“I’m not asking you to lie, Amanda.If Khalid asks, you can honestly say you only met Emily last week.Which is true.You are my employee, not a family member, so there’d be no expectation that you’d be intimately aware of my private life.”
Amanda crosses her arms.
“He’ll expect a man like you to have announced your engagement.An event that will be a notable New York social event of the year.”
Ugh.I think I just got hives.
“We’ve said that our families haven’t agreed on a date or location.”I walk back over to the table.“So as far as anyone is concerned, aside from you three as my closest senior team members, our engagement is being kept very low-key.”
Amanda shakes her head.
“Unless you plan on Emily contracting some contagious disease, everyone, including the astronauts on the International Space Station, is going to see her ring.”Victor leans a hand on the table.
I groan.
“You got her a ring?”Amanda gasps, glancing from face to face.
“The Oppenheimer Blue diamond.”Victor adds helpfully.
Amanda gasps at the same time Emily knocks and steps inside.
“Jesus, I have to see this.”Amanda crosses the room and grabs her hand.“My god.It’s beautiful.”
“I know.”Emily sighs, and my chest does funny things.I smile before I can stop myself and then abruptly clear my throat.
Fucking Victor sees me.
Amanda drops her hand and turns to me.I know what she’s thinking.As my marketing director, she heads up public relations and if this leaks, it could be very bad.
“Amanda, it’s fine.”
“This is too dangerous.If it leaks, you’ll have to explain yourself to both your families and decide if you continue this charade.”
I glance at Emily, who is staring at her ring.Her eyes meet mine, and when I think about her warm body against mine this morning, I feel myself get defensive.
“Brief two of your closest team members.Have a statement preparedifit leaks to say no comment.That Sebastian Remington is not sharing details on his personal life.”
“My parents cannot find out about this.”Emily looks like a deer in the headlights.
Great.
Thanks Amanda.
“No one is finding out if we all keep our mouths shut.”I snap.“The only people who need to know are the sheikh and his brother.Both know we are keeping the relationship private.”
Emily blushes, and I want to cross the room and pull her against me.To comfort her.
To touch her.
“Well, hopefully the focus will be on the fundraiser,” Amanda says.“Invites are going out this afternoon, but it’s incredibly short notice.Even for Manhattan.”
Too bad.
People will attend because it has my name attached to it.
“Although Emily’s idea was brilliant.”
I lift my brow.
