“What?” Brian asked.
“You’re such a kook,” Gretchen said.
David stroked my hair. “Nowcan we go home?”
“I’m sorry, home?” Brian interrupted, leaning between us. “Am I to understand that you two are . . .?”
“Dude,” David said. “Yes,we are. Get lost.”
“I didn’t realize you were looking, Olivia,” Brian said. “I would’ve thrown my name in the pot.” I laughed, but with David’s menacing snarl, Brian covered his nose. “Don’t punch me out,” he said. “I’m only ribbing you, Dylan. Anyone with two eyes could see you’ve been smitten with her for a long time.”
Sneaky Brian. He’d known all along? No wonder he’d teased David months ago at the Meet and Greet when he’d tried shooing him away to meet one of the female attendees.
Brian sighed loftily and kissed me on the cheek as David fumed. “I’ll leave you to it then. Good evening,” he said as he pivoted and walked away.
As my adrenaline wore off, and reality sank in, I grimaced. “I’m so embarrassed,” I said. “I ruined your night—and in front of all your colleagues.”
“I could give two shits right now. I just want to take you home,” he purred into my ear, and I shuddered at his breath on my neck.
I needed no more convincing than that. “We have to go,” I announced to Gretchen and Greg.
Gretchen knowingly rolled her eyes and handed me my purse. “I thought you might need this.”
“Thank you,” I said, clutching the handbag to my breast. “I mean it.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ll talk later.Bye,” she sang and turned to Greg. “Come on. Let’s get another drink.”
“Or we could go home and do what they’re going to do,” he suggested, glancing back at us. I laughed as they walked off.
David already had his phone to his ear. “We’re ready to leave,” he said into it. “Bring the car, and make it quick.” He hung up and tucked his phone into his tuxedo jacket. “Brian’s such an asshole.”
“He’s only picking on you because you react,” I said.
“I react because he’s a good guy, and that makes him a worthy opponent.”
“Opponent?” I asked.
David took my hand and walked us to the coat check. “Every man is an opponent for your attention, but very few of them are worthy.”
“I’m not a gold medal, you know.”
“Oh, but you are, my gilded honeybee,” he said gruffly, taking my coat from the attendant and helping me into it.
Once bundled up, he led me to the front of the hotel. As we stopped at the curb to wait, his eyes softened. “Are you sure you’re all right? You fell hard.”
“Nothing is that bad as long as you’re here,” I said honestly.
He wrapped me close to his side and kissed my temple. “I feel the same.”
“I really am sorry to have embarrassed you,” I said.
“Don’t say that again,” David said. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Bill’s just . . . he’s mad about the house.” I scratched under my nose. “I knew it would hurt his feelings. I was too chicken shit to tell him sooner.”
“Thank fuck you didn’t, if that’s how he was going to react.”
“I’m sorry,” I said a last time.
