Not Just A Pretty Face

28. Gideon

“I love Parisian restaurants. Nothing else like them in the world, huh? Though there was this one place in Singapore that rivaled them!”

This guy was trying so fucking hard.

I had to sigh to myself as I leaned against the bar and tried to pay attention to the skinny little thing who was trying to throw himself at me. He probably assumed that was how Leonel had got his start, and…

Well, he wasn’t totally wrong. It just hadn’t happened like that.

Or had it?

I tightened my hold on my glass and sipped. “Mmm,” I agreed absent-mindedly. Apparently that was all the encouragement the guy needed to go on.

“What’s your favorite place here? Maybe we could get away there…”

I idly checked my watch, then flicked my sleeve back down. “A bit late for that.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right.” The guy wasn’t taking the hint. “Maybe tomorrow night.”

“We’re flying back tomorrow.”

“Here’s to the end of fashion month!” The guy held out his glass to clink and drank, then hummed contentedly. “That’s right. The end.”

That was it. I was going to walk away. I didn’t have time to be nice to these assholes. I slammed the rest of my whisky and put the glass on the bar, then took out my phone to send a text.

Every damn time someone hit on me, I thought of Leonel.

It was getting to be a pain in the ass.

“Business?” The guy sounded disappointed.

Oh. That gets him to stop.

I nodded. “Sorry.”

“Of course. Lovely to meet you. See you around?”

“No doubt.” I nodded. No doubt. I did the obligatory air-kiss across the guy’s cheeks, being very careful not to actually touch skin.

Once he was gone, I looked back to my phone, then nibbled my lip. I hadn’t heard from Leonel directly. I’d kept my distance at the presentation, not approaching or interacting with any of the models, but instead socializing with others.

Then, he and Joaquín had been free to go out and fuck themselves up as much as they wanted as long as they could be up for the airport tomorrow. That wasn’t to say I didn’t worry, though. With both of our asshole exes lurking around the city…

It wasn’t insignificant that Alex was there, poaching models.

And for Leonel, it could be an interesting opportunity. He was big enough that his name alone would pull jobs. Not if he kept up the attitude, but for now.

I had been lucky to sidestep the repercussions of making that same decision. I was fast enough on my feet to see a business and modeling retirement opportunity all in one, and I’d consequently started my business.

Would Leonel have the contacts or the knowledge in his pretty little head to start his own agency when his career crashed?

I doubted that.

I growled under my breath and stalked for the door. Alcohol wasn’t going to help me get over him. And admitting my feelings? What was I, a lovesick puppy? Never again. I’d wait until someone told me they wanted me first.

Didn’t stop me composing a text in the cab on the way home, though.

-Afterparties going well? Congrats on making it to the end of the month.