The Decadent Gift (The Gift #3) - Lauren Blakely Page 0,2

with my meeting tomorrow. We’ll even have stakes. A gentlewoman’s bet, if you will.”

“Ooh. You’re letting us into your secret work world. This ought to be good. What’s the meeting about?” Lily asked as she reached for a roll with her chopsticks. She loved to give me a hard time about my boss’s don’t-ask-don’t-tell vibe.

“I don’t have all the details yet. But Trish called an hour ago to tell me we landed a new client who wants to focus on girls’ night out marketing, and we don’t have much time to get it going, so I want to be in tip-top shape with my . . . talking points,” I said, finishing the sentence in the same tone my boss used when she spoke to her driver.

A sexy little purr.

Nina arched a brow above the frame of her red glasses. “Only you could make the phrase talking points sound deliciously sensual.”

I grinned, then blew on my burgundy fingernails. “That’s my job, girls. Make everything sound enticing.”

“You are the best at leading the denizens of this city to the enchanted forest of naughty,” Lily added.

I winked at her. “Because everyone wants to be led. I’m a tour guide into the magical land of dirty fairy tales.” That was an apt description of the type of marketing work I handled. Plenty of my clients wanted the typical splash and fanfare of a marketing campaign, like the casinos, celebrity chef pop-up restaurants, and new designer boutiques we handled. But others, such as the occasional gentleman’s club or high-stakes players’ games, required a more unconventional approach to reach the right clientele.

“What’s the game, then? And what are the rules and the stakes?” Lily asked as she dipped her roll in soy sauce.

I tipped my forehead in the direction of the bride squad. “The game is this—what are they up to tonight?”

“The bride and her posse?” Nina asked.

“Yes. Let’s make our best guesses as to the agenda for their Thursday night,” I said in a low voice. “The rules are simple. Whoever makes the best case, wins.”

“You and your love of bets,” Nina said with a smile and a shake of her head.

“Me and my bets,” I echoed.

“What are the stakes?” Nina asked, a skeptical note in her voice. “Better not be a free latte, because I already have one of those coming tomorrow thanks to my coffee-shop loyalty card.” She preened. “I got my tenth punch today. It’s okay to be jealous.”

I laughed at the pun she might not have intended. “You’re all about getting cards punched lately, aren’t you?” I teased, unable to resist tweaking my good friend, who shed her virginity mere months ago with her next-door neighbor.

She’d chosen well. Adam was now her fiancé.

Nina shot me an oh no you didn’t look. “You really went there?”

“She really went there,” Lily added as she laughed.

Nina rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. Yes, after I punched my V-card, I set to work on my coffee-shop bucket list,” she said in a singsong voice. “I’m working through latte drinks now instead of sex positions. Anyway, back to your game, dirty fairy godmother.”

I set a hand on my chest. “C’est moi.” I exhaled, returning to the rules. “For stakes—how about winner chooses dessert for us to share?”

“Dessert is a vital item on a girls’ night out menu,” Lily said, and Nina nodded her agreement.

I set down my chopsticks, nodded to the bride pack, then imitated the Jeopardy! countdown clock. “For choice of dessert, Alex, this is what the crew will be doing tonight . . .”

Nina whipped her gaze around, studying the ladies, a serious look in her brown eyes.

Lily stared too, her brow furrowing as she seemed to take mental notes on the women, her reporter’s radar surely firing. “What is a bar crawl, a limo ride, and a nighttime pool party?” she declared.

Interesting picks. But why had she chosen those? The why was critical in any marketing pursuit. “And your reasoning?”

“One of the ladies is wearing a bikini,” Lily said, stating the facts. “But the series of drinks tells me it’s going to be a long night at the bar, and long nights at the bar usually involve limos. And limos are fun with friends.”

“True that.” I pointed to Nina. “Your turn.”

“I’m rolling the dice in a different direction. Since they’re giving off a man-candy vibe, I say, what is Magic Mike Live, Chippendales, and a round of slots along the way? Probably at the Aladdin slot machine.”

I raised my brow at Nina’s addendum.