Page 26 of The Girlfriend Card (Vegas Sin #4)

Better Idea

Dakota

I hated thinking about Ottavia’s shitty situation. We were powerless to change it, a reality that hung between us. Once we got our food, I decided to ask about something more light-hearted.

“So how do you like working here?” I asked, wanting to change the mood.

“Oh, I love it,” she gushed.

A sparkle filled her eye as she told me about her job—she liked having the daily routine, she liked feeling productive, and she loved the people she worked with.

She also loved that, as a hostess, she didn’t have to sweat and grind in a chaotic kitchen—no, her job was to greet the customers, so looking cute and presentable was part of the job.

“Not gonna lie, I like that,” she admitted with a giggle.

I didn’t mind it, either, because she looked amazing. The time we’d spent apart had only made her more breathtaking than I remembered, and her summer dress hugged her in all the right places. She wore her hair up in a crown of braids, a regal touch that seemed so fitting.

“I bet the guys in the kitchen are obsessed with you, huh?” I asked with a chuckle. “Bet you’ve got twenty different line cooks and dishwashers crushing on you.”

“Well, I don’t know about that …” she demurred, but I could tell it was true.

“Seriously, though, you look great,” I said. “And I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”

She wore an embarrassed smile. “Oh, stop.”

“I have!”

“You look good, too.” She ran her eyes over me, biting her lip as her eyes swept up and down my arms. “You look bigger, by the way.”

I chuckled. “Hell, I better . My life is so boring now. All I do is go to the gym and eat like a monster. The only social thing I’ve done in the past two weeks was play in a scrimmage today.”

“So you’re really sticking with your workout plan, huh?”

I nodded. “Two workouts a day, every day.”

“No alcohol?”

“Haven’t had a drop.”

“Wasn’t there something else?” she asked, tapping her chin.

I grinned. “No girls.”

“Ahhh, yes.” Poking at her salad, she cast a furtive glance up at me. “Still sticking with that one, too? Or no?”

“I’m still a good boy.”

She giggled. “You’re such a rotten liar, you know.”

“I swear! I’m not lying. And it hasn’t been easy, by the way. Something’s up with these Vegas girls.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, smiling.

“Well, look—in addition to being a pro athlete, I’m also tall, hot and ripped. So girls are naturally going to be drawn to me, no matter what.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. “You’re also so very humble. Don’t forget that.”

“Thank you. Exactly.” I chuckled. “But I dunno. Ever since the video incident, it’s like, girls are chasing me or something. They’re everywhere. And they’re, uh, more aggressive than ever.”

Her eyes widened with intrigue. “More forward, you mean?”

“Yes. They’re straight to the point. They want to hook up and they’re letting me know it—at the gas station, the grocery store, wherever. It’s kinda too much. Even for me! ”

“Wow.” She let out a laugh. “It must be because you’re officially a bad boy now. We do love that, you know.”

I snickered. “Do you love it?”

“No … but I can see the appeal,” she admitted with a coy grin. “If you’re able to resist all those babes chasing after you, it sounds like you’re taking my dad’s demands very seriously.”

“On one hand, yeah. On the other hand?” I gave a shrug. “I’m surprised at how easy it’s been, saying no.”

Ottavia leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “Why’s that?”

I took a moment to gather my thoughts, my eyes unwavering. “Because … they’re just not what I want.”

“What do you want?”

Ottavia’s eyes searched mine, waiting for an answer. The question hung in the air, pregnant with unspoken desires, and a lump formed in my throat.

“Something I can’t truly have,” I said.

She took a moment to absorb my words. “I can relate,” she said, a futile sadness in her eyes.

A lull came between us as our waitress came by again. Ottavia reached for the check, but I swiped it up before she could get it.

“Hey!” she protested. “Let me pay for it, Dakota.”

“Nah. My treat.” I tucked a couple hundred dollar bills in the check holder and called it good. “So what are you up to now?”

“Not much. I was going to go home before you showed up.”

“Are you still staying at the hotel?”

“Er, no.” Her eyes darted down. “That was only for a week.”

“Are you back at your dad’s, then?”

She hesitated. “No … I’ve been staying at Leo’s condo.”

“I see.” I bobbed my head. “How are you getting there?”

“Florin is always just a phone call away.”

“Well, you can call Fluoride up and tell him to get lost.”

She snickered. “Why? And why do you dislike my driver, Florin, so much?”

“You mean, besides the fact he’s a creepy stalker who’s in love with you?”

“Oh, stop!”

“Nah. It’s nothing personal against him. I just have a better idea.”

I reached into my pocket, grabbed my car key, and slid it across the table to her. She caught the key before it slid off the edge.

“What’s this?” she asked, a puzzled look pinching her face.

My Porsche didn’t have an actual set of “keys” so to speak; it’s a modern key fob with electronic ignition. But what’s unique about it is that the whole thing is shaped like a mini 911.

I grinned. “What’s it look like?”

“A little Porsche. Is that the key to your car?”

“Yup.”

“It’s so cute! But why are you giving it to me?” A cute smile eagerly pulled at her mouth. “I can’t drive, Dakota.”

“I know. Let’s fix that, yeah?” I gave her a wink.

“Here? Now?! ”

I gave a nod and slid out of the booth.

Her eyes lit with disbelief and she squealed my name. “Dakota!”