Billie Bossa Nova

17.

She stepped back into the casino with a little more boldness. The eyes that once judged her now looked enviously her way, some women's eyes widening the size of two planets. Her hips swayed more actively, an unconscious impulse stimulated by her confidence.

As she went towards the bar, she made a promise to herself to enjoy the night for a change. She was still in a mission, yes, but this was considered a break day. Something mandatory to keep her health at bay in stressful situations. Tyla Gibson's big revelation was most definitely a stressful situation.

"Hey there, gorgeous." Her eyes turned to her left. A man sat next to her. She sent him a tedious smile. Not that he wasn't attractive, he simply had those mediocre looks that you would find from any other twelve men in the room. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She shook her head. "Thanks, I think I'm good."

"Trust me, you need one."

She raised both her eyebrows at him. "And what exactly does that mean?"

Her tone of voice did not phase him. It didn't occur to him that he might have said the wrong thing, or articulated himself the wrong way. He simply went on to say, "You look tense. You need to loosen up. Have a drink, play some black jack or roulette, maybe end the night in my bed?"

She chuckled humorlessly. Her hand held up. "I'm going to stop you right there. First of all, you cannot tell me what I need and don't. And secondly, I'd rather sleep in a trash truck than in your bed."

"Oh, sweety, hard to get is so outdated. You're attractive, I'm attractive, we attract each other. Why waste time trying to tease me?"

"Arg." Billie stood up from her table. "I'm not even thirsty anymore."

All she wanted was some iced water, but now she wasn't in the mood for a single thing. The guy really thought he was all that, while dressed in a maroon suit and that weird looking haircut. She was barely shocked when he followed after her.

"Fine. We can play this way if you want. But it will only end one way."

"Get a hint, dipshit," she spat without looking at him, going towards her and Kai's reserved table at the seating area.

When the guy saw her sit at the table with the name Rivera written in gold on the black card, he chuckled. "Oh, shit. You're Rivera's date?"

She didn't deny it. Perhaps if he assumed she was taken, he'd leave her alone. "I'm assuming you know him," she said instead.

"Know him? Allow me to introduce myself. Logan Price." He drew his hand back when she simply stared at it without shaking it. "I won that guy's Lamborghini when we were sixteen over a game of poker."

"So you're not friends, I assume."

"Not close. I'm good at taking what's his, and you..." He braced one hand on the table, the other on the back of the chair she was sitting on. He brought himself closer until their faces were just inches apart. Guy smelt heavily of cigar smoke. "Are no exception."

"Price."

Both Billie and Logan turned towards Kai as he approached them. He had a glass of whiskey in his hand. Billie took in the sight of him as subtly as she could. After not seeing him the whole night, she had almost forgotten just how beautiful he looked. But her secret admiration towards him would remain just that. A secret. Perhaps not just to him but to herself as well.

"Long time, no see, old friend," Logan replied, still leaned onto Billie. She shifted back in discomfort.

Kai looked at Billie, then at Logan. "Don't call me that."