anything. If they could just keep it together for a few moments, he could sneak out and vanish. This was getting too dangerous too quickly. If the wrong person walked down the hall or saw him at all, the charade would be over, and he had a feeling Anna would disappear.
“Nice to meet you, Frank. Linda was telling me how horrid these things are. I guess your boss makes you three come instead so he can lounge about at home?”
Ben and Linda smirked at Riley as he faked a laugh. “Yeah, something like that. Are you here with someone then?” Riley asked.
Phoebe cringed a bit. “Yeah, I am, sadly. The guy from the other night? Giving him a second chance.” Her eyes darted around nervously, as if she was worried he’d appear beside them. Riley stood straighter at her words and tried to keep the smile on his face. So, she was here with a guy. A guy that, the last he had seen, was not making her very happy.
“Second chance, huh? Well, I hope he really deserves it.”
“Don’t you think everyone deserves a second chance?”
“Depends on what they’ve done. Last time I saw you with him, you were pretty upset and I was ready to kick his ass if he followed you out of that place,” Riley said. Why was he getting so worked up? He hardly even knew this woman. Maybe she liked men like that. In that case, she certainly was not his type.
“Maybe you just don’t understand the circumstances,” she said hotly, cheeks flushing in anger.
“Fine, then, maybe I don’t. Either way, I still don’t think you should be here with him.”
“I didn’t give you permission to dictate my life.”
“You didn’t,” he agreed.
“Good. Then maybe you shouldn’t.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before Ben cleared his throat. “So, you two known each other long?”
Riley saw Anna’s lips twitch before she started to laugh. He joined her, and they shook their heads. “No, we met last week—briefly, but it was still quite an adventure.”
“Never been rescued by a pirate before,” she added, pulling her cell from her purse. “I should really get back inside before he comes looking for me, not that anyone in there actually misses me.”
“Why don’t you just stay out here and hide a bit longer then?” Riley suggested.
She glanced around but they were alone. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Splendid. I’ll go and grab some beers and sneak right back.” Riley watched the real Ben disappear inside the ballroom as Linda and Anna returned to their bench down the hall. He followed, hoping her date wouldn’t decide to take a stroll any time soon.
“I really shouldn’t have worn these shoes,” Phoebe said as she pulled them off.
“Just walk around barefoot,” Linda told her. “No one will notice.”
“What do I do with the shoes?”
Linda leaned close and confided, “I always stash mine in the supply closet. Usually forget about them.”
Phoebe laughed as Riley rolled his eyes. “Why do you wear them in the first place?”
“They were a gift, actually. So was the dress.” She hunched her shoulders a bit, and Riley had a feeling she wasn’t used to getting such outlandish gifts. Had to be from her date. Who was this guy? She didn’t seem like the type who would go after someone for their money, so why hang around him? “But it’s all right, I’ll just carry them. Everyone here already knows I don’t belong.”
“Trust me,” Riley whispered, leaning in close, “that’s a good thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“He means that those people in there are utterly full of themselves,” Linda chimed in. “And what’s worse is they know it. They’re terrible, self-centered, arrogant, and the list goes on. You’re better off not hanging around them, ever.”
Phoebe laughed. “Is that why your boss makes you three come instead?”
Linda looked right at Riley and smiled. “Not sure. Maybe one day I’ll ask him, and he can explain it all to me.”
Riley nodded when Anna
“Nice to meet you, Frank. Linda was telling me how horrid these things are. I guess your boss makes you three come instead so he can lounge about at home?”
Ben and Linda smirked at Riley as he faked a laugh. “Yeah, something like that. Are you here with someone then?” Riley asked.
Phoebe cringed a bit. “Yeah, I am, sadly. The guy from the other night? Giving him a second chance.” Her eyes darted around nervously, as if she was worried he’d appear beside them. Riley stood straighter at her words and tried to keep the smile on his face. So, she was here with a guy. A guy that, the last he had seen, was not making her very happy.
“Second chance, huh? Well, I hope he really deserves it.”
“Don’t you think everyone deserves a second chance?”
“Depends on what they’ve done. Last time I saw you with him, you were pretty upset and I was ready to kick his ass if he followed you out of that place,” Riley said. Why was he getting so worked up? He hardly even knew this woman. Maybe she liked men like that. In that case, she certainly was not his type.
“Maybe you just don’t understand the circumstances,” she said hotly, cheeks flushing in anger.
“Fine, then, maybe I don’t. Either way, I still don’t think you should be here with him.”
“I didn’t give you permission to dictate my life.”
“You didn’t,” he agreed.
“Good. Then maybe you shouldn’t.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before Ben cleared his throat. “So, you two known each other long?”
Riley saw Anna’s lips twitch before she started to laugh. He joined her, and they shook their heads. “No, we met last week—briefly, but it was still quite an adventure.”
“Never been rescued by a pirate before,” she added, pulling her cell from her purse. “I should really get back inside before he comes looking for me, not that anyone in there actually misses me.”
“Why don’t you just stay out here and hide a bit longer then?” Riley suggested.
She glanced around but they were alone. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Splendid. I’ll go and grab some beers and sneak right back.” Riley watched the real Ben disappear inside the ballroom as Linda and Anna returned to their bench down the hall. He followed, hoping her date wouldn’t decide to take a stroll any time soon.
“I really shouldn’t have worn these shoes,” Phoebe said as she pulled them off.
“Just walk around barefoot,” Linda told her. “No one will notice.”
“What do I do with the shoes?”
Linda leaned close and confided, “I always stash mine in the supply closet. Usually forget about them.”
Phoebe laughed as Riley rolled his eyes. “Why do you wear them in the first place?”
“They were a gift, actually. So was the dress.” She hunched her shoulders a bit, and Riley had a feeling she wasn’t used to getting such outlandish gifts. Had to be from her date. Who was this guy? She didn’t seem like the type who would go after someone for their money, so why hang around him? “But it’s all right, I’ll just carry them. Everyone here already knows I don’t belong.”
“Trust me,” Riley whispered, leaning in close, “that’s a good thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“He means that those people in there are utterly full of themselves,” Linda chimed in. “And what’s worse is they know it. They’re terrible, self-centered, arrogant, and the list goes on. You’re better off not hanging around them, ever.”
Phoebe laughed. “Is that why your boss makes you three come instead?”
Linda looked right at Riley and smiled. “Not sure. Maybe one day I’ll ask him, and he can explain it all to me.”
Riley nodded when Anna
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