A sinister smile spread across his face, a face I could no longer look at without wanting to beat into a pulp. “Great. Where are you going and when? Make sure you talk business.”
I sighed. “Vine’s at eight. I can’t promise that he’ll sign with us. I have no control over what this guy does with his life. But I’ll try, okay? That’s the best I can do.”
Jayson gave me a smarmy smirk and said, “I’m sure you can do better than that,” before turning back to his work.
I handed the valet the keys to my Jetta and silently hoped that Walker would already be waiting inside. The last thing I wanted was to be here before him, which was why I’d purposely arrived fifteen minutes late. If the swarm of paparazzi outside the brick building were any indication, Walker was already here.
One of the guys lugging a camera leaped toward me as I adjusted my skirt and blouse, but another camera-wielding life-ruiner touched his shoulder and said, “She’s no one,” as I moved to enter the restaurant. Nothing made you feel better than hearing a low-life paparazzi jerk-off call you a “no one.”
After weaving through the maze of outdoor seating, I followed the short pathway to the front doors. As I stepped inside, the hostess looked up from her podium with a fake, tight-lipped smile.
“Good evening. Do you have a reservation?” Written all over her Botox-injected face was the fact that she hoped I didn’t.
“I’m meeting Walker Rhodes for dinner. Do you know if he’s here already?”
Her expression soured as she took me in from head to toe before announcing, “Ah, yes, he is. You’re late. Right this way.”
I followed behind her perfectly sculpted ass and fought the urge to trip her just so I could watch her fall. All this hostility toward me lately was making me violent. I needed a drink. Heads turned and eyes watched me, tracing my path, obviously curious if I was the one meeting Walker in the back. He might have been in a more secluded section of the restaurant, but everyone still knew he was here. I suddenly wished I was better at faking it.
When the hostess waved her hand toward the booth where Walker was waiting, I flashed a closed-mouth smile and muttered thanks in my snarkiest voice.
“Problem already?” Walker joked and I noticed how relaxed he looked, leaning casually into the back of the booth with a beer in hand. The long sleeves of his unbuttoned flannel shirt covered up his tattoos and his well-sculpted arms.
Pity.
“She’s sort of a bitch. Sorry I’m late. Traffic,” I lied.
“No problem, I planned on waiting all night if I had to.” His hazel eyes met mine and I gave him a quick grin as I felt myself blush at his words.
“Come, sit.” He patted the seat cushion next to him in the semicircular booth and I scooted into it, leaving enough space for a person or two to fit between us. The configuration was awkward, and I wished we were sitting across from each other like normal people.
He leaned over and gave me a lopsided grin that made my heart flutter. “You can move closer. I don’t bite.”
I closed my eyes a second to keep from rolling them, then said, “I’m good. Plus, I don’t even know you. You might bite.”
Okay, I might have flirted back. I wanted to hate him or be annoyed by him, but it was really hard when he was this close. His stupid good looks disarmed me, even though I wasn’t normally the type to fall at a celebrity’s feet. I couldn’t in my line of work. But Walker was nothing if not charming, without even trying. It seemed like he was simply made that way. If you took one smidgeon of allure, mixed it with two dashes of handsome, tossed in a devilish grin and eyes that could stop world wars, you’d have Walker Rhodes. And that irritated me, which in turn reminded me that I was here against my will.
Thankful for the prompt service from our waitress, I turned my attention in her direction and away from Walker’s innate animal magnetism.
Rahr.
“Good evening, my name’s Rachel. Can I start you off with something to drink?”
“Yes!” I responded a little too enthusiastically and Walker chuckled into his fist. I shot him a glare before asking, “May I please get a whiskey sour?”
“Absolutely,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Rachel was a petite brunette with a flawless complexion and stunning makeup skills. She definitely fit the bill of the stereotypical stunning actress/waitress, if that was indeed what she was. She was also clearly used to waiting on celebrities, but even I could tell that Walker’s presence had her rattled. I had to commend her on her ability to remain professional, when I would bet a hundred bucks she’d be willing to service him under the table as well as over it. For a second I almost wished she would. At least that way I could end this charade.
“Whiskey, huh? Didn’t take you for a whiskey girl, Madison. Rough day?” His finger idly followed along the rim of his beer glass in a circular motion.
“You could say that.” I really hadn’t intended to be so cold, but I didn’t understand what he wanted with me in the first place. Sure, we shared a moment onstage, but big deal. Walker shared that kind of moment with a different girl every night. And honestly, this all felt like a colossal waste of my time.
“Are you irritated with me? Did I do something wrong? I mean, how is it possible I’ve screwed this date up already?” His head tilted and a smirk appeared.
Squeezing my eyes shut for a second, I sucked in a quick breath and decided to be brutally honest with him. “I’m sorry. I guess I just don’t understand what we’re doing here.”
Walker lifted his arm in a sweep to indicate the room. “I thought we were having dinner.”