That afternoon, I have a lot more fun than I’ve had in a long time. Perhaps made even more fun by the knowledge that when I get home, Kent is going to kill me.
So, I’d better live it up while I can.
“Another!” I call to the bartender, raising my hand to get his attention.
Ivan laughs at me, pulling my hand down. “You know you don’t have to do that, right? He’s been keeping an eye on you all afternoon. There’s no way he’s not going to notice when your drink is empty.”
A few hours ago, in the car, I had asked Ivan to take me somewhere Kent wouldn’t easily find us. He’d smirked and told me he had just the place, driving me across the city to the bad part of town. Then, he’d parked his sparkling Ferrari in front of a decrepit dive bar.
I’d been hesitant at first but he’d taken my hand, telling me to trust him, and pulled me inside.
I’d understood the minute we stepped in the door and my eyes adjusted to the light. With deep red booths ringing the walls and a meticulously polished mahogany bar, this neighborhood bar wasn’t a dump – it was a well-kept secret.
And we’ve been here for about three hours now, drinking and laughing, chasing that reckless feeling that I’ve had since I made the snap decision to get into his car.
“Really?” I ask now, glancing between the bar tender and Ivan. “He’s been keeping an eye on me – like, watching me? Why?”
“Because you’re hot, Fay,” Ivan says, leaning in to whisper it like it’s a secret. I throw my head back and laugh, surprised and tickled by the answer. And, yes, well inclined to laugh now that I’ve got a belly full of tequila.
“Seriously,” Ivan says, smirking at me. “Once he figures out that you’re rich and funny, too, he’s going to lock you in the basement and keep you for himself.”
“Really?” I say, looking at him with wide eyes.
“Is he going to lock you up? Probably, Fay, but I’ve seen that basement and you –“
I giggle, but shake my head. “No,” I say. “Do you really think I’m funny?”
“And yeah,” he whispers, smirking, “you’re kind of a dork.”
I laugh uproariously at that, tossing my head back and shaking with the laughter that pulses through me. When I look back at him again, I can see him laughing just as hard, right along with me.
I almost can’t believe it, how much fun I’m having with Kent’s worst enemy.
Maybe Kent just has bad taste in men. Because Ivan is a blast.
We both pull ourselves back together, Ivan reaching for the drinks on the bar and handing me mine. I sip from it, staring at him, at his handsome face and the sexy pinup tattoo that wraps around his neck.
“You don’t think I’m a dork,” I say teasingly, taking my sip from my drink. “Because you wouldn’t like a girl who’s a dork,” I say, leaning forward, trying to bait him into coming closer. “And I think, Ivan,” I say, pausing and not bothering to stop the grin that stretches across my face. “I think you like me.”
“Really, Fay?” he asks, leaning forward again to bring his face close to mine. “Did you just figure that out now? The Ferrari across the road wasn’t enough?”
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