"Then you guys should join us," one of the girlfriends says eagerly. "We'd love to know more about your Aidan—-"
"He's not her Aidan," Jack snaps.
"I don't mind though," Aidan says. "I'm happy to be hers if she wants."
And there it is.
Aidan making things worse, just as his dangerous smile has promised.
"Ha ha ha." I force myself to laugh to make it look like a joke, but no one else joins me, and Jack's face only contorts into a look of rage.
Shit.
I clear my throat. "Anyway, it's been nice hanging out—-"
Jack's fingers suddenly circle around my wrist in a biting grip. "You're not seriously leaving with him, are you?"
"Where are you from originally?" I hear another one of the girlfriends ask at the same time.
Oh my God!
Although things have been going downhill fast, it's still been manageable, but if Aidan answers that question—-
"Wyoming."
I bite back a cry. Fuuuuuuuuck me.
There's a rapid-fire exchange of questions and answers, and I just wait for the bomb to drop. The way this night has been progressing, I know it's only a matter of time. It's fuck-me night after all, so sooner or later the bomb's just going to drop...
"Oh my God, you're the police chief!"
And there it is.
Bomb.
Dropped.
And.
Boom!
Chapter Ten
I start babbling the moment I see Aidan raise a brow at my direction. "I told Jack how you rescued me that night, that's all, and Jack told everyone—-"
"It was too good a story not to share."
I've never wanted to kick a man in the nuts before, but I know if I ever do, Jack will definitely top my list. From looking like a sulking little boy earlier, he now looks like he's just discovered Aidan's a frog to his princely butt, and oh my God, I so badly want to smack that look of smug condescension off his face.
I know I'm no Aphrodite. I know I'm still not special. But I do know that I deserve better than this jerk, and—-
"You really should join us, man," Jack's telling Aidan.
"I'd be happy to," Aidan says right away.
What in the world is happening?
My gaze snaps back to Aidan, and even though I know I owe him a thousand apologies, I just can't help glaring at him as well. Why don't we just go?
His expression doesn't change, but the gleam in his dark eyes delivers a pretty clear message.
Stay.
Put.
My teeth gnash at this, but since I owe Aidan, and he obviously wants to spend more time with Obnoxious and Company...
Fine.
Aidan's given a seat, and I quickly take the chair next to him and pretend not to notice the glare Jack throws my way. We're through as far as I'm concerned, and I only wish I hadn't left his ring back home. It would've been nice if I could return it to him tonight and completely sever all connections between us.
Jack finally takes his seat and shoots one last glare at me from across the table.
I lift my chin, intending to glare right back—-
"Aidan, isn't it? What would you like to drink?" It's Harold who asks the question, and I immediately tense up. Harold is Jack's toady both inside and outside the law firm, and I can tell by the sneer in the other man's tone that he's about to do something nasty. "I'm not sure we have your usual beer here since this place only imports alcohol from Japan and Greece..."
"Anything will do," Aidan said easily.
"You ever tasted sake?"
"I have, yes."
"You're not saying that just to impress us, are you?"
The whole table laughs except for Aidan and me, and I'm torn between outrage and shame when Jack and Harold actually exchange hi-fives in front of Aidan.
Can these guys get any more childish?
I open my mouth, intending to show them just how not classy I can get when I'm furious, but before I can get a single word out, that's when I feel it—-
Aidan's fingers suddenly brushing over my knee, and I jerk up in shock.
"So, Wyoming..." It's Jack speaking again. "Was it your first time to ride a plane?"
"No, it wasn't my first time." Aidan leans back against his chair but keeps his hand on my knee.
"Do you have a passport?" Harold asks. "Do you even think of getting one? It's not like you can afford international travel."
"I have a passport, yes." Aidan's fingers start moving up my thigh, and I feel hot and cold all at the same time.
"Where did you go to college?" Harold goes on to ask.
"I'm not sure people from small towns bother with college," Jack says seriously. "It's not like they need a degree for playing cowboys."
The whole table laughs again, and even though the sound still sickens me, I'm far more bothered by the way Aidan's fingers have found their way under my dress.
Assholes.
They're all assholes, men and women alike, and...ooooooooh my Goooooood.
As Obnoxious and Co. continues on with their insults, Aidan goes on with his seduction, and breathing alone becomes a struggle as his fingers graze the insides of my thighs.