“You say that now, Mr. Drivas. I have your number,” she said as she held up my card. “I’ll call and let you know where to meet me.”
“Meet you? You don’t want me to pick you up?”
With a wink she replied, “Nope. I’ll meet you.”
She headed for her office door. Lifting her hand, she waved goodbye to the receptionist.
“Don’t forget, Kasey. It’s a long weekend for me. I’ll be back in Monday.”
Kasey smiled at Kilyn and then looked at me. She slowly licked her lips and pushed her chest out a little more.
I tried like hell not to look directly at her chest as I passed by. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“Good afternoon,” I replied and quickly followed Kilyn.
We rode down in the elevator in silence. The whole time I was trying to think of how to get myself out of this damn situation I had gotten into. The last thing I really wanted to do was go dancing. I hated dancing.
The doors opened and Kilyn stepped out. I opened my mouth to talk when she stopped and I ran right into the back of her. Spinning around, she flashed me an evil smile.
“Not yet there, Mr. Drivas. Save it for tonight.”
“Yeah, about that, Kilyn, I . . . I um . . .”
Narrowing my eyes, I took in the look on her face. She actually seemed excited about the idea of me going dancing with her. All I wanted to do was be around her. Maybe I needed to get it out of my system; if that meant spending an evening listening to pansy-ass music, then so be it.
“What should I wear?”
Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. Something in me wanted to make her look that happy every single day.
Pushing that thought as far away as possible, I waited for her response.
“Jeans, a T-shirt, and a pair of boots. Cowboy boots.”
With a sly look, I asked, “What if I don’t own any cowboy boots?”
Taking a few steps back, she winked and said, “You better go buy some then. Talk to you soon . . . Thano.”
My heart stopped as my name trickled off her soft plump lips. My breath hitched and I was frozen in my steps. I watched as she walked away while I tried to figure out what in the hell was happening to me.
By the time I got to my car, I was fighting for air. Dropping my head back against my headrest, I closed my eyes and whispered, “I can’t forget her. I won’t forget her.”
“WHAT DO YOU mean Cody won’t be there?” Claire asked.
Leaning forward, I carefully applied my mascara. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to take a shower, shave, wash and dry my hair, and reapply all of my makeup. I wouldn’t have done any of that if I had been meeting Cody.
“He bugged out on me.”
“But we’re all still going dancing? I thought maybe you were mad at me and didn’t want me to come.”
With a long sigh, I replied, “Nonsense. Is Blake coming?”
“Yes. He has tomorrow off, and since you’re taking a long weekend, I thought I would as well. We talked about going up to the mountains, but they are saying a storm might blow in.”
“Please, they keep saying that and nothing happens. You should go. Enjoy your weekend.”
The silence on the other end of the line told me I needed to make things better. If I didn’t, Claire would beat herself up all night and not enjoy her time with her husband.
“Claire, it’s okay. I’m okay. I promise.”
A sniffle came over the phone. “I hate that it is even there between us.”
“It’s not. It has nothing to do with you. Nothing.”
“It has everything to do with me, Kilyn. Everything.”
Dropping my hand, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Where once was a girl so broken, now stood a confident woman. I talked about what had happened to me plenty of times. But talking about it with Claire. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
It was time for a subject change.
“Thano is going tonight.”
Claire gasped. “What? How? Why? Where did you see him?”
Attempting to hold back my giggles, I gave her the answers she was seeking.
“Thano is meeting us at the club. He stopped by the office today looking for an interior designer for a new cabin he built up in the mountains. He had no idea it was our firm.”
“Oh. My. God. It’s like the gods are throwing you two together.”
With a roll of my eyes, I went back to applying my mascara. “Please.”
“Okay, so how did it end up that he is coming dancing with us?”
“He said country music was for pussies. I was not about to let that go. I told him the only way I’d go and look at his cabin to see if we wanted to take on the job was if he came dancing tonight.”