“Mother, this is Devi,” she said. “She works at one of our companies. And she seems to have all kinds of nice things to say about your grandson.”
Well, shit. She was still here? Maybe we’d oversold our admiration of one another just a little too well.
I glanced at Devi, like,Please don’t fuck me over.
She smirked a little.But it’s so tempting, her dark eyes fired back.
“Isn’t that interesting,” my grandmother said mildly. And when I looked at her again, her shrewd eyes had locked onto Devi. “Tell me about my grandson, dear. I’d love to hear everything.”
Chapter Sixteen
Dane
Devi kept up the charade, rather believably playing the part of a woman who admired and respected me. I definitely wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself.
She tossed in various facts and figures about the agency, for extra credibility, then dropped a couple of casual references to how adorable I was in high school, what an impressive businessman I’d grown into, and how incredibly fortunate she felt to have met me and had the opportunity to work with me.
Then she excused herself. With a final, charming smile for my grandmother—and a flash of fire for me that no one with eyesight could possibly miss.
“She’s very smart,” my grandmother said as Devi turned to speak to someone behind us. Her pale eyes met mine. “Why is she angry with you?”
“Because she’s smart,” my mother said dryly.
“We had a little disagreement at the office,” I said, knowing they’d believe it. “I’ll smooth it over.”
“You do that,” my mother said.
“The future of this world is strong women, Dane,” my grandmother told me. “Don’t forget it.”
How could I. I was surrounded by them, and right now they all seemed to have a hand in my future.
I excused myself and tried to follow Devi as she made her way through the tight-knit crowd. Unfortunately, I ran smack into Corben the Living Corpse.
“Dane,” my handler greeted me primly.
I almost shivered; I hated that we were on a first name basis.
“Corben. What brings you by? Cruising for a wealthy widower?”
He looked appalled. “I came as a guest, of your mother.”
Of course. She would invite him. So he could spy on me tonight whenever her eyes and ears were busy.
“In a hurry?” he inquired, his keen, birdlike eyes darting between my face and that tangerine dress.
“Just on my way to the men’s room.”
“You brought Ms. Sereda to the party? I wasn’t aware you’d invited anyone to come with you other than Ms. Caulfield.”
On that note, I spotted my senior EA, sweeping in to speak with my mother and my grandmother. Just in time. She could fill the gap until I got back there. Keep any Dane-related conversation on a positive note. Hopefully.
Meanwhile, I needed to get Devi back in here. As it turned out, she was proving even better insurance than Velma. Even Velma couldn’t get away with pretending to admire methatmuch. My mother knew her far too well.
Unfortunately, Devi had just blazed an exit through one of the doors to the hotel lobby. And there was a stiff, cadaver-like man in my face.
What the hell did he want?
“I’m sure there’s a lot in life you’re unaware of,” I told Corben evenly.
