“College,” Mike said hoping he wasn’t going to have to talk about what a great guy Jason was.
“Ohhh, tell me,” Veronica purred. Mike wanted to roll his eyes.
“We met on the soccer team, joined the same fraternity and have been friends ever since.” It was a shorter version to a long history but she didn’t need to know that.
“Fraternity?” she said almost breathless. “I just love fraternities.” Mike bet she did. She seemed like the type that would sample them all.
“Yeah, we had some good times,” Mike admitted.
“Tell me about them,” she answered as she moved forward again. Mike thought she might have been bumped forward but he noticed that everyone had given them a wide berth. He glanced around, wondering who all these people were and if they worked with Mia, why were they all avoiding Veronica?
“Let’s not,” Mike said, trying to squash anymore talk about Jason. He caught Jason standing next to Mia, his arm around her and Mike wanted to smile. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t practically salivating in her presence, which was good. Maybe his lust for her really was dying. “Why don’t you tell me what you do?”
“Let me run to the ladies,” she said as she tipped back the wine glass she was holding and finished off more than half a glass in one gulp. “Why don’t you get us a drink and we can get to know each other better?” He saw her perfect white teeth smile at him and he felt like a piece of meat. Jason was going to owe him big time for this.
“Sure, I’ll meet you at the bar,” he said as he took her glass, hoping she’d get lost on her way back. Mike watched her walk away. Her backside was nice. The short skirt hugged her hips well but he didn’t feel any connection with to her. It was going to be a long night.
Mike moved towards the bar, looking for an open spot and found one towards the end. He raised his hand, hoping to get the attention of one of the bartenders while he looked around to see if Jason and Mia had left. He planned to follow them out. When Mike turned back to the bar, he saw Paige standing in front of him, a little grin on her face.
“What are you doing here?” Mike asked as he smiled quickly. He thought he’d never see her again.
“Working. What about you?” Paige asked. Mike thought and then said, ‘working’ because trying to keep Veronica occupied was going to feel like a bad day at the office.
Paige nodded and asked what she could get him.
“I’ll take what’s ever on tap and,” he looked at the wine glass, “some white wine.” Paige also looked at the glass and Mike noticed the lipstick covering the rim. He almost screamed. Why couldn’t he just meet Paige when he wasn’t fucking or babysitting a woman?
She grabbed the glass and moved it aside, taking a new one and pouring the house white. She placed it on the bar in front of him, glancing up quickly and then moved off to get his beer. He watched her move, liking the way her hair bounced in a pony tail as she worked. He noticed the red highlights and the length, wondering what those silky tresses would feel like running down his body.
Paige delivered his beer and Mike went to pay her.
“No charge. The company Mia works for is footing the bill.” she said
“What are you doing here? I thought you ran a catering service,” he asked. To be honest, besides never thinking he’d seen her again, he never expected her to be working a bar.
“I do. The foods behind you, catered by my company,” Paige said, as she lifted her chin to direct his eyes. Mike didn’t turn, finding just watching her more exciting. “As for me bartending, Harry Hannigan’s short two bartenders tonight, so he asked if we’d fill in.”
Mike knew Harry. They’d shared a beer or two in the wee hours on those rare occasions when Mike had struck out.
“So, you cater weddings, run a bar and serve great food,” He remembered the delicious filet mignon he’d had at the wedding. The woman could cook. “What don’t you do?”
Paige smiled and took another order, coming back to stand in front of him as she poured a beer.
“Are you hitting on me?” she asked with a smile.
“If I say yes, are you going to cut me at the knees again?” he asked with a grin.
“Play your cards right, you never know.” she said, delivering the beer to its owner.
“What time do you get done here?” he asked. Forget following Jason and Mia when they left. He had other plans.
“This goes until seven-thirty.”
“Do you have to do clean up?” he asked. She smiled and said no. “Care to have a drink with me…?” As he heard the words coming from his mouth, Mike felt hands on his back that slowly wrapped around him. He stood straight up as the hands roamed over his chest and then down to his stomach. He turned quickly and realized Veronica was moving fast, in more ways than one.
“There you are,” she cooed at him as if they’d been lovers for months versus just meeting five minutes before. “I couldn’t find you.” Mike wished she’d never found him.
He turned back to the bar, knowing he’d need some excuse to give Paige but she was no longer there. He looked down the bar, hoping she was helping another customer but she wasn’t anywhere behind the bar.
Damn.
* * * *
Paige leaned against the van, taking in a big gulp of air. Could the day just get any worse? It seemed like nothing was going to go right. She’d managed to work through the issue of the food arriving late by getting the drinks going quickly, after she supplied the bartenders. As soon as it arrived, instead of them laying it out in the rear and bringing it forward, she had her crew move it to the floor quickly. That problem was solved and then Marlene said she felt sick. With her being pregnant, Paige didn’t want to take any chances so she told her to leave immediately.
The last person she’d expected to see was Mike, though she realized now that she should have thought of it, since he was friends with Mia.
Since the wedding, she’d thought of him often, wondering what would have happened if she’d said she was a Scorpio those months ago. And then she’d wonder what would have happened if she’d said yes to see him that night. But she remembered her plan and that would squelch any thoughts. She had to stay focused.
But it had been a nice surprise, almost like destiny that they’d meet again and there he was, looking very sexy in a dark blue polo shirt, the emblem of USC embroidered over his left breast. He looked handsome, somewhat official and she wondered if he worked there. She supposed she could call Mia and get the low-down on Mike but what was the point? She wasn’t going to do anything about him.
Except today she had thought of him often because her horoscope said—Love is in the air. Take a chance.
Those few words spoke loud and clear and seeing him there, leaning against her bar out of all the joints in the world, it had to be a sign.
And it was a sign…that he was a womanizing bastard. When those hands came up around him, Paige thought she was seeing things, like he’d grown an extra set of arms, albeit, female arms and when he’d turned and seen the sex kitten attached to him like glue, Paige just wanted to scream. It was a sign all right. A sign for her to stay away from him—men in general—and just follow her plan. And that is what she was going to do.
“Why aren’t you serving drinks to your stud-muffin?” Marlene asked as she hopped out from the front seat of the van.
Paige jumped back, holding her chest as she stared in surprised. “I thought you went home.”
“Nah. I saw him walk in and thought I’d help you out,” Marlene said as she rubbed her belly. At five months, she was really showing and constantly rubbed her swollen belly as if she was soothing herself.
“I am going to put a world of hurt on you,” Paige said, shaking her head slowly as she watched Marlene’s hand move.
“You’d never hit a pregnant woman,” Marlene said as she laughed. She was right but it didn’t mean she couldn’t think about it. “So, I take it you saw him.”
Paige nodded.
/> “And can you tell me why you are out here hiding, when the man you want is inside, at the bar?”
“Because he happens to be with another woman, Marlene,” she said angrily. “I can’t believe you faked an illness to get me in front of him.”
“Paige, if I didn’t do something, you never would. You’d let an opportunity pass you by while you rake in the dough and got your name in lights if it wasn’t for me.”
“Well, I have you to thank for humiliating me in front of him,” Paige said. She felt so stupid. She’d thought a lot about her daily horoscope and wished Mike was there and then he was, with female tentacles attached.
“So who was the woman?” Marlene asked. “It’s a party. Did he come with her? Did he pick her up here? Is she from Mia’s work? Did he bring her?” A lot of questions coming from such a small woman, with a big belly, Paige thought.
“It doesn’t matter,” Paige said leaning against the side of the van. “I don’t want Mike, so forget it.”
Marlene watched her silently and then walked, leaning against the van beside her. “You know,” Marlene said as she leaned forward to look up into Paige’s face, “you haven’t changed one bit.” Paige looked at her with squinted eyes. She’d known Marlene since high school and they’d been friends for over ten years but some days she wished she’d never met her meddlesome friend.
“You have the same look you had when we were in high school.” Paige frowned. “I remember how angry you were when Davis Cooper asked Kerri Donovan to the prom. You pretended like it didn’t bother you but I knew it did. Just like I know seeing Mike with another woman bothers you.” Paige said nothing because Marlene, although meddlesome, always spoke the truth--except when she was scheming to get Paige in front of Mike.
“But hey, can you blame him?” Marlene went on. “I mean, you did tell him he wasn’t in the stars and he should go look elsewhere.” That stung. “So, why should it bother you that he’s with another woman?”
Paige said nothing as she let out a breath. She’d had her opportunity and blew it. But she still had her business plan and that was going well, wasn’t it? Even if her sex-life was non-existent and she hadn’t had a relationship in years.
“He obviously wants a relationship, even if it’s for the moment,” Marlene said.
“When I saw him, I thought…” Paige said and then stopped. Marlene would think she was stupid, having told her more times than she could count that all this horoscope stuff was a bunch of crap.
“You thought what?” Paige figured why not tell her. Marlene couldn’t think any worse of her than she already did.
“I thought maybe he might be the one for this,” Paige replied as she handed over the slip of paper she’d ripped off the daily Sagittarius horoscope.
“Love is in the air. Take a chance,” Marlene said and then kept reading the note. She looked up at Paige and smiled. “This is good. Real good.” Paige was surprised Marlene wasn’t laughing in her face.
“This is a good sign. Seeing him tonight is a good sign and what you need to do is go back in there and talk to him.” Paige knew she was behaving childishly but she didn’t want to watch some woman feel Mike up in front of her.
In fact, she wanted to be the only woman who put her hands on Mike. Since when did Sagittarius’ become so possessive? She thought that was reserved for the Scorpio crowd, like Marlene.
Paige nodded and they walked inside and moved behind the bar. Paige knew she’d be able to see Mike by his height. She scanned around, looking towards the food. Her eyes moved towards the opening to the back room and then she followed the wall around the room, expecting his height and blond hair to give him away.
She looked at Marlene, her heart tight. He’d left and she bet he took the woman with the tentacle arms with him.
Chapter Five
Mike looked around the atrium, pretending he was checking on the layout for the universities’ annual dinner. Having been put on the committee, he was supposed to be part of a group of faculty and staff that actually cared how these functions went.
Mike couldn’t care less. It had taken the committee two months to put this thing together. He figured with the time spent, they could have planned an invasion of a small country and gotten more done.
The only reason he didn’t bitch and complain about having better things to do than sit in planning meetings was the fact that he suggested they cater the function versus having the usual grub from the university dining facility. When his motion was seconded followed by a third, he just happened to have the name of a catering company in mind. It became the soul reason to stay focused on the event.
Since he wasn’t the one responsible for the food, he kept tabs on Maryann, making sure she didn’t change caterers or pull some other crazy stunt, like using the dining facility because they were cheaper. He’d eaten at the dining facility his first year as a student and felt lucky he hadn’t caught some wasting disease. Plus, Paige cooked a mean steak and he wanted that—and her—on the menu.
His task had been to find the location on campus for the shindig and the atrium was available. Hell, they could have held it poolside for all he cared. He just wanted to see Paige again. After she disappeared from the bar a couple of months ago, he’d hung around for a bit, trying to keep Veronica’s hands from becoming too familiar with his cock. He kept an eye on Jason and Mia as well, and when they’d made a break for the door, Mike was right behind them.
As much as he wanted to talk to Paige to explain, getting away from Veronica was more important and definitely critical. His cock was hard and not because of Veronica. He’d never met a woman quite like her and he hoped to never meet one again. The only woman he was interested was a woman who couldn’t find him in her stars.
That had to be the dumbest thing he’d heard of. He knew people who would read their horoscope when making a major decision but he never met anyone who never made a move until their horoscope said to. Every once in a blue moon he’d read his as he cruised through the newspaper. But for the most part, he lived his life clueless of what the stars had in mind when it came to his day and his life. He followed his gut and his gut told him he wanted Paige.
Eating out with Jason and Mia after his escape from Veronica, he found that he was still attracted to Mia but no longer with an overwhelming attraction. She was Jason’s wife. She was funny and he enjoyed himself immensely, though for a moment he wondered if maybe they might have had a chance. And then he’d look at the two of them and saw how perfect they were together, he finally realized that Mia wasn’t in his stars but maybe Paige could be.
Tonight he hoped, finally, for her to see him for who he was—single, attractive with a great paying job that he loved and that maybe after some time she would forget their two previous meetings. The first time he met her, he had Christine attached to his hip, which had been a mistake and the second time with Veronica wasn’t his fault.
This time, he had everything running like clock work. He just needed her to show.
* * * *
Paige stood outside, watching Greg’s crew move the silver trays of food into the atrium. Guests were due in thirty minutes so they needed to hustle getting in and out. Paige liked it when guests arrived and her people were in position and not running around with last minute details. It showed the professionalism that she wanted her company noted for. She needed to find Maryann, her contact with the university and make sure there weren’t any last minute details she needed to know about.
The university had been lucky. This was one of the few free nights her company had open. Since Maryann had been willing to move the annual dinner one day, both sides were happy. Paige would have been happier if she’d asked the question that kept slinking around her brain every time she talked to Maryann—if Mike worked at the university. She could imagine Maryann saying, ‘Mike who?’ and Paige wouldn’t be able to tell her. She’d never gotten his last name. She did recall that he wore a shirt the last time she saw him with the initials ‘USC’ on it
but he could have picked that up anywhere. Or maybe he used it to pick up women with.
And that thought kept creeping back into her brain, seeing him with that woman at the bar and then she’d start thinking about him at the wedding which would make her even angrier. She knew she didn’t have any right to be angry but just seeing him hit on her while he had another woman around made her wonder what kind of man he was. He was gorgeous; there was no denying that. But she wanted to know ‘who’ he was. What he liked and didn’t like and why did he have trails of women following him around?
She’d cursed herself ten ways to Sunday for walking out of Hannigan’s that night months ago. She’d been stupid but more than anything, she’d felt humiliated. He was already there with some woman. Marlene tried convincing her that Mike hadn’t left with the woman but it wasn’t until Paige actually saw the same woman attached to some other guy later on that she believed it. Later, when she thought to ask Mia about Mike, she found out that Mia had left earlier and Paige just got caught up in work again.
Her business was booming at such a rate, she was sure she’d need to hire more people. With Marlene as far along in her pregnancy as she was, she’d need another bartender and almost another crew to cover the functions they had scheduled. As much as she didn’t want to admit, Marlene had been right. Every function led to another event being scheduled. And as much as that pleased Paige, her non-work life was suffering. Scratch that. She didn’t have a love life or a life for that matter. She had work.
Paige loved her job and her company. In the past three years, she has tripled her customers and she’d met all her business objectives. She thought to go have another reading with her astrologist but she kept putting it off. She didn’t want to hear that she needed to keep her nose to the grindstone. Not that her astrologist told her not to date. That had been her own mantra because she was determined to stay focused. Now she was ready for something more
Follow the Signs Page 4
