“Right back at you.” I turned to the one I hadn’t met—dark brown complexion with a head of tight black curls. She had emerald-green eyes and the requisite big bust. Exotic and beautiful. “Terry McLaughlin.”

“I know who you are. Everyone does.”

“Never felt so popular in my life.”

The woman smiled. “Elodie Anderson. I love your ring.”

“Thank you.”

“I like your necklace,” Jess said. “It offsets all the sparkle.”

I smiled as I regarded Chris. He had a drink in his hand. “The boss gave it to me when I was sixteen. It belonged to his late mother.”

A chorus of awws.

“That’s so sweet!” Jess said.

“Yeah, you can imagine how I felt,” I said. “This big, gorgeous guy giving me something so personal. I was kinda geeky back then.”

“I’m sure you were anything but geeky,” Amanda said.

“No, I was.” My eyes on Chris. He exchanged an empty glass of booze for a full one. I said, “I wasn’t his girlfriend in high school. I was his tutor. He had another girlfriend who he was … you know. Anyway, it was actually a good thing. We became friends before it happened.”

“That’s really romantic,” Elodie said.

“It was, actually,” I said. “I was smitten.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” Amanda said. “My high school boyfriend was a jerk. All he wanted was sex.”

“That’s all men,” I said.

“Yeah, at least you got a cross out of the relationship. All I got was an abortion and a bouquet of wilted daisies.”

Kirstin said, “She got more than a cross. The boss is nuts about her.”

Try just nuts, I thought.

Amanda asked, “Was the boss a good student?”

“Not bad.” A paused. “He paid me a lot.” Chris had polished off the second drink and was asking for a third. “Nothing has changed in that regard.” I winked and they laughed. I said, “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

I walked over to Chris and intercepted the drink just as he was about to put it to his lips. “Thanks so much!” I took a sip. “Wow, strong. But good stuff.” I turned to the three men to whom he was talking. “Mr. Donatti only believes in good stuff.” I took the empty glasses that the men were holding. “Who’d like a refresher?”

Nods all around. Chris introduced me, and I said to him, “You want another one since I stole your Scotch? Maybe a soda chaser?”

“Sounds good,” he said.

I smiled demurely. “I’ll be right back, gentlemen.”

I dumped the glasses, including his Scotch, and waited at the bar for the new orders. There were four glasses to carry back, and I asked the bartender for a tray. Talia came up to me. “Need help?”

“Yeah, I do actually, thanks.”

“No problem,” she said. “Beautiful ring. I helped him pick it out … all three of them, I mean.”