ran his finger down the screen to open the programs.
"Yeah. I was saving you."
"From what? A hot woman?" Damon smirked and turned his attention back to the screen.
"No, from making a mistake. You're with Bethany now, right?" Ben coughed. "You know that's a big ass mistake in the making, right?"
"We had this discussion already, and you didn't save me from anything. I proposed to her. I'm a lot of things, but a cheater isn't one of them." Damon brushed his fingers across his lips. "Why is it that our tax people never seem to work as fast as the audit side?"
"The rules change too often. You know that. Cut them some slack."
Damon sat back as Ben reached across and closed the screen. "We're old friends, right? Frat brothers?"
"Yeah. So." Damon reached for the top, but paused.
"So I'm telling you as someone who cares about you, you need to set this thing up with Bethany well. She's not only an intern at the firm, she's-"
"I know. Stop fucking reminding me," he growled, wishing like hell he could pick them up and move to a foreign country where no one knew either of them. That would solve everything in their relationship, maybe... but the host of other problems it would create was almost stifling.
"She wants to move in together, which is the next step in the relationship, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet." Damon picked up his glass and lifted it, trying to get the server’s attention.
"You proposed. I'm pretty sure you don't get to not be ready for anything. Next steps are blown out of the fucking water thanks to the ring you gave her."
"What's with the tone, Ben? You don't even know her." Damon leaned forward a little as aggression pumped through his center.
"Hey. I'm just worried about you." Ben leaned back and lifted his hands in a show of surrender. "You know I'd support you in any crazy, fucked up adventure you wanted to go on, but this... it's nuts. Period."
"I agree, but it is what it is." Damon shrugged and opened the laptop. He'd proposed too soon, but like any great opportunist, he wasn't willing to let go of the one that would eventually become the right partner for his lifestyle. She was everything he wanted and then some. She'd grow into the rest, and most likely mold him into the man she wanted him to be. It would just take time and a whole lot of fucking frictions from what he could tell.
"It's not what it is. This is marriage. It's a really big deal." Ben lifted his hands again. "I know, I'm just saying."
"Well, don't. I'm fine. We're not moving in together for a while. We both need to grow into our relationship a little more. I'm happy with the moves I've made. I love her."
"Do you, or are you infatuated with her."
"Is there a difference?" Damon chuckled. "You're drunk and emotional. Stop projecting that sappy love shit on me. Bethany and I are good together, and everything is going to work out perfectly."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'll force it to."
"Even if that upsets her? Women don't like that alpha male shit too long. It's good in the beginning, but then you better start softening."
"Not happening." Damon clicked a few buttons. "Go get some sleep and leave me in peace. My relationship with Bethany is great."
"Where is she?"
"In the room." He glanced up. "Why?"
"I'm pretty sure that's her getting into that cab." Ben pointed out the window as Damon's heart almost stopped in his chest.
"What the fuck." He slipped out of the booth and took his phone with him. The cab was gone by the time he walked out of the hotel.
A valet turned toward him and smiled. "Need me to get your car for you, Sir?"
"No. Where was that girl headed?"
"Um... I don't know." He turned back toward Damon with an odd expression.
"Right. Of course you don't." He turned and walked down the long sidewalk that led toward the parking lot as he called her.
"Hey." Her voice was thick as if she'd been crying.
"Where are you going? It's fucking eleven o'clock in a big city."
"I'm getting some Tums. My stomach
"Yeah. I was saving you."
"From what? A hot woman?" Damon smirked and turned his attention back to the screen.
"No, from making a mistake. You're with Bethany now, right?" Ben coughed. "You know that's a big ass mistake in the making, right?"
"We had this discussion already, and you didn't save me from anything. I proposed to her. I'm a lot of things, but a cheater isn't one of them." Damon brushed his fingers across his lips. "Why is it that our tax people never seem to work as fast as the audit side?"
"The rules change too often. You know that. Cut them some slack."
Damon sat back as Ben reached across and closed the screen. "We're old friends, right? Frat brothers?"
"Yeah. So." Damon reached for the top, but paused.
"So I'm telling you as someone who cares about you, you need to set this thing up with Bethany well. She's not only an intern at the firm, she's-"
"I know. Stop fucking reminding me," he growled, wishing like hell he could pick them up and move to a foreign country where no one knew either of them. That would solve everything in their relationship, maybe... but the host of other problems it would create was almost stifling.
"She wants to move in together, which is the next step in the relationship, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet." Damon picked up his glass and lifted it, trying to get the server’s attention.
"You proposed. I'm pretty sure you don't get to not be ready for anything. Next steps are blown out of the fucking water thanks to the ring you gave her."
"What's with the tone, Ben? You don't even know her." Damon leaned forward a little as aggression pumped through his center.
"Hey. I'm just worried about you." Ben leaned back and lifted his hands in a show of surrender. "You know I'd support you in any crazy, fucked up adventure you wanted to go on, but this... it's nuts. Period."
"I agree, but it is what it is." Damon shrugged and opened the laptop. He'd proposed too soon, but like any great opportunist, he wasn't willing to let go of the one that would eventually become the right partner for his lifestyle. She was everything he wanted and then some. She'd grow into the rest, and most likely mold him into the man she wanted him to be. It would just take time and a whole lot of fucking frictions from what he could tell.
"It's not what it is. This is marriage. It's a really big deal." Ben lifted his hands again. "I know, I'm just saying."
"Well, don't. I'm fine. We're not moving in together for a while. We both need to grow into our relationship a little more. I'm happy with the moves I've made. I love her."
"Do you, or are you infatuated with her."
"Is there a difference?" Damon chuckled. "You're drunk and emotional. Stop projecting that sappy love shit on me. Bethany and I are good together, and everything is going to work out perfectly."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'll force it to."
"Even if that upsets her? Women don't like that alpha male shit too long. It's good in the beginning, but then you better start softening."
"Not happening." Damon clicked a few buttons. "Go get some sleep and leave me in peace. My relationship with Bethany is great."
"Where is she?"
"In the room." He glanced up. "Why?"
"I'm pretty sure that's her getting into that cab." Ben pointed out the window as Damon's heart almost stopped in his chest.
"What the fuck." He slipped out of the booth and took his phone with him. The cab was gone by the time he walked out of the hotel.
A valet turned toward him and smiled. "Need me to get your car for you, Sir?"
"No. Where was that girl headed?"
"Um... I don't know." He turned back toward Damon with an odd expression.
"Right. Of course you don't." He turned and walked down the long sidewalk that led toward the parking lot as he called her.
"Hey." Her voice was thick as if she'd been crying.
"Where are you going? It's fucking eleven o'clock in a big city."
"I'm getting some Tums. My stomach
Similar Books
