by Amber Lynn
“Your dad is dating Wendy Solive? From what I’ve heard, that’s an impressive accomplishment on his part.”
Casey gave Dylan a quick glare before turning back to the pair still walking towards them. There had been a moment of recognition, but Casey hadn’t placed a name with the face. Hearing she was the head of the biggest insurance company in the city made her take a second look.
Her dad had mentioned his date had her own money, and he wasn’t kidding if it really was Wendy Solive. She was always in the mix for the wealthiest person in the country. Casey didn’t have a chance to comment in private about the situation before her father and his date were in front of them.
“Wow. You went all out this year, princess.” Holcomb stepped away from Wendy to lean down and kiss Casey on the cheek.
Dylan didn’t let her arm go, so Holcomb couldn’t give her the usual quick hug that went along with the kiss.
“Since someone set me up on a date, I thought I’d better give a little extra effort. Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”
“Of course. Casey, this is Wendy. Wendy, this is my adorable daughter Casey.”
Wendy scoffed. “I’m sure she stopped approving of the description adorable around the age of twelve.”
“Sadly that happened when she was five. I just like teasing her about it. You two getting along okay? I know I threw you into this, but as I said, I didn’t want you to feel lonely.”
“There’s going to be over two hundred people here. Do you really think I’d be lonely?”
“Honey, I think you’re lonely with thousands of people around you at a hockey game, so yes, I think you’d be lonely. It’s good to see you got the tie matched up, Dylan, and that she hasn’t scared you away. I was a little worried she’d already have you curled up in a ball.”
Casey rolled her eyes, thankful no one else had shown up to hear the conversation.
“Just in case he wasn’t clear, he means crying and not naked with me.”
“I’ve spent enough time with you to understand what he meant. I’m Dylan, by the way.” He reached out his hand towards Wendy, and she did the same.
It was a quick shake, with Dylan managing not to let go of Casey as he did it. She needed the connection, it somehow kept her calm, which was probably the first time anything had made her feel that way.
“I’ve followed both of your careers, so I recognized you before any names were said. It’s an honor meeting the two of you.”
She finished her handshake with Dylan and offered her hand to Casey. Casey wasn’t prepared for how cold the other woman’s hand was, so she tensed and shook a little firmer than she’d meant to.
As soon as it was acceptable to let go, she put her hand back at her side. Shaking with her left hand was awkward, and she was going to have to figure out how to get around it if Dylan was going to stay on her right.
“And of course we know who you are, ‘The Queen of Insurance.’ Do you really have that on your business card?”
There were a lot of rumors Casey had heard about Wendy Solive, but most of them weren’t polite to bring up to her face. Some of them actually made her a little concerned for her father. At the same time, most of the rumors could be said about Casey, so she couldn’t judge too quickly.
“God no. The marketing firm that came up with that saying has long been fired. Sadly, the saying didn’t go with them. I’ve been trying to live that whole series of commercials down, but I haven’t brainwashed everyone to forget they happened.”
The commercials she mentioned weren’t horrible, but they were cheesy and in each of them Wendy was on throne that was surrounded by money. Casey would’ve hated to be the one on the throne, but she’d heard it was a fairly successful campaign.
The sound of something crashing drew Casey’s attention from the conversation. It was too late in the prep for something to break.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go check on that.”
Casey dragged Dylan with her as she made her way to where the caterers were setting up. She assumed Wendy and her dad understood she had other priorities besides standing around chatting, so hopefully they wouldn’t think too much of her quick dismissal.
“Well she seems nice.” Dylan didn’t realize Casey’s focus was far away from her dad’s girlfriend, or maybe he did and wanted to distract her.
“I don’t tend to form opinions after spending two minutes with a person. As far as I’m concerned, as long as my dad’s happy and not being taken advantage of, I don’t get involved.”
They’d made it to where the food was being set up and Carl, the man in charge of the food, was there to meet Casey. His hands were out in front of his chest, moving slightly to indicate she should calm down.
“It was just a glass, Casey. We brought plenty of extras, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
He’d worked with her enough that he probably had backup plans for anything that could go wrong. Casey hadn’t had to blow up about something at previous events, but he could see the ways her feathers were ruffled and knew what was coming.
“According to the clock, we only have fifteen minutes. Is everything going to be ready?”
Casey hadn’t seen the glass, but there was no reason for Carl to tell her something just to calm her down. She had an uncanny knack for figuring out that kind of thing.
“Everything’s ready to go. The sound you heard was just a champagne glass toppling over as a cart was wheeled out of the way.”
“What exactly is on the menu for dinner tonight?” Dylan asked, working his way into the conversation.
“You won’t have time to eat if you’re stuck by my side. I guess someone should’ve explained that to you before you committed to being my date.”
Casey started scanning through a mental checklist to verify there wasn’t anything else that needed to be done. They had to get in place to greet people coming in, and she seriously hoped Steph took her sweet time getting ready. Once they greeted over half the crowd, they’d be a little more free to mingle instead of standing there waiting for the fashionably late.
“So he isn’t a ghost? I was pretty sure I’d started seeing dead people when you walked over here with someone on your arm.”
Carl’s hilarious claim made her checklist come to a halt. They’d always been all business, so it was funny to hear the man make a joke. Casey studied his brown eyes to make sure he was really joking.
“You make interesting impressions on everyone, don’t you, Casey. I’m Dylan, her lucky date for the night.”
Dylan moved the arm she was connected to behind her back and pulled her in close to his side. To top off the move, he kissed the top of her head. If Carl was surprised she had an unfamiliar man with her, Dylan’s actions were bound to give him a heart attack.
“I didn’t just move to town. I’m well aware of who you are. It’s just surprising to see you glued to Casey’s side. Any relationship you’re in would hit the papers, and I haven’t seen a single word.”
Carl’s words were a bit gruff, which was surprising from a man who stood five inches shorter than Dylan and had no muscle mass. There wouldn’t be a fight between them if Dylan took offense to something Carl did. It’d be a simple knockout punch.
“And let’s face it, most people wouldn’t believe Casey is my type, which is why it’s easy to hide the fact that we’re dating.”
If Dylan was going to lie, he seemed like the kind of person who would really push things, so it was surprising she didn’t find herself engaged or secretly married.
“From what I understood, Casey isn’t anyone’s type. You must be very persuasive to get her to change her very strict no dating policy.”
Casey realized she was in the middle of a male battle she didn’t understand. Carl had asked her out once, and, like everyone, he’d been turned down. Something in his mannerisms must have triggered a protective instinct in Dylan, who’d made it clear he was trying to make the pretend relationship real.
“If you
two want to continue this conversation, do it after the event. I really don’t have time right now to sit and listen to you questioning the choices I make.”
She should’ve set the record straight that Dylan was stretching the truth, but she didn’t bother. If word got out that she was involved with someone, she thought the fact that she’d be disappearing from her normal routine could be easily explained. Once people saw her, there’d be questions, but the initial ones would have a quick answer.
When she thought of a romantic getaway, it had never been much different than a hospital stay, both were torture in her eyes. Being away from home with a man, when she knew chances were good something would go wrong, was not her idea of fun. The guy was bound to say or do something stupid, and she’d be stuck trying to find a way home.
“Not a problem, honey. We should probably head towards that pretty pink carpet we rolled out earlier. I’m sure the photographers are going to want to snap our picture.”
The honey was bordering on taking things too far. Carl raised one of his eyebrows when he heard the word, or maybe it was because Dylan was suggesting she get her picture taken. She’d been adamant over the years that the event wasn’t about her, so she didn’t play it up for the cameras.
“Let me know if anything needs my attention, Carl. I’m not sure about pictures, but we do need to go through a last check and get out front.”
“I’ll make sure to find you if something more than a glass breaking happens.”
Carl glared at Dylan, a move that didn’t go unnoticed. Male posturing was added to the list of reasons why Casey didn’t date. Something that should’ve been a simple conversation had quickly elevated to a headache Casey had to keep an eye on, and she let Dylan know it as they walked away.
“Was that really necessary? I expected you to start beating your chest any second.”
“What’s the history with him? I thought there’d be some puffed out chests when people saw us together, but I didn’t expect it with the very first man I met.”
“Let’s just hope I don’t act the same way when the women start fawning over you. There isn’t a history with Carl, other than he’s a very competent caterer.” Casey didn’t think Dylan needed to know more than that.
“So you two haven’t dated? He was putting off a vibe that made it clear that wasn’t because of his feelings.”
“And that made it okay to announce we’re dating? I thought I told you earlier that there was no relationship.”
Holcomb and Wendy were already waiting outside the building when they made their way to the door. Greeting people inside would’ve been better with the chill in the air, but the tradition had started on a warm March day, and continued through the following years.
“And I think that’s quickly becoming a step we’re moving past,” Dylan whispered as they walked outside.
The conversation had to be put on hold, but Casey made a note to respond to the claim later. She wasn’t sure exactly what her response would be, but she needed to make one.
“I take it the building wasn’t on fire.”
Casey stood next to her father as the group watched to see who would get out of their car first. Three limos were parked in front of the banquet hall and the parking lot had a few dozen cars.
“No, dad, the building was not of fire, but you missed a fight almost breaking out. I think I found a new reason why I’ve never brought a date. Dylan likes picking fights.”
“I wasn’t picking a fight. He didn’t approve of me, and I was letting him know it was none of his business.”
“By telling him we’re having a secret affair.”
Casey shook her head as the first limo door opened. She’d made sure to keep her voice down instead of doing the normal shouting she’d probably do after someone took matters into their own hands when it concerned her.
“I’m sure people would’ve thought that as soon as they saw you two together anyway. You’ll probably get peppered with as many questions as we will tonight,” Wendy provided.
The key difference between the two couples was that one of them was having a real secret affair. Casey didn’t bother pointing that out, but she hadn’t prepared to become the gossip of the evening.
“Governor, so happy you could make it.” Holcomb stepped forward to start shaking hands.
“I never miss your parties, Holcomb, especially not during an election year. I see the welcoming committee has increased. It’s always a pleasure seeing you, Casey.”
Casey extended her hand to shake, but Governor Wilson took her hand and rotated it so he could kiss the top of it. He’d never shaken her hand, but she never stopped trying to get him to cut out the kiss.
“It’s nice seeing you too, Governor. I’ll try to pretend this isn’t just a campaign stop for you.”
“You know me better than that. I just like giving you a hard time. Why don’t you introduce me to your friends?”
If Carl didn’t need introduced, it was highly doubtful the governor didn’t know who everyone was. Holcomb went ahead and did the introductions, most likely to keep Casey from saying something rude about her date. With the direction the conversation had started going, it was probable that she would’ve introduced Dylan as some man she picked up off the street.
The procession continued on until Casey was sure her hand couldn’t take another shake. Photographers appeared out of nowhere, snapping too many pictures of all the introductions. Through it all, Dylan’s arm remained possessively behind Casey’s back, at times running up and down when she tensed up as people mentioned what a cute couple they made.
The statement was repeated too many times for her liking. They were close to the cutoff to go inside when she saw Steph and Nelson make it to the front of the line. Steph only had eyes for Dylan, and Casey was uncharacteristically a little jealous by the looks she was giving him.
The pair made it through meeting Wendy and Holcomb quickly, before Casey really took note of the blue dress her acquaintance had squeezed into. When they got to Casey and Dylan, the fireworks started as Steph glared at Casey and moved to greet Dylan.
No one other than Steph was prepared for her walking right up to Dylan and kissing him on the lips. It wasn’t a cute peck between friends. It was a full-on, her putting her tongue in the mix, kiss. It lasted only about two seconds, before Dylan effectively pushed her away. Casey really didn’t know how their normal interactions went, but Dylan looked shocked and he’d already indicated he didn’t like Steph.
Casey was all about decorum, which kept her from punching Steph in front of the cameras, but that didn’t stop her from grabbing Steph’s arm and escorting her as ladylike as possible inside the building. Making it look like they were two friends going to have a chat was difficult, but she tried. It was time they finally had a talk about her little crush and the reality that it needed to come to an end.
Chapter Nine
Dylan remained frozen speechless for two seconds before he took off after Casey. He’d had to deal with the caterer joker eyeing Casey as they walked over to him. He couldn’t imagine what he would’ve done if the guy had kissed her.
Dragging him away wouldn’t have been his first reaction. A fist connecting with his nose was more than likely what would’ve happened. Followed by about five more just to make sure the message got across. The guy was about half Dylan’s size, so by the third punch there was a chance that he’d have an unconscious body on his hands, but six total punches would ensure that outcome.
“Dude, I don’t know what that was about, but I’m pretty sure I need to apologize.”
Nelson was on his heels as he tracked Casey through the crowd. A few of the people in the crowd watched them, but for the most part it seemed like they minded their own business.
“Unless you told your sister to try to kiss me, there’s nothing you need to apologize for. I’m not sure what got into her, but it looks like Casey is going to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I suppose that’s a positive direction for our r
elationship.”
“So that’s really her? You didn’t mention she was a freaking supermodel. Have any of the other guys seen her?”
Dylan had seen the looks in the eyes of the five teammates he’d greeted. When they’d gotten to him, he gave them a firm shake and a jab to their arms to make sure they knew the ogling wasn’t appreciated. He’d reiterate the sentiment when he got them alone, just to verify it got across.
“They’ve seen her and have been warned about keeping their eyes and hands to themselves. I don’t need to make sure you get the message, do I?”
“I suppose that depends if she can get my sister to stop pining after you. If that happens, I’ll worship the ground she walks on.”
“I think your sister is the reason she yells at me during games. They sit next to each other.”
Dylan opened the door to the room he’d dressed in, which he’d watched Casey slam shut. Steph appeared to be learning quickly that her action had pissed off a lion.
“What the hell was that?” Casey asked in a hushed yell as she pointed a finger at Steph.
“What do you mean, what was that? I thought it was pretty obvious that I was making sure Dylan noticed me. With you standing next to him dressed like that, I figured I had to put it all out there to ensure he knew I existed.”
“He knows you exist, and if you couldn’t take the hint from him pushing you away, he’s not interested in you. I know that’s harsh, but you’ve got to realize that throwing yourself at him isn’t working. If he was interested, he would’ve let you know by now.”
Dylan found himself nodding along. It sounded a little less harsh coming from Casey, even with her blunt words.
“So you get set up with him and you think you know what he’s thinking? That’s so like you, Casey. Miss High and Mighty thinks she knows everything. Well, you know absolutely nothing about him.”
Steph wasn’t as careful about keeping her voice within acceptable decibels. Her shrieking voice caused Dylan to put a finger up to his left ear to try to get the ringing to stop.