“I was just about to tell Nate that I’ve been working for a couple of months with Jason! Remember him? Jason Perkwood?” Nuri asks, and I can’t help but tense and frown. “Oh, right, you guys used to date.Well…” She pauses, and I can see the line of Prue’s face tightening in annoyance. “He was hired about three months ago, and he just got fired because of sexual harassment complaints.”
“What?” Prue gasps, her voice loud and disgusted.
“Yeah, apparently he had a really inappropriate behavior with a couple of our interns…”
My gaze slides towards Prue. Was he inappropriate towards her when they were dating? Hewasa jerk before, so I wouldn’t be surprised, but I feel like kicking his face just thinking about it.
But her face is not revealing anything except annoyance and a slight tension.
“He didn’t show that type of behavior with me, but if he did harass those people, then he deserves what he got, and worse.”
“When I made my monthly prayer to the universe, I did wish he got chlamydia.” Nuri and Prue both chuckle over their drinks.
My jaw hurt from clenching it. I’m still mad at the thought that this absolute ass didn’t waste a second and snatched her the moment Jack and I were out of his way. And I can’t help but think about it. How long were they together? Was it serious? Why did it end? Why didn’t Jack do anything to prevent or stop it? What would have happened if Jack and I never drifted apart?
I’m still seething twenty minutes later, while they are both dancing barefoot on the beach, laughing their lungs out. I grit my teeth when a guy plants himself behind Prue, and starts dancing with her.
She pays him no mind though, dancing with Nuri, ignoring him, but he’s not stepping away and keeps grinding against her, unlike the two previous ones who got the hint pretty quickly.
I stand up abruptly and don’t even think twice about moving towards her.
I stop next to the guy, my hand on his shoulder, and he gives me a cold stare.
“Move along, dude, I’m dancing with her.”
“I’m not dancing with you,” Prue chirps, looking a little tipsy and still not turning towards him. “I told you I wasn’t interested.”
“You heard her, so what are you still doing here?” I ask coldly.
He finally steps away with a scoff, and I know exactly what he’s going to say. I also know I don’t want Prue to hear something like this, especially not after I broke her self esteem in the first place. Men like this can’t handle having their ego bruised well…
“Whatever, you’re not—”
“Missing much?” I interrupt, giving him a shove to make him step away. “She’s definitely not. I can’t imagine your sorry ass is worth any time.”
I cross my arms over my chest as he takes a step towards me—probably aiming for an intimidation stance—stopping right in my face, but I don’t move. One of my brows arch up and the corner of my mouth lifts in silent invitation. “Was that not what you were going to say?” I ask, daring him to say something else.
Prue and Nuri stopped dancing, standing just a couple of feet behind me. I hate that men like him exist. They were having fun, enjoying their time with each other, and he ruined it. Maybe me too for stepping in… But if they were interested in dancing with him, they would have said so. They didn’t.
“Come on, Nate. Let’s just go. I want to go back to my hotel anyway,” Nuri says softly.
I don’t move and I see the flicker of hesitation in the guy’s eyes right before he shrugs and turns away, muttering curses under his breath that I hope the girls don’t hear.
“I’m sorry for that asshole” I say, turning around to them.
“Don’t worry about it,” Nuri says with a shrug. “You don’t have to apologize for the failures of other males.”
I glance at Prue, whose cheeks are flushed and eyes a little wide and glassy. Her mouth is slightly open.
“You okay, Prue?”
“Fine, I’m—Uh, fine.”
“She’s drunk,” Nuri chuckles, her eyes playfully narrowed. “Come on, let’s all get out of here, I’m exhausted. I’m probably going to fall asleep the second I step into my hotel room.”
Prue doesn’t look steady on her feet though, and I can’t help but slide my arm around her waist to help her walk. Shegigglesand leans into me with a long sigh.
My heart misses a few beats.
