Page 102 of One Bad Idea

"If you're calling me an asshole, I already told you, I don't care."

"Well maybeIdo." I looked around. "And just for the record, I didn't come here for a hard time."

"Alright. Then whatdidyou come here for?"

"What kind of question is that?" I gave the crowd a quick glance. "Why doesanyonecome here?"

His mouth tightened. "I can tell you whyDerekwas here."

"Oh, please," I said. "Likeyourreason's any different."

"Meaning?"

I made a point of looking him up and down. He'd changed clothes since I'd seen him last. He was wearing tailored slacks and a dark button-down shirt. The sleeves of his shirt were pushed up, revealing the hard muscles and colorful tattoos that snaked up his forearms.

He looked very rich. And very sexy. And more than a little bit dangerous.

I knew exactly why he was here, and it wasn't to chat it up with his least-favorite employee – meaning me, of course.

I gave him a thin smile. "What? You think I won't say it?"

"Say what?"

"Why you're here."

"No," he said. "I think you don'tknowwhy I'm here."

"Oh, please. You're here to get laid." I almost rolled my eyes.And if he did get laid, what would that be? The third time today?

He replied, "Is that so?"

"Sure. I mean, why else you would you be here?"

"I dunno," he said. "Why else wouldyoube here?"

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded.

"I mean," he said, "that you shouldn't be too quick to assume, considering that you're in the same place."

The implication was obvious, and I didn't appreciate it one bit. "For your information," I said, "I came here for a drink and maybe to dance."

"What, you don't have drinks at home?"

God, what a total tool."You know what I mean."

"And," he said, "I didn't see you dance."

I scoffed, "How wouldyouknow?"

His eyebrows lifted. "So, youhave?"

I glanced away. "No. But I could've."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Well, itwasn'tbecause I wasn't asked, if that's what you're thinking." I didn't even know why I was telling him this. It was hardly relevant.

Just like so many other things, it reallywasnone of his business.