Page 207 of The Virgin Romance Novelist Chronicles
I grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes before we went up to Eric. “Are you okay? You’re acting a little strange.”
She leaned her entire upper half against my arm, her breasts heavy and protruding. “Oh, I’m just peachy keen . . . hot sex.”
My eyebrows rose to my hairline. “What?”
Her finger pressed in my nose like a button, and she said, “You heard me, mega penis man.”
“Are you . . . are you drunk?” I asked harshly.
“Drunk in love.” She whispered seductively, “I’m clenching for you.”
I put some distance between us and straightened my suit. “Rosie, I don’t even know what that means.”
“Henry, are you going to keep your beautiful girlfriend all to yourself or are you going to let us old men talk to her?” Eric asked, coming up behind me.
The last thing I wanted was for Eric to be talking to us, not because I was keeping Rosie to myself, but because she was acting really weird, and I was nervous as hell as to what she would say.
“Rosie, it’s a delight to see you.” He held out his hand and Rosie took it. Eric kindly brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “You look ravishing.”
“Thank you,” she said, doing a weird curtsey. Her legs looked like she’d superglued them together. “You’re looking quite handsome yourself, Eric. Too bad Henry found me first.”
“A real shame.” He winked.
I didn’t like this . . . one fucking bit.
I cleared my throat and played with the button on my suit jacket. “Yeah, I don’t like this conversation.”
Eric threw his head back and laughed a deep, throaty sound, then patted me on the shoulder. “Got yourself a little jealousy in those bones. I like it. Goes to show that you know you have something good with Rosie. She’s way out of your league, you know that, right?”
I smiled at Rosie, who seemed shocked by Eric’s assessment. “I’m well aware Rosie is too good for me, but I will hold on for as long as she’ll let me.”
“Well, if that’s the case . . .” Eric grabbed Rosie’s arm and pulled her into his side. She winced and sidestepped quickly, keeping her legs glued together. What the hell was she doing? “Cut ties with him now, sweetheart.”
Playing into Eric’s game, Rosie looked me up and down. “I don’t know. I might get a little more use out of him, but when I’m done, I’ll be sure to call you.”
A flirtatious wink was exchanged between Rosie and Eric, and even though I knew they were playing around, it still grated on my nerves.
“Good to know. I’ll be waiting.” Changing the subject, Eric gestured to the room. “Have you been able to take a look at Henry’s campaign for Legacy condoms? He did a great job.”
Rosie gave me a surprised look. “I haven’t actually. Is that what you’ve been working so hard on? A condom campaign?”
I pulled on my collar. “Yeah, it’s been interesting.”
Eric looked between us . . . Rosie’s face unable to read. She was so unpredictable at the moment, and I was terrified that she might blow up.
Reading the tension well, Eric said, “Ah, does this awkward silence have to do with Tasha?”
“What about her?” Rosie snapped her attention to Eric.
Rosie was breathing down Eric’s neck, looking for answers. By his expression, he regretted his comment. I tried to pull on Rosie’s hand, to remind her that we were in public, at a work event, and to try to hold in the cray cray for at least an hour, but she smacked my hand away and stared Eric down.
“Uh, just that she works here. Nothing happened between her and Henry, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Like that didn’t sound completely guilty, even though it was the truth.
“Nothing happened, huh?” Rosie asked, hand on her hip.
I shook my head, trying to hold it together. “Nothing. I don’t even know why Eric would bring that up. Seriously, why?” I asked, looking at him, trying to shame him with my eyes for breaking guy code. Always be cool around each other’s ladies. I was by no means guilty of anything, but Eric implying that nothing happened between Tasha and me, only made a suspicious woman even more suspicious.
