“You look beautiful,” Sawyer said as he held the back of her chair; he must have waved off the attendant.
“Thank you.” She lowered herself back into the seat.
“I’ll be back momentarily with the menus,” Phillip announced, stepping back into her line of view with a nod.
“Thank you,” Betzy said before shifting her gaze back to Sawyer. “I’m starting to wonder why we didn’t haveyoumodel for the clubhouse catalog. Those turtlenecks would sell like hotcakes, the Los Angeles warmth aside.”
Another grin. “You’re flattering me again. I like it.”
She chuckled, and suddenly the tightness in her muscles relaxed a bit. As much as the chemistry between them put her in knots, Sawyer’s easy manner and playful ways made Betzy feel right at home.
“So,” Sawyer said, resting his forearms on the table’s edge. “What’s new?”
Talk about fireballs in her chest. The right-at-homeness took flight. It was a full-on explosion as she considered saying what she’d planned to say. Keep your emotions out of it. This is business.
“Well,” she said, reaching for her iced tea once more. She’d need a potty break very soon. “I’ve got a proposal for you.”
Chapter 8
Aproposal.
The word sank like a rock in Sawyer’s gut as he took in Betzy and all her beauty. That gorgeous auburn hair accenting her flawless skin. Cheeks that glowed when she smiled. Eyes that let off an unmatched kindness, unique in the world of high society and big money.
“Okay,” he encouraged with a nod. “Let’s hear it.”
“Soyouwere featured inSlipper Magazine’s November issue. Now, they plan to featuremein their next one.”
He lifted a brow. If the magazine wanted to feature the most eligible bachelorettes in the LA area, Betzy would definitely be at the top of that list. It made Sawyer feel one giant step further from gaining her affections. How many more men would be in the running?
“But it’s not anything like yours,” she assured. Her cheeks grew pink as her gaze dropped. Sawyer followed the action, watching as she ran a finger along the linen tablecloth. Back and forth.
“There are a ton of wealthy women out there who never got married,” she said, casting him a quick glance before dropping her gaze once more.
Sawyer gave her an encouraging nod, wondering where the confident woman he knew had gone off to.
“Anyway,” she continued with a shrug. “The article lists common characteristics of those women, calling them spinsters, which is evil, and then it goes on to show how at leastonebillionaire bachelorette is destined to wind up on that list as well.”
A rash of angry heat flared in his chest. “Notyou,” he said, tone low and even.
She looked up. “It is me. I saw it for myself.”
Sawyer slapped a hand on the table, causing the glasses to tremble and shake. “That isrich.” Seemed as if her rivalry with Daisy Shay was worse than he thought. Her family ran the magazine, after all.
“She really has it out for you,” he said.
Betzy nodded, her shoulders lifting suddenly. “Right? Can you believe that?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I can’t. We’ve got to do something.” Adrenaline raced through him from his shoulders to his toes. He fought the urge to shoot out of the chair and pace.
“That’s exactly why I texted you,” Betzy said.
Sawyer held her gaze. “What do you have in mind?”
She bit her lip, shut her eyes for a long blink, and shook her head with a laugh. “I can’t believe I’m asking you this.” She licked her lips next, blew out a pursed breath, and covered her mouth with one hand.
“What is it?” he urged. “Betzy, you know you can ask me anything.” Heck, he’d dreamt of slaying dragons for this girl nearly half of his life. She’d just never had any dragons she couldn’t slay on her own.
But was that about to change? He leaned further onto the table.
