Envy flooded out my shock. I looked David straight in the eyes.
Playboy.
He swallowed, having the decency to look sheepish.
“Lucky night, indeed,” said another man I hadn’t noticed. His French accent lingered the way his eyes traveled over each of us, leering in a way that made me tug on my earlobe.
David cocked his head, and I pulled my hand away,mortifiedthat I’d eventhoughtI could hold his interest when he was clearly spoken for by someone like her.
“What’re you doing here, David?” Lucy asked, her voice pitching into my thoughts.
“This is my associate, Arnaud,” David said, gesturing to the shorter man next to him. “He worked on this project.”
“The space isbeautiful,” Lucy said. “Congratulations.”
“Merci,mademoiselle,” Arnaud said.
“What brings you ladies out?” David asked.
I turned forward and clasped my hands in my lap, my back unnaturally straight as I refused to look at him. Or the beauty on his arm.
“Gretchen’s dating the head chef,” Lucy explained.
“Geez, Luce, Jeff is just a friend,” Gretchen said quickly. “We’ve never even been on a date.”
“Sor-ry,” Lucy said.
“David?” The woman’s whisperedDah-veedturned his name even sexier. “My feet hurt.”
“Hmm?” he asked, sounding distracted. “Oh. Just another second—”
“The hostess is waiting for us,” she added, her Latin accent clearer as her tone rose.
David cleared his throat. “Maria and I had better sit,” he said. “Nice to see you all again—Lucy, Gretchen . . . Olivia.” My name rolled off his tongue as if he were testing it out, the same way he’d said it the first time. Even without looking at him, I sensed his hesitation before he walked away.
“He remembered my name,” Gretchen whisper-squealed.
“Because I just said it,” Lucy pointed out.
Bethany leaned over the table toward Gretchen. “Details. Now.Spill.”
“He’s a friend of my fiancé,” Lucy said.
Ava and Bethany both jerked their heads to her. “Who was that woman? His girlfriend?”
“Not sure,” Lucy said. “I think he has lots of them . . .”
David took a seat directly in my line of sight. I made sure to keep my eyes on my friends.
“Hook a girl up,” Gretchen said.
“Yeah,thisgirl,” Ava said, pointing at herself as the others giggled.
Suddenly nauseated, I moved my napkin off my lap. “I’m going to use the restroom.”
Lucy stood. “I’ll go, too.”
“Let’s make it a threesome,” Gretchen said, standing. She flicked her long, blonde ringlets over her shoulder as she shimmied out of her seat—surely for David’s benefit. He had a perfect view of her rear, which was exactly what he’d be seeing if he were still looking in our direction.
