Page 13 of The Publicity Stunt

Theo, however, does no such thing. All the earlier light-heartedness, the fun-and-games aura, disappears. The energy in the air shifts, giving way to crackling electricity. He hunches forward with his elbows resting on the bar counter, and stares at her. Fierce, brooding, and unwavering. A predator eyeing its prey.

I look at Holly and she hasn’t moved an inch. She just stares back. It’s more of a death glare, but still.

“You’d be surprised how much I wouldn’t hate that, love,” Theo replies, his tone calm and collected.

Double gross.

“But for now I’ll just take it with orange bitters and rye.”

Holly’s fingers whiten around the glass in her hand. Oh, no. The heated glare in her eyes increases tenfold and she turns around, grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniel’s along with an empty glass.

“Uh … Hol,” I chime in, trying to lighten the tension. “We had that thing, remember? That thing we need to leave for now. Like right now.”

She ignores me, obviously, and five minutes later she walks around the bar, and slams the glass in front of him. An old-fashioned with bitters and rye. “Drink,” she orders.

A slow, devious grin tugs at Theo’s lips and he casually rolls up the sleeves of his black button-down, revealing his toned arms. “So bossy,” he says. “Just my type.”

“Keep up the sarcasm and you’ll be my type too.”

At this, his smile widens. “Yeah? And what’s that, exactly?”

“A man in pain.” Holly reaches for the glass and slides it forward. “Now, drink.”

“What do I get in return?” Theo asks.

A normal person would probably be a little grossed out, or at least skeptical of the contents of that glass. But not this guy.

This guy is smiling. Like, actually smiling.

“All my surgeries for the next week,” Holly leans her weight sideways against the bar top.

My eyes bug out and I hold back a gasp. My sister would rather cut off her own arm than offer up her surgeries. Which means she doesn’t expect the guy to actually drink it. Ergo, she must have spit in it. Oh, Holly.

“One of these days, love”—with his eyes locked on hers, Theo lifts the glass to his mouth and downs every last drop—“someone’s really gonna put you in your place.” Holly scoffs and Theo slams the empty glass on the countertop. “Keep up that attitude and it might just be me.”

I gape. Holly’s smug look fades into nothingness.

“The drink wasn’t half bad, by the way.”

“What a shockingly backhanded compliment,” she snaps, while Theo goes on looking at my sister like she’s the Eighth Wonder of the World.

“Well, then, your left thumbnail is a bit chipped,” he tells her.

Her frown deepens. “That’s not a compliment.”

“Or backhanded.”

Cheeks sucked in and nostrils flaring, Holly does not look pleased. Well, duh. Who asked her to bet a week’s worth of surgeries over something like this?

I put my phone inside my purse and stand, fishing out my wallet to get our tab. “Oh, that’s not necessary.” Holly stuffs my hand back in rather aggressively. “Doctor Scumbag here will take care of it.”

“What?” I say, glancing back at Theo.

The weight of his stare is so intense, it pulses through the air. “Sure. A little charity never hurt anyone.”

Right.

After telling him to drop dead, Hol grabs my arm and pulls me to the exit.