Free His Rules: Ludlow Nights - Book1 (A Ludlow Nights Romance) by CC MacKenzie Page B

whatever the hell they were.
    This discussion was over.
    She stood, grabbed her bag.
    Her friends looked more than surprised, but they rose, too.
    Girly night rules were girls that met together, left together.
    A surprised looking Olivier rose and moved into her personal space, but she didn't give him time for a farewell kiss.
    "Well, it's been nice meeting you," Anastacia said to the two men still sitting at the table with their mouths hanging open due to the way the evening had been cut short without warning. Obviously, they were not used to women walking out on them. Maybe it was time they got used to it. She turned to Olivier, sent him a quick smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I've had a long day. Good luck with the final, Olivier. I'll see you when you return to London."
    She turned and headed for the exit.
     
    As the girls shoved through the throng at the bar to get to the entrance, T.C. waited until they were in the street before grabbing Anastacia's arm and whipping her around to face her.
    "What the hell was all that about? Why the big rush to leave?"
    Two women with large personalities, there were times when Anastacia and T.C. clashed. Their differences never lasted long, but sometimes when they blew up at each other they blew hot and fiery.
    Now Anastacia jerked her arm free.
    "Because Olivier is refusing the get the message. Plus I'm tired after a very long day. And I want to go home, if that's all right with you?"
    Danni said nothing as her hazel gaze bounced between her friends.
    T.C. nodded, but her baby blue eyes were sharp now as they held Anastacia's.
    "Okay. But something tells me that Olivier's not the type to take any notice of your little hang-ups about bonking a client. He looks to me like a man who knows what he wants and how to get it."
    All of that was perfectly true, but that didn't mean that Anastacia had to like it or to accept it. Plus she didn't need to justify how she ran her professional life to T.C. or to anyone else.
    "You're only annoyed because you have the hots for Fabio," Anastacia shot back.
    T.C. didn't even blink.
    "So what?" she shot right back. "If I want to roll naked in a meadow with a hot Italian, what's that got to do with you?"
    "You avoid his type like the plague," said Anastacia. And wondered why on earth she was having this stupid conversation right in the middle of the damned street.
    "You mean the type that uses a women for a quickie and then walks away without a second glance? That type?"
    Anastacia bit down hard on her bottom lip.
    "I don't want to see you hurt," she said now.
    T.C. nodded and her baby blues went wide.
    "I get that, Banana. I do. But I'm not going to get hurt, because in order to get hurt I'd need to care. And since I don't care about Fabio, but I do want to jump him, I don't see the problem here."
    The sound of a man clearing his throat had both girls spin round to find Olivier, Fabio and Chris watching them with interest.
    T.C. simply rolled her eyes.
    "Fucking great," she said to no one in particular.
     
    Anastacia knew that T.C. was more than annoyed with her that Fabio had overheard the last part of their discussion about him. And she had to give Fabio points for good manners, because he acted as if he'd heard nothing, grabbed her friend's hand and towed her down the street. Like a real gentleman, Chris offered his arm to a Danni who was more than happy to take it, and they walked away, too.
    So that just left Anastacia with... Olivier.
    A grinning Olivier who took her hand, turned in the opposite direction with her and she realized he intended to walk her home. Well, she wasn't having that. Not after last night.
    "You're not walking me home."
    " Si , I'm walking both of us home, since I am using Nico's penthouse apartment. The apartment in your building. We are both going in the same direction. It would be ridiculous not to walk together."
    This whole night was beginning to feel farcical to an Anastacia who was a woman well used to being in