Resisting Sin (Gold Diggers #1)

Episode 17 : A Beast In the Dark

It didn't take long before Reinheart's steak sandwich arrived along with a plate of fries, delivered by one of the uniformed staff. He set it down on the coffee table. Another man came in with four bottles of Perrier and two water glasses on a tray.

Reinheart sat on the couch. "You sure you don't want anything?" he said before popping a couple of fries in his mouth.

"I'm good, thanks," Hayley said.

"So," he said, between bites of his sandwich, "what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"The reason Gabriel's at the party and you're here in your pajamas. Did you have a fight?"

"No." She got off the bed and sat on one of the chairs beside the couch. "I'm just a little tired."

"Water?" He picked up a Perrier.

She hesitated at first. She'd never had Perrier before. "Sure, thanks."

He popped it open and poured the sparkling water into a glass. She took it from him and sipped hesitantly. It tasted... weird. With a grimace, she set it back on the tray.

He was engrossed in his food and didn't seem to notice her dislike of the water. "So what's the real reason?" he said before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"That is the real reason." Okay, it was a white lie. She didn't want to have to describe the scene in the ladies' room. It was humiliating enough just having been there.

"I won't tell Gabriel." He gave her a look of exasperation. "I'm trying to be a friend here."

She frowned. "Why?"

He shrugged and chewed on a fry. "I'm a friendly guy?"

Before she could think twice about it, she blurted out, "Some girls said some mean things about me okay?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What kind of things?"

She sighed. "That my hair was bad. That I looked... out of place."

"They said that? To your face?"

"No they were talking among one another, but only because they knew I was there and I could hear them." She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. "There, I told you. Can we drop it now?"

"Hmmm."

She looked back at him. "Hey, that's not fair."

"What?"

"I told you about my thing. Now it's your turn to tell me about yours."

"I don't have a thing."

She rolled her eyes. "The girl. The reason you got drunk and jumped fully-clothed into a pool."

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

He took a long drink of the gross water, drinking directly from the green bottle, swallowed, and then said, "Because she's marrying my brother."

Hayley stared at him, needing a few moments for what he said to sink in. "Oh."

He gave her a wry smile. "So you understand why I can't tell you about it."

She nodded. In a burst of inspiration, she said, "You know I could drive you back to your hotel if you like. Later, I mean. When you're ready to go."

"Why are you being nice to me?" he said, eyes narrowing.

She shrugged. "I'm a nice girl?"

He grinned. After wiping his hands on some paper napkins, he picked up the tv remote from one of the side tables. "You ever seen the Great British Bake-off?"