“Maybe.”
“I’ll talk with Kirk about wine and cars, since he seems like the kind of guy who can’t shut up about wine and cars.And I’ll fondle Bryttni under the table, so I’m not bored.Does that work for you?”
No, it doesn’t.Not at all.
I drop my gaze to the parquet floor.I feel my shoulders sag.“You make me so mad, Declan,” I whisper.
He puts his finger under my chin and lifts my face.Declan studies me.His dark blue eyes are intense and focused.I blink in response.
“You make me mad, too,” he says.“So how about you never again stow away on my jet while I’m on a date?”
“Fine.I think once was enough for everyone involved.”
“You know, you could be home right now, making s’mores with Jasmine.”
His finger remains under my chin.I grab his wrist and yank it away.“Making s’mores with your niece sounds a lot better than going to this stupid, fancy dinner in this stupid, fancy dress.”
“You’re a smoke show in that dress, Summer.”
His comment drops like a lead weight between us.But apparently, he wants to make the situation even more unbearable for me.
“You’re a maneater in that thing.The combination of you and that dress should be against the fucking law.”
I try to steady my breath.“I thought for sure you’d laugh at me.”
I see the strangest expression slip across his face.Almost as if he’s in pain.“Do I look like I’m laughing?”
CHAPTER 15
Summer
Oh, shit.He’s not laughing at me in this dress, is he?
“Come on, Summer.Let’s get back to our dates.”
He takes my hand in his, but an electric jolt zaps through me.It must have zapped him, too, since he drops my hand and looks away, his jaw tight.
When we return to the table, we find Kirk and Bryttni engaged in deep conversation, leaning in close to one another.I don’t think I could slip a sheet of notebook paper between their noses.
On the table are two appetizers and a couple bottles of wine.My stomach growls at the look of the food.
I pop some sort of flatbread thing in my mouth.It’s delicious.
Declan slides in next to Bryttni and tugs her in his direction, then whispers something in her ear.I’m sure it was smarmy.He pours her a glass of wine and feeds her what looks like a lobster-stuffed something-or-other.
I know I shouldn’t do it.I know I’m going to regret it.And I realize it’s passive-aggressive and childish, but I can’t stop myself.
“You know what I just realized?”I ask Declan.“Bryttni reminds me a lot of Sarah.Wasn’t that the name of your last girlfriend?No, wait.Sarah was last month.You’ve had three other women since then.Let’s see…” I begin to count on my fingers.“Bertha, Fredericka, Elphaba…”
He shakes his head at Bryttni, who looks none-too-pleased.“She just made all those names up, babe.I’d never date a woman named Fred—” Declan pauses and tilts his head, thinking.“I stand corrected.Maybe there was a Fredericka at one point.”
I turn to Kirk.“That’s the one who gave him crabs,” I say discretely.“The disease, not the shellfish.”
Kirk laughs.At first, I think he’s laughing at what I just said, and I pat myself on the back.But it doesn’t take long for his laughter to fade into a scoff and a slow shake of his head.
“There’s a completely weird-ass vibe going on with you two,” Kirk says, looking from me to Declan.
I straighten in the booth.
