then she placed her hand on top of mine that was holding her face. She smiled and then pulled my hand down. “You …” She squinted. “… are really, really good. So good that I almost believed you.”
“I’m going to make a believer out of you, Sonia.” And that would be my goal for the evening—or weeks or months if it took that long.
The date was horrible, and I’d been on plenty of bad ones. But this was by far the worst because I didn’t want to be there.
Somewhere between walking into the pizza joint and after shaking Jeff’s hand, I’d determined he was my enemy. Shit. He was the dumbass for leaving Sonia, so his misfortune was my fortune, but Sonia hadn’t satisfied the burning question in the back of my mind. Was she still in love with him? My insecurity made me hate this guy that I hardly knew.
I pushed the half-eaten pizza farther away from me.
Chicago was known for its pizza, but not soggy pizza. Whatever this place was, it was horrible. With its bland red chairs and black-and-white-checkered floors that gave the vibe of an older soda shop, there was nothing spectacular about this place or its service or its food.
The pizza was cold and tasted like a box, bland and without flavor.
Jean kept talking with animated hands, and while I was not impressed and not even trying, what was surprising was, neither was Jeff. He looked above Jean, never at her when she was speaking, as though he were watching a television show he was not even remotely interested in.
“That was one of the best weddings I’d ever gone to,” Jean said, eyes bright.
She reminded me of a sorority girl—the lilt of her voice, the way she talked with her hands. Maybe it had been cute in her early twenties, but it was annoying now. Like watching one of those talking baby dolls that you wanted to lock in the closet.
I pushed two fingers into my temple, feeling an oncoming migraine. If it wasn’t for Sonia, I’d up and leave.
“Right?” Sonia nudged my shoulder and threw me a smile.
Shit. I’d missed the whole conversation, and I wasn’t sure what I was saying right to. Immediately, I reached for her hand, needing to touch her.
“It’s so romantic. Like Pretty Woman,” Jean added.
“The dress at the wedding. How you surprised me and took me shopping. You tricked me, remember? Saying we were going for you.”
Ah, that. See, I could be romantic, even when I wasn’t trying.
“You wouldn’t let me take you shopping otherwise.” I kissed her hand.
And that was the truth of the matter. If I’d told her I was buying her a very expensive designer dress, she would have refused. Because that was just how she was, simple and happy with wearing one of her old dresses.
“Oh my God. It’s like pulling teeth when I ask Jeff to go shopping. I’m always like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go. It’ll be fun.’” Jean bounced on her seat as she talked, and I was surprised her seat didn’t tip over.
“Jeff hates shopping. He’s the type who will wait outside the store, looking at his watch the whole time,” Sonia stated. “I don’t think I’ve met another male who hates it more.”
They both laughed, and I added my ugly laughter, the one meant to come out for Halloween.
I clenched my teeth. Who cares about Jeff? I could hate shopping. I didn’t because I had a personal shopper to do it for me, but I could.
“I do,” Jeff stated, not even arguing. “You still know me so well.” His laser focus was on Sonia, and my shoulders stiffened.
In my line of business, during a takeover or a buyout, the number one quality that I possessed that always worked in my favor and guaranteed that I won the deal 99.9% of the time was my uncanny ability to read people. And the way he’d uttered those words and the way he was looking at Sonia made me want to get up, reach for his collar, pull him in, and punch his pretty face until I messed it up.
For the next thirty minutes, he stared at Sonia, laughed at her jokes, and leaned in as though he could get closer.
How did I miss this earlier?
I only noticed how Jeff was annoyed by his date, not how much attention he was paying to mine.
My jaw clenched. I reached for Sonia’s hand and brought it to my lips, meeting his eyes in the process.
Yeah, asshole.