The moment Johnny said it, Ward’s gut tightened.
That’s exactly what all of this was, wasn’t it? An illusion. Him and Hannah’s easy-breezy relationship, all the attention she’d been paying him, her apparent insight into who he truly was. It was all about keeping up appearances, purely designed to fit into the story she was selling the public – about how Ward was now a changed man, ready to play by the rules and be a Good Boy.
Tonight was a form of unveiling; a shiny new Ward McKenzie who’d left his wild side in the past and was now heading towards a bright, carefully orchestrated future.
‘What’s wrong? You got that look on your face.’
‘Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about something, that’s all.’
He’d been thinking about ripping the monkey suit off and walking away but couldn’t do that either if he wanted to get back on the team. So again, he had to go along with the charade.
‘You sure? You got that very same frown you get right before you hit someone.’
‘I’m good,’ Ward insisted. ‘I just want to get this whole thing over with tonight, that’s all.’ He decided to change the subject. ‘So hey, Melanie called and told me she wants to meet.’
Johnny’s eyes widened. ‘Why? What’s going on?’
‘I’m not completely sure but I got the feeling she thinks she might have made a mistake by ending things.’
Johnny broke out in a grin. ‘That’s great, man.’
‘Uh, yeah. I mean, I guess it’s a good thing. Problem is – well, I’m not sure what I want anymore. I’m finally in a place where I’m beginning to get my head on straight and I don’t want to risk going down the rabbit hole again.’
Johnny was silent for a moment. ‘I see what’s happening here,’ he said.
‘Good. Maybe you can tell me, then.’
His friend raised an eyebrow, laughing. ‘Oh, come on. You want me to spell it out for you? You’re cooling on Mel because you’ve got PR Girl squarely in your sights now. You already admitted you had the hots.’
Ward flinched despite himself, and he hoped his buddy didn’t see it. ‘Hannah? That’s ridiculous. Like you said before, way too risky when she’s supposed to be making me look good.’ He made a great show of straightening his bow tie.
‘If it’s that ridiculous why do you get that goofy smile on your face whenever you talk about her? Or you let her lead you around some fancy store like a back-to-front version ofPretty Woman?’
He was referring to the fact that Hannah had personally helped him pick out his tux for tonight instead of sending stuff over to Bernie’s like she did for previous formal outings. They’d gone to the Armani store on Fifth and had been invited into a private room away from the main store because she knew how much he hated shopping. She’d assured him that this experience wouldn’t be like trolling the racks at a regular department store – and that it would be painless.
‘You might even enjoy it,’ she’d teased.
And he had. It hadn’t been a chore. It had actually been kinda cool. Hannah had given him feedback and advice, she had encouraged him to try some different styles he never would have in a million years to the point that tonight it didn’t feel so much like a performing monkey, but a guy who had made something of himself.
Just like she always did, Hannah made Ward feel like the kind of man he wanted to be.
And he was terrified that soon enough, she’d see through him and figure out the man he actually was.
Chapter 43
Later, Ward waited by the fountain for Hannah at Central Park South, nervously moving from one foot to the other as he watched a parade of monied New Yorkers emerge from limousines that, in this part of town, had surely only travelled a couple of blocks.
Despite all this showy stuff, he had a bad feeling about tonight. It still made no sense to him as to why the Panthers’ owner had insisted they all be here tonight for his wife’s fancy benefit.
Sumners had a reputation for doing whatever it took to get whatever he wanted, and Ward knew he’d steamroll right over anyone who got in his way. Before his anxiety could work him into another funk, however, he spied Hannah gliding across the road towards the hotel. He hadn’t seen her car pull up and it seemed like she hadn’t seen him yet either.
The sight of her stopped him in his tracks.
He wasn’t sure just what he’d been expecting, but when he saw her in a glistening midnight blue dress that fitted like a dream, and silver stiletto heels accentuating her slender calves, his brain just about went into sensory overload, the sight of her rendering him almost paralysed.
Look, he already found her attractive. That much was painfully apparent. But having only ever seen her look good in more casualday-to-day attire, he wasn’t at all prepared for what a godamn heartstopper she was when she decided to go all-out.
‘Jesus,’ he muttered, under his breath as he moved to the Plaza entrance to catch up with her on the steps. ‘I really am in big trouble here.’
