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I know her, and any call we share lasts longer than I have time for right now, so I silence the ringer and vow to reach out to her as soon as I have a break in my day.

25

William

I agreedto meet Percy at this pub because I’m dropping him as a client. It’s over. If I had any lingering doubt, and I don’t, it would be washing away now because the asshole is pressed up against a woman with curly red hair standing next to the bar.

Judging by the half apron tied around her waist and the empty circular tray dangling from one of her hands, she works here. I have no idea if she just met Percy today, but I suspect I’m about to watch him ram his tongue down her throat since he’s moving in for a kiss.

Thank Christ, she stops that by pushing on his chest and shaking her head. An audible “Back off, Percy” leaves her lips before a chuckle leaves his.

“It used to be good between us,” Percy whines. “No one got you off the way I did.”

With another shove to his chest, she laughs. “Who says?”

“I haven’t fucked in weeks,” he confesses, which draws curious glances from two men in suits sitting at a table a few feet away from Percy and his former lover.

“That’s sure as hell not my problem,” the woman snaps. “Back the hell up. I have work to do, and you’re cutting into that. The lunch crowd is due to arrive any minute.”

Since this pub is nestled in the heart of the Financial District, I’ll take her word for it. Liquid lunches are the norm for some of the people who face the high stakes of managing portfolios worth more than a million or even a billion times their net worth.

“Meet me after work for a quickie,” he presses, his left hand inching toward the hem of her short skirt.

She swats it away with a swipe of the hard plastic tray in her hand. “That was the problem with you every time, Percy. It was too quick. You were too selfish.”

“I’ve improved since then.”

“Doubtful.” She gives his shoulder a hard shove to get him to back up a full two steps so that she can dart around him.

“C’mon, sweetheart.” He wraps that in a loud assed sigh. “Give me an hour after work. I promise you’ll be satisfied.”

She turns back to face him. “If you don’t leave me the hell alone, I’ll call the police and have you charged with harassment.”

“Harassment?” He laughs that off. “As if. They wouldn’t believe you.”

This woman hasn’t looked for aid from either of the men seated at the table or the bartender. I doubt like hell she notices I’m here, so I don’t step in even though I want to.

“I have witnesses.” Her hand sweeps a wide arc in the air. “I bet all of these men would back me up.”

“You know I would,” the bartender offers his support without question.

“We saw everything,” one of the men at the table points out. “Everything. You’re disgusting, dude.”

I hold in a laugh until Percy’s gaze lands on me. Seeing the expression on his face brings me nothing but pure satisfaction. It’s a mix of shock and anger. I don’t know how he can be shocked since he’s the one who told me to meet him here. I suspect the anger stems from the fact that he’s been busted trying to get another woman in bed while he’s been proclaiming his undying devotion to Opal for weeks.

“Hey, Percy,” I say loud enough that it echoes through the almost empty bar.

“Will?”

“William,” I correct him before I glance down at the phone in my hand. “Give me a minute. I have something I need to do before we talk.”

Shaking his head, he starts walking toward a vacant table.

With a glance in his direction, I utter one word, “Outside.”

He storms past me, complaining about something, but I don’t give a fuck what it is. As soon as I finish electronically sending my fee back to him, he’s no longer my client.

* * *