“But I’m not busy that night.” Annie tells her dad with the biggest puppy dog eyes.
Vincent’s not affected. “No. This is not an event for kids.” He puts a hand up to stave off any further arguments. “Or tweens. Or teens. Or young adults. Or anyone under the age of 21.”
Annie let’s out an audible sigh and slumps back into her chair. Most of dinner was consumed while Annie filled Vincent in on nearly every second he missed throughout the week. Even though I know they spoke every day while he was in New York.
Now that dinner is done, the topic has somehow turned to the upcoming charity gala. With only two nights left until the event, most of the office has been in a frenzy. My tasks are done, so my job now is to put out any fires that emerge and to finalize my end of project report. It’s sort of like an exit interview for my time with M.E. I’ll outline the company’s PR position before, during, and at the completion of my assignment. Including a list of recommendations for the future. I’ve done dozens of these before but knowing that this report is going directly to Vincent has me feeling a little bit nervous.
I know he respects my position within the company. I know he believes I’m intelligent. But something about putting it all on paper feels so different than discussing it with him in person. Plus, turning in the report doesn’t just mean my assignment is over. It means my reason for keeping our relationship a secret is also over, which causes me a whole other wave of nervousness. I feel our connection. I know it’s there. But what if – after we go public – he gets bored of me? Then instead of being Sasha Clark, PR consultant, I’ll be that girl who once dated Vincent Mazzanti.
“Sasha?”
I blink. “I’m sorry, what?” I ask, having missed whatever Annie asked me.
She grins. “You totally zoned out there. What were you thinking about?”
“The gala.” My eyes dart to Vincent, I feel like a total asshole for lying to his daughter.
“Do you know what you’re wearing? Oh!” She perks up, clearly struck with a great idea. “We could go dress shopping!”
I smile at her enthusiasm. “I hate to disappoint you, but I already bought a dress.”
“Really? Crap.” She deflates.
“Next time, Princess.” Vincent says. “There’ll be more galas.”
I bite my lip, hating that I can’t stop myself from reading into everything he says. It’s like he heard my thoughts about the future and wanted to reassure me.
“Did you take a picture of your dress? Can I see it?” Annie asks.
“I didn’t take any photos of it, but I can show you the picture from the website.”
It only takes me a moment to find the link and the second Annie grabs my phone she honest-to-god gasps.
“Oh my god, I love it!” She squeals.
I love it, too. I was tempted to wear my usual black cocktail dress but opted for something a little extra for this event. I made a mental list of excuses as to why I needed to buy something new, but there was only one reason that mattered to me. And his name is Vincent. Even if we can’t go as a couple, I still want to look the part. I want to look like I belong on the arm of Mr. Mazzanti.
I almost backed out of ordering the dress a dozen times. But once I showed it to Jessica, she made me buy it. She argued that I’d feel comfortable in it since the fit is nearly identical to my trusty little black dress. It stops just below the knees and is form fitting without being glued on. It has a sexy-but-tasteful V-neck. The only difference is the spaghetti straps rather than my preferred cap sleeves. Oh, and instead of black, the dress is a blush pink. And covered in sequins.
Annie is practically bouncing in her seat as she clicks through all the available photos. “Sasha, you’re going to look like a supermodel in this!”
My cheeks warm at her compliment. “I appreciate your confidence.”
“Want to see, dad?”
Vincent shakes his head. “I’d prefer to be surprised.”
Annie beams at him. “She’s going to surprise your socks off.”
Vincent reaches over and places his hand on my knee under the table. “Sasha will be stunning, no matter what she wears.”
“Duh.” Annie hands my phone back. “I want a dress just like that for prom.”
Vincent makes a choking sound. “Prom? What the hell are you talking about!”
Annie gives him a bland look. “It’s this dance, in high school, where you get all dressed up and stuff.”
“I know what prom is.” Vincent replies, still sounding slightly in shock.
Annie twists the knife. “And my boyfriend can plan his outfit around my dress, so we match.”
Vincent moves his mouth, but nothing comes out.
I happily chime in. “You know, when I went to prom my friend had a big sleepover at her house afterwards. She had an outdoor hot tub and we set up tents in her yard to sleep in. It was a ton of fun.”
Annie’s face lights up. “Yes! I want to do that!”
Vincent slowly turns his head to look at me. His jaw is flexing and the hand on my thigh is gripping me tightly.
“That’s enough out of both of you. I think it’s time for bed.”
Annie chuckles and hops up from the table.
“You have five minutes before I come tuck you in!” Vincent calls out after her.
I move to push my chair out, but Vincent increases the pressure of his hand, stopping me.
He leans in, lips brushing my cheek as he speaks in a low tone. “You think you’re fucking cute, putting ideas like that into my daughter’s head. But you’ll pay for that later.” His hand slides further up my thigh. “And don’t ever forget about the resources at my disposal. I may be a good boy now, but I have no issues with hunting down every last man who’s ever put their filthy hands on you.”
“That’s a lot of bodies.” I bluff. It’s not that many.
His hand slides higher. “The Mississippi is a big river.”
