Lovers Premiere. Adrianne Byrd

pre-award party our company is throwing for our nominated clients.” He turned to climb back into the cab.

      “Wait!” Sofia grabbed his arm again. “Are you really not going to give me a lift?”

      Ram continued to pretend that he didn’t feel the heat blazing up his arm when he shrugged off her touch. “Are you really not going to apologize for your rude behavior?”

      She dropped her hand again and pulled up straight, but the one thing she had trouble doing was getting her mouth to work.

      “See you later.”

      “OK.” Her hand flew back to his arm. “I’m…I’m…” She started coughing.

      “You have to be kidding me.”

      “Oh God, I need some water.” She clutched her throat as if it needed massaging to get the words out of it.

      “You need to stop wasting my time.” Irritation had finally crept into his voice. “I’m not going to stand for you talking and treating me like I’m something stuck on the bottom of your shoe. Whether you want to recognize it or not I’m a man that has worked and earned a certain level of respect. If you can’t deal with that then I suggest you march your butt out there on the runway and hitch out your thumb and see if you can catch a ride that way.”

      She blinked and then finally whispered. “I’m sorry.”

      Ram cupped a hand around his ear. “Come again?”

      Sofia sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes and spoke louder. “I said I’m sorry.” After a long pause of silence, she peeled open her eyes. Ram looked as if he was still weighing whether to accept her apology or tell her just where she could stick her apology.

      “I mean it. I’m sorry,” she added.

      Ram nodded. “Fine. I’ll give you a lift on one condition.”

      She should have known. “What is it?”

      “That you keep your mouth shut. I don’t want you to so much as utter a sound,” he said with a narrowed gaze that made it clear that he was being serious. “Think that you can handle that?”

      “Ye—”

      “Ah. Ah. Ah.” He waved a finger in front of her face. “When it comes to you, as far as I’m concerned, silence is golden.”

      Sofia clamped her mouth shut and then angrily nodded her head.

      “Good. Then you got yourself a deal.”