You've Got Fail(44)
Willis’s voice barely came through. “Tell her – didn’t mean – the squirting – husband – with squirt—”
“I can’t hear you.”
“Squirting – time…husband. Got it?”
“No, no I don’t got it!” I whisper-shouted into the phone. Glancing over my shoulder, I found the woman giving me an angry glare. Crap crap crap triple crap! I ended the call and returned to the hot seat, still with no answer. And worse, Jina was standing to the right, her eyes firmly fixed on me as her fingers tapped away on her phone. When did she get here? Quadruple crap.
“Well?” The woman stared down her nose at me.
“I think that…” I felt Willis move in behind me, though his palm at my lower back wasn’t quite as comforting as usual. “Um, advising Sarah to blow up his marriage by telling the wife wouldn’t have been a good idea. And it wasn’t her place. It’s up to the husband to tell the wife, and for them to part ways or work it out.” I piled the bullshit deeper. “So, when I advised Sarah, if I remember correctly—” I didn’t remember a damn thing, and Willis’s fingertips digging into me didn’t inspire confidence. “I didn’t exactly say for her to keep the affair going. I simply said that it wasn’t her place to let the wife know about the affair, especially when Sarah’s stated goal was to blow the marriage to bits.”
“She didn’t tell me, but I found out all the same.” She smirked, and what appeared to be actual mirth sparkled in her eyes. “And SquirtingSarah’s post will be a great exhibit to use at our divorce negotiation. Half is for suckers. I want seventy-five percent.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay?”
“So, really, now that I think about it, I should thank you.” She grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray, then raised it. “To Scarlet Rocket.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Willis raised his bottle and clinked it with the woman’s.
Jason did the same, and the chatter around us began again, the entertainment of the moment fading as she moved away through the crowd.
“It’s always a show when I’m with you two.” Jason grinned and drained his beer.
I leaned against Willis. “Holy shit.”
He wrapped his arm around my middle and pressed his lips to my hair. “You did amazing.”
“That was so fucking close,” I hissed. Glancing to my right, I saw Jina disappearing into the crowd. “And Jina was here again.”
“I saw. Let’s hope your performance gets us a better review this time around.”
“Whatever, just give me a drink.” I grabbed another glass of white from the bar and sucked half of it down.
“We have to mingle. Linda said we need to build book buzz. We can only do that by talking.”
“I can’t take another one of those.”
“We won’t get another one of those. Surely the gods can’t be that cruel.”
I wasn’t so sure. In my experience, they were pretty damn cruel.
“Come on.” Willis took my arm and led me away from the bar.
“Scarlet?” Todd followed me through the crowd.
“Yeah?”
“I was serious about the date. How about dinner sometime this week?”
“She’s busy.” Willis gritted out.
“You haven’t even checked her schedule.” Todd whipped around in front of us. “Give me a chance.”
He was persistent, and I’d be happy to eat and drink on his dime, though he’d be sorely disappointed about the return on his investment. Todd didn’t have a chance with me. Still, I could add another wallet to my “Todd” collection. “I could do Wedn—”
“Nothing,” Willis growled. “She can do nothing.”
Todd stepped closer to Willis, the men almost nose to nose. “What’s your problem?”
“No problem, Toothy. But Scarlet doesn’t have time for you.”
“Maybe you should spend more time with your boyfriend and leave the women to me.”
“Guys,” I hissed as I spotted Jina circling through the crowd like a snarky satellite. “Cut it out.”
Todd turned his attention back to me. “Now, about that date. Wednesday would work great for me. I can get reservations at—”
“She’s busy.” Willis wouldn’t give an inch.
“Doing what?”
“Sitting on my face.”
“Willis!” I wasn’t a prude, but damn, Willis had just turned the heat up to boiling. Will Ferrell popped through my mind with a “that escalated quickly” meme.
“You’re gay.” Todd frowned.
“Am I?” Willis pulled me into his arms, bent me back, and kissed me.
I pushed on his chest, but he didn’t release, only dipped me farther until I had no choice but to hang onto him.
“That’s my man!” Jason’s voice cut through the murmurs around us, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything except Willis’s lips, his tongue, the feel of him against me. Our tongues tangled, and my eyes slipped closed as he left his mark on me in front of everyone.
Just as soon as it began, it was over. He set me upright and dropped one more kiss on my lips. A smattering of applause erupted around us as Todd stormed away.