Huge Deal - Lauren Layne Page 0,30

been a week.”

Kate tilted her head in a gesture that was meant to look innocent and confused, but he knew it was a warning. Knock it off.

He ignored it.

Jack glanced down at Kate. “Did you not tell him, sweetheart? About the engagement?”

“Nope,” she said in a loud whisper. “Not about the baby, either.”

“Hilarious,” Kennedy muttered.

Claudia swatted his arm. “Be nice.”

“Oh, he can’t help it,” Jack said. “It’s written into his older-brother DNA to be Highly Disapproving.”

“Just like it’s written into yours to be Highly Annoying?”

“When’s your birthday, Jack?” Claudia asked, clearly trying to steer the conversation to friendlier territory.

“November twenty-sixth. You can imagine my hardship over the years, having to share so much with Thanksgiving.” He put a thumb between his eyebrows, as though trying to ward off bad memories.

Kate played along, rubbing his arm. “Poor baby.”

Kennedy ground his teeth.

“What about you, Kate? Wait, no, don’t tell me. You’re a . . . Virgo?”

“Her birthday’s in July,” Kennedy said before Kate could reply. He had no idea whether that made her a Virgo or Ram, a Waffle, or whatever. He didn’t give a crap about astrology. He didn’t even know why he’d answered for her, except it seemed important, somehow, to remind everyone that of the three of them at the table, he was the one who’d known Kate the longest.

Though, that wasn’t particularly fair. Truth be told, until the night of his birthday party, he hadn’t realized how unnerving it was that she seemed to know the smallest details about him, and yet he hadn’t known she liked museums. The ballet. Chess.

Hadn’t known that she believed in love at first sight.

Kennedy didn’t like surprises and had made it a point ever since to gather whatever details he could about her. It was just smart to stay on a level playing field.

To stay one step ahead of his brother in all things Kate Henley.

“July twentieth,” Kate was telling Claudia. “A Cancer, I think?”

“Yeah, Cancer,” Claudia said thoughtfully as their waiter placed cocktails in front of them. “Surprising.”

“How’s that?” Jack asked. “I don’t know anything about the signs.”

Because it’s all crap, Kennedy thought, taking a sip of his drink. It had some froufrou name, but it was basically a slightly bitter Manhattan. He didn’t really care. It had whiskey.

“Well, Kate’s got Virgo written all over her,” Claudia explained. “Virgos are extremely capable with amazing attention to detail. Which is what makes Kate such a great assistant.”

Kennedy inwardly flinched. Claudia didn’t mean it as a slight. Kennedy knew enough about his girlfriend to know that she was never unkind. Just oblivious.

“Kate actually went to business school,” Kennedy said.

“You did?” Jack looked over at Kate, but she ignored him, staring right at Kennedy.

“What’s that have to do with the conversation?” Kate asked, her voice testy.

“I just meant that you’re not only capable as an assistant,” Kennedy said, taken aback by the fire in her eyes. “You can do anything you want to do.” I was defending you.

Kate’s smile was tight. “I don’t think Claudia meant assistant as an insult.”

“I didn’t,” Claudia said quickly.

“Okay, so what’s my sign?” Jack asked Claudia in an effort to get the conversation back on track. “End of November makes me a—”

“There’s nothing wrong with being an assistant,” Kate said, interrupting Jack.

“I didn’t say there was,” Kennedy said, meeting her angry gaze levelly. He meant it. He couldn’t begin to do what Kate did on a daily basis. He didn’t know anyone who could.

Slowly she dragged her brown eyes from Kennedy back to Jack. “I got my MBA in business administration a couple years ago. Ian actually paid my tuition. He heard me say I wanted to continue my education, and next thing I knew, I was enrolled at Columbia. I wish he’d let me pay him back, but . . .” She shrugged. “I’m grateful.”

Kate was taking a sip of her drink and wasn’t looking at Kennedy after she said it, but his brother was. Jack’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Kennedy pointedly ignored his brother’s prying gaze. He’d managed to keep his secret for this long; he wasn’t about to give himself away now. It had been hard enough to get Ian to cooperate. Kennedy didn’t want to have to drag Jack in on the lie, too.

Not to mention, his brother would want to know why. Why had Kennedy paid for Kate’s MBA? Why had he asked Ian to take the credit for it?

Kennedy didn’t want those questions, because he wasn’t entirely sure of the answers. He’d always