The scallop on his tongue felt as heavy as lead. He forced himself to swallow and took a long, bracing drink of wine. “I’m sorry to have disappointed you again, then.”
“Oh, Nick, no. That wasn’t what I meant.”
Wasn’t it?He set down his fork and knife, leaning back to let the waiter refill his wine. He had to strongarm her into being seen with him in public. She wouldn’t touch him unless they were both alone, in the dark. What was that, if not shame?
His eyes went to the ring that she had started wearing around her slender neck. The little rhinestones twinkled in the dim lights so fetchingly that he found himself longing to see it on her finger. But he knew her silence on the matter meant he wouldn’t like what was going on in her head. It had been weeks since he had proposed. Fuckingweeks.
How long did she plan on making him wait?
“So what I’m hearing is that your meeting was bad and you had to deal with some people you didn’t like.” She tilted her head. “Did anything else happen today?”
“Your landlord called. He’s giving you thirty days’ notice before he sells the place.”
“My landlord? For my apartment in San Francisco?”
“Yeah, seems like there was a rent hike and he wants to cut and run.” He picked up his wine, watching her over the rim. “Looks like you’ll be needing somewhere more permanent to stay.”
“Why did he call you? How does he have your number?”
“Because I bought out your lease. I told you I would.”
“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d actually gone through with it. You never mentioned it again.” Her face became troubled. “When were you going to tell me you owned my apartment?”
Anger flickered through him. “I didn’t want you to worry about it while you were here.”
“Did you forget why I’m here in the first place?”
There was an ugly silence. He watched her chest rise and fall beneath that prim little blouse, and it shouldn’t have turned him on, seeing her so pissed at him. But it did.
Whatever she’d been trying to do in the car, this was all her. Therealher.
It made him want to push her further.
“I was going to pay ten million dollars just to fuck you, Jay. That should give you an idea of how ‘forgettable’ I think you are.”
She went rigid and he was immediately sorry.
“Ma’am? Your plate?” The waiter took in the alarm on her pretty face, and quickly became ingratiating. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you finished? Can I take this away?”
Jay nodded tightly. The waiter hovered, asking if she wanted another drink, if the meal was to her liking. Jay said yes, with anedge of defiance that he knew was intended for him.
“You’re being very cruel,” she said, when the waiter finally left. It was all she said, but he felt the sting of it like a lash, all the momentary satisfaction he’d felt flaking away like factory paint on fake leather. It made him feel worse—and that made him angry.
“You started this in the car.”
Their main courses came before she could reply. Her vegan carpaccio looked like a Jackson Pollock painting, with bright circles of root vegetables drizzled in sauce. His own plate of sea bass looked rather staid and dull by comparison, even with its overabundance of herb garnishes.
“You’re right.” She spoke stiffly. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I think we both know what you were thinking.”
She looked away, color suffusing her face. “Is there a point to this conversation? Or did you take me out to dinner just to fight?”
“Marry me,” he said.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Marry me. I’m so fucking tired of this. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of having to sneak around. Say yes to me. I want you to be my wife.”
