Page 20 of Negotiation Tactics
“Thanks. Uh, do you still live in Portland?” Many of the people I knew have moved away in search of more exciting opportunities, which makes me wonder if she did, too.
“Oh shit, dude…” Brady elbows me in the side just as Lily confirms she hasn’t left the city. I throw my friend a disgruntled glare, but all he does in response is to tip his chin and widen his eyes as if he’s trying to tell me something without actually saying it.
Confused, I follow the path of his gaze, just now remembering that Lily had a companion. With a practiced smile, I turn to him and extend my hand.
He doesn’t take it, which is a bit awkward. He’s also not looking me in the eyes. It causes me to struggle to maintain my friendly smile because I feel like I’m beinglooked down on. “Are you from the club, too? Sorry, I’m not great with faces.”
He gives me his full attention then, green eyes blazing with intent. Oh fuck. There is no way I am mistaking these eyes, not in a million chances. They are potent, annihilating my ability to think as they stare right into my soul.
“No. I did not go to your after-school club. Lily and I worktogetherfor theWorkers First Labor Union,” the spitfire snaps at me, crossing his arms over his yellow Hawaiian.
“Oh shit, sorry. Where are my manners!” Lily chuckles, shaking her head. “Alistair, this is Joshua, my boss. I believe you two have already met.”
We’ve met alright, but I can’t say that our last encounter was as pleasant as the first one. I got chewed out, I was called an asshole and coward… and despite that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Josh. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t move past him. My mind circles back to his smartass mouth, to the way his body submitted to mine. God, he was so lovely, so perfect. It sucks that he ended up being the Union Head.
“Ye-yeah. Uh, hi. Again.”
I get no response in return, just a scowl.
“Oooh!” Brady’s face lights up with a giant, ear-splitting smirk. “Soyouare Joshua Anderson.” He tsks and pats me on the shoulder. “I get it now, dude. He’s a real cut—”
“What are you doing here?” I blurt out, cutting Brady off as I nudge him in the ribs.
Josh’s evil glare deepens as he sizes me up. My stomach flutters from nerves. “I’m Lily’s plus-one,” he states flatly. “Obviously,” he then adds in a voice dripping venom, just to spite me.
Prickles rise all over me. Shit. There it is—the bratty attitude. Fuck. I’m in trouble.
“Yeah? Are you sure you are here just because of that?”
He grits his teeth and flares his nostrils in an attempt to remain calm. The reaction tickles my ego, filling me with bubbly excitement as I wonder how far I can push him before he drops the façade.
“Yes, I am sure. Snob parties aren’t really my thing.”
My eyes go wide. Brady lets out a wolf’s whistle. Lily pales. A few seconds pass in terse silence, and then Josh seems to realize what he just said, flushing and pinning his gaze on the floor. The awkwardness skyrockets, becoming so unbearable I have to break it or I’ll lose my mind.
“So, um, I hope you are enjoying yourselves despite that?” I say after clearing my throat, ready to steer the conversation to safer topics.
“It’s great, yeah. Love what you’ve done with the décor, and the food bites are top,” Lily says. As another pause ensues, she bumps her elbow into Josh’s arm. “Right, Josh?”
Josh closes his eyes, inhales and exhales deeply, and aims a huge but fake smile my way. “Yes. The décor is really good.”
My heart leaps at the compliment. I noticed it myself, and as much as I hate to admit it, Christine did a spectacular job scaling up the event. It was a last-minute thing because my dad asked, but it proves he’s right to want her on our team for the grand openings of our hotels. The turn-up for the Gala increased tenfold in the last moment, and it’s mind-boggling.
Our conversation kind of dies there, and I really don’t know how to revive it. Josh looks like he wants to saysomething, but having Lily and Brady here seems to get in the way. He and I could benefit from a talk, but we most certainly don’t need an audience.
I am about to capitulate with a lame excuse of needing the restroom when I spot Christine. She’s like a ray of sunshine on a stormy day, because I can only take so much of the nerve-wrecking weird silence. I need to recoup, as I have no idea how to talk to Josh right now.
“Oh, look. There’s Christy.” Brady points at the group of people who’ve gathered by the fountain. “It was great meeting you both, but you have to excuse us. The star of the show needs to finish his rounds.”
Josh deflates a little, giving me the impression that he’s debating something with himself. It makes me not want to bail so I can find out what it is, but I really don’t know how to go about it.
Fortunately, he takes the initiative.
“Maybe we can catch up a bit more after you finish greeting people?” he suggests, pinning those greens on me.
I can’t turn him down. It’s physically impossible when those compelling eyes look at me with such vicious determination. I suspect what he wants to talk about, so the best course of action would be to avoid him, but that’s not something I can do either. All the progress and mental gymnastics I did over the past two days so I could get over him went out the window the moment I let myself be pulled into his gravity, and now there is no escaping it until I’ve had the chance to talk to him.
“Sounds good,” I agree despite alarms bells ringing in my head. “Now, please excuse us.”
