“Rosebud,” I say low, pulling on my signature half smirk, the one I know will give me the eye roll…There it is.
“Cabrón.” She turns her back more to me, moving closer to her date. She didn’t pick half bad. He’s about half a foot shorter than me but handsome. Definitely hits the gym, and I’m detecting small-dick syndrome with the way he squares up, immediately insecure with my presence. It warms me and I chuckle, sending him a wink over Rosie’s head.
“Can we help you?” her date asks me, a slight trace of anger in his tone.We,that’s cute, date boy.
“You can’t, but she can. She candefinitelyhelp me.”
“You are impossible.” She spins, flipping her hair, almost wiping me, and those blazing eyes spear me straight to the lungs.
“C’mon, Rosebud. I know your workdays are chaotic. Don’t you want just a little fun? Let’s play.” Her date inches closer to her, ready to step between us, but Rosie’s little chuckle has me leaning my chin in my hand on top of their table and gazing after her.
“I do want a little fun, that’s the whole reason I’m on a date,” she responds, full of confidence. Her eyes exude innocence, but I’ve seen behind that façade, there isnothinginnocent about Rosie Garcia.
“You might be out of luck there, Rosebud. No one has ever uttered that f-word in front ofthisguy.” I make a point of gesturing to her date without dropping my smile or even looking at him.
“Excuseme?” Date boy is so mad, and it’s fantastic, because if there was anything Rosie finds more annoying than mebegging for another night between the sheets, it’s insecure men who treat her like some damsel in distress…
“Down, boy.” She holds a hand up to him, and I don’t miss the little snarl of disgust she gives him, followed by a quick once-over before turning her skeptical smile back to me.
“And what game did you have in mind?” She narrows her eyes, her body faces the table but her attention is on me.Sorry, date boy, your night is over early.
“Most numbers tonight wins.” She shifts her body, now fully facing me, all but giving her date the cold shoulder. I’ll give him some credit, he doesn’t back down easily. Instead, he has a death wish, because he grabs Rosie by the arm and tries to pull her toward him. I don’t even have the chance to straighten from my position before she’s yanked her arm out of his grasp, giving him a dirty look.
“Ándate a la conchetumadre.”
“The hell?” He throws his hands up in frustration, delivering her a dirty look, and I have to bite my bottom lip not to laugh at his expense. “Fucking slut. Fuck it, I don’t need this tonight.” He downs the rest of his drink but none of the humor remains after those pathetic string of words. This time, I do straighten from my stance at the table. I don’t anger easily, but I don’t take lightly to disrespect either.
I meet Lucas’s eyes from across the bar and nod at him, gesturing toward her date. He returns the look and I watch as security follows him out of the venue.
“Really know how to pick them, don’t you, Rosebud?” I pull on a smile and the little vixen looks barely ruffled, her playful grin in place.
“I slept with you, so I suppose my douche radar is broken.” She raises an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she looks down her nose at me. I can do nothing but just eat it up.
“Lasting impression, was I?” She narrows her eyes slightly before averting her scrutiny altogether.
“So, the most numbers for the night wins. And what’s the prize?”
“Round two of the best night of your life?” Look, you can’t blame a guy for trying, right? Even if she has turned me down more times than I can count, I wouldn’t be where I am now if I had given up after the first no.
“Listen,pest,you need to stop shooting your shot. You’re wasting your breath, it’s not happening again.” I sit with her words for a bit, tasting my drink and analyzing her features. She can’t seem to make eye contact with me long enough to notice any firm expression on my face, she also hasn’t kept her hands still enough to be relaxed. I get to her, and she hates it. Better yet, shewantsto fuck again and hates it.
Bingo.
The long game is my specialty. Look, I’m in sales. My entire life revolves around wearing people down. Consistent persistence. She wants me, she just isn’t ready to admit it to herself.
I take a step closer, our arms brushing together, and it makes my dick twitch that she doesn’t budge. Instead, she challenges me with her laser focus.
“Fine. Winner gets to set the loser up on a blind date.” She smiles and tilts her head, opening her mouth to say something, but I see the loophole in my words and amend before she can claim it. “No excuses, no hints, and no backing out. Have to last the entire date.”
“That’s subjective, what’s an entire date?”
“Minimum two hours or the length of the activity. If he takes you to a movie, you have to stay for the whole movie or until two hours is up, whichever is later.” I raise my glass to sip, watchingher lips move in a pout, pondering all the repercussions of accepting the play.
After almost a full minute, she seems to have worked out all the possible loopholes because she straightens, throwing her hand out to shake.
“Deal.” I shake her hand but hold firm and pull her toward me. She covers her shock well, but I see the way her eyes bulge slightly, the breath that hitches in her throat, but better yet, I see how she falls closer to me instead of pulling away.
I lower my head so my lips hover just above hers, and I whisper, “May the best man win.” I linger only a moment to tease her before reaching for my drink and heading off to collect my winning numbers.
