Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(66)

She nodded.

He leaned forward so she could hear him. “Do chicks like that?”

Avery found herself smiling. “No.”

“Sure I can’t buy you a drink?” Polite Kid asked.

She shook her head and leaned closer to his ear. “You might want to ditch Sleazeball here. Chicks don’t like being eye raped.”

Mr. Polite looked over her shoulder, then back.

Avery winked and walked off.

“If you change your mind . . .”

Avery waved and walked away.

By the fourth club, defeat had settled in.

The bartenders hadn’t seen him. Most of the waitresses were too busy to look. And the music sucked. It was an uptown club that felt downtown to her. There was some serious drug action going on in a dark corner. Some didn’t even bother hiding the lines on the tables.

At almost one in the morning, she was done.

“Hello . . .”

Avery smiled, not feeling it. “Hi.” What she really wanted to say was not in this lifetime. But she was an adult these days, and talk like that caused trouble.

“What are you drinking?”

“I’m good.”

“Yes, you are.”

Just a kid. One that didn’t mind a weight room, but a rich kid if she ever saw one. “Lines like that work for you, stud?”

“You’d be surprised.” Clean-cut, money, if the watch he was wearing belonged to him.

“Eventually the women will be older, and that will result in a drink to the face.”

He leaned back and his smile left the room. “Bitches better think twice before ruining my shirts.”

Tough guy . . . great. Avery turned as a cocktail waitress holding a tray of shots was walking by. She stopped her, tossed a ten on the tray, and picked up a drink.

Rich Kid stared at her, daring.

Her fingers itched.

She stared back.

Avery tipped back the shot and returned the empty glass to the tray.

He found his smile again. “That was hot.”

She couldn’t stop herself. “Not in this lifetime.” She turned to walk away, and he grabbed her arm, hard.

Instant heat shot through her. A twist, a turn, and a shove and his arm was disengaged, and Rich Kid stumbled into the tray the cocktail waitress was holding. Tiny drinks all over his shirt.

Avery thought that would be it.

It wasn’t.

He marched up, hands ready to shove.

She pivoted and brushed his hand away with her forearm. The force was enough to leave a bruise on both of them. He sailed past, stumbling again.

By now a small crowd had stopped dancing.

“Dude, let it go.” This was yelled by a bystander.

He charged again. Avery raised her hands, palms out. “I want nothing to do with you,” she yelled. While the stance looked as nonthreatening as it got, her legs were in position and her hands were up, protecting her face.

Someone stepped between the two of them. “Fuck, dude. She’s a girl. Hands off.”

“Bitch pushed me.”

“You grabbed her.” The cocktail waitress stepped in.

Rich Kid glared at her, lifted his chin.

By now security was barging their way in.

Avery felt adrenaline dumping into her system.

“You okay?” the guy who stepped between them asked her once security was escorting Rich Kid to the door.

“I’m fine.” She pulled her skirt down and dusted her hair off her shoulder. “Done for the night.”

“Might wanna wait a few minutes before taking off. That guy is in here all the time. Pure asshole. Wouldn’t put it past him to wait at the door.”

“Thanks.”

She worked her way to the women’s bathroom and bumped through the women to wash her hands. A small trickle of blood ran down her arm. She must have caught the guy’s watch. She rinsed it off and dabbed the scratch with a towel. The attendant in the bathroom smiled and offered her a mint.

Avery took one and pulled a five from her pocket. It was the smallest bill she had.

Expensive mint.

Back in the club, she made her way to the door.

The bouncer recognized her and moved to her side. “How about a taxi?” He glanced across the street and sure enough . . . Rich Kid watched.

The bouncer stepped into the street and hailed a cab. When the car stopped, Avery climbed in the back. The bouncer tossed a few bills to the driver. “You come in anytime, little lady. No cover, drinks on me.”

She smiled. There were some nice guys out there. Unfortunately the world was laced with assholes, too. “Thanks.”

Back at her hotel, Avery flicked on the lights in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes fell on the bruise forming on her arm where the guy had grabbed her and where she’d blocked him.

Warriors bruised but they didn’t break.

Avery wiggled out of her skirt and turned on the shower. By the time she got out, the room was full of steam and her mind had finally started to rest.

When her cell phone rang, she picked it up from habit. “Hello?”

“You’re answering your phone. That’s new.” It was Lori.

“Hey. It’s late, what’s up? Is everyone okay?” Avery wiped the mirror. Mascara ran down her face.

“How is New York?”