Page 94 of One Bad Idea

I pushed through it hard and fast, and never looked back.

Still, the images haunted me like a bad dream. All of this was so incredibly stupid. I was his employee, not his friend, and definitely nothing more.

He owned the building.

And the company.

And me, at least when it came to my paycheck.

I needed to get a grip, and possibly a new job – not because I didn't love the one I had, but rather because I was having a hard time dealing with whatever was going on.

Hours later, I was still irritated, even after a steaming hot bath and two bottles of my favorite beer –hisbeer, at least according to its brand-name.

Damn it.

Sitting on the sofa, I glanced around the place that I now called home. I loved the apartment, truly I did. And I loved the city, too. Still, tonight nothing felt quite right.

The apartment felt big and empty. And the city surrounding it felt cold and lonely in spite of the balmy weather. Cassidy was working, and I had no other friends here at all – mostly because everyone at work treated me like I was some sort of human disease, to be avoided at all costs.

This totally sucked.

On top of everything else, Stuart, my ex-boyfriend, had called my cell phone several times today, demanding that I call him back.

What a joke.He hadn't returned any ofmycalls, even when I'd been so desperate for information. The whole thing was beyond depressing.

But I didn't want to spend my time sulkingortalking with my ex. It was a Friday night, which meant that I had two glorious days ahead of me, dayswithoutJaden Bishop and all of his confusing behavior.

What I needed tonight, I decided, was a change of scenery – something different to shake off the gloom. Who knows, maybe I'd even make a new friend or two.

It was such a lovely thought that I pushed myself up from the sofa, threw on my favorite sundress, and ventured alone into a local nightclub just a short drive from the apartment – where the only real thing I found was more trouble than I'd bargained for.

Chapter 36

Next to me, the guy in the dark blazer was saying, "C'mon, you're pulling my leg."

I laughed. "I am not."

The stranger was tall and good-looking in that classic sort of way. He smiled down at me. "Prove it."

"Why should I have to prove it?"

"Because," he said, with a glance at my drink, "I could get in trouble, contributing to juvenile delinquency and all."

I was still laughing. "Why? You didn't buy the drink. I did."

"Yeah, but I'm determined to get the next one." He gave me a boyish grin. "You don't want me getting in trouble, do you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, you're completely safe."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

I lifted my glass in his direction. "Because I'm sticking to just one tonight." I smiled. "But thanks anyway."

"One drink?" he said. "Where's the fun in that?"

Technically, I was on my third drink if I counted the two beers at home, but that was hardly worth mentioning.

So instead, I glanced around. "Well, thereisthe music." In truth, the music wasn't that great, or maybe it just wasn't my style. But Ididlike the crowd. The club was located directly on the beach, and it had a good mix of people my own age, along with some quite a bit older.