I slip on my white pumps as quickly as I can and hurry after her. However, all thoughts of forcing her hand at removing the damage she’s done leave when my eyes land on him.
Call it theMan in a Suit Effect,but everything that once bothered me somehow blurs into the background.
The browning plant we’ve been meaning to throw out for weeks. The shoes littering our entryway. The dust accumulating on the floors. None of it matters anymore when there’s a devilishly handsome man standing at my front door, looking downright edible in his black suit.
Nate must sense my lingering gaze on him, as his conversation with Sutton and Evelyn dies. His eyes move over to mine,holding the contact for no longer than a second before they trail down my body.
Heat pools in my core, and I gulp away the tension forming in my throat.
My reflection in the mirror near him draws my attention. Long brown hair, waved to perfection. Delicate, beaded white fabric accentuates every curve of my body. Those red lips and a defined cupid’s bow. I look like a bride—one who belongs more on the cover of Vogue than on her way to a fake engagement party.
“You look…” A cough erupts from the back of his throat as he averts his gaze to the side. “You clean up nicely.”
The tape whirrs as it rewinds, and every ounce of attraction I felt for the man evaporates faster than a spilled drop of acetone. Forget about theMan in a Suiteffect—it’s just…man. He’s wearing a suit, but there’s no effect.
Sutton and Evelyn must be on the same wavelength as me since they scoff at his response.
“Thanks?” My reply sounds more like a question.
Am I supposed to be flattered?
“We should probably get going.” Nate nods in the direction of the open door.
“Agreed.” I grab the matching white clutch on my way out.
My gaze lingers on his back, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I’ve been wrong. The suit might still be suiting, and the man effect might still be effecting.
“You should probably lead the way.” I point in the direction of the elevator. “I can’t walk that fast. Heels and all,” I say, like it’s obvious.
At the end of the day, it is my apartment building, and though I should be the one showing him the way, it wouldn’t work in my favor. So I use my excuse to slow down,shamelessly admiring the best ass I’ve ever seen in those perfectly tailored pants.
———
“Anything I should know before going in there?” I ask when the car slows in front of the restaurant.
Last time we were here, it was only the two of us, Melanie, and the staff. Now, the stakes are higher. Strangers will be watching our every move—from the way we talk, walk, and interact. Our dynamic will be scrutinized, and no matter how hard we try,somethingwill be taken out of context.
That’s the one thing I’ve learned about social media during my research on Nate.
A sudden burst of light bleaches my vision white. I jerk back in my seat, turning my head in the direction of the commotion. Men dressed in black. Large cameras in hand.Paparazzi.
I try to confirm my suspicions when the flashes erupt in rapid succession, the cameras stuttering with every click. One too many strangers. People rooting for my downfall. Crowded spaces.
I knew going into this that my once private life would be made public, but I never grasped the gravity of it all. So far, I’ve been shielded—no one knew my name or what I did for work—but after tonight, that’s going to change.
Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
I try to calm myself, but nothing helps. My heart rate is through the roof, and my breathing grows more erratic as thousands of bad outcomes swirl around in my head. Each flash of the cameras serves as a stressor until it all lulls to a silence.
Hand on my thigh.
A tight squeeze.
I shift my gaze down, tracing the outline of his veins before they disappear beneath the black suit jacket. Warmth spreads from my leg to my mind as his touch anchors me back to reality.
“We’ll be fine, I promise.” Nate’s calm voice has me sinking into the seat and closing my eyes to shut out the commotion. “When we make it past the mass of paparazzi, everyone in there is a perfect stranger. You’ll never see them again. There’s no meeting the family—only Adam, Melanie, and my childhood best friend.”
