hollis-partygirlFD-IN-EP Read Online Free Page A

the eye and tell you this story. That as soon as I saw you in that tiny gold dress, there hasn’t been anybody else.”
    I don’t blink. I don’t think I even breathe.
    Brody is so earnest and sincere, and it’s the best thing anyone has ever said.
    “Well, isn’t this special ,” a hateful voice snaps, intruding into the space between us.
    Brody immediately turns. But I don’t need to. I’d know that voice in my sleep, and more recently it’s been present in my nightmares. I’d know that tone and the ugly way she hisses out any word that starts with an “S” anywhere. But more than that, I don’t need to look because I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to confront her again, and given my luck, it would happen when the man of my dreams is telling me the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.
    I blow out a quick breath of disappointment and then turn my face to get a good look at the familiar scowl on hers.
    “Hello, Selah,” I say quietly.
    She doesn’t acknowledge me, not that I really thought she would. She looks down her nose directly at Brody.
    “Still slumming, B?” she sneers.
    Brody lets go of my hair but reaches for my hand. I hope he can’t feel my heart hammering through my palm. I wish she didn’t have this effect on me; I wish I wasn’t so nervous, but this woman terrorized me for months, and it’s hard not to revert right back to the person I was when I worked for her.
    “What are you doing here, Selah?” Brody asks, managing to sound totally bored.
    The bored thing is one of his best tricks. I can feel the tension in his hand and see that he’s biting down on his molars in agitation again, but if you didn’t know him well, you’d think he was totally indifferent.
    “What am I doing here?” She runs her fingers quickly through the ends of her bob. “ I’m celebrating my birthday. Surely you haven’t forgotten, B. We spent this night together last year.”
    He squeezes my hand tighter. “That’s right—me and two hundred other people were at your birthday party last year. But you’ll have to forgive me for forgetting the date; I can’t be expected to remember such inconsequential information.”
    Ooh, point for Brody.
    Selah’s eyes narrow at him.
    “Well,” she sniffs, “I’ve rented out half the restaurant. That’s fifty-two of my guests to watch you and this child who tried to bring down my company work your way through a four-course meal. I’m sure that won’t seem inconsequential at all.”
    Her eyes land on me for exactly as long as it takes to flash a viperous smile. Then she walks back to the hostess stand without a backward glance.
    “Do you think it’s really her birthday?” Brody asks as we watch her go.
    I nod without looking at him. “Yes, unfortunately there is a whole host of random information stored in my brain from my time with her. Her acupuncturist’s cell phone number, the street address to her parents’ vacation home in Vail, and her birthday. It’s definitely today.”
    Brody sighs and then looks at me.
    “We have to go somewhere else.”
    I’m actually surprised he’d let her chase him away. I try to lighten the mood.
    “Didn’t you have a whole plan?” I jab one finger playfully into his stomach.
    And Holy Moses, how many abs does he have under that shirt?
    Clearly he can’t tell that I’m imagining him shirtless, thank the Lord. He looks back over his shoulder at the hostess and waves his free hand in some sort of quick gesture.
    “I have plans.” He looks back at me. “And not one of them includes having our night ruined by her.” He pulls me towards the door. “We’ll go somewhere else just as great. OK?”
    I really should stop daydreaming about his stomach muscles.
    “OK,” I sigh wistfully.
    I hurry along as fast as these high, high shoes can take me.
    —
    Whatever the hand gesture was, it must have had something to do with the valet, because his car is waiting for us at the curb when we get