Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
The buzzer indicates the end of the first period, and Brienne stands. “I’m going to go hobnob as expected. I’ll be back in time for the start of the second. There’s food up there, and obviously get another drink. If you want something you don’t see, just ask and they’ll get it for you.”
Brienne swishes by in a cloud of designer clothing, delicate perfume, and a backbone of steel, and I watch her ascend the steps to the suite’s main area where all the sharks await.
“Want to get another beer and some food?” Sophie asks.
“Let’s do it. I’m starving—I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
We move up the steps and over to the buffet. I note that the guests all swarm Brienne, wanting a moment of her time, which leaves no one at the food. Bonus for us.
Sophie and I load plates with sliced prime rib and pasta salad, and I note the cheesecake that I’ll be back for. It’s simple but elegant.
“This is so fancy,” I murmur to Sophie as I grab real silverware wrapped in an expensive-looking linen cloth. “I’m wondering if we should’ve had wine instead of beer?”
Sophie laughs. “Nah… we are who we are.”
“Damn straight,” I concur. “Want to sit up here at one of these empty tables?”
“Sure,” Sophie says, and we move to one close by. Not sure they’d be empty had Brienne not acted as a magnet to so many people wanting her attention.
Setting my plate down, I pull out the knife and fork to cut into the prime rib when a man’s voice behind me says, “Ava?”
My body tightens with tension, and I slowly turn to see Derek standing there. He looks exactly as he did the day I confronted him about screwing his secretary. Expensive suit, blond hair coiffed to perfection, and an air of superiority hovering around him.
What I didn’t see then was the deviousness underneath the polish, that because I busted him cheating, his revenge was to have me fired.
“What are you doing here?” he says, a hard edge of disdain and disbelief competing in his tone.
I take a moment to gauge my feelings, surprised at the lack of residual hurt over what he did to me. There’s a little anger, but not even enough to tell him it’s none of his business.
The pause to assess the situation takes too long because next thing I know, Brienne is there at the table, draping an arm around my shoulder. She looks past me to Derek. “Ava’s a dear friend, here at my invitation. And you are?”
Derek’s eyes bug out of his head to see Brienne Norcross with her arm around me.
And… we’re dear friends?
“Um… um…,” he stammers, and I’m not going to lie, there’s satisfaction in seeing him off-kilter. He never even broke a sweat when I confronted him about banging his secretary.
“This is Derek Burrows,” I say to Brienne. “My ex-boyfriend.”
Now, Brienne has no clue about our backstory, but she clearly heard Derek question why I was here and the tone with which he did it. She knows there’s animosity.
So I’m guessing that’s what fuels her dramatics when she looks at me with a sheepish grin. “Guess it’s a little awkward that your current boyfriend is the one who introduced us, huh?”
Sophie makes a slight choking sound.
“Current boyfriend?” Derek asks, his words clipped.
Again, I’m given no chance to respond. Brienne is enjoying this too much. Her hands come to my shoulders, and she turns me around so that he can see the back of my jersey. “She’s dating Cannon West.”
I pivot so I can see Derek’s reaction, and it actually makes the hurt, pain, and fear of the unknown that he instilled in me worth it.
His jaw drops as his eyes cut back and forth between me and Brienne. Finally, they land on me, and he tries to sound happy. “Well, that’s awesome. Good for you.”
“Great for me,” I say with a smile. “You cheating and then having me fired was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
Derek’s face flushes in anger. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to malign me to Ms. Norcross.”
“It’s not maligning if it’s true now, is it?” Brienne asks sweetly. “But don’t be too put out. How can anyone be mad about it when Ava scored one of the nicest, and certainly most successful men, in this city? Right?”
Derek is done with us having fun at his expense. He manages a smile and bites out, “It was nice meeting you, Ms. Norcross.” His eyes then come to me, and he dares to look wounded. “It was good seeing you, Ava.”
I give him a polite smile in return.
Derek walks back through the crowd over to two other men in business suits. I don’t recognize them, but I’m guessing they’re executives at Derek’s company and that’s why he’s here.