Lisa studies me for such a painfully long moment that I have to glance away. She goes back to fussing with my hair, and I wonder what the hell I’m doing making plans for a marriage of convenience.
A marriage to Ian.
Something stirs deep in my belly, and suddenly this arrangement doesn’t sound so scary.
Chapter 8
Ian
I tug at my necktie with one hand and grasp Sarah’s fingers with my other as we make our way into the restaurant.
“Need me to fix that?” she asks.
I stop walking and adjust the tie again. “What’s wrong with it?”
She steps closer and gently pushes my hand from my throat. “Nothing, except you’re going to strangle yourself if you keep yanking on it like that.” She adjusts the knot, and I inhale deeply enough to make myself dizzy with the spicy-sweet scent of her perfume.
“We haven’t signed the paperwork for the life insurance yet, so we can’t have you dying on me,” she says.
“I’ll try to survive through dinner.” I’m only half joking. The thought of walking in there terrifies me.
Sarah’s smile eases some of the tension in my shoulders, and so does the gentle pressure of her fingers moving against my throat. She’s wearing her hair loose around her shoulders but wavier than normal and held back over one ear with a sparkly clip. She looks amazing. If Wyeth Airways were deciding this job based solely on the loveliness of my date, we’d be signing the contracts right now.
Thinking about the job has me tensing up again, worrying about the countless ways I could blow it.
“Relax,” she says. “You’ll do great in there, I promise.”
She must see the anxiety on my face. I saw it when I studied myself in the mirror while getting ready this evening. This job means a lot to me. More than anyone knows.
“I’ve wanted to work with these guys for years,” I admit. “Remember how Shane always wanted to fly an airplane?”
“That’s right, I’d forgotten.” Sarah drops her hands and pats the tie into place. When her eyes meet mine, I see a familiar glow of compassion. “He had that whole collection of model planes.”
“His favorites were all the Wyeth Airways ones. I always told him I’d help him get his pilot’s license someday. That I’d help him learn.”
But that never happened. So many things never happened the way I’d hoped they would.
A lump forms in my throat that has nothing to do with my necktie. I take a few deep breaths, willing it to go away. Nothing good will come from me going into this dinner all raw and emotional. I need to focus. I need to bring my A game.
“You okay?” Sarah asks softly. “If you want, we could walk around the block a bit. We’re early.”
“No, it’s fine.” I take a couple more breaths, then reach for her hand. “I’m good. Let’s head in.”
I walk her to the entrance of the restaurant, then hesitate with my hand on the door. I turn back to her, so damn grateful to have her by my side.
“Have I mentioned you look fucking amazing in that dress?”
She laughs and tosses her hair. “Only eighteen times on the drive here. But thanks.”
“Yellow is definitely your color.”
“Thank you. Junie picked it out.”
“I love Junie.”
“Me, too.” Sarah smiles, and it gives me that last little bit of bravery I need to reach for the door.
I open it and let her walk through first. It’s partly to be a gentleman, but mostly to savor another breath filled with her perfume. Something about it gives me courage, and I follow close behind her as we make our way past the hostess stand. Linking my fingers through hers, I lead her toward the private room at the back where the rest of the group is waiting.
