Page 102 of Bourbon Deceit
“Well, hello.” I looked up but didn’t recognize the man holding my hands. “Ooops, sorry about that tall, dark, and handsome.” I tried to pat his chest, but he wouldn’t let go of my hands.
“Your hands are nice and moisturized, mister, but I’m pretty sure we passed that point of accidently holding hands and now we’re bordering on creepy, so if you don’t mind letting go . . .”
Before I could react, the man let go of my hand and lifted his elbow, which connected right next to my right eye, pitching me into a plane of darkness. The last thing I remember was falling to the floor while saying, “Captain Throwin’ Bos!”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Ain’t it Fun”
JETT
“Yes, Jeremy. I would prefer not to look like a damn moron at the Mayor’s Ball.”
“Well, I just figured since you already had three tuxes you wouldn’t want another one.”
“Assuming is never a way to conduct business, Jeremy. Have my measurements sent to Armani and make sure the tux is ready by Wednesday in case there needs to be any adjustments.”
“Yes, sir,” Jeremy said over the phone. “Do you want a town car or limo?”
I mulled over Jeremy’s question. Limo sent the sign of high importance, but was also more intimate when it came to bringing a date and I didn’t want to give Keylee the wrong impression. It was bad enough that I had to go shopping with her for a damn dress. What woman couldn’t go shopping by herself? A town car would be less intimate but it was more reserved, less elegant.
“Can I offer a suggestion, sir?” Jeremy asked, sensing my hesitation.
“Please.”
“Maybe for appearances, you come in a limo.”
Jeremy was right. I was attending the Mayor’s Ball to obtain an image, and I needed to stick with that. I ran my hand over my face as I thought about the night. It was the last fucking thing I wanted to attend, especially with the clingy Keylee, but it was the finish line, the end to this madness.
“That’s fine.”
“Are you sure, sir?”
“Yes, book it Jeremy.”
I listened as he tapped away on his third appendage, his iPad, and waited until he was done.
“Do you want to send anything over to Ms. Zinc before the event?”
“No,” I said without flinching. “This is purely business. I don’t want her thinking anything else.”
“Okay, I just didn’t want to be rude . . .”
“Business, Jeremy, there is nothing rude about it.”
“Yes, sir,” he said weakly.
“Have you heard anything else about my father’s plans for Lot 17?” I’d been dying to ask Jeremy for a while but I didn’t want to bombard him. He did just start up with his new group, and I didn’t want him to feel like a spy but I couldn’t help it. I had to fucking know.
“Not about Lot 17 but about something else.”
“What?” I asked, my muscles tensing.
“According to some of the girls that work with him or for one of his companies, he’s started auditioning . . . women.”
“For what?” I was pretty sure I knew, but I wanted Jeremy to confirm.
“He has a new club that he’s testing out in one of his hotels. It’s locked down, security wise. Apparently you have to have some kind of clearance to enter and entry is only granted after a finger print and eye scan.”
