Read Online The One That Got Away by Madeleine Urban, Rhianne Aile - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Madeleine Urban, Rhianne Aile
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wine list, backed up by two nervous-looking servers. “I’m fine. Just give me a sec,” he whispered. “Do something about her hovering, will you? I feel like a wounded gazelle being eyed by a leopard.”
Trace accepted the menus and the wine list and made a blatant shooing motion at the wait staff. Scared to death of damaging his opinion, they all vamoosed. He set down the menus on the table, one in front of each of them, and looked at David with concern.
“Quit staring.” David glanced up from the menu that lay open in front of him. “I just wasn’t thinking and grabbed the chair. Give me a second and I’ll be fine. Now, what do I need to order or do you want to order for me too? After pulling out my chair, we could really get some rumors flying.” David glanced up coyly and fluttered his eyelashes.
Trace blinked and smiled, and it transformed his whole face. “Order whatever you like. I’ll get different things so we have a selection.” He toyed with the wine list. “Rumors, huh? About you or about me?” he asked, lips twitching. “I’m sure it won’t be long before someone recognizes you and wonders why we’re out together.”
“Yeah. Lloyd’ll give me hell. As for rumors, it is far more fun to speculate about a couple than an individual, and I was only half-joking. If it’ll bother you, we need to make sure we present the proper ‘friends out on the town comparing conquests’ front.” David made his decision, closed his menu, and laid it to the side. “I’m having seafood.”
Trace’s voice was serious and low after watching David’s face. “It doesn’t bother me, David. Not at all. I’m out with a hell of a good-looking man. Why should I complain?” Trace closed his menu. “I’ll have the mixed grill.”
“You might want to reconsider. Matt just walked in the door with that young freelance photographer who’s been hot lately. Being paired with a man, no matter how good-looking, can put a serious crimp in your ability to attract women,” David warned, opening the wine list and doing his best to ignore the two men being seated three tables away. It wasn’t that he had anything against Matt. They were actually good friends. The man took beautiful pictures, but he did have a tendency to take everything to an extreme. And if he was filling in as a photographer for Katherine’s gossip column then he’d be looking for good gossip.
“I’m not worried about it, David,” Trace said. “How about this? If it gets to be a problem, I’ll call up a couple or three gorgeous girlfriends of mine and go to some high-profile event, okay? Aren’t you concerned about your own reputation?”
David shrugged. “Let’s just say that Matt is aware of my orientation, and I trust him not to do anything to hurt me.”
Trace nodded slowly. “So that’s why there’s a concern that he might put something out there about me. Especially since I work at a rival paper?”
“I can promise he’ll be honest, but he only contributes the pictures.
Katherine’s the one that will add the words. I personally think the rivalry is crap. This area is by far big enough to support two dailies, but….”
David shrugged again. “You know how it is. I also know that Katherine bid on you and lost at the hospital benefit last year. She didn’t lose gracefully.”
“Mmmm, I forgot about that,” Trace admitted, and they were interrupted as the waiter arrived to take their orders, obviously having been told to be ultra attentive and polite. Finally he left as another server arrived with before-dinner drinks and ice water. Once they were left in relative peace, Trace picked up the discussion again. “Why didn’t she win? I know Miranda doesn’t make as much money as she does,” he said, speaking of the well-known event planner in town who had won the bid for him.
David smirked. “Well, let’s say she had been a cocky bitch all week about wanting you, and a few of us might have decided to distract her
Trace accepted the menus and the wine list and made a blatant shooing motion at the wait staff. Scared to death of damaging his opinion, they all vamoosed. He set down the menus on the table, one in front of each of them, and looked at David with concern.
“Quit staring.” David glanced up from the menu that lay open in front of him. “I just wasn’t thinking and grabbed the chair. Give me a second and I’ll be fine. Now, what do I need to order or do you want to order for me too? After pulling out my chair, we could really get some rumors flying.” David glanced up coyly and fluttered his eyelashes.
Trace blinked and smiled, and it transformed his whole face. “Order whatever you like. I’ll get different things so we have a selection.” He toyed with the wine list. “Rumors, huh? About you or about me?” he asked, lips twitching. “I’m sure it won’t be long before someone recognizes you and wonders why we’re out together.”
“Yeah. Lloyd’ll give me hell. As for rumors, it is far more fun to speculate about a couple than an individual, and I was only half-joking. If it’ll bother you, we need to make sure we present the proper ‘friends out on the town comparing conquests’ front.” David made his decision, closed his menu, and laid it to the side. “I’m having seafood.”
Trace’s voice was serious and low after watching David’s face. “It doesn’t bother me, David. Not at all. I’m out with a hell of a good-looking man. Why should I complain?” Trace closed his menu. “I’ll have the mixed grill.”
“You might want to reconsider. Matt just walked in the door with that young freelance photographer who’s been hot lately. Being paired with a man, no matter how good-looking, can put a serious crimp in your ability to attract women,” David warned, opening the wine list and doing his best to ignore the two men being seated three tables away. It wasn’t that he had anything against Matt. They were actually good friends. The man took beautiful pictures, but he did have a tendency to take everything to an extreme. And if he was filling in as a photographer for Katherine’s gossip column then he’d be looking for good gossip.
“I’m not worried about it, David,” Trace said. “How about this? If it gets to be a problem, I’ll call up a couple or three gorgeous girlfriends of mine and go to some high-profile event, okay? Aren’t you concerned about your own reputation?”
David shrugged. “Let’s just say that Matt is aware of my orientation, and I trust him not to do anything to hurt me.”
Trace nodded slowly. “So that’s why there’s a concern that he might put something out there about me. Especially since I work at a rival paper?”
“I can promise he’ll be honest, but he only contributes the pictures.
Katherine’s the one that will add the words. I personally think the rivalry is crap. This area is by far big enough to support two dailies, but….”
David shrugged again. “You know how it is. I also know that Katherine bid on you and lost at the hospital benefit last year. She didn’t lose gracefully.”
“Mmmm, I forgot about that,” Trace admitted, and they were interrupted as the waiter arrived to take their orders, obviously having been told to be ultra attentive and polite. Finally he left as another server arrived with before-dinner drinks and ice water. Once they were left in relative peace, Trace picked up the discussion again. “Why didn’t she win? I know Miranda doesn’t make as much money as she does,” he said, speaking of the well-known event planner in town who had won the bid for him.
David smirked. “Well, let’s say she had been a cocky bitch all week about wanting you, and a few of us might have decided to distract her
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