"Aiden, so glad you could make it," one of them says as he reaches to shake Aiden's hand. He's the older of the two by a lot, likely in his seventies, and he's definitely got the whole professor vibe going on. His hair is grey, his jacket has elbow pads, and he looks like he's been teaching since the dawn of time.
He’s also looking at me with that gaze that old people think they can get away with because it should be adorable but in reality is very creepy and unsettling.
"And who is this?" he asks, gleefully turning his attention toward me. "I didn't know you were going to bring a guest. Especially one that is so exceptionally stunning." He reaches for my hand without waiting for my reaction, and brings it to his lips so he can press a dry kiss to the back of it. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
Just the fact that he touched me within ten seconds of seeing me makes me have to stop myself from cringing. But instead, I step into the role he wants me to play and decide to beat him at his own game.
"My name's Danielle," I say with a warm smile, subtly shaking my head at a frowning Aiden beside me—who looks two seconds away from stepping in.
"That's a beautiful name," Old Professor says, still not letting go of my hand. He shoots Aiden a quizzical look before asking, "And are you… Mrs. Reeves? Or may I steal you away from Aiden for a moment?"
At that, I pull my hand away from him and instead weave it through Aiden's arm, dropping my head onto his shoulder with a happy sigh. "Nope, not married, I’m just his girlfriend. But that's still probably not appropriate." When I feel Aiden stiffen against me, I quicklyadd,“I left my husband at home tonight,” and exhale a relieved breath when I hear him cover a laugh with a cough.
Now, Old Professor looksreallyconfused. He glances between Aiden and I, opening his mouth like he's about to say something, then snapping it shut when nothing comes out. I almost laugh at the shock on his face.
“What kind of a man lets his wife go out with another man?”
Everyone's attention snaps to the other guy standing behind the professor, a much younger man who looks more like a sleazy sales guy than a college professor. He's got that business daddy look going on, with perfectly styled hair and an obnoxiously nice, custom suit, and he looks like the kind of guy that is used to getting what he wants.
My favorite kind of guy to shut down.
“The kind of guy that’s secure in his masculinity,” I answer with a charming smile, my hand starting to stroke Aiden's arm in a comforting pattern.
His gaze morphs from sleazy to aggressive in an instant. Enough so that I feel Aiden shift automatically into a fighter's stance.
"David, maybe we should—" Old Professor tries to cut in, clearly uncomfortable at this point.
David ignores him entirely when he lets out a bark of condescending laughter. “Trust me, that’s not why he’s doing it. He probably can’t satisfy you himself, so he sends you off to let some other guy try it. Although, I’m not sure how much luck you’d have with this kid, either.” He looks down the length of my body, leering so openly that the hair on the back of my neck stands up. “How about trying out arealman?”
And the moment he insults Aiden is the moment that the game dies and true anger flames in my veins.
I let an insane, mocking smile slide across my face. I don’t respond for a moment, I just let him sit with the silence and watch as uncertainty and discomfort start to take the place of arrogance on his expression.
Eventually, my voice is sickly sweet as I tell him, “Sweetheart, you look like you would tap out before I even finished taking my clothes off. I’d eat you alive.”
His expression becomes instantly enraged.
Before he can respond with some kind of stereotypicalyeah, well you're not that hot, bitch, and before Aiden steps in to fight the guy, I let my mask drop and give Sleazy Salesman a disgusted once-over.
“Don’t ever insult my date again.”
In that moment, Old Professor finally decides to step in and tug his buddy away, his discomfort obvious on his face. He's not embarrassed abouthisbehavior, he's embarrassed about his friend's. Which just riles me up all over again.
But when I turn to face Aiden again, to apologize for how that just escalated, he doesn't look at all angry. He looks… amused.
I pluck another glass of champagne from a passing waiter, somehow knowing that Aiden is done at one. I take a cooling sip before saying, "I feel like I should apologize just in case that was a contact you needed to make, but then I remember you invited me for this reason and had to know what that meant."
He chuckles as he puts his hands in his pockets, and the sight of him so comfortable, sohappy,immediately knocks any other guy out of my brain. There's only this one in front of me.
“Are you kidding me? That guy was my TA freshman year and I wanted to punch him in the face every day I sat in his class. You just did what we’ve all wanted to do for years. I can’twaitto tell my other friends that had him how he just got turned down and destroyed by a woman.”
For the second time tonight, I execute a mocking bow. “Glad I could help.”
Aiden watches me down the rest of the champagne, then plucks the flute from my hand and passes it to a nearby waiter. "Alright, I think I've had about enough of tonight. Feel like grabbing some food?"
"God,yes, please," I groan. "I'm starving. Where are we going?"
"There's a diner around the corner that we always eat at. Best waffles in the entire city."