“This drink is too strong,” he chokes. “I notice you didn’t get one.”

Molly’s attention comes back to me. “Anyway, what’s this secret?”

I stare at them. God, I don’t even know if I should be saying anything to anyone, but I need someone to talk to.

“Promise me you won’t say anything to anyone. Not even Ava,” I ask.

“Yes.” They both roll their eyes.

“Okay,” I continue. “You know how I told you I have been trying to get a job at Miles Media for over three years?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, just over twelve months ago I went to a wedding in London, and I was flying directly back to New York for an interview here.”

Aaron frowns as he concentrates on my story.

“At the airport in London, this fruitcake man behind me in the line was having some kind of episode and started throwing my bag around.”

They both stare at me, confused.

“Anyway, the security guard ushered me to the check-in counter and told the guy to look after me. I was given an upgrade to first class.”

“How cool.” Aaron smiles and raises his drink happily.

I brace myself for the next part of the story. “I was seated next to this man, and we began drinking champagne and . . .” I shrug. “The more we drank, the more inappropriate we got, and we began talking about our sex lives.”

“Did you get kicked off the plane?” Aaron says, with wide eyes.

“No.” I sip my drink. “Could have easily, though.” Aaron puts his hand to his chest in relief.

“Then there was a blizzard in New York, and we had to fly on to Boston for an overnight layover. This guy was like

. . . ridiculously hot.” I smile as I remember him. “He was so not my type, and I wasn’t his, but somehow we ended up fucking like rabbits all night long. It was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”

“I love this story.” Molly smiles. “Go you.” “I never saw him again.”

Her face falls. “He didn’t call?”

“He never asked for my number.”

“Ouch.” Aaron winces.

“I know; so you can imagine my horror when I saw him at work this week.”

“What?” they both gasp.

“Oh my God, it’s fucking Ricardo, isn’t it?” Aaron frowns as he takes a big mouthful of his drink. “I can’t handle this story. Please don’t tell me you fucked him, and he gave you an STD. I won’t be able to cope.”

“It was Jameson Miles.”

Molly’s eyes nearly bulge from her head. “What?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Aaron gasps and accidentally snorts his drink up his nose and has a coughing fit.

They both stare at me, wide eyed.

“When I went to his office on the tour, he asked to be left alone with me.”

Molly shakes her head. “Is this real?” I nod.

“I have no words for this story,” she whispers.

“I do—oh my fucking God.” Aaron hits her on the arm in excitement. “What happened?”

“He asked me out to dinner.”

“What the actual fuck?” Molly cries really loud.

“Shh,” I whisper as I look at the people around us. “Keep your voice down.”

“Are you serious?” she whispers.

“I said no.”

“What?” Aaron cries this time.

“Keep. Your. Voice. Down,” I demand. “I can’t go out with him. I have a boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend’s a dick. You even said so yourself,” Molly stammers.

“I know, but I’m not wired like that. I would never cheat on somebody.”

Aaron shakes his head. “Jameson Miles could wire me any way he wanted to.”

“Right?” Molly agrees. “What happened today?”

“He marched me up to his office and accused me of getting hit on in my working time.”

Their mouths fall open in horror.

“And . . .” I pause. I probably shouldn’t tell them we are being watched. I’ll keep that one to myself. I dig out his card from my wallet and slide it across the table, and Molly picks it up and stares at it. “Even his name is hot.” She reads the card out loud. “Jameson Miles. Miles Media. 212-639-8999.”

“I told him he couldn’t have everything he wanted, and he said he does, and then he licked my neck,” I blurt out.

“He licked your neck?” Aaron shrieks. “Oh Lord have mercy.” He picks up the menu and begins to fan his face. “Please tell me you’re going out with him tonight.”

“No.” I shrug. “I can’t, and besides, it’s the fastest way I know how to get fired.”

“No job is that good,” Aaron snaps. “I wouldn’t turn him down to be the fucking president.”

We all giggle, and then my phone vibrates across the table.

“Oh . . . my fucking God,” Molly whispers as she stares at my phone. “It’s him.”

“What?” I stammer as I look down at the number lighting up the screen.

She holds up the business card in her hands, and we compare them.

“The number calling you is fucking him.” My eyes widen. Holy shit.

Chapter 5

“Answer it, answer it,” Aaron cries.

“What do I do?” I flap my arms around in a panic.

“Holy fuck. Answer it,” Molly demands as she picks it up.

“Don’t answer it,” I stammer as I try to grab it from her hands. She holds it in the air and waves it around.

“Answer it, woman,” she demands.

I snatch it from her and stare at it while it buzzes. “I’m not going to answer it.”

Aaron snatches the phone from me and hits answer. “Hello,” he says in a fake girl’s voice, and then he passes it over to me.

“What the fuck?” I mouth.

“Hello, Emily,” Jameson’s velvety voice purrs.

My eyes widen as I look at my friends’ awestruck faces. Aaron crosses himself as if he’s in church and makes a praying gesture.

“Hello.”

“Where are you?” he asks.

“In a bar.” I glance around as I hold my hand over my other ear to try to hear him better. Shit, I’m not telling him where I am; I look like crap. I hold my breath as I listen.

“I want to see you.”

I bite my bottom lip, and Molly hits me on the arm to snap me out of my nervous freeze. “I told you I have a boyfriend,” I blurt out. “I can’t see you.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Aaron mouths to Molly as he scrunches his hands in his hair.

“And I told you to get rid of him.” “Who do you think you are?” I stammer.