I audibly sighed, leaning back against the mirror wall when the lift began its descent. I didn’t even know where to start. It didn’t make sense. None of what Easton had done told me what he really felt about me. Was it disdain? Surely, he hated that I was trying to get him out of his comfy tracksuit bottoms, but he wasn’t… he wasn’t… he didn’t want me, did he? Surely not.
I didn’t want him. That was certain. I felt that way, but I wasn’t sure how much I believed it after that kiss. He wasn’t my type and that wasn’t what I was looking for.
It had been too long, that was it. One nice hard shag and I’d come right back to my senses. But not with him. No. things were strictly professional between us.
Right.
Strictly professional.
The lift opened and I wobbled out into the lobby. It was just the shock of it. he caught me off guard. Whatever he threw at me next time, I’d be ready.
9
Easton
I can't believe that woman blew me off.
I stared out of the window of the cab. It felt like I was on the way to my doom, but really, I was just on the way to a store. A clothing store. I was meeting Missy for our first shopping trip. I would never forgive Toby for this. I would never forgive either of them for this. It was stupid. It was a waste of time. It wasn't really going to change anything. When all this was said and done, the two of them would look like idiots because they wasted their time and mine.
I hated shopping. First of all, who the hell still went to brick and mortar stores to buy anything in this day and age? Virtually anything you wanted could be delivered right to your house. Online stores were generally cheaper and with the kind of return policies they had in place, physically going to a store just didn't make sense anymore.
When I got the message that Missy had set an appointment for me to get fitted for some suits, it was like being in a bad dream. I had agreed to doing this and compared to everything I had done and seen in my life; this was nothing. The thing was, I walked into all of those other things, including several active warzones, by choice, no matter how crazy or dark they were. This, I was doing under duress, and I didn't like it.
Besides, the woman blew me off.
It was so predictable that it was funny. She was into me; she was so wildly attracted to me that she didn't know what to do. The only thing she could do was reject me so that she could maintain a little bit of her pride. She hid behind the fact that she was a professional and we were technically only working together.
First of all, she played dress up for a living; that was hardly a professional at anything. She was hot and she was attracted to me. I was hot and I was attracted to her. It was simple math really, one plus one equals crazy hot sex that both of us wanted, and frankly, she needed. A good lay did wonders for the mood. Maybe after sleeping with her one time, she would actually be bearable to be around.
I kissed her because I wanted to. I kissed her to shut her up. I kissed her because of the sexual tension that had been
simmering between us since the day I saw her picture had finally gotten the best of me. In hindsight, I wondered whether it was the best move, and then I remembered how she felt. It wasn't like I lacked options, but the first couple of years of business were crucial for its growth. I hadn't been taking full advantage of what being a rich, good-looking bachelor in New York City could give me.
I couldn't deny it, the fact that she turned me down had made me want her more, but at the same time, I felt like it was dead in the water. I knew that she was into me, but I wasn't sure I could make her break. She was a little too stiff for that, turned out. Too bad, if I could have had a little fun with her along with this stupid dress-up stuff, that would have made this a lot more bearable. It didn't matter. How long could it possibly take to fix my wardrobe? I wouldn't have to deal with her anymore in a matter of weeks. She'd be happy, Toby would be happy, and both of them would be off of my back.
The cab stopped and I climbed out. Van de na Beele’s Bespoke Luxury Suits. It sounded like a fake address. Like one of the addresses on a Monopoly board or something. This was the place where Missy told me to meet her. I sighed and walked through the door. The sooner this was over with, the better. Once on the inside, a short woman dressed in black locked up to me.
“Mr. Schultz?”
“That's me.”
It was so fast I almost didn't catch it, but the woman quickly took in my outfit from head to toe. Her face remained blank, but I felt a little tightness in my chest. Hours of people who didn't know the first thing about me passing judgment on something as superficial as the way I chose to dress. I couldn't wait.
“Wonderful. We've been expecting you.” She went behind me and locked the door. I looked around the store.
“Where is everyone?” I asked. It was completely empty. I knew it was still trading hours. Why was it a ghost town?
“Miss James booked an exclusive fitting for you,” she said. “Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I will let her know that you have arrived?”
An exclusive fitting? I didn't even know that you could do that. How much did you have to pay a place to basically turn off all their foot traffic for you? I went inside to one of the couches that the woman had directed me to. After a long day at work, this felt like even more work. I sighed and closed my eyes, collapsing into the couch. I leaned my head on the back of the couch and took a couple of deep breaths.
“You're late.”
I heard the now-familiar sound of heels on the floor. Do you know, after all those years in the army, I got away without post-traumatic stress, but that sound; the sound of Missy walking into my life to ruin my day was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I opened my eyes.
“Some of us have real jobs we have to report to during the day.”
“For once in your life, save the attitude. I know you don't want to be here so let's make this as quick and painless as possible. Follow me.”