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Oh my gosh.
“You went blond?”
“I went ginger.”
The server arrived with drinks and nachos, and I made a respectable dent in my margarita as I imagined Nico as a redhead. Nope…tall, orange, and handsome didn’t have quite the same ring to it.
“Are there pictures?”
“I sincerely hope not.”
“One time, I matched with a guy who said he was six feet, and when I got to the bar, he was barely five-seven and ditched me for being too tall.”
“My last girlfriend wanted me to wear lifts in my shoes.”
“But you actually are six feet tall? Was she a basketball player?”
“She was six feet one when she wore her favourite stilettos, and she said it was weird looking down at me. She also wanted a cat, so I bought her a cat. Then she decided she didn’t like cats and told me to take it to the shelter.”
Was that Snezhinka? Nico treated her like a queen.
“Let me guess—you kept the cat?”
“Snezh’s claws aren’t as sharp as my ex’s.”
“I would have gladly swapped Cesare for a cat. Or a spider, or a scorpion, or even a bedbug. Do you think…” I drained the glass and picked up a nacho. “Do you think we could mail Cesare a package of bedbugs?”
Let him see what it was like to share a bed with an unwelcome predator for once.
“Where would we get the bedbugs? The Peninsula isn’t that kind of establishment.”
“Is the Bluebird Inn still open? I itched for weeks after I stayed there.”
“It is.” Nico screwed up his face in distaste. “I hear it hasn’t improved.”
“So, whaddya think? You, me, a couple of hazmat suits…?”
“Unfortunately, I have to fly to LA the day after tomorrow.”
“Anything to get out of manual labour.”
He reached across the table and took my hand. “No, really. It’s only for a few days, and the team at the Peninsula will take care of you.”
“I…” Until that moment, I’d been having fun. Nico was so easy to talk to. But the thought of him abandoning me, even though I knew he had to work, even though logic said I’d be safe… I hated it. “It’s okay. We’ll be fine.”
“Will you?”
“Sure, sure. We’ll stay inside.”
“You can come with me if you’d prefer. I just wasn’t sure you’d want to travel with Matty.”
“Uh… I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You could never be a burden. Look, I have three meetings to attend and there’s a party I need to show my face at. The remainder of the time, I’m yours.”
“How would we get there?”
“I’ll charter a jet. Nobody’s going to ask questions.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, and a shiver ran through me. A good shiver. A dangerous shiver. “I’d like you to come, but the days of a man making decisions on your behalf are done. The ball’s in your court.”
