That left Shane and me.
“Anyway, Shane, do you know the blonde? You’re always flirting with the girls at these things.”
“Eh, they just like my Irish accent, is all. The minute they find out what a prick I am, they head for the hills.”
“As they should.”
Shane might not have been the best-looking guy in the room with his wiry red hair and crooked nose, but his unique look opened all kinds of doors in a modeling world that was always looking for something new and different. And his Irish charm got him laid more than anyone else I knew. I mean, the guy quoted poetry by freaking William Butler Yeats.
You couldn’t compete with that.
“Well?” Shane asked.
“Well what?”
“Are you gonna stand there all day like a loser, or go talk to the girl?”
“Shut up, will you?” I asked.
“Hey, guys, you almost done here?”
Shit, the pretty blonde was right in front of us, gathering up the sample garments to go back to their office.
Of course, Shane took the opportunity to humiliate the hell out of me.
“Well, looky who we have here,” Shane said, laying on his famous charm.
Startled, she looked around to make sure we were talking to her and not someone else.
“Huh? Oh, hi,” she said.
Now that I could see her close up, her eyes were a little red. What did she have going on?
She stopped picking up clothes long enough to put her hand on her hip and check out the crazy Irishman.
“You’re Shane, right? From Ireland?” she asked.
I rolled my eyes. The girls really did love him.
“Yes, young lady, I am Shane from Ireland. And my friend here is Marlon from America.”
She smiled but was not overly impressed. I liked that.
I took the opportunity to extend my hand.
“Marlon. From America,” I said.
“Well, hi. I’m Kealy. Also from America. I’ve seen you at our shows before, too.”
I couldn’t tell you what it was, but when she took my hand, it was like someone had turned the heat up in the room. I had to either get out of there or pull on my cap before my bald head began to drip sweat.
Kealy’s gaze moved over my shoulder, and I turned to see Shane high-tailing it out of the place.
He was cool that way.
“So, you work for Forest?” I asked.
Ugh. What a dumb question to ask. But I was so damn distracted by her glittery green eyes, even if they were rimmed in a little red. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything quite like them.
She nodded, too polite to acknowledge my nervousness.
Why the hell was I nervous? New York was full of beautiful women. I talked to them all the time.
But there was something about this one. And I was going to find out what it was.