“On how good you are Daphne.” He smoothed his hand down his black dress shirt.
“Try me.” She grinned, all pretty white teeth. If he was straight and didn’t already have the baddest motherfucker on the planet in his bed, then she would have been a catch.
Meridian broke their intimate eye contact and glanced over at the expensive bottles of liquors and cognacs. He saw what he was looking for but decided to turn on the charm instead of just asking for what he wanted. Meridian licked his lips, and narrowed his eyes, “How about a Forager’s Clogau and Dubonnet. If you don’t have Forager’s, then Saar’s Dry, no Saar’s, then Nolet’s Reserve, if no Nolet either... then impress me.”
Daphne reared back and gave him a shocked expression. “No sir. I’m the one impressed. You know your gins. But if you will allow me,” she said and reached for a black and crystal bottle from the top shelf. “Cambridge distilled Anty Gin.”
“Made with wood ants, yes,” Meridian said cockily, while sipping his water. “I thought you were going to impress me.”
Daphne raised a challenging brow. “It’s all in the presentation, Mr. ...”
“Smith... John Smith,” Meridian answered.
He watched her mix the spicy Dubonnet with the gin in a shaker and stir it a few times with a long-handled spoon. She glanced up at him as if she could feel him staring. He was.
“Are you staying here in the hotel?”
“I am.”
“You here for business or... pleasure, Mr. Smith?” She lowered her voice even though they were the only ones at that end of the bar.
“Maybe both,” he challenged back.
He noticed how she skinned the lemon peel and twisted it into his glass before she placed it in front of him. “Give it a taste... see if you like it.” She practically purred.
Meridian sipped the drink, letting the bitter vermouth linger on his tongue a second longer before he swallowed. He wasn’t a gin lover, he preferred cognac, but he knew of several pompous drinks like this one that scored him points when he was working a con on a bartender.
“Well?” she asked after he took another sip.
“I stand corrected. You have amazing talent,” he lied.
“You have to know what you’re doing to work in an AAA, four-diamond restaurant, Mr. Smith.” She touched her chest. “I’ve served CEOs, congressman, superstars. There’s rarely a challenge I can’t rise above.”
Braggers annoyed him, but Meridian kept up his act. He just needed to know what the DA was drinking and to be there when the waitress came to pick up his drinks.
“Like you, for example.” Daphne leaned in and ran her gold-tipped fingernail along his hand. “You seem like a real challenge. So silent and serious. I noticed you haven’t given anyone else in this room a second look.”
“No one except you.” Meridian glanced down at her breasts again, noticing how firm her nipples were, the imprint visible through her thin white shirt.
“Consider me intrigued.” She sashayed around to her computer-cash register then looked hotly at him over her shoulder. “Will this be cash? Or would you like to give me your room number... to charge?”
Meridian was just about to go for the finish line when he felt a hard thud against his back.
“This man has killed one hundred and eighty-four men, ninety-nine of them were brutally,” Ex said, his voice loaded with hostility. “You still want his room number? You still feeling intrigued?”
Meridian didn’t let the astonishment of what Ex had just done pierce his façade. Instead he grinned tightly and took a slow drink of his cocktail. His bartender stood gaping at Ex with a half-smile, half frown on her face as if she wasn’t sure if he was kidding.
“This is my cousin. He’s had a long trip from England this afternoon... so.” Meridian glared at Ex. “It might be best for him to go sit back down and focus on his big job coming up.”
Ex cocked his head at him then grabbed him by his jacket lapel and yanked him forward until their lips collided. Meridian grunted in surprise as Ex boldly plunged his tongue deep inside his mouth as if he was searching for his tonsils. Meridian had no choice but to open and take the assault or get shoved off his stool. When Ex was done proving his ridiculous point, he released Meridian, but didn’t let him go far as he panted close to his throat.
Meridian couldn’t meet Daphne’s eyes again as she stood there gaping. “He’s my um... fourth cousin,” he muttered awkwardly.
“Eww. Gross,” she said, scrunching up her face as if she was impersonating the Grinch.
“Twice removed,” Meridian added, but she was already walking away.
“Seriously?” Meridian gritted, then downed the rest of his disgusting drink.
“How far were you going to take that, Mere? All the way? Was she about to take a quick break?” Ex used air quotes around the word break.