Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series by Ainsley Claire (e ink manga reader TXT) 📕

are you drinking?” Ryder asks as I approach. “There are plenty of fine men in here buying drinks.” She raises her glass to a young man in a suit at the bar.

I lean in. “Is he old enough to buy liquor?”

“The younger they are, the longer they can go.” She licks the sugar on the glass rim and takes a sip of her drink, still staring at the man.

“I don’t have that problem with Landon, even though he’s older than me.” Tinsley notes. “The wind shifts and he’s ready to go.”

I laugh.

The server comes over, and I ask for a high-end bourbon. “And make it a double, please.”

We chat as Mia, Claire, Marci, and Caroline arrive. Once we’re all settled in, I take a look across the bar. It feels like every eye is on us, and I don’t blame them, frankly. We’re a beautiful group of women—even in work attire. This is my posse. My ride or dies. I trust them more than anyone else in the world. They mean the world to me, and I’d be lost without this group of friends.

When the server returns, she places my drink in front of me. “The to die for gentleman in the gray suit and pink shirt standing at the bar has bought your drink.”

Claire leans in. “Is that who I think it is?”

I look over and see him. The man who ruined my day and possibly my life. I let out a frustrated sigh. “If you mean Joshua Turner, then yes. It’s him.” Turning to the server. “You can put the entire table’s drinks on his tab. He won’t mind.”

She pulls back. “I…ah…need to tell…um… tell him.”

I stand. “Don’t worry. I can tell him myself.”

I saunter over, and I know many of the men in the place are watching. “Are you following me?”

I feel a hand on my back and smell the citrus and spice of Joshua’s closest friend, Gio Russo, before I see him. He leans in for a kiss from behind me. “Elena, you look stunning.”

“Thank you.” I shake my head. “What a surprise. When you see frick, frack is always close by.”

Gio leans over and speaks to Joshua, just loud enough for me to hear. “She was a firecracker in bed, wasn’t she?”

My blood pressure skyrockets.

I look directly at Joshua. “Thank you for the drink. I told the server you wouldn’t mind buying for the whole table tonight.”

He purses his lips and nods as I return to my seat.

“Damn, that Gio Russo puts the sizzle in hot,” Claire breathes as I sit back down. “I think I need a cold shower.”

“You’re welcome to have those two, but beware, I don’t think they keep anything from each other.”

“Maybe that means you should take them both on.” Ryder moves her attention to Gio, who gives it right back to her.

The table erupts in giggles.

“What happened today?” Marci asks.

“Let’s just say Joshua happened today,” I reply.

The table all turns and looks at him, and he lifts his drink. He probably thinks I just told them he was buying tonight.

Fucker.

“Did he know you were coming here?” Mia asks.

I shake my head. “I don’t see how he could have. It’s just my dumb luck.”

Gio approaches our table and slides in next to Ryder. He drapes his arm across her shoulders, leaving Joshua to stand awkwardly next to the table.

“You both can leave now,” I say.

Gio just looks at Ryder and caresses her shoulder with his thumb.

I roll my eyes. I have the strongest urge to kick Joshua in the balls right now.

After a moment Caroline makes room, and Joshua sits between her and Mia. We all hang out and talk for a while. We discuss plans for time off from work, fun places to eat in the City, and some of the summer events finishing up as fall begins. When Caroline stands to go, Mia, Marci, and I join her and say our goodbyes. These guys are ruining our night anyway.

“Josh seems like a good guy,” Caroline offers as we head for the door.

I snort. “That’s because you don’t have to work with him. He’s been dating a cousin of Gio’s, and I’d swear she’s anorexic. We had dinner with America Bank’s CEO last week, and he randomly showed up with her. It was a reservation for four and there were five of us.” I shake my head. “We had a fabulous meal at Quince, and she just moved the food around her plate.”

Caroline’s face sours. “How can you not eat that food? There’s a reason it’s a three Michelin Star restaurant.”

“Exactly. And I looked like an idiot because I was the only one without a date. I’d foolishly thought it would be me and Joshua with the CEO and his wife.”

She gives me a side hug. “I’m sorry he’s so ignorant.”

“It’s so much more than that,” I lament. “But I’m going to go home, take a nice, long bath, and go into the office late tomorrow. I promise to be in a better mood next time you see me.”

“Why don’t you take some time off this weekend?” Caroline suggests. “Go up to Meritage and enjoy the spa.”

We embrace before she gets in a car with her bodyguard, and I walk over to the California line cable car stop and take my seat on the bench. The car arrives shortly, and as we travel up the hill to the top, I start to feel better. I love the anonymity of riding the cable cars. There’s something about it that’s absolutely San Francisco that I just adore.

My condo is at the top of Nob Hill at Huntington Park. Grace Cathedral is at one end of the park and the Fairmont Hotel is at the other.

I wave to Donnie, our