Page 11 of The Publicist
“No problem, maybe we can chat again later, all right?” She nods and turns back to her grandmother, showing her the picture. Betty smiles at me and mouths ‘thank you’. I nod my head in reply and take a sip of my drink, the smooth burn feeling good on my parched throat.
“Good job, Romeo, she’s going to love you forever now.” Quinn begins walking away, and I follow, catching up with ease.
“Where to now? More mingling? More alcohol?” I gesture toward her empty glass. “Looks like you could use a refill.”
She smiles and shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll take another one.”
I take her empty glass from her. “Wait here, I‘ll be back.” I move through the crowd back to the bar and order another drink for both of us then turn around and look for her in the crowd. She is mingling with a few people whom I don’t recognize, and I watch Tait saunter up to her. He places his hand on Quinn’s lower back, and she smiles up at him.Who the fuck does he think he is?I want to beat the shit out of him. He has no right to be touching her.
I grab the drinks and make my way back. When she laughs at something he said, I’m seeing red. I down half my drink, the burn adding fuel to the fire. As I approach them, Tait must sense my anger because he removes his hand and lets it drop to his side. She looks at him, confused, and then to me—annoyed.
She takes her drink from me and says, “Excuse me. I have to use the ladies’ room.” Turning on her heel, she heads away from the two of us, and Tait grabs my arm before I can follow her.
“Dude, she is fuckinghot! That dress does wonders for her body. She’s a little bigger than I’m used to, but I bet she can handle a lot between the sheets. How did you get so lucky and where can I get one?”
He’s talking about her like she’s an object. I clench my fist by my side; I don’t want him looking at her anymore or thinking about her sexually. “Apparently, you have to shove your head up your ass, and she’ll come to pull it out. That’s what she told me anyway,” I deadpan.
He laughs loudly and places a hand over his heart. “Well, when you’re done with her, send her my way. I’d gladly fuck up a bit to get her to work on me.”
You’re a fucking pig, Tait.I want to tell him exactly what I think of him, but I see Quinn making her way through the crowd and bite my tongue. She won’t appreciate me making a scene tonight. I smile as she nears, and she discreetly rolls her eyes at me. She stands next to me and motions for me to come closer. I lower my head, and she speaks quietly. “You need to stop with the alpha male attitude. It’s going to get you in trouble.”
“You wouldn’t be as upset if you knew what Tait was thinking about you. I’m not the bad guy here, Quinn. Let me protect you,” I respond, turning my head so I’m looking at her face on.
“I’m not a damsel in distress, and I don’t need a knight to save me, Caleb. Stop trying.” She takes a sip of her drink and turns her attention back to Tait. “Shall we find our seats?” She smiles, and Tait returns the gesture, extending his arm for her to take it. She hesitates but takes my arm instead.That’s right, Tait, move along.
The three of us make our way toward the table, and I pull her chair out like a gentleman then help push her chair in when she’s seated. I take the seat on the right side of her, and Tait sits on her left. He holds her attention with some mundane conversation as others make their way over. I turn my attention to the person to the right of me and strike up a conversation. My mind continues to wander to Quinn, and I place my hand on her upper thigh. From the corner of my eye, I see she looks at me and tries to push my hand off her leg. I squeeze it a little tighter, letting her know I’m not moving it, and she concedes. I smile internally as dinner is served.
Chapter 11
Taitand I are talking about his upcoming role inKeep Her Safe,and he’s telling me about how he had to build more muscle and bulk up for the role of Nico Rossi. Tait had a very small role in the last movie, just an introduction. In the upcoming movie, he has a much larger role and is going after Caleb’s character. The two of them have had training sessions for the stunts for the past few months, and he feels ready to take on the role.
I feel Caleb’s hand land on my thigh and, instantly, my body hums. The heat from his fingers seeps under my dress, and I try to push his hand off me. He tightens his grip, and I give up. I’ll allow him to show his male dominance at the moment, if only because I’m enjoying the way my body reacts to his. Dinner arrives and we eat, everyone at the table asking Tait and Caleb questions about upcoming projects. I sit silently and listen as I drink more champagne.
My head begins feeling a little fuzzy, and Caleb seems to notice something’s off. He takes the glass of champagne from me and hands me a glass of water instead. Taking a small sip, I place it on the table and smile at him. His hand locks with mine, and I glance down at my hand resting comfortably in his lap. He’s drawing small circles on the back of it with his thumb, stirring all sorts of warm, needy feelings deep down.
Quinn, snap out of it! You’re at work, for fuck’s sake!Dinner is replaced with dessert, and my eyes bug out of my head. It’s the most decadent looking slice of chocolate cake I have ever seen, and I am beyond excited to dig in. I giggle quietly and pick up my fork, a content sigh passing my lips as the chocolaty goodness melts on my tongue. Fluttering my eyes closed, I enjoy the sugary treat. I get the sense someone is watching me, so I open my eyes to see Caleb and Tait both watching me intently.
“Sorry, was that out loud?” I ask, heat rushing to my cheeks.
Tait clears his throat. “Um, yeah, it was.” He leans in closer. “It was hot as hell though. I’d love to take you on a date so I can try to hear it again.” He gives me a devilish smile and continues. “I’ll make sure to order more chocolate cake, that is.”
“I’m sure that’sexactlywhat you were thinking, Tait.”Why is he flirting with me?First Caleb, now Tait; did I suddenly become the ‘it’ girl in Hollywood?
He gives a boyish grin. “Maybe I need to hire you as my publicist so you can teach me how to behave.”
“Maybe you need to find your own publicist, Tait. Do you have any recommendations, Quinn?” Caleb interjects.
“I do know a few people who are very good at their job. Do you want me to get you in touch with them?” Caleb is getting jealous, and I need to make sure his speech goes off without a hitch. I decide to play dumb to all the testosterone flying between the two of them and pull out a business card for my PR firm, handing it to Tait.
“Um, thanks.” He takes the card and puts it in his inside pocket, a look of disappointment on his face.
Someone steps up to the podium and taps the microphone to gains everyone’s attention. A surge of feedback goes through the speakers, and the audience lets out a collective groan. The man flinches back from the microphone then steps back up to it.
“Sorry about that, folks.” He chuckles. “I would like to have a round of applause for my wife, Betty, for making this evening possible.” Everyone politely claps, and Harold looks down at his wife adoringly. “All of your donations for this evening are going to a special foundation,Hungry No More, and we want to extend our gratitude for making this possible.” Again, another round of applause from the audience. “We have a special guest speaker tonight, who is going to talk about what this foundation means to him. Everyone, please welcome Caleb Evanstan.”
“Got your speech?” He nods his head. “Good luck then.” I smile and Caleb stands, walking toward the stage.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Caleb Evanstan, and it’s an honor to be here tonight.” He looks at me, and I give an encouraging nod. He continues and I begin tuning him out, reaching for another glass of champagne from a waiter as he offers it. I feel a tickle of breath on my neck and the body heat of Tait on my left. He’s moved his chair closer and is leaning toward me, his lips close to my ear. I try to ignore him and focus on Caleb.