“We’re just talking, Trina. There’s no need to get vulgar.”
“Your behavior is vulgar,” Trina says, taking short, sure strides towards us. With her head held high and her back straight, she doesn’t falter for a second in her high heels.
“Can’t two people just innocently chat?” Angela says, stroking my chest again. “There’s no need to get so emotional.”
Trina’s face twists, and I have a pretty good idea of how hard she’d let fly if she allowed herself to lose her temper.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Trina like this.
“Take your hand off him,” Trina says, striding right up to us. “Now.”
Angela laughs, a soft, seductive sound. She takes a slow step back, her fingers lingering as she lets go of me.
“There you are. Calm yourself, dear. It’s unseemly to lose control of yourself this way.”
“Back the fuck off,” Trina snaps, putting herself between us.
I see Angela’s eyes go dark as her mouth sets into a straight line. “And what exactly are you doing back here?” Angela hisses. “I thought you weren’t even coming to the event. Now I find you out in the restricted section?”
“She was looking for me!” I put in, trying to distract Angela. “I told you, I got lost. I’m sure she just came to find me.”
“That’s right,” Trina confirms, not moving an inch.
“Well, you might want to keep track of your husband a little better,” Angela says. “You know how some girls just can’t resist taking home a poor, neglected stray.”
Before either of us can respond, Angela turns and walks away. Trina doesn’t move, just stays in front of me, shoulders squared and her eyes fixed on Angela’s back.
“Trina,” I say, trying to hide my shock. “Are you going to get in trouble for talking to her like that?”
Trina shrugs. “She might try to make my life difficult—well, more so than she already has, I guess—but Fern won’t let her fire me. Angela never stays long in town, anyway. She gets bored and thinks that Silver Valley is beneath her. Within a couple of days, she’ll be heading back to her fancy high-rise apartment.”
“Oh,” I reply. “She kind of gave me the impression she was staying longer.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Trina scoffs. “You’re a temporary amusement to her, and she’s just playing on it now to upset me.”
“Is it upsetting you?” I ask.
The fury radiating from Trina is a palpable force, and it gives me a little thrill. She shakes her head, trying to avoid my question.
She really is jealous.
“Trina,” I say, and she actually jumps a little.
“What?” she asks, turning around.
I want to ask if our mission was a success, but I’m too amused by the cute look on her face as she stands before me like a warrior goddess protecting my virtue.
“Trina, you’re jealous.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You are.”
“No,” she laughs. “Why would I be? Let’s just get out of here—I have the pages.”
She starts to walk off, but she can’t move fast in the heels, so storming away isn’t really possible. I keep pace with her, grinning as she keeps throwing glances over her shoulder that get more and more pensive.
“Stop looking at me like that, Owen!” she snaps, trying to walk faster.
