“That’s no way to speak to a lady, young man,” she chastises.
“This one’s no lady, trust me.” He looks at me with disdain, and a vein twitches in my temple.
“Enough,” I cut in, barely keeping my rising temper in check. “I was fair to you. Don’t be a dick.”
The woman’s jaw drops. Yeah, there goes her theory about me being a lady. Crap, I don’t want to cause a scene.
“I’m sorry you were disappointed—”
“Oh, I was. Not because I necessarily wanted in your pants, but I hoped I might get an introduction to Sebastian Bennett.”
I blink. “Let’s move this conversation outside.”
Catching Blake’s attention, I gesture that I need a five-minute break, and he merely nods. Colin is lucky that Nate and my brother are too busy tending to customers to see him, or he’d be missing a few teeth already.
I step with him onto the terrace outside, leading him into a less crowded corner.
“What did you just say?”
“You thought it was a coincidence that I was in the same industry as your brother? Christ, you’re not just naive, you’re downright stupid. I got where I wanted without you or your brothers’ help anyway. Imagine my surprise when I received the invitation for tonight’s event and saw the name of the restaurant.”
I curl my hands into fists, not wanting to cause a scene in front of all these people. It’s been a few years since someone other than a reporter tried to get to my siblings through me. My instincts told me right from the start that something was off with Colin, and now I know why. Still, his words don’t hurt any less just because he’s a jerk.
“Get out of my sight, Colin.” Keeping my voice low is a monumental effort, and I fight against every instinct that wants nothing more than to slap him.
“Or what? Humor me.”
“Or I will forcibly remove you from here,” Nate’s voice booms. I hadn’t seen him approaching, but judging from the tightness in his features, he heard what Colin told me. “Apologize to her, or you won’t be able to talk at all tomorrow.”
Nate’s voice is loud enough to catch the attention of several guests. Now I’m not just angry but also mortified.
I touch Nate’s arm, hoping that will convey my message that I need him to calm down. It doesn’t. Nate yanks his arm away, glaring at Colin. The idiot smirks, looking between me and Nate.
“Ah, you’re the TV guy who almost shagged her while I was watching. She must be a hell of a good lay if you stuck around for so long. It’s sure not her brains. Dumb as they come, this one.”
Nate grips Colin by his suit jacket before I even have time to blink.
“Nate!” I say in a low voice, but that’s not helping much. We’re attracting stares already.
“You piece of shit,” Nate says. “Apologize to her.”
“Nate, let him go,” I say sharply. Instead, he just
intensifies his grip.
Finally, Colin starts looking frightened, possibly realizing Nate isn’t someone you mess with.
“I’m sorry,” he squeaks.
“Now say it like you mean it,” Nate says through gritted teeth.
“I apologize, Alice. I completely stepped out of line.”
“Apology accepted. Nate, let him go.”
Nate stares at Colin menacingly before releasing him with such force that Colin stumbles backward. Nate points at him. “You so much as look the wrong way at Alice and I’ll knock your teeth out.”
Colin scurries away inside without another glance, like the coward he is. The guests on the terrace are eyeing Nate and me skeptically, and I want to dig a hole in the ground and disappear inside it.