Happenstance(35)

I don’t want to interrupt when the evening is going unexpectedly well, so I give in to the magnetic force dragging me toward the bar. I’m off-kilter after my eavesdropping session upstairs. My blood is still pumping at an intense pace and Banks’s presence will even me out again. Tobias? He’ll be there, too. There’s no way he’ll even me out, but maybe he’ll piss me off and distract me from what I’ve just done and heard.

Distract me from wanting to do something about it.

I head in the direction of the bar and fold my hands on the hammered brass surface, enough of a distance between me and Banks—and me and Tobias—that no one will wonder if Gabe’s date has gone astray. There is a cocktail menu sitting on the bar and I pick it up, perusing the list of signature cocktails while prickly warmth spreads down both sides of my neck, disturbing my concentration. It’s Tobias. It’s Banks.

Without exchanging a word with me, I know what they’re thinking. Needing.

I glance sideways at Tobias and find him grinding ice in his cheek, his gaze pinned to my neck, and I cross my ankles tightly, a long, winding ribbon of lust unfurling down to my toes. It’s almost impossible to keep my expression schooled as I transfer my attention to Banks, watching him circle the tip of his middle finger on the bar in a mini pool of condensation, his throat moving in a rough swallow. My heartbeat reaches my ears and thickens, nipples swelling against the front of my pink dress.

By the time the bartender approaches and asks me what I’d like to drink, I’ve pretty much forgotten my name, but manage to order something called a French Kiss. I would blame the sudden pulsing weight between my thighs on the sexy atmosphere, but they also did this to me in my sandwich preparation station at work, so sorry, girl, that isn’t going to track.

On my left, Banks chances a step closer to me, resting his forearms on top of the bar.

Tobias follows suit from the right. Actually, he takes two cocky, sauntering steps in my direction, a martini raised to his lips. Banks’s ego must give him no choice but to rise to the challenge, because he closes in another two feet or so.

“Stop,” I whisper, pinning each of them with a look. “I’m here with Gabe.”

“Then why are you over here in between us when you’re supposed to be playing his supportive new love interest?” Tobias asks.

“Tobias,” I return smoothly. “Please tell me more about how a love interest is supposed to behave, so I can do the exact opposite.”

He huffs a laugh. “You don’t think I have any experience with relationships, cheeky girl?”

A snort from Banks. “With your mirror, maybe.”

Banks and I fist bump without looking at each other. It’s just…automatic.

So much that we shoot each other a startled glance.

That simple, odd connection I share with Banks visibly annoys Tobias. It appears to push him into what he says next. “I attempted to have romantic relationships at the start of my career.” He picks up his drink and salutes us. “I’m sure you can imagine what the arguments were about.”

I’m so busy trying to picture Tobias as a boyfriend that I forget to thank the bartender when he sets down my drink and walks away to fill the next order.

“They were smart women to walk away,” Tobias continues. “I could have learned a thing or two from them about the stupidity of blind trust. The kind I had for my manager.”

“What happened with your manager?” I ask, sliding my purple martini toward me, using the tip of my index finger to spin clockwise the flower sitting on the surface.

Tobias shakes his head. “I hate talking about it, mainly because it’s such a fucking cliché. The lack of creativity is completely beneath me.”

“We’ve been warned,” Banks says, exhaling. “Still want the story.”

“Me too,” I’m not sure why I reach over and run a knuckle down the back of Tobias’s hand, but he closes his eyes on contact, as if to savor the feeling. “Very well.” His voice is slightly uneven and he takes a moment to rein it in. “I trusted my manager completely. So much so that I didn’t read the fine print of the paperwork he had me sign. Essentially, I signed over the rights to dozens of hours of recorded…work to him. No compensation for me. Just giving up these really vulnerable moments for free.” He chuckles, but the merriment doesn’t reach his eyes. “Ripped off by a business manager. See? A tale as old as time.”

That bomb drops, explodes and all we can do is let the cloud of smoke billow up.

“Sorry, how is that cliché?” Banks asks, turning fully to face us.

“Yeah, that’s my question, too. Were you…friends?”

“Best friends,” Tobias clips. “Or I thought we were. He never took me seriously for a minute.” Seconds tick by. “I wasn’t able to perform on camera after that. Filming scenes had never felt dirty before, but it did after that. I was used. Played.” He shrugs. “I bought a one-way ticket to a place I could disappear and I’ve been in New York ever since.”

I’ve never been short of breath while standing still.

I’m…angry, I realize. On Tobias’s behalf—which is so shocking, I should look out the window and see if pigs are flying. I’m also pretty peeved at myself for goading Tobias into telling me such a painful story. For being so dismissive of him when there are clearly undiscovered worlds behind the gorgeous fa?ade. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Tobias,” I whisper, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. “You get the night off from dick punches.”