So she sat at the polished bar, a large cocktail with a name she couldn’t remember in front of her. The drink was so full of a variety of liquors she could feel the alcohol’s heat flow through her veins and settle with a fuzzy glow in her stomach, and she’d only had a couple of sips.
Gracie glanced about the bar, and her head spun a little. Oh, dear. She wasn’t a big drinker. Last time she drank, she’d ended up in bed with Hunter.
Not that it had been the liquor’s influence on her choice, oh, no. She could get drunk on the man alone. She had already done so apparently.
Why in the world had she told him never again?
“Drink up, Hayes!” one of her co-workers cheered, and she was reminded of Hunter. Again. Always. How he liked to call everyone by their last names, accompanied by that cocksure grin of his.
Full of longing over what could never be, she grabbed the glass and slugged it, draining half of it with one swallow. Everyone around her whooped and hollered, cheering her on, and she slammed the glass onto the bar counter with a big smile.
Her head buzzed, but she ignored it. She was going to have fun, damn it. Despite Becky, who sat at a table watching her with a concerned look on her face, her mood sour. Despite that she hadn’t formally accepted Alex’s offer though of course, she was going to.
The offer was just too good to pass up.
And yes, despite the fact she hadn’t spoken to Hunter about the new position. She hadn’t even seen him. Was he angry? Did he even want her as his marketing director? Or had it been his idea all along?
She hadn’t a clue. Hopefully she’d find out more details come Monday morning.
“You’re looking good tonight, Gracie.” Marcus slipped in beside her, a smile curling his lips. She gazed up at him and caught him trying to catch a glimpse down her shirt. Yet again, he was hitting on her. He’d been doing so incessantly, and she was growing tired of it. He was too polished, too smooth in the way he spoke to people. She liked him well enough, but she was starting to think he was a phony.
Besides, with the way her mind was so completely focused on Hunter, she had a feeling no other man could be her type but him.
“Thanks, Marcus.” His smile grew, his gaze settling once more on her chest, and she wanted to roll her eyes.
“So, marketing director, huh? Congratulations.” He sounded smarmy. Insincere—which made her wary, and her defenses shot up. She hadn’t expected this from him.
“I don’t have the position yet,” she reminded him.
“They’ve made the offer. I’d say it’s pretty much in the bag.” He stepped closer to her, and she wished she could move. But the bar was crowded and she was trapped on the barstool. “Funny how you haven’t been there very long and yet you snap up the most coveted position within the department like that.” He snapped his fingers for emphasis.
Unease slipped down her spine. She knew it was too good to be true. Not everyone would be happy with her promotion, and it looked like Marcus was at the top of the unhappy list. “I’ve worked hard to get where I am. Alex believes I’m worthy of the position.” She lifted her chin, feeling defiant.
“Oh, I’m sure he does, only because his brother told him just how worthy you are.” Leaning in closer, he murmured close to her ear. “Spending time in the boss’s bed changes a man’s mind pretty quickly.”
Her skin went ice-cold, and she clutched the edge of the counter in front of her. “How dare you make such an accusation?”
He lifted away from her, the smirk on his face unmistakable. “No need to pretend, princess. The truth has been whispered about here and there for a while. It’ll just be a matter of time before it gets out completely.”
Her mind raced. How did he know? Who could’ve told him? She’d not uttered a word to anyone, not even Becky. Unless it was Hunter who told him what happened…
She frowned. The two men were friends. Marcus had worked at Worth for years. But Hunter couldn’t be so callous, so careless as to tell Marcus about their time together, would he?
“So do you put out for just the boss? Or do you spread the joy around?”
Irritation filled her, and she wrapped her fingers around the cool glass of her cocktail. “You need to watch what you say.”
“We’re not at work.” He shrugged. “What are you going to do, report me?”
That was it. Moving quickly, she tossed the contents of her drink in Marcus’s face. Shocked gasps filled the room and everyone went still, seeming to wait for Marcus’s reaction.
She set the glass on the counter with a loud thunk and slipped off the barstool. “Don’t ever talk to me like that again.” She thrust a finger at him.
He glared, the liquid dripping off his face, marring the fancy suit and tie he still wore. “You’re lucky you’re a woman or I’d—”
“Or you’d what?”
She knew the steely voice that sounded behind her. Turning, she found Hunter standing there, a fierce expression on his face, his stance one of a warrior from long ago. Legs spread, hands clutched into fists at his sides, his narrowed gaze locked on Marcus. He appeared quietly furious. “Tell us, Marcus,” he urged when Marcus remained silent. “What would you do to Gracie if she wasn’t a woman?”