“Can I get you a drink?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re in a bar and all. You know, usually people get drinks here.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to it. I’m meeting someone, actually.”
“The lovely Daisy, I presume?”
I did not like the way he said it. To any eavesdropper, it would have sounded perfectly innocent, but I knew he was probably scheming all sorts of ways that he could get with her. No fuckin way.
I forced a smile. “Yes, Daisy. I was meeting her down here, but I got a little held up, so I’m a little late.”
“A little too late, I’d say. She took off quite a while ago, man. But don’t worry; I kept her company while she waited for you.”
I’ll bet you did, you horny fuck.
“Thanks.”
“She’s a lovely girl.
“She is.”
“You always hire the good ones.”
“She’s a friend of Jonathan’s, actually.”
“Lucky guy.”
“Not that kind of friend. She’s my girlfriend, actually.” The words just came out; it wasn’t like I’d given them any thought at all. I think Billy was as surprised as I was, but I tried to keep my face expressionless.
“That so?” he said after a minute. “’Cause I could’ve sworn that just the other day when I was down at the office and I asked her, she said she wasn’t seeing anyone.”
“Times change.”
“Dating the employees. That didn’t work out so well with Annie now, did it?”
He had an amused expression on his face. The bastard was enjoying this immensely, and I hated him for it. But the last thing I wanted was to let him see that I was bothered by it.
“You know, my dad has a very strict policy against . . . fraternizing like that with employee
s,” Billy continued. “It’s not an official thing or anything, but everyone knows that you don’t shit in your own backyard. And it’s funny . . . Daisy and I talked for quite a while—she didn’t mention anything about the two of you.”
“We’re trying not to advertise it to the world.”
“Well. She suddenly had to take off, so quickly, in fact, I didn’t get to ask just what it was that had come up. But since you’re her boyfriend and everything, I’m sure you’ll find all that out. It’s not nice, though, you know. Keeping all the good women for yourself. You probably never shared your toys in the sandbox, either, did you?”
“See ya later, Billy,” I said. I was seeing way too much of Billy McAllister lately.
Chapter Twenty
Daisy
When Caroline and I were done at the Thai place, I headed home. I had turned the ringer off on my phone, but I had a few texts and missed calls from Ian.