Read Online Hip Check (New York Blades) by Deirdre Martin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Deirdre Martin
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‘stunningly gorgeous’? ‘Hot’ no longer covers it?”
“Well, he is,” Marcus insisted. “Don’t pretend you didn’t notice.”
“Of course I noticed he was
good-looking
, but I didn’t sit there mesmerized, thinking, ‘Oooh, look at Esa Saari, he’s gorgeous.’” Actually, the thought had crossed her mind, but so what? Noticing attractive members of the opposite sex was simply human nature.
Hannah leaned across Marcus to better address Michelle. “Is he involved with anyone?”
“I think he’s involved with a lot of people,” Michelle said dryly. “Nell thought I was one of her uncle’s ‘girlfriends.’”
Marcus looked at Hannah and snorted. “Why, you want her to set you up with him? Dream on, girlfriend. Unless you suddenly sprout titties, long legs, and cascading blond hair, ain’t no way that man would even look your way.”
“Why do you always have to be such a bitch?” Hannah snapped. She looked at Michelle apologetically. “I was just curious. I wasn’t getting at anything.”
“I know.”
Marcus’s bitchiness was over the top, as usual. Hannah was a good-looking woman: chestnut haired, willowy, nice hazel eyes. Guys were always trying to pick her up. But if Marcus’s tabloid expertise was correct, the Finn really wouldn’t give Hannah the time of day, since she didn’t look like a Barbie doll. Michelle found this pretty pathetic, though somehow not surprising.
Marcus eyed Michelle and Hannah. “Is it me, or are we all boring as sin today?”
“I’m not!” Michelle protested. “I told you all about my new job.”
Marcus plucked at his lower lip. “True. A job we better
keep
hearing about.”
“As if work isn’t already seventy-five percent of what we talk about,” replied Michelle.
“Get this,” said Hannah. “The douche bags called me at three o’clock in the morning because they wanted me to come over and make them buckwheat pancakes.”
Marcus looked horrified. “And you
did
it?”
“I had no choice! I’m their personal chef!”
“Yeah, but that’s a shitty thing to do to someone,” Michelle said indignantly. “What, they couldn’t figure out for themselves how to make pancakes?”
“I would never put up with that shit in a million years,” Marcus declared.
“Never.”
Hannah smiled mischievously. “Don’t worry: I’m going to write a roman à clef one day and they’re going to be so, so sorry.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “Rich people are so selfish!”
Michelle laughed loudly. “I’m not sure that’s politically correct, Han.”
“I don’t care. It’s true. They seem to forget that the people who work for them have lives of their own.”
Michelle was forced to concede. “I know.” She couldn’t count the number of times the Karles had screwed her over, saying they’d be home by a certain time then turning up hours later. Hell, Esa himself knew her less than an hour before asking her to babysit Nell. Michelle feared that might be a harbinger of behavior to come, and committed to always standing up for herself. She’d laid it all out in the contract. But that didn’t mean he’d looked at it.
Marcus nudged both Michelle and Hannah in the ribs gently. “Ladies, looks like our boredom is about to end! Remember I told you about my new friend? Well, he’s coming our way.”
Michelle followed Marcus’s gaze to a brown-haired man with chiseled features who was coming toward them pushing a baby stroller. The baby was a little girl, about five months old, all decked out in pink, from her sun bonnet down to her sandals. The man was smiling, returning Marcus’s wave.
“A manny?” Michelle asked.
“Can’t you tell? Look at how that poor child is dressed. She looks like a blob of cotton candy with eyes. If he were the dad, his wife would have laid out clothes for the baby. Clearly David is the one who picked out her clothes. Which is a little worrisome, considering.”
“Hey.”
David stopped at the bench,
“Well, he is,” Marcus insisted. “Don’t pretend you didn’t notice.”
“Of course I noticed he was
good-looking
, but I didn’t sit there mesmerized, thinking, ‘Oooh, look at Esa Saari, he’s gorgeous.’” Actually, the thought had crossed her mind, but so what? Noticing attractive members of the opposite sex was simply human nature.
Hannah leaned across Marcus to better address Michelle. “Is he involved with anyone?”
“I think he’s involved with a lot of people,” Michelle said dryly. “Nell thought I was one of her uncle’s ‘girlfriends.’”
Marcus looked at Hannah and snorted. “Why, you want her to set you up with him? Dream on, girlfriend. Unless you suddenly sprout titties, long legs, and cascading blond hair, ain’t no way that man would even look your way.”
“Why do you always have to be such a bitch?” Hannah snapped. She looked at Michelle apologetically. “I was just curious. I wasn’t getting at anything.”
“I know.”
Marcus’s bitchiness was over the top, as usual. Hannah was a good-looking woman: chestnut haired, willowy, nice hazel eyes. Guys were always trying to pick her up. But if Marcus’s tabloid expertise was correct, the Finn really wouldn’t give Hannah the time of day, since she didn’t look like a Barbie doll. Michelle found this pretty pathetic, though somehow not surprising.
Marcus eyed Michelle and Hannah. “Is it me, or are we all boring as sin today?”
“I’m not!” Michelle protested. “I told you all about my new job.”
Marcus plucked at his lower lip. “True. A job we better
keep
hearing about.”
“As if work isn’t already seventy-five percent of what we talk about,” replied Michelle.
“Get this,” said Hannah. “The douche bags called me at three o’clock in the morning because they wanted me to come over and make them buckwheat pancakes.”
Marcus looked horrified. “And you
did
it?”
“I had no choice! I’m their personal chef!”
“Yeah, but that’s a shitty thing to do to someone,” Michelle said indignantly. “What, they couldn’t figure out for themselves how to make pancakes?”
“I would never put up with that shit in a million years,” Marcus declared.
“Never.”
Hannah smiled mischievously. “Don’t worry: I’m going to write a roman à clef one day and they’re going to be so, so sorry.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “Rich people are so selfish!”
Michelle laughed loudly. “I’m not sure that’s politically correct, Han.”
“I don’t care. It’s true. They seem to forget that the people who work for them have lives of their own.”
Michelle was forced to concede. “I know.” She couldn’t count the number of times the Karles had screwed her over, saying they’d be home by a certain time then turning up hours later. Hell, Esa himself knew her less than an hour before asking her to babysit Nell. Michelle feared that might be a harbinger of behavior to come, and committed to always standing up for herself. She’d laid it all out in the contract. But that didn’t mean he’d looked at it.
Marcus nudged both Michelle and Hannah in the ribs gently. “Ladies, looks like our boredom is about to end! Remember I told you about my new friend? Well, he’s coming our way.”
Michelle followed Marcus’s gaze to a brown-haired man with chiseled features who was coming toward them pushing a baby stroller. The baby was a little girl, about five months old, all decked out in pink, from her sun bonnet down to her sandals. The man was smiling, returning Marcus’s wave.
“A manny?” Michelle asked.
“Can’t you tell? Look at how that poor child is dressed. She looks like a blob of cotton candy with eyes. If he were the dad, his wife would have laid out clothes for the baby. Clearly David is the one who picked out her clothes. Which is a little worrisome, considering.”
“Hey.”
David stopped at the bench,
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