“What does she even want with him?” Darcy said before she could stop herself. She didn’t know why Nora and Teagan were at odds about selling paintings, but she knew when Teagan was unhappy to be somewhere.
“Her gallery used to sell a lot of the art donated through the foundation,” Adrian began to explain, but Sloane’s snort cut them off.
Sloane balanced her empty glass in the crook of her arm and covertly made a very rude gesture with her thumb thrusting into the circle of her other hand.
“That’s what she wants with him,” she announced. “Like, for years. She made him take her to the prom, and he was only afreshman.”
“Um, no,” said Darcy, and Adrian scrunched up his face in disgust.
“I know, right?” Sloane said. “Like, he just got out of the hospital. Leave him alone.”
“Exactly. He’s not in shape to date anyone,” Darcy responded without thinking first. Then she grimaced and looked down at her glass.
Maybe that wasn’t quite right. Maybe he could date someone who didn’t suck. But his first priority needed to be sobriety anyway, so this shouldn’t be encouraged.
Sloane gave her a knowing glance as Adrian continued to frown.
Teagan would make someone a great partner someday.He was a brick house of a man, complete with a white picket fence. A little bit of a fixer-upper, sure, but great bones. Shame about the location. Shame that Darcy wasn’t in a position to buy.
“Nora’s not flirting with him,” Adrian said authoritatively. “She’s like that with everyone.”
“Nora’s not like that withme,” Sloane said.
Adrian’s pouty lower lip tightened. “They’ve known each other for years. Their mothers were best friends. Teagan’s obviously uncomfortable to be back from rehab. She’s trying to put him at ease.”
They all watched Nora run her hand over Teagan’s back, basically groping him. Teagan looked decidedlynotat ease.
“Hooker,” Darcy said decisively, and Sloane nodded.
Adrian made an exasperated noise. “You know we’re engaged now, right?”
“Sucks to be you, then,” Darcy said to Adrian absently. He reared back in dismay, ready to retort and defend Nora again, but Darcy held up a peremptory hand. She’d spotted a potential issue. Her eyes narrowed.
Darcy lifted her fingers to her mouth and whistled. She could be heard over open water at a range of almost five hundred meters, and easily on the other side of this ballroom. Sloane lifted her hands to her ears. Adrian jolted. Everyone else turned to identify the noise, including the waiter who’d been carrying a laden tray full of champagne flutes in Teagan’s direction.
Darcy tried to catch the waiter’s eye, shaking her head and waving her arms vigorously, but the startled man kept walking toward Teagan and Nora’s group.
“Excuse me,” Darcy said, pushing her club soda glass into Adrian’s hands.
She moved quickly to get to Teagan before the waiter did, catching him just before he was offered a drink. Everyone was staring at Darcy now, instead of Teagan. Which was fine—Teagan didn’t look like he had much enjoyed being the center of attention, and Darcy wasn’t going to see any of these people after November.
“I need him back now,” Darcy said brightly to Nora. She fixed Teagan with a chiding look and tossed her head in the opposite direction.
Teagan quickly excused himself from the huddle of women he’d been speaking to. Or who had been speaking at him, really. Still, he looked very peaked as he trailed Darcy back to a vacant spot near the silent auction area.
“I wasn’t going to take one of those drinks,” he said when they stopped.
“Oh, I know,” Darcy said. She hadn’treallybeen worried. Just a little worried. “But I got tired of standing around and decided that you’d talked with them long enough.”
She wasn’t sure how Teagan would react to that, but thankfully, his shoulders slumped in a mixture of relief and amusement.
He quickly ran both hands over his face, knees bending and then straightening as he gathered himself.
“I talked with them long enough,” he agreed. “God. Who thinks it’s a good idea to tell a recovering alcoholic stories about all the parties they went to with my mother?”
“Motherfuckers,” Darcy said, glaring at the women, who were still goggling curiously at the two of them. “Do you want to go?”
“Yes. No. No, I can’t. Nora bought the table we’re sitting at. We have to stay.”
