It's Roman.
As soon as I notice him, he walks over towards us with long, confident strides and a face that I can't read. He looks like he either wants to fight me or fuck me. I take a long gulp of my lukewarm coffee, while I try to figure out what he wants with me and how to stop my stomach from swishing around like a front load washer.
"Ladies."
That's the most he's said to me in an entire week.
"Hey Roman." Sloan replies unenthusiastically.
I just stare at the lid of my coffee cup.
"How are you Elizabeth? Missed you this morning."
Sloan gives me a slight kick in the shins, because it is taking me entirely too long to respond to his question.
"I'm good Masterson."
The corners of his beautiful mouth turn up into the sexiest grin ever.
Sloan clears her throat. "I didn't get to ask you the other night Roman, but I wanted to ask you something about that first night at The Lotus."
"May I sit? I mean were you expecting anyone else?" He asks in an accusatory tone.
"Well–" I start to say.
"Have a seat." Sloan gestures her hand towards the empty chair.
Roman plops down and leans into the chair with his long muscular legs stretched out in front of him and his arms crossed across his chest. There is something so sexy about how he leans back in the chair that heat starts to swarm all through my insides and down to my core. I am annoyed with him for being such a baby all week, but I am also still very much attracted to him. No matter how annoying he is, I still desperately want his hands all over me.
"So about the club," she continues. "Do you know what happened that night we met you? Since you're running it now, I thought you'd have the inside scoop."
Roman's mouth tightens for a moment, but then he answers.
"There were a couple girls arguing and it got heated. Someone pulled out some pepper spray and the ceiling fans basically circulated the shit all around the club."
"People got hurt right?"
"Yes."
"Interesting," Sloan says. "None of it was on the news. I swore there was going to be a whole big story on the evening news or at least the next day but there wasn't."
"Philly is a big town. Perhaps there was a bigger story that night."
"How hurt were the people?"
"A woman died. Another two were in critical condition for about two weeks." Roman says somberly.
I shudder. That's horrible and we had no clue. How hadn't we heard about this? Why hadn't he told me?
"Oh my God, how wasn't that reported? I wonder if I knew any of them?" Sloan continues jabbering on and on. I kind of want her to be quiet now. She tends to eventually say something inappropriate if you let her rattle on too long. "Were you there partying Roman? Doesn't seem like your kind of scene."
Yep, now I really want her to shut up.
"What the fuck does that mean?" He asks sitting there with his muscular arms folded in front of him and staring her dead in the eyes.
"I mean..." Sloan hesitates. She's searching for the correct thing to say and stumbling over her words. I don't blame her. Roman looks both equally menacing and amused.
"I just mean that–"
He gives Sloan a quick dismissive once over. "Look I get what you're trying to say, but you don't know me. You don't know anything about my scene. Don't speak to me as if you do."
"Sorry." She says quietly.
"It's cool." He turns his attention back to me in a very obvious way. It was purposely dismissive to Sloan, but I have to admit that she sort of deserves it, and frankly I'm just happy that the cold war between us is finally thawing.
"So Elizabeth, who are you meeting here?"
My eyes grow wide. Damn Juliette.
"Who said I'm meeting anyone? I'm here with Sloan."
"I'm not stupid little cousin. You’d rather be in bed and have your head inside that laptop than drinking some damn latte on a Saturday morning. Who are you meeting?"
Fuck it. "Jagger."
"Is this a date?" He asks snidely. "The Lotus wasn't enough for the week?"
"It's just coffee Roman."
"Then I can stay."
"What?"
"You have a problem with your cousin getting to know your friends? He's a good friend of yours right?"
I turn to Sloan. "Can you excuse us a minute Sloan?"
"Absolutely." She grins.
After Sloan is out of earshot, I give Roman a piece of my mind.
"Whatever this big brother, kissing cousin thing you're doing is getting tired. I know Jagger better than I know you. Hell, I know the girl who made my coffee just now better than I know you! You don't speak to me all frackin' week, and then you waltz in here asking me questions about who I'm meeting? How dare you."