“This is surprisingly good,” Alexander says, looking impressed.
“You sound shocked that small-town food could meet your high standards.”
“Not shocked.Just appreciative.”He takes another bite, and I find myself watching the way his jaw works.It’s ridiculous to be attracted to someone eating a pretzel, but here we are.
“I’m just surprised you’ve never managed to hold on to one of your hundreds of girlfriends, given how charming you can be when you try,” I say with a hint of challenge.
Alexander gives me a blank look.“Girlfriends?I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
I stare at him.“The women you make me send gifts to?The same ones you take to charity galas and industry awards and everywhere else that requires you to have somebody on your arm.”
He raises his brows.“Those were not girlfriends.I’ve not had a girlfriend since I started my company."
“Bullshit,” I blurt out.“You would have me send them such expensive gifts, like diamond bracelets and whatnot!!”
“You bought them all the diamond bracelets and whatnot,” he emphasizes.“Not me.And those were thank-you gifts for accompanying me, not declarations of affection.They knew exactly what they were getting into.”I process this information, feeling strangely off-balance.I always assumed Alexander had a string of glamorous girlfriends, and now he’s telling me they were just...arm candy?
“That’s one hell of a thank-you gift,” I mutter.“Next time you like a report of mine, I wouldn’t mind a thank-you bracelet.”
His eyes catch mine, serious despite his small smile.“I’ll make a note of it.”
Wait, is he serious?
“I’m kidding,” I say quickly.Instead of acknowledging it, he just tucks my hand around his elbow as we stand to continue our walk.
“Are we really going to see your family after New Year’s?”I ask, suddenly remembering his mention of it to my parents.
“Yes,” he says simply.“We’ll go for a few days.”
“And then we go back to who we were,” I murmur, more to myself than to him.“You become Mr.Castellano again.”
He glances down at me, a curious expression on his face.“You only ever call me that in public.Otherwise, I’ve always been Alexander to you.”
My face feels hot as I realize he’s right.We’ve worked so closely for so long that I often use his name.“I’ll be more mindful once we get back.”
“No,” he says, his voice steady.“I like being Alexander to you.”
My heart does a somersault, and I have absolutely no idea how to respond to that.Is this still part of the act?There’s no one close enough to hear us.
As we walk down the next block, we pass a small, charming store with a hand-painted sign that reads “Winter Wonderland Jewelers.”The display window sparkles with Christmas-themed jewelry—snowflake pendants, holly berry earrings, and delicate silver bell bracelets glinting in the afternoon sun.
Alexander stops to look at the display.“Wait here a moment.”
“What?”
“Just wait.”There’s no room for argument in his tone.
I have no choice but to watch him disappear into the shop.I’m just wondering if I should follow him in when I hear a voice call out my name.
“Olivia?”
I freeze, my muscles tensing as if someone’s just dumped a bucket of ice water down my back.That voice—I’d know it anywhere, even though I haven’t heard it in a year.
“Olivia?”
I freeze, my hand tightening automatically around Alexander’s scarf, still draped around my neck.My heart sinks as I recognize the voice.Taking a deep breath, I turn around, schooling my expression into a mask of indifference.
Seeing my cousin sashay towards me, her eyes gleaming, I know exactly why she’s tripping over herself to reach me.She wants to rub her victory in my face.The way the bright blue gaze of her contacts fixes on me makes me brace my shoulders.Her impossibly perfect blonde hair bounces with each step as she pulls Chase along beside her.
