Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(54)

“He told me who Charlotte is.”

Beck raised an eyebrow and slid the bottle of ketchup toward me when I eyed it. “I’m surprised. Did you have to bribe him? Offer sexual favors?”

“Thank you. Don’t be ridiculous.” I dipped a long fry into my ketchup, sighed, and set it onto my plate. I didn’t even feel hungry. Ever since Beck had left the club yesterday and West had said that I’d know if it happened, I’d been in a world of my own.

What might happen?

How would I know?

He wouldn’t elaborate. Refused to, actually. The carefree atmosphere that had formed around us since he’d slammed my apartment door behind us had descended into a tight, tense buzz of air that’d hummed with unsaid words.

“I just asked him.” I looked at the handsome guy sitting across from me. “Accidentally, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“Was it really that bad?”

Beck’s mouth twisted to one side before he shrugged. “He’s stubborn, Mia. He didn’t listen to any of us back then. He was still getting over his parents dying, and I think she gave him comfort he thought he needed.”

“But to get married? Isn’t that overkill?”

“He thought she loved him. Hell, he thought he loved her, but all he loved was probably how she looked on her back.”

“Classy. You’re so eloquent when you talk about women.”

He grinned. “Hey, if they’re gonna treat me like a piece of meat, I’m gonna do it right back. When they respect me as a human being, I’ll respect them too. Like you.”

“Really? Your games yesterday were you respecting me?”

“No, those were me pissing West off. I know they’re easy to confuse, but you’ll get used to them.”

“Cute.” I bit the end of the fry I’d dipped into ketchup, chewed, then swallowed before putting it back down. “There’s no point me getting used to anything. We’re all steaming through this marketing. There isn’t much left to do. At this rate, when I fly home on Friday, I’ll be staying at home.”

“Then I order you to take a day or two off.”

“You order me. Really?”

His smile was the typical infectious one I’d become relatively familiar with. “Yes, I order you. I demand you put your shit away and relax. You’ve worked ever since I met you. I bet you even work when you’re not with us.”

“Well...”

“Then it’s settled. You’re not allowed to work for the rest of the day. Or tomorrow.”

“I need to order fliers. And my friend is coming up from San Diego tomorrow to mix cocktails.”

“Is she hot?”

“Yes.”

She was also definitely not into men, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.

“Then work tomorrow when she’s here. Otherwise...chill a little. We’ve got it handled. Fliers don’t take long to order.” He took a big bite of his burger. “Plus, it’ll really piss West off when he sees you hanging out with me at the bar tonight and he might stop being such a wet fish.”

“What is it with men and not saying what they mean? First West, now you. I give up talking to you.”

Beck rolled his eyes and dropped the burger onto the plate and grabbed a napkin. He wiped both his hands and his mouth before resting his forearms on the table. He leaned forward, looking me right in the eye.

“He’ll be thirty next year, but he’s as afraid of f*cking up as anyone. He did it once before, and no matter what he says, the situation with Charlotte has scarred him. He refuses to get close to anyone. I asked you to dinner last week because he should have said no. He’s done it before, but he didn’t this time. He damn well brought you to dinner, gorgeous.”

“Because it would have been awkward to say no. Stop dressing this into something it isn’t. You can’t put a rabbit in a tutu and call it a freakin’ ballerina.”

He paused. “I’ve never heard that one before.”

I carelessly shrugged a shoulder.

“Mia... I know him better than anyone. We’ve been friends our entire lives. I also know when he needs a boot up his * to get him to admit things.”

I shook my head but didn’t say anything. I was starting to get the feeling that beneath the jokes and silliness, Beck was a romantic at heart.

“Trust me. He’s afraid of f*cking up again. He won’t listen to me though, which means I have to piss him off until he realizes what’s in front of him.”

“Beck. We’re sleeping with each other. It’s circumstantial. When this job is done, I’m going home to San Diego, back to my regular job, my crazy best friends, and my overbearing mother. I appreciate your efforts, but you’re leading your own little army into a battle you’ll lose.”

“So, you shouldn’t fight just because you think you’ll lose?”

“One, I know it’s a losing battle, and two, there’s nothing to fight for.” I impatiently jabbed at a few fries.

“Is that why you’re getting angry with me?”

“I’m not...” I stopped when I realized my voice was a little too loud. “I’m not angry. Okay? Can we talk about something else?”