Playing It Safe(12)

“Julia, right? What are you doing here?” she asks with obvious distaste in her voice.

I smile. “I’m the person in charge. What can I do for you?”

“You?” she says with a laugh. “Well, isn’t that just perfect.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I can assure you that I am in charge, and I ask that you please stop harassing Joey and direct all your inquiries to me instead.”

She looks between Joey and me as I give him the go-ahead to get back to work so I can deal with her. This is when I get a really good look at her. She’s beautiful, no doubt, with her almond-shaped brown eyes and lithe figure. Too bad for her she’s wearing a dress that was so last season and, worse, is coming across like a whiny baby in her mommy’s big-girl clothes for a night out on the town.

“Fine, I’ll deal with you if I have to,” she says as she rolls her eyes. “This isn’t the menu I wanted at this thing.”

“This is the menu that was provided to me and my staff,” I say, motioning behind me to Lisette and Sarah. I turn my head in their direction. “Ladies, if you don’t mind, can you please bring Alex back here to discuss this further.”

Marisa crosses her arms and sticks her foot out while pouting as we wait on Alex. Every minute I hate this girl more and more.

“You look different,” she says.

“You look the same.”

“What does that mean?”

I shrug my shoulders. “It means whatever the hell you want it to mean.”

The sound of the door swinging open smoothes the look of disdain off her face. Her mouth morphs into a syrupy sweet smile, letting me know that Alex has just arrived.

“Marisa, what are you doing back here?” he asks calmly, but he looks so incredibly annoyed at the same time.

“Alex,” she gushes as she rushes to his side. “I was just trying to explain to this person that the menu isn’t what I wanted.”

Did she just say “this person” like I’m some piece of gum on the bottom of her Jimmy Choos? Oh hell to the no! All bets are officially off!

I open my mouth to unleash the unholy string of curse words that are on the tip of my tongue, but I stop short when I see Alex giving me an apologetic look before directing his attention back to Marisa.

“I told you that I let Julia handle everything at these events because she’s the best at what she does. I would appreciate it if you would apologize to her right now so I can get back inside and deal with more pressing matters than this nonsense.”

Suck it, bitch!

She looks pained when she turns her head to me and says, “Julia, please accept my apology.”

Smiling like a Cheshire cat, I answer, “Apology accepted.”

Of course I don’t mean it, and now I know for sure I’m going to have to watch this one like a freaking hawk. All mini-drama over and done with, Alex, still looking as uncomfortable as ever, mouths an “I’m sorry” as he guides Marisa toward the door to leave. The moment he turns his head, she shoots me a look over her shoulder and then sticks her tongue out at me.

Let me repeat. Sticks. Her. Tongue. Out. At. Me.

I don’t even hesitate; I lift my hand and give her the finger with a huge smile on my face as Sarah and Lisette try to contain their giggling.

“That girl really hates you!” Lisette exclaims.

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Sarah asks.

“I don’t even want to talk about it,” I mumble.

“Well, we do!” she says.

I put my hands on my hips and let out a heavy sigh. “There’s not much to tell. I met her the other night when she was Alex’s date at the Grandersons’ party. She didn’t like me then, and obviously from that whole display, she really doesn’t like me now.”

Lisette puts in her two cents. “She’s jealous of you.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I was going to say,” Sarah says.

“Jealous of what?”

They both look at each other and then back at me like I just grew two heads. I know what they’re going to say, and I don’t want to hear it. I feel like if someone else says it out loud, then it confirms whatever it is I’m feeling for Alex and vice versa. And maybe, just maybe, I’m not imagining that this crazy flirting between us isn’t just flirting.

“That Alex is head over heels in lust with you and you’re head over heels in lust with him,” Sarah says so quickly that it comes out sounding like one long-ass word with a few syllables thrown in there for good measure.

“You two are nuts, you know that?” I say, rushing to deflect the attention.

“Ni?a, I have been praying to Santa Bárbara for this day.” Lisette crosses herself while looking up to the heavens, but she’s really looking at a dingy ceiling.

“I know, right?” Sarah says right behind her.

Now they’re just staring and waiting for me to say something. They have another thing coming if they think I’m going to say a goddamn thing about Alex and our flirting and where it isn’t going. I only have one way out of this mess.

“Alrighty then, I’m out. I’m leaving you two in charge. If Alex asks where I am, tell him I wasn’t feeling good and went home.”

“Chickenshit!” Lisette yells to my back while I gather my belongings and start to walk out the door to my car.