Wilt hesitated, wanting to sit next to Indigo, but wishing they’d gotten there earlier so he could’ve had his pick of positions.
As if Jeffrey picked up on his discomfort, the other man leaned toward his wife. “Why don’t you go sit next to Indigo, and then Wilt can sit here?”
Whether it was something in his tone, or the fact that they’d been in a relationship for a while, Greta picked up on the unspoken words and smiled. “Of course, that’s a great idea.”
Indigo glanced up at him. “You okay?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said, and took the seat Greta had just vacated, relaxing now that he had visual of the whole place, and a wall to his back. “Thanks,” he said to Jeffrey.
“I could see you weren’t comfortable with the arrangements, and knowing what I know about what you do, and how Jude is when we all go out together, I knew you’d prefer to sit here than on the other side of the table.”
“It’s hard to let go of things that have been hammered into you, and the reasons for them.”
“No need to explain. I get it. You’ve always got to be prepared, even when you least expect it.”
Jeffrey got it, and Wilt appreciated his understanding. “Exactly.”
Jeffrey shifted his attention to answer a question Vincent had asked, and Wilt took the opportunity to center himself and get the layout of the restaurant, taking note of the emergency exits and any points where an assailant could come in if they wanted to.
Not that he expected them to, but as he’d told Jeffrey, habits were hard to break. But some habits weren’t meant to be broken, and keeping people safe and being ready to spring into action was one he had no desire to lose.
Chapter
Nine
All through dinner, Indigo’s phone had been vibrating on a consistent basis, but she ignored it. She wouldn’t be rude to the people who were employing her by constantly checking her phone.
They were likely only social media notifications. She should’ve realized that being on such a well-known location in her home country, there would be more people recognizing her and tagging her in posts.
Overseas it was a little easier to keep under the radar.
It would be fine, there was nothing she had to worry about, yet a little kernel of concern settled in her gut, something that she hadn’t felt in a long time. It didn’t matter that the person who’d stalked her was far away from her, the experience had left a mark on her. She sat a little straighter and almost gave in to the urge to check her phone.
“It gets a little annoying, doesn’t it?” Greta placed her empty coffee cup on the saucer in front of her. Indigo had settled on a chamomile tea, seeing as she needed to rest better than she had the previous night.
“The buzzing of my phone?” That had to be what she was talking about.
“Yes. I have mine set so I get a notification any time Jeffrey is mentioned. It’s been a lot recently with the announcement of his latest collection.” Her fingers touched a bracelet, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Without doubt, the piece of jewelry was from her husband and held a special place in Greta’s heart with the way she stroked it so reverently.
“It’s stunning.” Indigo nodded toward Greta’s wrist. “You must have quite the collection.”
Fudge, did that sound gauche?
“I do. But not as much as you might think. There are some very special pieces Jeffrey has given me. Pieces that have meaning only he and I understand.”
“You met when he released his last collection, didn’t you?” Indigo had wanted to know their backstory but hadn’t felt it her place to ask. Greta had cracked the door open with her comments.
“We did. My father’s company was bidding to doing the marketing for it. But when I first met him, I had no idea who he was. We met at a restaurant in Broome, and…” She glanced over to her husband, who must have sensed her scrutiny, because he met her gaze. The look the couple shared was full of love, and Indigo felt like an interloper on a private moment between them.
She shifted her attention on the man next to Jeffrey, the one who had sat opposite her the whole meal and hadn’t said two words to her. Indigo had started to believe the moments they’d shared while on the walk to the restaurant, not to mention the hot kiss on the beach, had been a dream.
Wilt’s behavior toward her shouldn’t bother her–after this trip, she wasn’t likely to see him again–but it did. She always got on well with the people she worked with, even security. Wilt was making it hard to do that.
“Sorry, even after being married all these years, he still takes my breath away,” Greta said, bringing Indigo back to their conversation.
“It’s fine. One day I hope to have a relationship like the two of you.”
