Yes, look at you now, I thought uncharitably.Living separate lives, with you serving him hand and foot and him rotting in his office every chance he gets. Not exactly amarriage to envy.
I took a deep breath and pushed the thought aside.
“Is he going to propose soon?” Alison asked, returning to the matter at hand. The matter being me, the big fat liar who was pretending to date my billionaire client.
I gulped through a tightening throat and tried to laugh, but it came out tense. “I don’t think so,” I said, which was the first true statement I’d uttered about Callum all day.
“Well, why not?” Lisa cut in. She clicked her tongue and looked at my mother. “You know, my Macie was married within six months of meeting Xavier. They knew what they wanted and didn’t waste any time.”
Alison nodded, throwing me a sideways glance. She didn’t believe the Callum story one bit.
My mother simmered where she stood, clearly furious about being one-upped by her best friend. The smile she gave Lisa was all teeth, and then she said, “It was so good of Xavier to see beyond Macie’s past.” Her past being a party girl who rode whatever dick happened to appear beneath her. I rolled my lips inward and stood very still, lest my mother’s ire turn on me. But she wasn’t done with Lisa. “And how wonderful that their son didn’t even need to stay in the NICU even though he was born so many weeks premature. Is it rare to have a nine-pounder at thirty-two weeks?” Her smile widened. “Such a blessing and a miracle, isn’t it?”
Lisa went red and spluttered. Sounded like Macie got pregnant before the wedding bells rang, and there had been some creative truths told about the baby’s gestational age. It also sounded like everyone knew it—no surprise in this place. Everyone talked about everyone else, and your best friend could turn around and stab you in the back. Or in my mother’s case, stab you right in the front.
My eyes darted around the room, looking for safe harbor. I didn’t want to be anywhere near these three women when thecattiness got worse. I spotted Brooks walking into the event hall with his wife and kids. He shook hands with a man I recognized from my father’s business, and Stacey chased after Riley, who’d taken off running toward the snack bar.
I could wrangle the kids. I could be the fun aunt and take care of the kids all evening, and no one would bother me. Turning back to the three harpies, I opened my mouth—then clamped it shut again.
My mother had her arm around a man I recognized. A man I hadn’t expected to see here.
He gave me a half smile. “Hi, Deena.”
I blinked. “Austin. I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
My high school sweetheart had turned into a broad, handsome man. His hair was still that middle shade between brown and blond, styled in a tight fade with well-groomed stubble. He filled out his tux and looked entirely at ease at the country club that felt like a pit full of snakes to me.
He smiled at my mother. “Wouldn’t miss it. You look beautiful, Mrs. Brand.”
“Oh, stop it.” She swatted at him. “Handsome devil.” Looking at me, she said, “Austin just started his own law practice in town. And he just moved into a gorgeous new house. Thanks again for giving us that tour,” she added, smiling at Austin.
“My pleasure, Mrs. B,” he said.
My mother turned her gaze to me.A beautiful house that could have been yours, if you hadn’t been so foolish to let him go, her eyes said.
Looked like she either didn’t completely believe that Callum was real, either, or she was still mad at me for playing catch-and-release with Austin. Ignoring my mother’s loaded look, I turned to him and smiled. “Congrats. How’s it going so far?”
“It’s a lot of work,” he said with a grin. His eyes coasted downmy dress and back up again, lingering on the neckline, where my breasts were lifted and displayed like I was a Regency novel heroine.
I flushed.
With obvious effort, he lifted his gaze to my face. “What have you been up to?”
“Still doing the travel thing,” I said. “Business is going well.”
His eyes glazed over slightly, then returned to my breasts. I tamped down the dart of annoyance. Even when we were teens, Austin hadn’t cared about my dreams. I broke up with him when he’d explained that I could go to college if I went to the same one he did, but I’d have to be a stay-at-home wife afterward. He was going to pursue his dreams of being a big-shot criminal defense lawyer, and I could put up or shut up.
Or leave.
“Deena is seeing someone,” Alison cut in, smiling beatifically at me, even though her eyes were sharp. “Aren’t you, dear?”
I stammered wordlessly while Austin’s brows jumped.
“He owns a venture capital firm,” Lisa put in, eager to get one over on my mother. Clearly, neither of them believed that Callum existed. And I couldn’t blame them. He existed, but he wasn’t my boyfriend. “He’s extremely wealthy.”
Austin’s brows tugged together. “I see. That’s…nice.” He glanced around. “Is he here? Maybe we can exchange notes about dating you.”
Everyone laughed, and I forced a smile. My mother looked at me, and clearly she could tell I was reaching my limit. “I think we should let the kids catch up,” she said a little too forcefully.
