by Maise, Ella
He shrugged, and this time it was me who looked confused. “We’ll come up with something if they do. Just act natural,” he said. “Are you nervous about this?”
Just act natural?
I gave him an exasperated look. “Of course I’m nervous about this. How can you not be? They’re your work friends. And what do you mean act natural?”
“They’re not my friends, Rose. We’re partners. And act natural means act natural. What else is it supposed to mean?”
He was driving me into madness with his cold demeanor. “What difference does that make? You’re partners, so you must at least be friendly, and if we’re acting natural, does that mean you’re gonna frown and be silent the entire evening? What am I supposed to do then?”
“I don’t frown.” He frowned as he said it.
Surprise, surprise.
I tilted my head. “Really? You’re gonna go with that? Why don’t we walk a few steps so you can stare into the nice, shiny glass windows and see for yourself.”
He sighed. “I’ll keep my frowning to a minimum, if it’ll please you. It’ll be fine. Come on. They’re not going to ask questions. Stop worrying. Remember, I told you, a potential client is joining us, too. They’ll be too busy with him.”
“So this is a schmoozing dinner. All the attention will be on him.”
“Schmoozing…”
“What?” I asked. “What?!”
He shook his head and sighed. “Your choice of words fascinate me. Are you sure you’re up for this?”
Maybe I was worrying over nothing. Either way, I was going to go into that restaurant and try to look like a happily married couple with a man who never smiled. And eat. I’d also eat. If my mouth was full or I was fixated on my dinner, they couldn’t ask questions. It wouldn’t be too hard to achieve either because I could already hear my stomach growling. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, I thought I might as well get it over with as soon as possible. Only the first one was going to be this painful. After this one was over, I’d be a pro.
“Okay. Okay, you know them. I trust you.” I smoothed down my subtle waves and my bangs as Jack followed the movement of my hands.
When I met his eyes, he turned and walked away, leaving me behind. I looked up at the skies.
God, please help me.
I rushed to catch up until we were side by side. When someone opened the door for us to step in, Jack gestured for me to walk in ahead of him. I was trying my hardest to look like I fit in with the crowd, so I didn’t notice when Jack stopped in the entryway just before the hostess. Backtracking, I stood next to him again and tried not to fidget.
After he let the girl know about our party, someone helped me take off my jacket, and I started on the smoothing down process all over again.
“Rose?”
I looked up and got caught in Jack’s deep blue gaze.
“What?” I asked, leaning toward him.
“I…” His eyes moved all over me. All over. He’d already seen my tired face, yet he lingered the longest there. My lips, my eyes. My gaze caught in his and we stood still.
Stop looking, Rose. Stop staring.
Blinking, I broke the weird connection and felt my face heat up.
I cleared my throat. “Yes?”
He took a step closer. Standing too close for my comfort.
“You look beautiful,” he said out of nowhere, softly, but loud enough that even though there was laughter and soft music spilling out from the dining area, there was no way I could’ve misheard that compliment. I ran my hand up and down my arm to get rid of the goose bumps his gaze and rough voice had caused. The way he’d just blurted it out, I wasn’t sure if he had been waiting for a good moment to say it where other people could hear him or if it was an actual compliment.
“I…Thank you,” I whispered.
There was this weird feeling in my chest, this unreasonable excitement. Before I could process the unexpected shift between us and come up with an answer, his gaze dropped low. I followed his eyes and my heart started to beat faster—a whole lot faster when I saw his raised hand between us.
Tilting my head back up, I met his gaze and slowly, uncertainly placed my hand in his open palm for the first time since the ceremony. His hand was warm as he gently closed his fingers around mine. And my heart…my heart was having some issues.
The number of times Jack Hawthorne smiled: zilch.
Chapter Seven
Jack
Closing my hand around Rose’s much smaller one, I followed the hostess and had to pull a bit when Rose didn’t move with me. As the woman guided us through the front tables and deeper into the restaurant, I quickly glanced down at Rose. She looked a little flushed and unsettled with that small frown plastered on her face. I was unsettled too. Hell, maybe even more than her. The only difference was that I was better at hiding my emotions. You could read everything from just looking into her face, her eyes.
Her dress, and the way she looked in the dress had blindsided me, that much was apparent. And I hadn’t been able to keep my mouth shut. But that red flush on her cheeks, the widening of her eyes, the goose bumps she had tried to hide. Those little facts were really interesting.
“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning down close to her ear and giving her hand an involuntary squeeze as we took a turn to the right that led to the private area of the restaurant.
Jumping a little at my words, she looked at our clasped hands then up at me and nodded.
“It’s just dinner, Rose. Relax.”
Before she could even respond, we reached the round table where George and Fred were already sitting, but there was no sign of Wes Doyle, the potential client. As soon as they saw us, they stood up.
“There you are, Jack,” Fred said, pushing his chair back and walking around the table to get to us. “There’s a first time for everything. I never thought I’d see the day you were late anywhere.”
“We’re right on time,” I commented, and watched as Fred’s eyes dropped to Rose’s hand in mine. Instinctively, I gave her hand a little pull until she was plastered to my side. Rose gave me a quick surprised look then turned back to Fred.
Fred shifted his focus to her and his smile got bigger. At forty-five years old, Fred was the only one of the partners I could stand to spend more than an hour with. “Usually, he is the first one through the door whenever there is a meeting or work dinner,” he said to Rose. “And you must be the very unexpected but beautiful bride. Fred Witfield, pleased to meet you.” He extended his hand to Rose, and I had to let go of her.
I looked down at my hand. Still feeling the warmth and shape of her hand on my skin, I flexed my fingers.
“I’m pleased to meet you, too, Mr. Witfield. Jack has said lovely things about you,” Rose lied.
Fred laughed and finally let go of her hand. “Oh, I highly doubt that.”
I stood where I was, just a step behind her, and greeted George with a short nod while still listening in on their conversation.
“We’re really sorry for being late—it is completely on me,” Rose was saying.
“We weren’t late. We’re right on time,” I repeated as I pulled out her chair. “The client isn’t even here yet.”
Ignoring me, Fred pulled out the chair next to the one I had just grabbed, thinking she’d sit to my left, with me between her and Fred. Since she had her back to me, she couldn’t have seen that I was waiting for her, so she accepted his offer and took a step forward. Before I could comment, Fred was introducing her to George. When everyone was done with their introductions and niceties, we all sat down. I waited until Rose was settled and then took the seat I had originally pulled out for her. Fred sat down to her right, all his attention still on her. George, being the oldest partner, wasn’t as curious about my new marriage as some others in the firm.
“So, Rose, you have to tell us how you convinced Jack to marry you,” George started as soon as everyone was settled. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe every damn person on the firm
was curious about my marriage.
A waiter leaned down between Fred and Rose and filled their glasses with water, causing the table to fall silent.
I couldn’t see her face, but I could imagine she was smiling and trying to come up with a lie. Done filling her glass, the waiter came to my left. I put my hand on the small of Rose’s back and spoke up before she could. Her spine straightened, but she didn’t move away from my impromptu touch. “Actually, it was the other way around, George. I was the one who had to convince her to marry me. Where is Wes Doyle?”
“Oh, I didn’t miss the big proposal story, did I?”
I pulled my hand back from Rose and turned my head to look at the owner of the unexpected voice: Samantha Dennis, the only female partner in the firm and someone who’d had no plans to attend this dinner.
“I didn’t know you’d be joining us, Samantha,” I said lightly.
“They only arrived a minute ago. You’re just in time,” Fred jumped in.
George’s phone started ringing and he excused himself from the table. “I’ll be right back.”
“You know how Wes Doyle is,” Samantha replied to me. “He always has more questions and wants everyone to cater to his needs. We want to get him on board. The more partners he sees, the more likely he is to sign the contract. Plus, my dinner plans fell through, so I didn’t want to miss the chance to meet your wife.” Samantha put her hand on the back of my chair and looked between me and Rose. “You don’t have a problem with me being here, do you, Jack?”
“Why would I have a problem with it?”
“All right then.” Her red lips curved up in a smile as she leaned down and pressed a kiss on my cheek. I stiffened, and it didn’t escape her notice. “Relax, Jack.” Rolling her eyes, she laughed at herself. “Old habits, sorry.” Putting down her black clutch on the table, she leaned forward and, in the process, her breast pressed against my shoulder. As she shook hands with Rose, I pushed my chair back and moved a few inches to my right, closer to Rose to leave more space for Samantha.
“Samantha Dennis,” she said. “The fourth partner in the firm.”
Surprising me, Rose didn’t even hesitate before responding. “Rose Hawthorne. I would be the wife, as you already know.”
“Yes, I do know. I actually didn’t believe it when I first heard he had tied the knot, but here you are.”
Rose’s smile turned up a notch, matching Samantha’s. “Here I am.”
Dismissing Rose, Samantha pulled her chair out and looked at Fred, giving him a more genuine smile. “Fred, Evelyn isn’t joining us tonight?”
“The kid caught some stomach virus from one of his friends, so she stayed home with him.”
I was still annoyed with Samantha’s kiss so I didn’t even think what I was doing. “Samantha has been dating the district attorney for the last year and a half,” I blurted out to Rose quietly then frowned at the table and picked up my water glass. This wasn’t a real marriage, I didn’t have to tell her about my old relationships. If sleeping with someone a few times four years ago would count as a relationship that is.
What the hell is wrong with you?
“That’s good. I guess. Good for her?” Rose whispered in confusion.
I put my arm around Rose’s chair. She stiffened even further, so I leaned down to speak into her ear. “This is not acting natural.” She was reaching for her glass, and as soon as the first word was out of my mouth, she almost knocked it down. Maybe I was too much in her face.
“Oh, sh…oot,” she exclaimed quietly. A little color touched her cheeks and she apologized to Fred, who had reached forward to catch her glass.
“Wes is pulling up—he was stuck in traffic,” George explained as he returned and took his seat again. “Samantha, glad you decided to join us.”
“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
As the three of them started to talk among themselves, Rose scooted back in her chair, met my eyes for a quick second, and leaned sideways toward me. I leaned down until her mouth was closer to my ear to make it easier for her and so no one else could hear what we were saying.
“I am acting natural,” she whispered.
“You haven’t looked at me once since we sat down. At least try to act as if you don’t mind my company.”
Her head was bowed as I was whispering into her ear, but as soon as I finished speaking, she pulled back a little and looked up into my eyes with surprise.
“Got caught up in New York traffic. There was a small accident a few blocks away—a guy rammed into a cab. Please forgive me,” Wes Doyle said as he rounded the table. “Good evening everyone.”
Rose and I had to pull away from each other to start another round of handshaking, and as soon as the introductions were done, everyone finally settled down.
The waiter showed up again, and the next few minutes passed with everyone ordering their drinks.
“No menu?” Rose asked discreetly when everyone was distracted.
“This restaurant is known for the prix fixe menus. The chef changes it every few nights. He is supposed to be very good. It’s seafood night, I believe.”
She nodded and pulled away from me. Before I could catch her attention and ask what was wrong this time, the first course arrived: seared scallops with an almond vinaigrette served on a half shell.
Because Wes Doyle was someone who would be considered a big fish, everyone around the table started with their promises and assurances that he’d be on 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 was
n’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 bumping the underside of the table, rattling the dishes. I forced myself to relax and tried to keep still. After apologizing to everyone profusely, she put down her knife and fork and finally looked back at me with murder in her eyes. If she’d had any idea how much I enjoyed her reactions, she would have acted differently just to annoy me. I was sure of it. I leaned toward her, and our shoulders and forearms lined up on the table as she met me in the middle.
“What are you doing?” she whispered harshly.
“Why are you avoiding me? What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling my hand away.