Page 11 of The Encounter
She looked over at him, surprised. “Did you know I was coming?”
It was basically a rhetorical question, she realized. She looked over at Kayla and Robert again. They were engrossed in their own conversation and cuddled up close to each other. They didn’t even notice her looking their way.
When she looked back at Jace, he nodded. “Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have closed off the lounge.”
She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or nervous. All this week she had been telling herself it was a good thing they weren’t together because of his celebrity status. The paparazzi weren’t exactly something she wanted in her life. She enjoyed her privacy and didn’t want to open herself up to scrutiny. But hearing him say it caused her stomach to do acrobatics.
She smiled at him and then took a sip of her drink, unsure how to respond. Running her fingers along the condensation of the glass, she finally looked back at him. “I’m glad you did.”
Who are you?
When did she learn to be so bold? He clearly was, so maybe it was time for her to try it on for size.
He smiled flirtatiously back at her. “So tell me about yourself.”
“What do you already know?” She really wanted to know what else Kayla had told him. Or what Kayla had told Robert, who told him. Either way, she was curious.
“I only know that you and Kayla are roommates and that your name is Maddie. I’m taking a guess that it’s short for Madelyn?”
She nodded. “Yes, but no one calls me that anymore.” A curious look crossed his face, so she hurriedly added, “I just prefer Maddie.”
“I also know that you look incredibly sexy in a sailor costume, and you can do something very well.”
She choked on her drink. With the music so loud, it wasn’t possible for Kayla and Robert to hear their conversation. It wasn’t possible for anyone to hear their conversation, but she still looked around, alarmed. He stared at her with an amused smile on his face as she coughed, trying to clear her lungs.
Setting her drink on the table in front of them, she cleared her throat, thankful for the loud music. She could virtually hack up a lung and he wouldn’t hear her unless he was holding his ear right up to her mouth.
He pat her back and gave an apologetic look, despite his mischievous smile.
When she could finally speak again, she leaned forward so he could hear her. She considered commenting on his last remark, but decided against it. She wouldn’t take that bait yet. “I work in marketing for a small clothing company.”
“Oh yeah? Which one? Maybe I’ve heard of it.”
“It’s called Kailynn Winters Designs. It’s just Kailynn and I working there at the moment. We are currently trying to get her clothes into some bigger retail stores rather than just having an online presence.”
“That sounds interesting. I hope you both succeed.”
“We will. We’re a pretty strong duo.” Her confidence shocked even herself, but she couldn’t help it. His radiated off him and seemed to rub off on her.
Kayla and Robert stood up, motioning toward the dance floor. Maddie nodded acknowledgement in their direction before shifting her gaze back to Jace.
“Do you want to dance?”
He strained his neck to look over the railing at the dance floor below, where Kayla and Robert were working their way through the crowd. It was wall-to-wall people.
“I’m not sure it would be a good idea. We could end up getting approached or get pictures taken of us. If you’re okay with that, then we can give it a try.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted any pictures of her floating around at this point in time. She didn’t know if it was nearly as crazy and she would expect it to be, but seeing the press that he received already was enough to turn her off. Did she want to be a part of that?
“I’m fine with staying up here,” she said.
He watched her for a second before taking her glass. “I’m going to get you a refill. Same thing?”
She nodded. He walked over to the bar and chatted with Haley while she refilled her drink. She almost felt sorry for Haley. While she wasn’t busy and was only mixing drinks for the four of them, it also meant she wasn’t getting tips like she was probably used to receiving. The several bartenders on the floor below had to have been making several hundred dollars worth of tips easily.
Jace sat down next to her again, setting her drink in front of her.
“Thank you.”
