Fair Play Read Online Free Page B

the bar, where the businessmen are getting ready to pay their tab.
    I can feel Evan come up behind me. His energy is unmistakable and I can smell his signature cologne. He leans in close and whispers in my ear. “I thought I might find you here.”
    I down the last sip of my drink.
    “Are you ready to go?” he asks.
    I nod.
    He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a twenty. “How much was the drink?”
    I shrug.
    He pulls out another twenty and throws the two bills on the bar. “That should cover it. Come on.”
    Evan grabs my elbow to help me down from the barstool as the bartender grabs the twenties from the bar. “The drink was only eight bucks,” he says. “Happy Hour special.”
    Evan glares at the guy. “Keep the change.”
    The bartender gives me another playful look that says he was totally right about Evan. Evan clearly wants the bartender to think I’m his.
    I promised I would be Evan’s for tonight. The only problem is that I think he wants more. Much more.
    But I want Aaron.
    ***
    Dinner with Evan and his parents is about as interesting as watching grass grow. But I smile and nod and pretend I’m captivated by everything Mr. and Mrs. Warner have to say.
    Evan’s parents aren’t quite as wealthy as Aaron’s but they’re always on the Forbes List of Wealthiest Americans. They’re not in the Top Five like Aaron’s parents always are but they’re in the Top 50. Evan’s parents are very well connected, though, and many of his family members have served in politics. And I’m talking serious politics, several senators, more than several congressmen and even a Secretary of State. They haven’t had a President yet but I’m convinced they think Evan will fit the bill someday.
    As Evan’s mom drones on about her charity work for Autism Awareness, I glance around the hip and chic restaurant. It’s the type of place that makes up-and-comers feel like celebrities when they can get a table. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aaron and Rainy walking toward a table near the back followed by Aaron’s parents and Aaron’s two older brothers. I’m surprised to see Andrew and Allan because they weren’t at the graduation cer emony but Aaron’s mom did say they had a reservation for six.
    Aaron and Rainy are holding hands and it occurs to me that they are always holding hands. Whenever I see them, their hands are entwined. It’s like their hands are permanently attached. I don’t know whether to be jealous or gag.
    It kind of makes my hand itch to think about someone co nstantly holding it. I don’t like the idea of being attached to someone like that, even beautiful Aaron Donovan.
    I must have been staring at Aaron a little too long because I can feel someone kick my leg under the table. When I look over at Evan, he’s glaring at me. He furrows his brows and I can see he’s getting pissed.
    “Ouch,” I mouth and Evan gives me a wicked little grin.
    He leans close to my ear and whispers, “You’re mine tonight. Don’t forget that.”
    “How could I possibly forget?” I whisper back.
    “Mine,” he repeats.
    “For tonight,” I remind him.
    “And what do you think about the rise in autism diagnoses over the last several years,” Evan’s mom asks as she leans in my direction.
    “I haven’t really given it much thought,” I admit. Nor do I ever want to .
    Evan’s mom sighs . When she finally clues in that I don’t give a rat’s ass about her charity, she decides to change the subject.    
    “We’re so proud of Evan,” his mother is now gushing at him. “Not only did he graduate with honors but he’s been offered a top spot at Newman and Neilson.”
    “And I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal that declared Newman and Neilson as the top accounting firm in the country,” Evan’s dad adds. “They’ve now surpassed Deloitte & Touche.”
    When I sneak a glance at Evan, his face is neutral and I can’t tell if he’s bored with the conversation or completely over