“Sorry to interrupt.” A man’s voice sounded behind them.
Jenna looked up and saw Liam. He glanced apologetically between Jenna and Deacon. “Can I borrow you a second? We’re taking off soon, and Frankie and Zion want to grab a few shots. I’m so sorry, I would never ask. It’ll just take one minute.”
“Sure.” Deacon stood and offered his hand to Jenna. “Do you want to co?—”
“No, I’m good, thanks.”
For one thing, she didn’t want to intrude on a family photo, and two, Zion Ash might be Frankie’s best friend, but he was also a world-famous photographer, on the offchance he offered to take a shot of Deacon and Jenna, she would die. Shehatedphotos of herself.
As soon as Deacon left, Jenna felt the energy at the table shift, but she did her best to ignore it. Out of the five men Deacon didn’t know, only two had brought dates. She’d felt them looking at her before, but now she felt their attentions zero in.
“Sorry if I’ve been talking your ear off,” Mikayla apologized, leaning over Deacon’s now vacant chair.
“No, are you kidding?” Jenna shook her head. “I’ve been loving it. Your ideas are amazing. As a single mom, the things you were talking about would have been life- changing for me. Free childcare. Paying for college. Are you kidding me?”
Mikayla looked surprised. “How old are your kids?”
“Just one, Blake, she’s fifteen.”
“Seriously?!” Mikayla’s eyes widened. “Sorry! Oh my gosh, that was rude. I just, I thought you were like twenty-four at the most.”
“I’m thirty-four.”
“Wow, you look amazing. My mom always looked really young, too.” Mikayla pulled out her phone and showed Jenna her screensaver of a photo that honestly looked like a picture of her and her sister, and they could have been twins. “She was a single mom, too.”
“Oh good.” Jenna smiled with relief as she touched her chest.
Mikayla smiled widely, revealing dimples, exactly like the actress that she was a doppleganger for. “What’s good?”
“You turned out amazing! I love meeting women who had single moms who turn out amazing.”
“Awe, thank you.” Mikayla blinked as she looked ather. “I still can’t get over the fact that you’re thirty-four, but yeah, that makes way more sense.”
“More sense?” Jenna’s brow furrowed.
“For Deacon. He wouldneverdate someone that young.” She laughed a little. “Not that he ever dates anyone. You being here tonight is… yeah, that’s abigdeal for him. Huge.”
“Oh, it’s not…we’re not…”
“So, Jana!” A loud voice yelled in her ear.
Jenna flinched then turned to her left to find the balding man who had been across the table was now in the seat next to her where another man had been seated, a man who was there with a date.
“What do you do?” Baldy asked as he put his arm around her chair.
“I’m a hair?—”
“Miss Thomas is a beauty industry professional and salon owner.” Mikayla was on her feet, pulling Jenna to her feet as well.
“Where are you two going?” Baldy stood.
“To the restroom.” Mikayla’s smile was friendly as she positioned herself between Baldy and Jenna, and now that they were standing, Jenna realized the man was at least six-foot-four, maybe five. He was abigman.
“St. Claire’s been hogging Red all night, I just wanted to say hi.”
The man reached around Mikayla, and Jenna saw his fat, sweaty paw reaching for her when suddenly she felt herself being pulled backwards, and then she was looking at the back of someone as a deep voice said, more like growled, “Sit down.”
She realized it was Deacon’s voice. His back was to her as he told the man to sit down, not her.
