by G. , Whitney
“Thank you.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Penelope Carter.”
He crossed his arms, still staring at me. “The private party for the Hollywood models is on Pier fifty-seven. Would you like me to have someone escort you there?”
“I’m not a guest at the celebrity party. I’m here to see Simon Gaines.” I folded my arms. “We went to college together.”
He took another look at me before returning his attention to his tablet. He tapped the screen a few times and his eyes widened.
“Forgive me for not realizing that you were Mr. Gaines’ date. Please follow me.” He ushered me onto a small elevator and hit the “S” button. “Mr. Gaines is in the gallery room. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to see you.”
The doors glided shut and I took several deep breaths as the car rose to the third floor. When I stepped out, I found myself in a sea of more drab-blue and black suits, but there were pops of colors with other dresses here or there.
Still, none of them were as revealing as mine …
Weaving through the crowd, I followed the signs for ‘Gallery’ and stopped once I saw Simon surrounded by a small crowd.
Looking sexy in an all-black tuxedo, he smiled and pointed to a vase.
“I have no idea why I let my advisor talk me into buying this thing,” he said. “It’s supposedly an Egyptian artifact, but I will happily sell it at no profit, if any of you are interested.”
“How much?” Someone asked.
“Four million.” He picked it up. “Any takers?”
Everyone laughed, shaking their heads.
“What about taking my advisor as part of the deal, then?” He joked. “His stock market advice is way better, I promise.”
Laughter filled the room again.
“Excuse me.” A brunette brushed against me. Hard. “I hope you’re not looking to land anyone here while wearing that.” She sucked her teeth and walked past me.
As Simon picked up a different vase, I took several steps backward. I bumped into a few other people on my way to the bathroom, and then I locked myself inside.
I stared at my reflection, swallowing. I wondered if I could have Tatiana bring me a more suitable and boring dress within the hour.
A knock sounded at the door as I pulled out my phone.
“Someone’s in here!” I called out. “Give me a minute.”
The door opened anyway.
“I just said that someone is in here.”
“I heard you loud and clear.” Hayden stepped inside, glass of wine in hand. “I decided to stop by to see if you were taking my advice.”
“I have a cell phone.”
“You didn’t answer any of my texts,” he said. “You also didn’t call me last night.”
“I did. It went to voicemail.”
“I was genuinely worried that you’d pick the wrong dress.”
“Did I?”
“Not at all.” He looked me up and down. “You did confirm that you still have no idea how to say, thank you, though.”
“You’re welcome.”
He laughed. “Why did I know that you’d be in here, far away from the party?”
“Because you’re a stalker who somehow snuck onto the guest list.”
“I own the pier.” He sipped the last of his drink and set it down. “I’m on every guest list.”
“Of course.” I let out a sigh. “People keep staring at me.”
“Because you look sexy as hell,” he said. “Despite the fact that you’re not taking my advice like you promised.”
“How? I did every single thing you said.”
“Almost everything.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and spun me around to face the mirror.
In the reflection, his eyes met mine and I couldn’t help but inhale the sexy scent of his cologne.
He traced his finger against the back of my neck, running his fingers against the pair of black and white swans that were tattooed on my skin. Then he stopped at the line of cursive Latin underneath.
“I’ve never noticed this quote part of your tattoo before,” he said, his voice low. “I thought it was just a straight line.”
“It was, before I changed it.”
“When was that?”
“During our Cold War …”
“Hmmm.” He rubbed his finger against it again, keeping his gaze on mine. “I feel like I’m learning one too many new things about you that I should already know. Anything else you want to reveal?”
“I once bought a voodoo doll that bore your likeness when we weren’t talking,” I said. “It had blue eyes and everything.”
“Oh?” He smirked. “How many times did you stab it with the pin?
“Thousands. I wished that you would fail at life with every prick at it.”
“I’m sorry to inform you that it didn’t work.”
“Clearly.” I smiled.
“Anyway—” He cleared his throat. “This is the first bit of my advice that you didn’t follow.”
He grabbed the glittering clip from my up-do and pulled it out, forcing the curls to fall to my shoulders. “I told you to wear your hair down. You look sexier this way.”
“Tatiana thought it looked better up.”
“Tatiana isn’t a guy you’re trying to get, and from what you’ve told me, she’s been single for years.” His lips curved into a slow, sexy smile. “You need to take everything she suggests with a garage full of salt.”
“You mean grain of salt?”
“No.” He ran his fingers through my hair, making sure all the curls were down. “I mean, she spends every night watching Sailor Moon marathons and playing with crystal wand toys, so it’s a whole fucking garage full.”
I held back a laugh. “Fine.”
Sliding his hand around to my necklace, he gently adjusted the silver skate charm that hung between my breasts.
“I also told you not to wear panties.” His eyes met mine in the glass again. “Why are you wearing them?”
“I’m not.” My cheeks flushed red. “I’m not wearing any.”
“You can’t lie to me, Pen …” He slid a hand under the slit of my dress, setting my skin on fire as his palm grazed my thigh. He slowly looped his fingers under the band of my lace thong, and yanked it off in one smooth motion. Then he stuffed it into his pocket.
“Much better.” He smiled. “Don’t you agree?”
“I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Believe it.” He looked at his watch. “You only have a few hours left before people start hogging him for photographs and favors. I highly suggest that you walk out of here with me. You can also say, ‘Thank you for your much-needed help’ at any point.”
“Thank you for stealing my panties.”
“You’re very welcome.” He laughed and walked over to the door, holding it open for me. He started to walk away, but then he turned around.
“I don’t think that I can trust you to do this right,” he said. “I think its better if I make him come to you.”
Huh? Before I could ask him what that meant, he pushed me against a window. “How close are we, Penelope?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a simple question.” He lowered his voice, looking into my eyes. “How close are we?”
Too close. “Pretty close.”
“On a scale of one to ten?”
“Twenty.”
“I agree.” He tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear. “So, I need you to tell me something. What did you think of my dick?”
WHAT? “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You heard me,” he said. “I want to know what you thought when you saw my pictures.”
“Hayden Christopher Hunter.”
“Penelope Nicole Carter.” He mocked me. “Glad we’ve established our full names.”
“I’m saying your full name so that you can come to your senses.”
“I’m fine.” He smiled. “I’m asking you a simple question.”<
br />
“A very inappropriate question.”
“How?” He ran his fingers through my hair. “If your nudes ever leaked, I would give you my honest opinion. I wouldn’t even wait for you to ask.”
“That would never happen to me because unlike you—”
“You’re deflecting.” He cut me off. “Stay on the topic of my dick.”
“Fine.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I thought that you were very well-endowed. Happy?”
“Ecstatic.”
“How the hell is this line of questioning supposed to help me get Simon’s attention?”
“Because no man wants a woman that another guy isn’t into, and if the so-called Untamed Playboy of Manhattan is making you blush in a corner, I think that speaks volumes. Don’t you?”
“No.”
“I do.” He laughed and stepped back, looking over his shoulder. “Don’t stay too long and don’t drink too much. You’re welcome. ”
He walked away without another word, and Simon was suddenly strolling toward me.
“Wow.” He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. He didn’t say a word for several seconds; he just looked me up and down. “You look stunning, Penelope. Thank you so much for coming. I was beginning to think you were standing me up.”
“Not at all.” I blushed.
“Was that Hayden Hunter that you were talking to?”
“Yeah, but—Wait. How do you know who he is?’
“He’s on the cover of GQ this month, and I have a subscription.” He smiled. “He’s also the CEO of Cinder and pretty famous, I believe.”
“Right, well—I, he,” I stuttered, feeling butterflies flutter as he pressed his hand against the small of my back. “He’s my brother’s best friend. I mean, he’s more of my best friend, but—”
“Is he my competition?” He interrupted, gazing at my lips. “Should I be worried that he wants you, too?”
What? My cheeks heated all over again. “No, not at all. Hayden is like an older brother to me.”
“Good,” he said. “I’d hate to watch him lose if the alternative was true. Are you available for dinner with me afterwards?”
I bit my tongue before I could blurt out “Hell yes.” “No, I can’t stay past the party.”
“How unfortunate.” He grabbed two glasses from a passing waiter’s tray. “In that case, let’s go to the top of the ship and make the most of the time you have.”
The yacht set sail around the river and I leaned against the railing as Simon grabbed the railing on both sides of me.
The years that we’d spent apart collapsed into an hours-long conversation, and I felt as if we were back in his old dorm room all over again. His lips brushed against mine a few times, but he never let them linger for more than a few seconds, never took his eyes off of mine.
Before I knew it, I broke both of Hayden’s suggestions without even trying.
Seven (B)
Present Day
Hayden
“I could’ve sworn that I told you we had a deposition prep session today.” Lawrence glared at me the moment I stepped inside my condo.
“Breaking and entering is a crime, Lawrence.”
“I had to sit there and make small talk with two of the biggest assholes in this city for an entire hour. Not only that, but they blinded-sided me with tons of things that are going to hit the papers tomorrow. We couldn’t get in front of that if we tried, but I’ve called some staff to work the next seventy-two hours straight, so we can clean up as much as we can.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” He looked surprised that I’d uttered those words. “Okay, well uh, speaking of ‘sorry’ how many apology letters have you finished?”
“One.”
“To who?”
“You.” I picked it up from my coffee table and handed it to him, but he didn’t make a move to read it.
Instead, he tucked it into his pocket. “The best apology is changed behavior, Hayden. That’s all I’ll ever want from you. Plus my paycheck and yearly bonus, of course.”
“Of course.”
“What were you doing instead?”
Realizing how fucking sexy Penelope is. “I stopped by Pier sixty-two to clear my mind.”
“In that case, your apology letter is officially worthless.”
“It’s true.” I smiled. “I needed to make sure I enjoyed my last day of freedom before I get into what looks like a never-ending apology tour.”
He didn’t look like he believed me in the slightest. He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen, then he hit the speaker button as rings filled the room.
“This is Sarah, how can I—” She paused. “Oh, it’s you, Lawrence. What do you need?”
“Can you tell me where Mr. Hunter spent his afternoon?”
“He was clearing his mind.”
“Don’t make me ask you again.”
“He was at a yacht party.” She betrayed me in seconds. “It was for Penelope and some guy she’s dating, but he made me promise not to say anything or bring up any meetings because he didn’t want to deal with that and was more worried about Penelope messing things up.” She finally took a breath. “You’re not going to tell him I told you this, are you?”
“I would never.” He ended the call and narrowed his eyes at me. “I want fifty letters in my inbox by the end of this weekend, and I want thirty Monday morning, and every morning after that. We can’t have an entire team working to repair your image if you’re only halfway in. Are we clear, son?”
“Crystal.”
“Good.” He headed toward the door, but then he looked over his shoulder. “Did Penelope mess things up?”
“Not at all.”
He left my condo, and I walked into the kitchen. I needed a stiff drink.
I hadn’t meant to show up to the yacht party at all, but I’d remembered a time in the past when she avoided the guy she wanted all night by overthinking too much in the bathroom. When she didn’t respond to any of my text messages about making her move, I felt like I had no choice but to show up.
And I fucking regretted it.
The moment I saw her in that red dress, I envisioned her legs wrapped around my waist. My hands grabbing fistfuls of her chestnut colored hair as she took me deeper and deeper.
It wasn’t until I silently chided myself with, “Stop. She’s your best friend and Travis’s little sister,” that I snapped back into reality.
Curious, I pulled out my phone to see if she’d texted me back about enjoying the party.
Still nothing.
My “Are you having fun yet?” and “Do you need a ride home?” messages weren’t even read yet.
Just as I was about to call her, there was a loud knock on my door.
Confused as to why security didn’t call me with an alert first, I walked over and stared through the peephole. Penelope was in some guy’s arms looking like a dead fish. Her tell-tale drunk face.
What the hell?
I opened it and the suit came better into view.
The Simon guy from the party.
“Um, hey,” he said. “Mind if I uh, put her down in your place? She said—”
“I told him to bring me here.” Penelope smiled. “There was too much traffic and Tati isn’t answering her phone.”
I held the door open. “White sofa by the window.”
He carried her over and gently laid her down. Then he turned around and extended his hand to me.
“Simon Gaines.”
“Hayden Hunter.”
“I’m a big fan of yours,” he said. “I truly admire your hustle.”
“Noted.” I nodded. I wasn’t used to being friendly—let alone meeting any guy of Penelope’s this early in the game; I didn’t want to encourage him to stay in my place too long either.
“Why do you keep your condo so cold?” Penelope groaned. “Can you bring me a blanket?”
I ignored her question like she ignored my instructions. “How m
uch did she drink tonight?” I asked Simon.
“We shared three bottles of champagne.”
Of course. “For future reference, stick to wine. She can’t handle champagne.”
“I’ll remember that.”
She let out a soft sigh and tried, then failed to roll over. “I think I need some water. Can you get me that with the blanket?”
“I can get it from your kitchen,” Simon said.
“I’ll handle it,” I said. “You can go now.”
“Are you sure? I mean—”
I raised my eyebrow. “You mean, what?”
“I feel kind of responsible for this, so I can stay.”
“Or, you can go.”
He looked tempted to fight me on this, but he simply cleared his throat.
“I never noticed how stunning all the details in your ceiling are, Hayden.” Penelope said. “What color is that? Taupe? Butterscotch beige?”
Simon smiled and moved closer to her. He took off his jacket and placed it over her chest. Then he whispered, “Call me when you’re sober. If I don’t call you first.”
He leaned in as if he was about to kiss her, but I cleared my throat.
“Nice to meet you, Hayden.” He stepped back. “Hopefully next time it’ll be under sober circumstances.”
“Hopefully.”
He walked to the door and I waited until I heard the ping of the elevators before looking at Penelope.
Even drunk, she was stunning as hell.
“Didn’t I tell you not to get drunk?” I asked.
“Stop yelling at me.”
“The only one yelling is you.”
“I can see you judging me.”
“Trust me, I haven’t begun to judge you. I’ll do that when you’re sober, though. Once again, did you miss the part where I specifically told you not to drink too much?”
“The yacht was so beautiful.” She sat up and smiled. “Simon took me on a private tour of it and showed me all these hidden rooms.”
“So, you’re blatantly ignoring my question?”
“We danced on the balcony under Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York.’ I felt like I was living in one of those nineties rom coms.”
