Mr Spencer: Chapter 6

“H-hi,” I croak.

Sarah shakes Richard’s hand, and then Spencer’s. “It’s so lovely to finally meet you.”

They both stand, moving around the table to shake my hand, with Richard reaching for me first.

“Hello, Lottie.” He smiles. He’s handsome with dark brown hair and big brown eyes.

Then Spencer turns to me and takes my hand in his. It’s hot and tingly, and I instantly remember the way it felt against my behind.

“Hello, Charlotte,” Spencer purrs in his oh-so-sexy voice.

I push out a forced smile and tear my hand from his grip. “Hi.” I fall into my seat.

“Her name is Lottie.” Sarah smiles. “Lottie Preston. She just started working with me in the mailroom this week.”

Spencer frowns, his eyes drifting back to mine with silent questions. Dear God, he’s going to blow my cover.

This was the stupidest idea I ever had.

“You work in the mailroom?” Spencer asks Sarah, casting her a quick glance.

“For now… while I look for something else.” Sarah smiles.

Spencer’s attention turns back to me. “And…you… work in the mailroom, too?”

“Uh-huh.” I fake a laugh, feeling my underarms beginning to perspire. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Spencer says fiercely.

I practically run to the front of the restaurant, and around the corner, but of course he follows me.

“What the fuck is going on?” he whispers angrily.

“Oh, Spencer,” I whimper in a fluster. “Don’t blow my cover. I’m pretending to be someone else.”

He scowls hard. “Why?”

“Because I don’t like being Charlotte Prescott.”

“What’s wrong with being Charlotte Prescott? I happen to like her.” He quickly looks around the corner to see if we have been caught talking. “And what the fuck are you wearing?” he hisses when he looks back down at me.

“Sure.” I huff. “You like Charlotte so much that you practically broke a leg when running away from her.”

“Actually, it was your fucking bodyguard who threw me out… at your insistence.”

“Because of the look of disgust on your face,” I whisper angrily. How dare he throw this back on me? I’ve felt like crap for two weeks over this.

His eyes pop, anger radiating from him. “Disgusted?”

“Yeah, in my virginity!” I snap. “I’m so sorry to have disappointed you,” I spit.

I don’t know why, but we are both fuming mad with each other.

He throws his head back in disgust. “You have got to be kidding me?”

Something snaps inside of me, and I don’t want to be sweet Charlotte Prescott for one moment longer.

“Well, you don’t need to worry about me anymore, Mr. Spencer.” I sneer, furious. “That situation has well and truly been taken care of.”

He stares at me for a moment, connecting the dots.

“You slept with someone?” he finally asks, like he’s been winded.

“Yep, and it was great.” I glance back to the table. Screw him having the upper hand all the time. I’m not giving him the satisfaction.

“Do we have a problem here?” Wyatt growls as he approaches us, making us both jump.

Spencer throws up his hand in the air. “You. Fuck. Right off… right now. I am not in the mood for your shit tonight.”

“Not a chance,” Wyatt replies calmly, getting up in Spencer’s face.

Good grief.

I roll my eyes. “Wyatt, can give us some privacy, please?”

Wyatt hesitates.

“Now!” I snap. “Don’t blow my cover.”

He glares at Spencer, and then he reluctantly walks off through the crowd, back to his table.

“Was it him?” Spencer growls.

“Huh? Was what him?”

“Did you sleep with fucking Wyatt? Because if you did, so help me God, Charlotte.”

My mouth falls open… because that is literally the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

His eyes widen as he waits for me to answer. He comes closer to my face. “Are you fucking kidding me? It was him, wasn’t it?”

I put my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes. “I’m going back over there to my date, and I’m going to continue to be Lottie Preston for the rest of the night. And you…” I poke him hard in the chest, “are going to shut your big mouth and not blow my cover.”

He narrows his eyes and glares at me.

I turn to the back of the restaurant, inhale, and drop my shoulders before I walk back to the table with my heart hammering hard in my chest.

I find Sarah laughing out loud at something Richard has said, and I casually drop into my seat.

“So, Lottie…” Richard smiles. “Sarah was just telling me that you are new to London. What made you move down here?”

“Yes.” Spencer sneers as he slides into his seat. “Please share. I’m fascinated to hear all about it.” He steeples his fingers under his chin and smiles sarcastically.

I swallow the lump in my throat.

Oh God.

I fake a smile. “Well.” I glance over to my two bodyguards who are sitting at the front of the restaurant.

Thump, thump, thump goes my heart.

“Lottie worked at a nursery.” Sarah smiles proudly and pours me a glass of wine. “Didn’t you?”

The blood drains from my face. “Yeah.” I pick up the glass of wine and nearly drain it in one go.

“I do love maternal women.” Richard smiles and he places his hand over mine on the table.

Spencer frowns and looks down at our hands, and then he narrows his eyes at me, his fury palpable.

I wither and drain my glass dry.

Spencer turns to Sarah. “Sarah, your uncle has been wanting me to come on this date with you for years. I hit his parked car in the car park last week, and I felt so bad about it, that I finally conceded.” He smiles, and everyone chuckles. “However, had I known you were this beautiful, I would have come on this date a long time ago.”

She giggles into her wineglass nervously, and I find myself glaring at him.

Not funny, Spencer.

But it’s like that, is it?

Game on.

“Richard.” I smile. “Tell me all about you.” I squeeze his hand in mine.

Richard’s eyes light up. “Well, I work in the stock market, I’m thirty-two—”

“Thirty-two,” I gush, interrupting him. “That’s the perfect age, isn’t it? Not too old.”

Spencer looks at me, silently seething.

“How old are you, Spencer?” I smile sweetly. “I’m guessing around forty-five?”

He drains his wineglass, unimpressed, and I bite my bottom lip to stifle my smile.

“Spencer is the perfect age,” Sarah coos. “I can see it in your eyes, Spencer, that you are just waiting for the right woman to come along.”

He clenches his jaw. “Or just wanting to strangle one.”

Sarah and Richard laugh on cue, and Spencer and I glare at each other across the table.

He composes himself and falls back into his role. “So you two are new friends?” he asks.

“Just this week.” Sarah smiles. “Lottie came to work with me. I’m training her up.”

“What is it exactly that you two do?” he asks as he acts fascinated.

“We’re in the mailroom,” Sarah replies.

Spencer’s eyes hold mine, and Richard picks up my hand to kiss it. My eyes flicker over to Richard in shock.

What the hell? That’s… unexpected.

I fake a smile and pull my hand out of his grip.

God, this night is a complete disaster.

Spencer’s jaw ticks and he continues to glare at me.

What is he so angry about?

I guess it could be my fake cherry popping, the fact that I’m pretending to be someone else and working in the mailroom, my tight black dress, Wyatt kicking him out of my house two weeks ago, or Richard kissing my hand. There are plenty of options really.

I pour myself another glass of wine. Alcohol is the only remedy here, so I tip my head back and take a big gulp.

“Sarah.” Spencer smiles seductively at her from across the table. “Do you like to dance?”

Her eyes light up. “I love to dance, Spencer.”

“Me, too. I can’t wait for the real music to start.”

Okay, now it’s my turn to get angry. If he dirty dances with her, I swear to God.

“Do you like to dance, Lottie?” Richard asks.

I smile sweetly. “I do.” I sip my wine. “You can tell so much about a person by the way they dance.”

Richard grins like he’s winning me over. The poor fella thinks he’s getting in here. I kind of feel bad that he’s tied up in this mess. “I’m going to the bar to get another bottle of wine for us.” I stand before they can object, and I walk to the bar and wait in line.

What do I do? What do I do? Should I leave?

I don’t want to be here if Spencer is into Sarah. Watching him with her would be my worst nightmare.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Spencer whispers behind me.

“Washing my hair, what does it look like?”

“I don’t know what kind of bitch pills you’re on tonight, but fucking cut it out.”

I turn to him and thumb my chest. “Me?” I shake my head and turn my back on him. “How about you cut it out?”

“Let’s get out of here,” he says suddenly.

I frown and look over my shoulder. “What?’

“I don’t want to be on a date with her. I only ever intended on staying for an hour.” He pulls out his phone. “Sebastian is calling me in exactly twenty minutes with my get out of here plan. Let’s go somewhere, just the two of us.” He puts his hand on my hip bone, the contact unnoticeable to anyone else because we are covered by the crowd around us.

“Are you kidding me?” I whisper. “Sarah really likes you.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like her.” He squeezes my behind. “I like you.”

I swat his hand away angrily. “You’re a pig, Spencer Jones, and you’re too late. You had a chance with me, and you blew it.”

“You fucking blew it, not me!”

I turn to him, and I swear, I have never been so infuriated in my life. “I… I blew it?” I stammer. “You have got to be joking?”

“You kicked me out and didn’t call me.”

I shake my head in disgust. “You are the most unromantic jerk I have ever met.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He smirks and squeezes my hip bone. “Now, let’s leave. If Wyatt gets in my way, I’m punching his lights out. Prepare yourself for my attack.”

“Ha.” I huff. “I would like to see that. He would wipe the floor with your wimpy behind.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

I swat his hand away from my waist. “Stop touching me,” I whisper as I shuffle forward in the line.

He immediately pulls me back against him to show me who’s the boss here.

“I’m leaving in twenty minutes. Are you coming with me or not?”

“Not. She really likes you.”

“And this is why I’m leaving. She’s not my type. I have zero attraction to her.”

I glare at him, unresponsive. Spencer links our pinky fingers together and his eyes drop to my lips. “You’re my type,” he breathes.

“Next!” the barmaid calls. I break out of his grip and step forward.

“I’ll have a… erm…” My brain is completely fried from having him so close. “Can I have a…” Good grief, I can’t even string two sentences together. What is it with this man?

Spencer steps forward to rescue me. “She’ll have a bottle of Louis Roederer.” He smiles casually and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Give me your number.”

His hot breath tickles my neck and I feel goose bumps scatter my spine.

“What?” I frown and find myself staring at his big luscious lips.

“I don’t have your fucking phone number. Give it to me.”

My tingles instantly fade. “I don’t want you to call me. And stop swearing all the time.”

He rolls his eyes. “You can lie all you want about who you are to them, but don’t lie to me. Give me your number.”

The barmaid hands over the bottle and I pay her without thought. Without another word to Mr Spencer, I walk back to the table.

He’s such an asshole.

Moments later, he comes back to the table with another bottle of wine. He sits down and smiles calmly, placing his phone on the table.

My poor heart is hammering in my chest. This is devious behaviour at it’s very worst.

Sarah’s date wants me to leave with him, …and even worse than that is the fact that, I want to.

Spencer’s phone dances across the table, the name Sebastian lighting up the screen.

I roll my eyes. He has got to be kidding me.

“Hi, Seb,” he answers cheerfully. “Oh no.” His face falls as he pretends to listen. “Oh… really?”

I roll my eyes. Good grief. What next?

“Sure, yeah, I’ll come and get you now.” He listens and frowns at Sarah, shaking his head with fake annoyance.

I stare at him, deadpan. What a douche.

He ends the call. “Sarah, I am so sorry but I have to go. My friend Sebastian has driven into a ditch about half an hour out of the city, and his pregnant sister is in the car. I have to go and help them.”

Sarah’s face falls. “Oh no.”

“I’m so annoyed.” He sighs. “This was turning out to be such a great night, too.”

“What ditch?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.

“Dead Guard Ditch,” he replies without hesitation.

I sip my wine and stare at him. “Sounds creepy.”

He narrows his eyes. “It is.”

He turns his attention to Sarah. “I’m sorry, but Richard will have to take over the reins tonight.”

“That’s okay, Spence, I can handle it.” Richard smiles.

I roll my eyes yet again. It’s obvious that Richard knew all along that Spencer was leaving early.

“Will you call me?” Sarah asks Spencer.

My heart drops for her. Damn him.

“Of course. What’s your number?” he asks.

She smiles and reads it out to him, and he ‘apparently’ puts it into his phone.

“What about if I want to contact you at work?” he asks her. “Do you have a work email?”

“Yes.” She smiles excitedly. “It’s sarah@ conradmailroom.com.”

“Okay.” He stands and shakes Sarah’s hand. “Lovely to meet you. My apologies about tonight.”

“That’s okay.” She giggles. “Call me.”

Spencer shakes Richard’s hand, and then he moves closer to me.

“Goodbye, Mr Spencer. Have a nice life.” I tilt my chin to the ceiling.

He narrows his eyes at me again. “Have fun in that mailroom, Lottie.”

I smile sweetly. “I intend to.”

Our eyes are locked, and he raises his eyebrow in a This is your last chance to come with me way.

I wave. “Goodbye Spencer.” I sip my wine.

After a beat, he gives a subtle shake of his head and leaves the restaurant without looking back.

“Looks like I have two dancing partners tonight.” Richard smiles, jiggling in his seat.

Sarah and I laugh at his goofy moves. “You sure do.”

Spencer

I walk into another restaurant on a mission, riled up and severely pissed off.

She didn’t want to come with me. She wanted to stay with him.

Her fucking bodyguard.

I should have knocked that fucker out on her porch like I wanted to.

My skin prickles. I bet he made his move on her that night after I left, the fucking snake.

Masters gives me a quick wave from the table they are sitting at along the back wall. I double booked myself tonight. My first stop was with the date from Hell, followed by my second stop of dinner with my three best friends.

I storm over and see Bree, Masters, and Sebastian glancing at their menus.

“Hi,” I grunt and fall into my seat.

“How did the date go?” Seb asks without looking up.

“Fucking disaster.” I pick up his beer and drain it.

“Ease up.” He snatches it back from me. “Get your own.”

I raise my hand immediately to try and get the waitress’s attention.

Spencer and Seb smile, exchanging a knowing look. “What was such a disaster?” Master asks.

I throw my hands up in the air. “Where do I start?”

The waitress comes over. “Yes, sir?”

“Can I have a Corona, please?”

“Of course.”

“And keep them coming.”

The three of them sit tentatively, waiting for the story. “So, this fucking idiot who I do business with has been hammering me for twelve months to take his niece out on a date.”

Masters grins. “You’re an idiot.”

“You haven’t heard half the story yet,” I hit back.

“We don’t need to.” Seb chuckles, and they all exchange looks again.

“Anyway, I ran into his car in the car park last week, and he used it as leverage to make me feel bad, and he talked me into taking her out.” I shake my head. They’re right, I am an idiot. “I agreed on the condition that it was a double date, so then I could get out of there as soon as possible. I organised one of the guys from work to come with me, and he knew I was leaving early and was going to be left with two women. He’s hoping for a threesome or some shit.” My beer arrives. “Thank you.” I take a long hard gulp of it. “Ah, that’s the stuff.”

“You were saying?” Bree frowns.

“My date, Sarah arrives, and I will admit it, she’s pretty hot.”

“What’s the problem then?” Masters frowns.

“Guess who her friend was?” I snap. “The one set up with my friend.”

“Who?” they all ask at once.

“Charlotte Prescott.”

Their eyes widen.

I nod. “That’s right. My dream girl who isn’t into me is sitting across the table with my fucking friend holding her hand.”

“What?” Seb whispers.

Bree puts her hand over her mouth and starts to giggle. “Oh, this is karma, Spence.”

“Only she isn’t Charlotte Prescott tonight. She introduces herself as Lottie Preston. A totally different person,” I continue. “And she works in a fucking mailroom with Sarah now—Sarah my date!”

“Wait, I’m confused.” Bree frowns.

“That makes two of us,” I snap.

“Why was she pretending be someone else?” Seb asks.

“I have no idea.” I shrug and drain my beer. “But it wasn’t long before I lost complete control of myself and followed her to the bar to start giving her shit about her kicking me out of her house two weeks ago.”

Sebastian throws his head back and laughs out loud. “Why are you still going on about that?”

“Because it fucking pissed me off. No woman has ever thrown me out before.”

Masters shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Well, what did she say?” Bree asks.

“She asked me not to blow her cover and said she wanted to be someone else for a while.”

They exchange confused looks.

“I know.” I shrug. “And she was dressed all sexy, and then I told her that I like Charlotte Prescott, and she starts going on about how I couldn’t get away from her fast enough because she was a virgin—”

“That is true, though,” Masters cuts in. “She did freak you out.”

“Completely,” I mutter as I sip my beer. “But she didn’t know that.”

“Well, she obviously did.” Sebastian shrugs.

I exhale heavily. “And then the worst news of my life comes.”

Bree giggles. “You’re so dramatic, you really should go into theatre.”

The boys both chuckle in agreement.

I raise my beer to them in a silent toast. “It turns out she isn’t a virgin anymore.”

Their mouths fall open, and I take an angry swig of my beer.

“So, there I was, being all gallant and leaving her fucking hot hymen in place for her future husband, and some other asshole has flown in and stolen it right out from beneath me.”

The three of them all burst out laughing, thinking this is the funniest thing they have ever heard.

“This isn’t funny!” I shout at each one of them.

“This is fucking hilarious.” Masters laughs.

I tip my head back and drain my beer bottle. “If I knew she was just going to give it away to any old prick, I would’ve fucking taken it…. wouldn’t I?” I roll my eyes. “I can’t fucking believe this shit.”

“Any old prick being the operative word,” says Seb, and the three of them burst out laughing again.

I shake my head in disgust. “That’s it, laugh at my expense, you arseholes. I’m getting new friends.”

They eventually finish their fits of laughter. “Spencer, why are you here?” Bree frowns. “Why didn’t you stay with her?”

I fake a smile because this story is so fucked up that I can’t believe it myself. “Because she wasn’t my date. My date was going gooey-eyed over the table at me… and she happens to be Charlotte’s friend.” I put my hand up for another drink. “If I’d stayed on that date, I would have had to stay with her friend, which means there is absolutely no chance Charlotte would ever go out with me because the friends rule overtakes all rules. And once you go out with the friend, there is no going back. You will always be the friend’s ex.”

They all nod, finally understanding my predicament.

“I did what I had to do.”

“What?” Seb asks.

“I accused her of sleeping with her bodyguard and told her I was going to knock him out.”

“You can’t fight for shit.” Masters chuckles.

“I know that! But I asked her to leave with me anyway.” I shake my head and sip my beer, completely dejected. “She declined and told me to have a nice life.”

The three of them burst out laughing again, and this time I can’t help it… I find myself laughing too.

I drop my head into my hands.

“What are you going to do?” Seb asks.

“Get rolling drunk in hymen commiseration.”

They all burst out laughing again.

“This isn’t fucking funny!”

Charlotte

It’s Monday afternoon and I’m sitting at my computer next to my work colleagues, each of us going through our emails and paperwork for the day.

Sarah checks her phone for the fiftieth time today. “Damn it, why hasn’t he called?”

“He’s an idiot.” I sigh. “Forget about Spencer Jones, you can do a lot better.”

At least he could have called her to tell her he isn’t interested.

I hate that I like that he isn’t interested.

“What was the other guy like?” Paul asks.

“Oh, he was really nice,” I say. “And I think he liked Sarah.”

“He did not.” She sighs.

The three of us ended up having a really good time, and we danced the night away.

My email pings, the name Spencer Jones appearing in front of me.

My heart skips a beat.

I glance to the other two who are only a metre or so away from my desk.

Shit, shit, shit.

Oh my God. I quickly close the email, get up and move away from my desk.

I don’t want to be suspicious, so I scurry to the kitchen.

“Anyone want a coffee?” I ask them.

“Please,” they both answer.

I can’t believe Spencer is emailing me when I am sitting next to someone who is waiting for his call.

Good grief.

I make the coffees with my mind in overdrive, and then I take my time returning to my desk.

Just say no. Yes.

Okay, I’m just going to email him and say no. That’s easy.

I open the email and hit reply.

I look left then right and hit send.

A reply hits my inbox in an instant.

Poor, conceited fool.

I hit send and smirk against my coffee cup.

I answer a few emails, and then another reply comes back.

I giggle before I catch myself.

I put my hand over my mouth and close the email before I laugh out loud.

This man is an idiot. Can’t he at least pretend to be cool. I head to the bathroom to try and calm myself before I go back to my desk and open the email again.

I bite back my grin.

My heart drops, if only he knew how important that point is to me.