you were straight with her.” He paused. “You ready to leave now?”
“More than ready.”
Dane pulled his phone out of his pocket and rattled off a text, no doubt summoning Sam. “Now, if you can, wipe the anger off your face or people will think we’re fighting.”
I drew in a long breath, dug deep for calm, and blanked my expression. “Better?”
“It will be when you smile.”
I thought of Freddie, who could always lift my mood, and felt my mouth curve. “Done.”
He squeezed my nape again. “Good girl.”
Oh, he shouldn’t have said that. My body went all tingly again. “What about your paintings?”
“They’ll be sent to my home.”
We returned to our table, said a quick goodbye to his family, and then made our way downstairs. People stopped us here and there, wanting to speak with Dane, but he artfully dodged their efforts to draw him into deep conversation.
Outside, we slid into Sam’s waiting car. Noting that the privacy partition was up, I turned to Dane and said, “Think we accomplished what we came to do?”
“You mean convince people we’re a couple? Yes.”
“What happens next?”
“Next I put my ring on your finger. But not until we’re in Vegas.”
And now my belly was rolling again. “Do I get to pick the ring?”
“No.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“You’ll pick something understated.”
“So?”
“So I don’t do ‘understated.’ People know that.”
I huffed. “Fine. Just don’t pick something too big and expensive—that’s all I ask.”
“Hmm.”
Not liking that noncommittal sound, I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the window. What a freaking night.
Chapter Six
Having written my to-do list for the following day on a virtual sticky note, I switched off my computer, gathered my things, and slipped on my coat. Dane was out of the office, so I didn’t need to pop in and say goodbye. I just headed straight for the elevator.
Most of the employees had already left the building, so I didn’t pass many people. Since my “serious relationship” with Dane became public a week ago, some of my co-workers had changed a little toward me. Talk would sometimes stop when I entered the break room. Smiles were occasionally too false. I’d hear people whispering nearby, but they’d shut up if I turned to look at them.
Two women in particular were getting on my last nerve. They mostly just did petty stuff like sneer or titter or pointedly ignore me, but I kind of felt betrayed. These were people I’d once chatted with regularly and had drinks with at Christmas office parties. Now, they treated me like I was a pariah. I figured it was jealousy, since both females had tried and failed to seduce Dane years ago.
I supposed that back then they’d comforted themselves with the fact that he made a point of not sleeping with his employees. It was no doubt a kick to their ego that he’d seemingly now made an exception for me. Still, there was no need for them to be so freaking bitchy.
That Dane made an effort to have lunch with me most days—usually in the privacy of his office—seemed to have exacerbated the issue. I was sure others thought we were getting up to some raunchy stuff in there while on our break. I was also sure that Dane was hoping they would assume that.
Uninterested in lowering myself to the level of the other women, I’d so far ignored it. I also hadn’t told Dane about it. Nor had I mentioned that some of the other employees were acting off with me. I was no tattler, and I could deal with my own problems just fine. It would all blow over eventually if I paid it no mind.
Most of o-Verve were amazingly supportive of our “relationship.” They’d gushed over the online pictures of us that were taken by the photographers at the charity fundraiser. Hanna had dissected each of Dane’s expressions, swearing he was “crazy” about me. I’d just smiled and said I hoped it was true.
I was walking through o-Verve’s private parking garage, my heels clacking on the pitted pavement, when my phone beeped. I pulled my cell out of my purse without breaking stride, careful to dodge an oil stain on the ground. Looking at the screen, I saw that I had two messages. The most recent was from Melinda, informing me that she and Wyatt would be having a barbeque on Sunday and that Simon, Dane and I were invited. The other message had been sent an hour ago, but I hadn’t heard my phone beep.