“I’m serious,” Sassy said. “Nick’s going to be there. So are my mom and dad. The whole Colton clan. I’ll find you a dress and some cute shoes to wear. You can drink fizzy water, eat canapés and bid on my dime.”
“There’s no sneaking out of here,” Margot said measuredly.
“If I can sneak Rogue in, I can sneak you out. Do you think Nick used to get himself out the second-floor window of his room?”
Another chuckle surfaced. She patted Sassy’s arm. “You go on. You and Nick will have a marvelous time without me.”
Sassy tilted her head. “You know, one of these days I’m going to convince you to join my shenanigans. It worked on him.”
“Indeed,” Margot agreed. “You worked your charms on my son before anyone else had a chance. For him…there’s only ever been you, hasn’t there?”
Sassy stilled. “You act like I ruined him for all others.”
Margot eyed her beadily in response.
Sassy felt her smile flee. “I… I never intended…”
“Perhaps not,” Margot said. “But it wasn’t long after that first conversation in the lunch room that I knew I’d lost him to another. A mother always knows, Sassy.”
That breathless feeling she’d been trying to forget wound its way around Sassy. She wanted to apologize…to ask what exactly Margot really meant. She wanted to know long Nick had…what? Loved her?
No.Not since grade school. Margot must be mistaken.
A knock clattered against the door, and they both looked up as Nick entered the room. He raised his brows when he found the two of them seated hip to hip. “Plotting against me, I see.”
“We were doing no such thing,” Margot said as she rose to greet him.
Nick wrapped his mother in a warm hug, his cheek resting against the side of her head. When he opened his eyes and looked at Sassy, she made a silent gesture toward her hair, widening her eyes in indication. He placed his hands on Margot’s arms, moving her back a step. “Wow. You look amazing. Did you get a haircut?”
Margot touched the ends of her tresses. “Sassy just cut it. Doesn’t she do a fantastic job?”
“She does,” Nick acknowledged. He looked to Sassy again and mouthed, “Thank you.”
She bowed her head slightly in answer, gathering Rogue into her arms.
“Do you have a date for tonight’s fundraiser?” Margot asked him.
“No,” he said. “I’m going stag.”
“Well, I think you should take Sassy,” Margot told him.
Sassy looked up, startled. “Me?”
“Yes,” Margot said, nodding vigorously. “You just asked me to be your date. I assume that means you don’t already have one.”
“Of course it does,” Sassy replied. Margot cut her off before she could continue.
“It’s settled then. Nick will go with you.”
Nick met Sassy’s gaze, as unsure as she was. They both knew neither of them was capable of refusing Margot anything. Even so, they’d kept a studied distance from one another physically ever since they’d kissed at the Bootleg. He hadn’t so much as let his arm brush against hers in passing. She’d stopped all manner of touching, down to punching him on the shoulder when she was right and he was wrong.
It hadn’t silenced the weird vibes between them, but they were down to a dull roar, so maybe the status quo was working.
Tonight’s auction was a black-tie affair. If they behaved as badly as they had on a casual date night at the Bootleg, Sassy hated to imagine what the expectations for tonight would be.
Okay, so she didn’t exactly hate it. In fact…she could easily imagine bringing the night to a conclusion by grabbing Nick by his tie and—
She forced herself out of the reverie. By the look on Nick’s face, he too knew that this path led to danger. Still, the words that surfaced from him said something decidedly different. “I’d love to if she’ll have me.”
