agreed to meet here first and have dinner afterward.” He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “Isn’t that right?”
This is where a real date would give Ash a smile or nod.
Not Gabi. She looked ready to clock him.
Why that made me near giddy? No clue.
“This is totally off topic,” Priscilla inserted, “but after seeing how spectacularly this space turned out, I cannot understand why Dallas is dragging her feet in finishing the interior design of her own home. Her house sits empty while she moves into yet another apartment.”
“Mom. Stop nagging her. This project was a massive undertaking. I can’t blame her if after expending her creative energy for someone else that she needs a place to recharge at the end of the workday that doesn’t require anything from her.”
Priscilla blinked as if a need for downtime hadn’t occurred to her.
Just then a tall blond woman sidled up to Gabi. “Oy. This place is posh, innit?”
Gabi said, “This is my friend Liddy. We’re neighbors at Snow Village. Liddy, this is Mrs. Lund, Dallas and Ash’s mother.”
“Happy to meet you, ma’am. That girl of yours. She’s got brains and heart, doesn’t she? Brings a ray of sunshine wherever she goes. But I have ’alf a mind to kick her arse for keeping her work on this club on the down low.”
“Nondisclosures are a fact of life these days. But I am glad she invited you to the party.”
Liddy frowned. “Dallas didn’t invite me; I tagged along with Gabi girl.”
Priscilla raised both her eyebrows at Ash. “Liddy tagged along on your date?”
Busted.
Heh heh.
“Excuse me.”
My gloating vanished as my mom entered our bizarre circle.
“I need to steal Cilla for a moment, Monte is looking for her.”
As soon as they disappeared, Liddy snagged two glasses of champagne, handing one to Gabi. Before she drank, she glared at me. “While we haven’t been formally introduced, I know all about you. Bit of a preening peacock, aren’t you, just ruffling feathers all over the bleeding place.”
“Liddy,” Gabi warned. “Behave.”
“Bollocks. Why can’t I rip this tosser a new arsehole?”
“Because the carpet is brand new and blood is a bitch to get out.”
She sighed. “You are lit-er-al-ly no fun.”
“I’m loads of fun,” Gabi said dryly. “This is my fun face.”
I snickered.
Gabi sipped her champagne and looked everywhere but at me.
Dallas bounded over, inserting herself between Ash and Gabi to hug Gabi. “You made it! There are so many people here I was afraid I’d missed you. And Liddy came too.” She elbowed Ash out of her way to hug Liddy. “I had no idea you were Ash’s mysterious date.”
“I, um—”
“Explain later. Right now I need you to come with me. I’m supposed to round up two more warm bodies for a photo op.” She dragged both of them away.
Leaving me and Gabi alone.
“It amazes me that Dallas has so much strength for her small stature.”
No reaction.
“I also find it interesting that Dallas believed Liddy was Ash’s date. While Ash himself told his mother something different.”
Gabi didn’t respond.
I stepped in front of her, forcing her attention to me “So you and Ash, huh?”
“Why are you surprised?”
“I’m not half as surprised as you were, Gabriella, that you and Ash are on a date.”
She scowled.
“Just admit that you’re not dating him.”
“Because that would be so hard to believe? A man like Ash Lund would find a woman like me attractive?”
This wasn’t going the way I’d expected. I wanted her to complain about Ash’s high-handed behavior, I’d agree he acted like an ass and then we could rip on him for using her to lie to his mother.
“Just because I’m not your type, Nolan, doesn’t mean you speak for all other men.”
Then she aimed those pale silvery eyes at me, eyes sparking with hurt, and I understood I’d fucked up.
Majorly.
“Gabi—”
“Don’t you ‘Gabi’ me, Lund.” She invaded my space. “After we’d first met, you’d made up your mind that I was this femme fatale homewrecker out to seduce your brother. Which we both know was a wrong assumption on your part. But did you apologize for that? No.”
I opened my mouth to say sorry and she pressed her champagne glass against my lips.
“Zip it. I’m not done.”
Okay.
“I let go of my anger over your complete misjudgment of my character—which could’ve cost me my job—because I knew I’d continue to have to deal with you since you’re the rink owner’s brother. Thankfully we didn’t cross paths that much . . . until I had the misfortune of you being there the