Kaz and I turn in her direction.
I blurt out the name of the designer.
“He designed that dress with you in mind.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Your date is stunning, Kaz,” a reporter wearing a ball cap backwards says. “Easily the most attractive woman here tonight.”
I try to school my expression, but fail.
My eyes widen at the man’s words.
“Without seeing any of the other women here tonight, I’m willing to bet, you’re right.”
My eyes fly up to Kaz.
No, no, no.
You’re going off script.
Don’t take the bait.
Don’t answer the reporters’ questions. The easy-going questions are a trap for hard hitting ones.
“Kaz, are your date’s necklace and earrings borrowed?” That question came from a female reporter wearing a gray pantsuit, accompanied by a light blue shirt. “Or maybe a potential sponsorship deal?”
A woman wearing a short black dress with puffy sleeves lifts a hand up. “Did your date leave the matching bracelet to the necklace and earrings at home or is it hiding in her Manolo Blahnik clutch?”
The price tag on the jewelry I’m wearing is outrageous. Adding a bracelet would’ve been bordering on insanity.
“Hollywood celebrities get the privilege of borrowing jewelry from high-end jewelers,” Kaz says. “I don’t.”
Crap. He answered the question.
“I’m a retired hockey player who likes to pretend he knows what he’s doing as a craft beer brewery and restaurant owner. I don’t have that kind of pull or influence.”
A few reporters chuckle at that.
“So, you bought your lovely date Bvlgari?” the female gray pants suit reporter says. “That’s quite the statement.”
Dammit, she’s laying down a trap.
I bet her next question will be something along the lines of‘Does your ex-wife know you’re dating?’ or ‘Did you buy your ex-wife Bvlgari?’ or ‘Shouldn’t you wait more than a minutebefore dropping that kind of cash on a woman who was born on the wrong side of the track?’
Kaz pulls my body closer into his, so we’re now fused together.
Every inch of me is vibrating, but I’m willing to take one for the team as long as he doesn’t give that reporter a response.
I turn up the wattage to my smile.
“On and off the ice, everything I do is with purpose.”
My body stiffens at Kaz’s response.
He had to take the bait.
“To answer your question, damn right I’m making a statement. My girl deserves Bvlgari.”
