left. Rory Jackson.
“Why isn’t he sitting with the rest of the Sharks?” My tone came out too close to a whine, and I sucked in a deep breath.
“Gage is sitting next to Bailey. I figured he’d want his friend Rory there too,” Jeannine said innocently.
“Uh huh.” I slit my eyes at her.
“Speaking of sitting,” Bailey said, hurrying around the table to her spot, releasing a deep sigh once she was parked.
“Just call me Cupid,” Jeannine said with a smile as she took her seat to my right.
“Just call you dead,” I snapped but sat down. I eyed the room for a waiter. “What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?”
Someone tinkled ice in a glass to my left. “Scotch and soda, right?” Rory said, setting the drink in front of me but didn’t take his own seat.
My lips parted, but no words came out. Speak woman! “Thank you,” I said once my breath had returned to my lungs. “How did you know what I liked to drink?” I took the glass and sipped. Tonight would call for multiple scotch and sodas.
“I have seen you almost every weekend for the past few months, you know?” He tilted his head.
He was often over at Gage’s when I was there visiting with Bailey, but that didn’t mean we were all together enough for him to notice details about me like what I liked to drink. Did it? I eyed his still empty chair. “Are you going to stand the whole night?” I asked, laughing slightly from the nerves bundling in my tummy. When he towered over me like that it made me think of all the ways in which I’d love to climb him.
Rory licked his lips, reaching over me and taking a quick sip of my drink. “Later. Right now I have some sticks to sign.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “The sticks you were supposed to have signed last week?”
He shrugged, pointing at the drink. “That’s my apology for being late.” He took a few steps away from the table, winking at me. “Don’t worry, Red. I won’t let you down.”
I watched him walk away, admiring the way his tux pants fell around his hips. Good lord my panties will melt off if he sits next to me all night.