the list of people who were number one priority to the firm, but I was occupied with something else. I was watching Rose’s movements as she placed her napkin in her lap and stared at the scallops on her plate. Taking up her knife and fork, she cautiously cut a small piece and slowly brought it up to her lips. Oddly fascinated, I watched her chew it longer than was necessary and then force herself to swallow it down. Softly coughing, she reached for her glass and took a sip of water. For anyone looking at her, she’d look elegant as she enjoyed her dinner, but to me, she looked like she was being forced to eat garbage.
“Jack?” George called, and I had to shift my attention as they all stared at me—everyone except Rose. “Don’t you want to add something?”
It took me a second to shift gears. “I think Wes knows my opinions on this subject.” I glanced at Wes and he gave me a small nod. He had built an incredibly successful tech company from nothing in the last few years and had recently decided to change his law firm when his previous lawyers lost him a case that was being splashed all over the media and tarnishing his company’s reputation. It should’ve been an easy win, but they had made massive mistakes along the way, mistakes I had pointed out to him. “I can assure you, just as I did yesterday, if you decide to go with any other firm, you’ll be making a big mistake. I think after what happened with the last one, you’re done taking chances with the company you worked so hard to get to where it is today.”
I’d explained everything I would do for Wes and his company when he had dropped into my office the day before. He had taken his time to ask every little question he had, and I had answered every one of them with full honesty. If he decided to go with us, he knew what he’d be getting from me. I didn’t find it necessary to add anything else—he’d either make the right decision or he wouldn’t. He had all the facts, and the rest of it was up to him.
Everyone at the table focused on me, though my wife still didn’t. She stopped with the fork halfway to her lips for just a second, a slight hesitation, then resumed eating.
Samantha cleared her throat. “I think what Jack is trying to—”
Wes cut her off with a wave. “Oh, no. You don’t have to cover for him, Samantha. I like that he doesn’t hold back his thoughts. I need that honesty. And yes, we talked more about this yesterday in his office, and he is right. I can’t afford to make bad decisions about the people who are supposed to protect me and what I’ve built all on my own.”
Fred joined in and they kept the pointless discussion going. If I wasn’t mistaken, Wes had already come to a decision, but it seemed he wanted to hear more assurances. However pointless it was, I understood his reservations. Everyone loved getting pampered, and he was someone who seemed to enjoy being the focus of attention.
I took a few bites of my dinner and discreetly kept watching Rose even though I knew what a bad idea that was considering our situation. This was a work dinner, not the time to ogle my fake wife as if she was the most interesting thing in the world. But the more I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, the more I realized that she was doing her best to act like I wasn’t sitting right next to her. Then her quietness started to get to me as well. By helping her at the coffee shop I’d realized how much she loved to talk. About anything and everything. As much as she gave it her best shot she hadn’t quite managed to pull me into her conversations, not yet. The more she failed the harder she tried, as much as I admired her for it, I hadn’t lost my damn mind that much.
I didn’t want to get used to her. Didn’t want to get close. Not anymore than I already was. That was not the plan. Not at all.
When I couldn’t keep quiet anymore, I stopped thinking and placed my hand on her leg, my thumb and first finger making contact with her bare skin. She jumped in her seat, her knee