He nods toward me.
“Sparkling water with lime.”
He raises his eyebrows slightly. Do I look like a drunk? I get the weirdest looks when I order a non-alcoholic beverage at a bar. A minute later, he slides the drinks in front of us. Lois gives him a credit card. “Run a tab.”
A tab? How long does she think we’re going to be here?
She takes a sip of her drink and lets out a sigh. “Mmm. Rough night at work, with Mrs. Wolfe going into labor and all. I’ve been gunning for a drink all night.”
I bring my water to my lips and nod.
“So…recovering, huh?”
Everyone wants to know the story. I can’t tell them the real one, of course, so I’ve got a canned speech ready.
“Yeah. I got into alcohol heavily when I was a teen because of my shitty home life. I’ve been sober for over ten years.”
There’s a grain of truth in there. The shitty home life part. I’ve only been sober for a few months, though, and I started drinking way before my teen years.
Most people don’t ask too many questions after that.
Lois, apparently, isn’t most people.
“Shitty home life? I’m sorry to hear about that. Is everything good now?”
“Good enough.” I make my tone as noncommittal as I can. “Not something I talk about.”
“Oh, sure. I get it.” She takes another sip. “You want to dance?”
I down my water. “Sure. Why not?” I start to roll up the sleeves of my white button-down but then remember that I can’t. The tattoo will attract more questions I can’t answer. I’m still wearing my black dress pants that I work in.
I don’t enjoy dancing all that much, but it’s better than talking. I’m not sure what Lois’s angle is, but when your boss asks you for a dance, you don’t say no.
There’s no band at this small venue, just a DJ spinning records. Or rather, toying with his Spotify account through a set of Bose speakers.
A few hip-hop songs, and I’m ready to call it a night, when a slow song begins.
Lois wraps her arms around my neck.
I guess we’re still dancing.
She can’t really be interested in me. Can she?
She leans into me. She’s shorter than Katelyn and slightly curvier but not overweight at all. Attractive, with a brown bob and sparkling light brown eyes. Still…not my type.
If I even have a type anymore.
Yeah, I do.
Katelyn.
As I move slowly, another woman plastered against my body, only Katelyn fills my mind.
Already she’s consuming me, and that’s not great news. I’ve been consumed by women before, and it never leads to anything good.
Of course, that was the old me.
The new me is…
Hell, I’m not even sure who the new me is. I don’t know who I am anymore.
Which is another reason I shouldn’t be starting anything. Especially with Katelyn, who, for reasons unknown, I already care about.
Recently moved, recently sober… Why not start a relationship? Man, what am I thinking?
The song comes to an end, thank God, and the DJ starts another fast number. Good timing for me to make a break for it. I pull away.
“Another drink?” I ask.
“Sure.”
We head back to the bar, where Lois orders another round. I down mine quickly. “I should be going. Tomorrow’s my day off and I have an early appointment.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Dentist.” I lie.
Lying isn’t good. I used to lie a lot. I can’t let myself fall into that habit again. Damn.
“Oh. Okay.”
“You want me to get you a cab?” I ask.
“No. I think I’ll stick around a little while longer. Thanks, though.”
“Thanks for the drinks,” I say. “Next time it’s on me.”
Her pretty brown eyes light up at the comment. Crap. I just intimated there’d be a next time, which there won’t be.
Except she’s my boss.
Double damn.
I could handle this. I could. Lois is a nice woman. I might even consider dating her if not for Katelyn. And if not for the fact that she’s my boss. And if not for the fact that I shouldn’t be dating anyone.
Easy enough. If she asks me out again, I’ll give her the “you’re my boss” line.
I may lose my job, but I can find another. Heck, I can even do a reverse #metoo move.
Except I won’t. I can’t. I need to stay under the radar. Filing lawsuits isn’t the way to do that.
Under the fucking radar.
Dating a woman who could easily be a supermodel sure isn’t the way to do that.
Working at a Manhattan restaurant isn’t really the way to do that either.
I’m fucking this up. Majorly.
This being invisible thing isn’t easy when you’ve been a celebrity your whole life.
11
Katelyn
Honor LaVonne Wolfe was born at five a.m. this morning.
I wake up to the text sent by Reid.
Reid Wolfe, COO of Wolfe Enterprises, billionaire, thought to send me a text when his daughter was born.
I’m amazed.
The younger Wolfes are nothing like their father. They’re all wonderful.