“What’s the hottie CFO up to now?” Kiley prompted, pulling me out of my ruminations.
I glanced over at the sushi bar. Lund and his date were chowing down on sushi as if they had somewhere else to be. They weren’t talking—at all. “Looks like they’re ignoring each other.”
“I think you should go over and say hello.”
My pulse jumped. “What? Why would I do that?”
“Because it’d be fun to see if he’s embarrassed about the age of his date.”
“You’re evil.”
She shrugged. “Maybe he’ll try and explain her.”
“Maybe I don’t care.”
“Uh-huh. You don’t care and that’s why your gaze keeps darting over there every five seconds.”
When she phrased it that way, I felt a little pathetic.
“Think of it this way: You’re approaching him first, so the control of the situation is yours. If he admits he saw you in here but didn’t acknowledge you in any way, then you know he’s a tool. If he genuinely seems surprised—”
“Then he’ll think I want something from him, when I don’t.”
Kiley sighed. “You are using skewed logic. But whatever. You’re too chicken to do it anyway.”
I watched as Jailbait got up and headed to the ladies’ room. She’d just given me a chance to casually swing by and say hello. I pushed my chair back and stood.
“Thatta girl!” Kiley said. “Go get ’im, tiger.”
Lund was the tiger. He’d probably eat me alive.
So in a total chickenshit move, when I was within four feet of him, I cut around the side of the sushi bar and headed for the bathroom.
I swore I heard Kiley clucking behind me.
I used the facilities, and when I stepped out of the stall, I froze.
Jailbait stood in front of the mirror, affixing piercings to her face. She now sported a nose piercing, two nose rings, as well as snakebite piercings in her lip. I continued to watch as she shed her skirt, revealing skintight leggings. Beneath the blouse was a Sex Pistols T-shirt, strategically ripped and then held together with a row of safety pins.
At that point, I was helpless to look away. I washed my hands, trying to discreetly watch her apply thick black eyeliner to her eyelids and then outline her lips.
“What’re you lookin’ at, eh?”
She had an accent I couldn’t place. British? Irish? Scottish? And because the “What’re you lookin’ at?” question annoyed me, I didn’t temper my answer. “Your outfit. Wondering if you’re going to an eighties costume party? Or if I somehow missed the fashion update that punk style from that era was back in style.”
For a moment anger sparked in her eyes. Then she grinned. “Ballsy one, ain’t ya?”
I shrugged.
“Punk never went out of style where I’m from.”
“Where’s that?”
“Great Britain—specifically I was born in Ireland and went to uni in London.”
“Ah.”
She pulled a long studded belt out of her bag and wrapped it around her hips and waist. Then she attached studded bracelets to each wrist. “Look, you seem like an okay lass, so could I get you to do me a wee favor?”
“What?” I said cautiously.
“There’s a man sitting out there. Can’t miss him, right stodgy as hell. If you look closely enough, you might see a stick up his arse.”
“What about him?”
“Tell him I left, yeah?”
“Wait. Is he your date?”
“Hard to believe, ain’t it? Him ’n me on a bloody date.”
Hard to believe indeed. “Why are you ditching him?”
She snorted. “Because I don’t like old dudes.”
My eyes narrowed at her. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one. Can you believe the arsehole asked to see me ID? After the bloody waitress didn’t card me? What kind of bastard does that?”
A smart one. “Why’d you agree to go out with him if you think he’s too old for you?”
“My auntie set up the date—though now I know why she was very careful not to call it a date, eh? But I can see why he agreed to go out with me. I bet the poor bugger never gets his pole waxed. I might’ve given him a ride because he is right nice to look at, but he’s such a cold wanker.”
Wow. Harsh assessment of Brady Lund. But how could she have come to such a fast judgment about him when they’d spent less than an hour together?
“Anyway. Tell him I bailed, yeah? And I’ll find me own way back to Auntie’s.” With that, she sailed out of the bathroom.
I followed her and watched her yell at the kitchen workers before she bolted out the back door.