When I’d approached Lucas, he hadn’t thought it was a big deal that Vicki had obtained such a large amount of money to donate to charity.
“But she likes you,” I’d said. “And I saw how you looked at her at the fundraiser. You like her.”
He’d ignored my last comment and said, “Man, she bid on me but didn’t win.”
“Dude, she had ten grand to use on you, but she saved it for me,” I’d argued.
“Really, Ryker,” he’d said. “Are you really trying to figure out why women do what they do? Since when?”
He had a point. So there I was, waiting to get the date with Vicki over with so I could go see my girl. My dick jumped in my suit pants just thinking about what I was going to do to Haven when I got her naked.
But thoughts, erections, love, and anything else that was on mind completely evaporated when a blonde slid onto the stool next me, and it wasn’t just any blonde.
“Ryker, how are you?” Beverly Sims asked.
Where the fuck did she come from?“Are you following me?” My gaze darted around, hoping her sister wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity.
Thank fuck I didn’t see her. She was crazier than Beverly.
She pursed her red lips. “I’m here with a date.” She stabbed a red nail at a table near the long windows on the other side of the restaurant. A dark-haired man sitting by himself waved at us.
I guess she wasn’t lying. “What do you want?” I asked.
She toyed with a lone coaster. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“Shouldn’t you be saying that to Haven?”
“I will.” I heard a hint of regret in her voice.
But I wasn’t jumping on the “I believed her” train. When she actually apologized to Haven, then I would believe her.
“Why force someone into liking you?” I asked. “You’re pretty. You seem to have it together. So why me?”
She pushed out her shoulders. “I like you. My sister loves you. We thought one of us could snag you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You and your sister need help.”
She slid off the chair. “You don’t have to worry about us. We’re moving to California when the semester is over. By the way, where is Haven? Oh, wait. You’re here on that fundraising date. Aren’t you?”
“Is that the dude that paid for you?” I asked.
“Yes. He’s a nice guy. Good luck.” Then she wound her way back to her date.
I was about to gulp down my scotch when I spotted Vicki pointing me out to the hostess. She glided over, wearing shorts and a T-shirt—certainly not proper attire for the sixty-dollar-a-plate restaurant.
“Hi,” she said. “Sorry I’m late.”
I hadn’t been looking at the time. I’d been wallowing in sorrow that Haven wasn’t my date, but Vicki didn’t need to know that. Still, I blatantly swept my gaze over her. “Did you not realize this is a ritzy place?”
She checked herself out. “Oh, yeah. Um…”
The bartender came over. “Miss, would you like a drink?”
Vicki regarded the gray-haired man. “I’m not staying.”
I could feel my forehead wrinkling. “What?”
She schooled her features. “Ryker James, I am one girl who is not interested in you. But I know someone who is.”
