Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
“I’d like to show you some of my appreciation,” Margot says. “What do you think? Wouldn’t you like to take me out for a drink after this?”
“I think you’ve had enough already,” I say, wrinkling my nose. “Besides, I’ll be busy here until late.”
“Well, tomorrow, then,” Margot says. “Dinner. You can take me somewhere fancy. Yes?”
I want to roll my eyes and shove her away into the crowd, but a little decorum is called for here. After all, many of my clients – and potential clients – are here tonight. I don’t want to cause a scene.
So, I take a deep breath and go about trying to extricate myself from her and let her know that there’s no way on this earth it’s ever going to happen, keeping an eye on my angel in white so she doesn’t leave before I have the chance to introduce myself.
Chapter Three
Candy
I’m trying to mind my own business – and not feel too disappointed at the string of gorgeous women who seem to keep throwing themselves at the handsome, dark-suited stranger. That’s all. Just snacking and observing the room. But just because I want to keep to myself, apparently doesn’t mean that everyone is going to let me.
I look up at the approach of a couple of men from the right-hand side of the room, coming towards me on such a direct line that it feels like it must be deliberate. But why would someone be coming to talk to me? I don’t know anyone here except for Alex.
“Hey,” one of them says, grabbing a loose olive and tossing it into his mouth.
Oh, wow. They are actually talking to me. It’s so unexpected that for a moment I’m totally flustered, not doing anything but staring back.
“What’s your name?” the other one asks, apparently emboldened by his friend making the first move.
“Uh… C-Candy,” I say, taken aback. What is this? Are they trying to hit on me, or something? I have no idea how I’m supposed to react right now.
“Candy,” one of them grins, and the other laughs. “That’s a… sweet name.”
They elbow each other and guffaw a little. I glance around, feeling uncomfortable. A couple of people nearby turn to look at the source of the laughter and then turn away again, but no one says a thing.
“Um, right,” I say, gesturing towards the back of the room and making to step away. “Well, I was just…”
“Aw, you’re not going anywhere, are you?” the first one whines. “We just got here.”
“Yeah, and we’re super hungry,” the other one grins.
I look at the table full of food – practically overflowing. “Well, help yourself.”
“Nah, we don’t want that,” the first one says. “We want ourselves something sweet. We wanna eat some candy.”
“What?” I say. I try to make a move forward again, but the two of them have stepped in closer to me, and behind me is the table. I can’t go anywhere.
“There’s more than enough of you to go around, isn’t there?” the second man says. He’s more like a boy, really – probably around the same age as me. The two of them look like they’re too immature to be here, dressed in loose blazers with popped collars. Like they come from money, enough money that they’ve never had to learn manners.
“Yeah, looks like you make a habit of eating your way through these tables, doesn’t it?” the first one says, reaching out and pinching my waist through my dress. I yelp and jump back, feeling my ass bump into the table behind me.
“Don’t touch me,” I snap, feeling heat rising in my cheeks and behind my eyes. I’m not going to cry, I tell myself. I’m not going to give them the satisfaction.
“Oh, don’t worry,” the first one says. He rubs the side of his thumb across his lower lip as if he thinks it’s a seductive move. “We don’t mind. We’ll show you a good time. You’re going to love it. Come with us back to our hotel – we share our candy, and we’re not fussy. We won’t ignore you like everyone else.”
I think I am about to cry. I have my hands up in front of me as if I can protect myself from them, and I have no intention of going anywhere with them – but this is so embarrassing, and they’re acting like they’re not going to leave me alone.
“Hey.”
A strong hand clamps down on the shoulders of both boys at once and drags them backward, creating a space in front of me so that I have room to breathe again. I look up and the breath catches in my throat again – because it’s him. The man I’ve been watching from across the room – and he’s frowning down at the two boys, holding them firmly in place.