Page 5
Story: Petty AF
I extended my arm over my head and waved, smiling when he noticed me and began making his way to the table. Standing as he approached, I offered my hand in greeting.
“You must be River.”
His smile was quick but fleeting, a flash of warmth that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “And you must be Deaton.” He spoke calmly, but with an edge of unease beneath the polite exterior. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”
“Not at all. I just arrived—”
The wind shifted, bringing with it an intoxicating scent that stilled the words on my tongue. Sweet yet sharp, it brought to mind cherry tarts cooling on a spring windowsill. Not a scent I had ever found particularly enticing before, but coming from River, it proved to be dangerously alluring.
My fingers tightened reflexively around his hand, and I had to force myself to release him and resume my seat. Off balance, I cleared my throat and forced another smile.
“That’s an interesting cologne you’re wearing,” I commented as he settled into the chair across from me.
His eyebrows drew together, and he tilted his head. “I’m not wearing any cologne. I was worried it might be too…offensive.” Pulling his hair forward, he brought it to his nose and sniffed delicately. “Maybe it’s my shampoo? Is it too much? Does it smell bad?”
“No, it’s nice,” I hurried to assure him, hating that I’d made him feel self-conscious.
I also knew the scent didn’t come from anything chemical or artificial. Asking about his cologne had been nothing more than denial, pure and simple. Whatever it was, I seemed to be the only one reacting to it, too, putting it solidly in the column of a me problem.
“So, tell me what the goals are for tonight,” I suggested, attempting to steer us back into more comfortable territory. “Are you hoping to pick up some new clients, or are you looking to make more business connections?”
“Both?” he answered, his voice lilting at the end. “Is that greedy?”
Ambitious maybe, but I wouldn’t call it greedy. It wouldn’t be easy, though. Shadelings could be mistrusting of strangers, and since he didn’t strut into the room like the world owed him its attention, he might be easily overlooked.
“Word of advice?”
He nodded immediately, his crystal blue eyes darkening with worry. “Yes, please.”
I leaned forward, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “Stop asking for permission.”
While he hadn’t said the words directly, everything out of his mouth held the undercurrent of an apology. For being human. For having goals. For existing.
What I saw as cute and endearing, others would see as a failing, and they’d eat him alive.
He laughed, soft but genuine, and the tension in his shoulders eased a fraction. “Harsh.” He leaned in, mirroring my posture. “But fair. I’ll work on it.”
He had the most striking eyes. Bright, alert, and such an unusual shade of blue I couldn’t put a name to it. Hell, they didn’t even look real. I stared a little too intently, looking for the gleam of the light or the visible edges of contacts, but no. His eyes were really just that blue.
“Have you been to a lot of these kinds of parties?” he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the conversation.
“A few.”
I mainly contracted with MNSTR for personal protection, but I knew my way around high-profile events. I’d been to the Legacy Gala twice before, and I had escorted clients to a handful of other events around the city.
River bobbed his head thoughtfully. “Well, I’m really glad you’re here.”
Me too, and not just because I was being paid for it. “Just be yourself.”
“That is the worst advice ever.”
“Why do you say that?” I teased. “I like who you are.”
He ducked his head, but not before I caught his shy smile. “Thanks, but that’s not—”
“You deserve to be here,” I interrupted, a note of finality in my voice. “You belong.”
He laughed again, though I didn’t think I had said anything funny. Before I could question him about it, though, his gaze flickered to the white limousine that had just pulled to a stop in front of the hotel. The back door opened, and a lavishly dressed couple emerged onto the sidewalk.
“You must be River.”
His smile was quick but fleeting, a flash of warmth that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “And you must be Deaton.” He spoke calmly, but with an edge of unease beneath the polite exterior. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”
“Not at all. I just arrived—”
The wind shifted, bringing with it an intoxicating scent that stilled the words on my tongue. Sweet yet sharp, it brought to mind cherry tarts cooling on a spring windowsill. Not a scent I had ever found particularly enticing before, but coming from River, it proved to be dangerously alluring.
My fingers tightened reflexively around his hand, and I had to force myself to release him and resume my seat. Off balance, I cleared my throat and forced another smile.
“That’s an interesting cologne you’re wearing,” I commented as he settled into the chair across from me.
His eyebrows drew together, and he tilted his head. “I’m not wearing any cologne. I was worried it might be too…offensive.” Pulling his hair forward, he brought it to his nose and sniffed delicately. “Maybe it’s my shampoo? Is it too much? Does it smell bad?”
“No, it’s nice,” I hurried to assure him, hating that I’d made him feel self-conscious.
I also knew the scent didn’t come from anything chemical or artificial. Asking about his cologne had been nothing more than denial, pure and simple. Whatever it was, I seemed to be the only one reacting to it, too, putting it solidly in the column of a me problem.
“So, tell me what the goals are for tonight,” I suggested, attempting to steer us back into more comfortable territory. “Are you hoping to pick up some new clients, or are you looking to make more business connections?”
“Both?” he answered, his voice lilting at the end. “Is that greedy?”
Ambitious maybe, but I wouldn’t call it greedy. It wouldn’t be easy, though. Shadelings could be mistrusting of strangers, and since he didn’t strut into the room like the world owed him its attention, he might be easily overlooked.
“Word of advice?”
He nodded immediately, his crystal blue eyes darkening with worry. “Yes, please.”
I leaned forward, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “Stop asking for permission.”
While he hadn’t said the words directly, everything out of his mouth held the undercurrent of an apology. For being human. For having goals. For existing.
What I saw as cute and endearing, others would see as a failing, and they’d eat him alive.
He laughed, soft but genuine, and the tension in his shoulders eased a fraction. “Harsh.” He leaned in, mirroring my posture. “But fair. I’ll work on it.”
He had the most striking eyes. Bright, alert, and such an unusual shade of blue I couldn’t put a name to it. Hell, they didn’t even look real. I stared a little too intently, looking for the gleam of the light or the visible edges of contacts, but no. His eyes were really just that blue.
“Have you been to a lot of these kinds of parties?” he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the conversation.
“A few.”
I mainly contracted with MNSTR for personal protection, but I knew my way around high-profile events. I’d been to the Legacy Gala twice before, and I had escorted clients to a handful of other events around the city.
River bobbed his head thoughtfully. “Well, I’m really glad you’re here.”
Me too, and not just because I was being paid for it. “Just be yourself.”
“That is the worst advice ever.”
“Why do you say that?” I teased. “I like who you are.”
He ducked his head, but not before I caught his shy smile. “Thanks, but that’s not—”
“You deserve to be here,” I interrupted, a note of finality in my voice. “You belong.”
He laughed again, though I didn’t think I had said anything funny. Before I could question him about it, though, his gaze flickered to the white limousine that had just pulled to a stop in front of the hotel. The back door opened, and a lavishly dressed couple emerged onto the sidewalk.