“Theo, this is my roommate, Gracie Cook. Gracie, this is Theo Anderson. His company is the one sponsoring the gala I’m coordinating,” I explained, introducing the two.
Theo held out his hand for Gracie to shake, which she did politely.
“So this is Theo. I’ve heard so much about you,” Gracie simpered. I could have smacked her. And I may just have to when we left.
Theo laughed and glanced at me, his blue eyes amused. “Oh really? And what have you heard? I’m dying to know what Vivian says about me when I’m not around.”
I surreptitiously pinched Gracie’s arm in warning. If she mentioned how cute I thought he was I’d never forgive her.
She glared at me before turning back to Theo who had missed the silent exchange.
“She’s just told me about your plans for the gala. Sounds amazing,” she said and when Theo turned to Dina to give her his order she stuck out her tongue at me.
With his order given, Theo looked back at Gracie, though I could feel his awareness of my space beside him. The attention whore in me soaked it up. The emerging mature Vivian scolded the tramp and told her to settle down.
“Vivian has done such a fantastic job. She really is wonderful,” he enthused and Gracie coughed.
“Yeah, she is something all right.” I pinched her again, just because she deserved it.
Theo’s eyes rested on my face and his look of appreciation made me feel warm and fuzzy. “And she’s someone I really want to get to know better.”
Gracie made a choking noise behind me but I didn’t acknowledge her in the slightest.
“Why?” I asked, before I could censor myself.
“Why what?” Theo asked, furrowing his brows.
“Why do you want to get to know me so badly? What’s your angle?” I asked suspiciously, not able to help myself. I knew what men meant when they said they wanted to get to know me better.
That was the oldest euphemism for sex there was. I found myself bristling at the thought of yet another man only wanting to know me for what lay between my legs. My hopes at being taken seriously, of a man desiring me for me suddenly seemed ridiculous and foolhardy.
Theo’s hot palm enveloped my hand, his fingers squeezing mine.
“There’s no angle, Vivian. I want to get to know you because you intrigue me. You’re smart. You have amazing ideas. You’re funny. You’re insightful. I know that probably isn’t appropriate given that currently I’m your client. But one day soon I won’t be your client. I’m patient.”
“Well, thanks,” I said, not sure what else I should say.
Theo’s smile grew wider. “And you’re someone who is worth taking the time to get to know. So what do you say? Will you let me learn all of your dirty secrets?” he teased shyly.
“I. . .uh. . .” I stuttered, trying to think of a response.
“Oh my god, Vivian, Gracie, check it out!” Dina called out from the other side of the bar. Theo slid his hand away from where it rested on top of mine and turned his attention to the direction of the television mounted on the wall.
I swallowed thickly, feeling dazed from Theo’s comments and still not sure how I was supposed to answer him. I was coming out of a two-year physical relationship with someone who had never much cared for the person I was beneath my pretty skin. And here was a guy who wanted to “know me.” The emotional implications of that weren’t lost on me.
Theo was appealing to me in a way Cole never had. No matter how much I wanted him to, no matter how I craved for him to miraculously become the entire package, he wasn’t.
Cole was a raging, hot fire. Theo was a calming river. Which was fine with me because I had been burned once and I wasn’t looking to repeat my past mistakes anytime soon.
I was determined to be on my own for a while. I owed it to myself to not jump into anything with anyone. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t sample the waters.
What would a date here and there hurt? After he wasn’t my client anymore of course.
“Look! It’s Cole!” Dina pointed at the television screen and my stomach plummeted into my feet.
My eyes, against their own volition zeroed in on the man who I had only said goodbye to several days before. And even though he wasn’t here in the flesh, seeing him, even on television was too raw. Too real.
Too soon.
“Turn it up!” Gracie said, clapping her hands in excitement.
“Who is that guy?” Theo asked.
I didn’t answer right away. I couldn’t. My entire focus on was on Cole Brandt.
What else was new?
A reporter from some entertainment show was standing beneath an umbrella with Cole. A huge stage stood behind them and I could see that wherever they were, it was pouring down rain.
Cole’s dark hair was matted down over his forehead and I could see that his torn T-shirt was plastered to his chest from the moisture. The ring in his lip gleamed and the guy liner he was wearing had smeared down his face.
He looked like a fallen angel.
Dina had cranked the volume and the sound of Cole’s husky voice filled Barton’s as though he were in the same room.
“We’re lucky to be on this tour with Primal Terror. It was the break of a lifetime,” Cole said, running his hands through his hair, standing it on edge.
“You’re getting a lot of good press out of this tour. A lot of magazines and blogs are calling you guys the band to watch this year. You have an album set to drop in the spring and with only a month left of the tour, you seem poised to take on the world. What’s next for Generation Rejects? Or more specifically, Cole Brandt?”
Cole chuckled in that lazy, self-assured way of his. You would think he had been giving interviews his whole life.
“We’re just looking at all the possibilities right now. As for me, I’m enjoying the ride,” Cole said, flashing a smile at the camera. His grin pierced my heart. Jerk.
“Thanks for talking to me, man. And we can’t wait to see the show. If it ever stops raining. Coming live from Primal Terror’s Wicked and Ugly tour, here with Cole Brandt, lead singer of Generation Rejects, I’m Callum Ward.”
And then the program switched to some commentary on the newest celebrity sex tape scandal.
“Can you believe that? Cole was on TV!” Dina said, turning the volume back down.
Gracie pulled out her phone and started texting, most likely either Maysie or Mitch. The smile on my face was fake and thin and I realized I had never answered Theo’s question.