“I thought it was sweet.”
She narrows her eyes. “How do you even know what I said? You were on the other side of the bar.”
“I moved closer when I saw Tanya staring at me like I was on a menu. I wanted to know what she was saying.” I smirk. “Got a lot more than I bargained for.”
“Oh, God.” She presses her palms against her cheeks. “You heard all of it?”
“Every word.” I glance at her and smile wider. “Very thorough defense.”
“It was humiliating,” she complains.
“It was honest. Everything you said about me was true. I did build an empire. I do treat my employees well. I do protect the people I love.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point?”
“The point is that now everyone knows. Everyone.” She drops her head back against the headrest and groans. “By Monday morning, the entire company will be talking about us. They’ll think I slept my way into that promotion. They’ll think I’m only there because I’m screwing the boss.”
“You are screwing the boss.”
“Menlow!”
I can’t help it. I laugh. The sound fills the car, and Kirsten looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“This isn’t funny,” she snaps.
“It’s a little funny.”
“No, it’s not. My professional reputation is going to be destroyed. Everything I worked for, everything I earned—”
“Is still yours,” I interrupt. “Nothing about your work has changed, Kirsten. You’re still brilliant. You’re still the one who caught that liability cap error. You’re still the reason the Shyman deal went through.”
“But that’s not what people will see. They’ll see the boss’s wife, who got special treatment.”
I pull the car to a stop at a red light and turn to face her. “Do you really think I’d let anyone disrespect you like that?”
She blinks. “What?”
“If anyone so much as implies that you didn’t earn your position, I’ll make them regret it. You have my word.”
“You can’t just threaten everyone who—”
“Watch me.”
The light turns green, and I press the accelerator and continue driving, but I can feel her watching me, trying to figure out if I’m serious.
I am. Deadly serious.
“Why did you do it?” she asks, her voice quieter now. “Why tell them tonight?”
“Because I’m tired of hiding you.”
“Hiding me?”
“You’re my wife, Kirsten. And for weeks now, I’ve had to pretend like you’re just another employee. Like you don’t matter to me and I don’t want to walk into every meeting with you on my arm and make damn sure everyone knows you’re mine.”
She’s quiet for a moment. I can hear her breathing.
