“No. No. I’m not getting it.” Spencer shook his head as if he was trying to convince himself.
“Are you sure? Because this bracelet happens to be half off tonight.” The man pulled his hand out his pocket and offered it over the glass counter. “My name is Coleman, but I prefer to be called Cole. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Spencer Underwood.”
Spencer extended his hand without thinking and gripped Cole’s palm. It was warm and soft as if he’d never worked manual labor. He thought Cole held their connection a little longer than normal, but he knew it was nothing more than a slick salesman turning up the charm to make a deal. And he was good because Spencer was officially going to be late, but all of a sudden, he didn’t care. This guy must be the manager.
“Are you serious?” Brent blurted too close to Spencer’s ear, making him cringe. “Half off! Now?”
Spencer gritted his teeth and held in his exasperated breath. Even with that kind of discount, he still couldn’t afford it. The first of the month was right around the corner. “You have a good night, Cole. Come on, Brent, let’s go. We’re late.”
“Oh, actually I was wrong. It’s seventy-five percent off for the holiday season. We do have some deals going on, but—”
“We do?” Gerald frowned as he continued to stand nearby and watch the other salesman as if he’d never seen him before.
“Yes, we do,” Cole said between clenched teeth, giving the other salesman a scowl that sent him walking in the other direction. Then those pretty eyes were back on him, and Spencer felt his pulse speed up as Cole leaned in closer, giving him a better smell of his spicy cologne. “So, how’s that sound? Is that a deal you can work with?”
Spencer ignored the bullshit deal and instead enjoyed the game this handsome manager was running on him. He was used to this kind of attention—he got it most evenings at his job, and he never fell for it. But the fantasy was nice, to think a handsome, distinguished man like this would want him for anything more than a one-nighter or arm candy to the company New Year’s party.
“Holy shit! That would only make it one fifty. Spencer, get it!” Brent shook his arm.
Spencer ignored his friend. He tilted his head slightly and met Cole’s amused expression. “This bracelet isn’t on sale, is it?”
“It is because I say it is,” Cole said sternly. He rested one hand on the glass and used the other to remove the piece of jewelry from inside the case. He slid it in Spencer’s direction, his voice raspy when he added, “I think it’ll look stunning on you.”
“Are you the manager?” Brent asked.
“You could say that,” Cole answered, his eyes never wavering from Spencer’s. He appeared to be in his late thirties, maybe a bit older, but whenever that smirk appeared, it added a boyish quality to his handsome face.
Spencer scoffed at himself, then shook his head. He’d tell the suit just like he told all the other ones at his job. He wasn’t for sale. He couldn’t be bought. “I’ll come back and get it when I can afford it… Cole. Thanks for the offer, but I’d hate for you to lose your job around the holidays for giving that bracelet away. You probably have a wife and kids that depend on you. Come on, Brent. Let’s go.”
“If he says it’s on sale, then buy it! He can’t falsely advertise that, then take it back,” Brent argued. “Buy it now, Spencer. Now’s your chance.”
“Your friend is right. I can’t take it back.” Cole tucked one hand in the pocket of his nice slacks, exuding so much swagger Spencer almost choked on it. “It’s a onetime offer, Spencer, that happens to come with dinner. Will you take it or leave it?”
Spencer swallowed the sick feeling that rose in his throat. Why did it feel every man he met, or every date he was treated to, began with a quid pro quo? Spencer gritted his teeth, and Cole’s debonair demeanor took a nosedive as he blinked and backpedaled what he’d just said.
“Not like that. I mean, it’s not a condition or anything. Dinner isn’t required.” Cole chuckled nervously. His brown eyes widened the longer Spencer scrutinized him. “But it would be nice. Dinner anywhere you wanna go. The Cavalier Bay or Luigis on the oceanfront?”
Spencer rolled his eyes as he listened to this man throw out the names of five-star restaurants that he probably couldn’t afford in an attempt to impress. He’d rather eat a monster burger at Denny’s than ever consume another plate of that frou-frou finger food. Spencer didn’t take anything that he hadn’t worked or paid for himself. It was his new mantra. He may not have had an extra one hundred and fifty dollars in the budget this week, but that was all right. Until he wrote his first bestseller, he’d have to be careful what he splurged on. Because one thing was for certain, he was never ending up back on the streets or relying on some rich bastard to take care of him ever again. Spencer wasn’t afraid of hard work. And at twenty-six it was nice to know he was capable of treating himself for a change, instead of receiving gifts he hadn’t earned. It would only lead to trouble.
Spencer turned to glare at his best bud. “Brent, I’ve been waiting on this store to have a sale ever since they first debuted their literary collection nine months ago, and it hasn’t happened yet. And I also haven’t seen this particular manager in here before. Now Cole comes from around the corner, takes one look at us, and suddenly says it’s seventy-five percent off. Come on, Brent.”
Brent’s mouth formed a perfect O as his wide eyes bounced back and forth between them.
“You’re wrong.” Cole came from around the counter and didn’t stop his advance until they were almost toe-to-toe. Without the glass display separating them, Spencer noticed Cole was taller than him by a couple of inches and had a few extra pounds around his midsection. But damn he was wearing the fuck out of that suit.
“I’m wrong?” Spencer licked his lips and lowered his gaze suggestively down Cole’s thick body, thinking he could throw him off his game. “You’re having a liquid blowout sale on a new jewelry line?”
“Oh no. All of that stuff you’re right about. There’s no way that bracelet is one fifty. And no, I’m not the manager at this store.”
“Damn,” Brent muttered. “If you can’t trust a salesman to tell the truth, then what hope do we have?”
Cole’s warm gaze found Spencer’s and held it captive. “But you are wrong about the wife and kids. I’m single and alone this holiday like a lot of people. If I wasn’t here, I’d be home watching anything but a holiday movie and sipping a cognac. And lastly, I didn’t change the price when I got a look at the two of you.”
Spencer blinked.
“I changed the price when I got a look at you,” Cole added smoothly. “You looked as if you really wanted the piece, as if it’s all you asked for this year… and since this is the season to be giving, right? Right…”
“Yeah. I guess,” Spencer said, feeling out of breath. What the hell was happening? It was as if knowing this striking, charming, debonair man was as alone as him made him feel like… well, less pathetic. Wait… he’s probably lying about that too. Spencer mentally kicked himself for being so desperate, grabbed Brent, and hauled ass out of the store and straight to the mall’s exit.