The O Intention(8)

“Ooh,” Marise’s face brightens and he steps forward, getting in as close as he can. “Details.”

I open my mouth, but Sadie snorts, cutting me off. “Don’t make her relive her night with Jesse.”

Using her hand to demonstrate just how horrible my night was, she holds her thumb and her index finger barely an inch apart. Marise roars with laughter—he even curls over. Seriously, you’d think it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

Great.

I press my tongue to the roof of my mouth and purse my lips while they laugh and laugh at my misfortune. As she laughs, Sadie’s long, red curls bounce and her cheeks turn pink.

“I’m sorry, Alix,” he apologizes, slapping a hand down on my shoulder. “Maybe next time.”

I shrug him off. “Small equipment wasn’t the problem. He was perfectly fine in that department—more than fine.”

“Then what was it?” He asks.

“He didn’t know how to use it. A terrible waste of a perfect limb, really.”

“Well, send him my way. Maybe I can teach him a few things.”

I narrow my eyes at Marise and his glossy lips pull into a mischievous smile.

“He’s not gay and you have a boyfriend.”

With a departing snort, Sadie steps further down the bar to assist a lady in a rather hideous fur coat, leaving me with a suddenly excited Marise.

“If I’m teaching him how to please a woman, I’m sure Mark won’t mind. It’s a public service, really.”

I arch a brow. “You’re gay, Marise. I don’t think pleasing women is very high on your experience list.”

“Oh Honey, you have no idea.” He winks, and I’m now stuck with information I don’t want to know. “Hey, what did Sadie say his name was?”

“Jesse.”

Just like that, his beautiful mocha complexion whitens, and my palms begin to sweat.

“What?”

“Do you know his last name?”

I run my hand over my face. I had a one night stand with someone and he expects me to know their last name? That would be weird, right?

“Do you know what a once-off fling is? I’ll give you a hint; no bonding is involved.”

“So… that’s a no?”

“Of course I don’t know his last name.” I snap.

He clasps his hands in front of his chest and floats off into some distant world. I push a lock of long, brown hair that has come loose from my ponytail, and glance at Sadie who’s watching us intently while she shakes up a margarita.

“Shit,” Marise swears. “Where did you pick this guy up, exactly?”

Strangely, my heart begins to race, but I don’t dare let it show. I plant my hands on my hips. “The lounge bar. Will you stop interrogating me? What’s going on?”

“I don’t want to freak you out, Princess, but Mr. O’Ryan—his son…”

He pauses and I wait. Ten seconds pass and Marise and I stare at each other, my pulse thrumming in my ears. “God, Marise, just tell me!”

“His first name is Jesse.”

I don’t see how that has anything to do with—oh. Oh! I shake my head. “No. This Jesse was young—thirty—maybe.”

“Empyre Magazine says that eligible bachelor number five, a.k.a Mr. Jesse O’Ryan, is a thirty three year old man taking care of his father’s hotel chain while he’s in Manila.”

Again, I shake my head. “No. Not possible. If this Jesse is the Jesse that runs the hotel, he’d know better than to bed a woman he randomly met in the bar of his hotel. That’s bad for business.”

“And bad for whoever is on the receiving end of that deal.” Sadie chimes in as she saunters back over to us.

“Ha. Ha.” I deadpan.

“Google him, if you don’t believe me,” Marise simply says. “I bet he’s all over Google.”

“No,” I protest. “I’m not going to Google him. Last night was horrible and I just want to forget about it. So please, go wash some more glasses.”

With a swift shrug of his shoulders and a suggestive flick of his eyebrows, he disappears from the main bar and I’m alone with Sadie once again.

“Shit, Alix, what if you did sleep with the boss’s son?” Her mouth curves into the perfect ‘o’. “What if he finds out and fires you? Oh my god, I can’t work here without you.”

I really refuse to believe I did. I mean, I’d know, wouldn’t I? And a man with such high authority here at the Tempt Hotel, surely wouldn’t go along with a random fling, would he?

“Relax, Sadie. It’s not the same Jesse. Marise is prone to being dramatic, you know that.”