Page 120 of Wild Thing
“Brax’s girlfriend is here," I told her quickly. "And is coming to the gala tonight.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know. Brax sent me a text saying she arrived as a surprise. He had no idea.”
“That’s weird,” Taylor paused. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m freaking out, Tay.”
Sighing, Taylor replied. “Listen. You’re going to be fine. But you have to cop it on the chin tonight, okay? Stay away from them, don’t be tempted to look for Brax… just stay on your table. I’ll come and find you when I can. We can bail as soon as the dinner is done.”
It sounded like a good plan. In theory. “Yep. Okay.”
“Dylan?”
“Yeah.”
“Don't do anything stupid. Stay on your table.”
“I will.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Hanging up, I willed my nervous system to calm down. I told myself that I could do this. And if it became too much, I could feign illness and leave.
Spritzing myself with Paradoxes by Prada on both sides of my neck, I wondered how Brax was feeling.
I knew he’d be nervous too. Having your girlfriend and mistress in the same room isn’t something anyone wants to experience.
Sliding my phone into my YSL clutch, I gave myself one last internal pep talk and prepared for the bullshit I had to endure for the next few hours.
***
I was the last to arrive at the lobby bar.
Some of the team I hadn’t seen all week, which wasn’t surprising—everyone was working on different projects and attending various conference sessions. I was one of only three women present, and I was relieved that Marie was already there.
As expected, Steven nearly blew in his pants when he spied me. The guy had no shame.
As I made my way around the room, greeting everyone, Steven’s eyes lingered on me a bit too long.
Marie, ever the observant one, noticed immediately. From the corner of her mouth, she muttered sharply, but just loud enough for me to hear. “Close your mouth, Steven.”
She was keenly aware of Steven's habit of walking a fine line between flirtation and harassment, and she would never let him make any of us uncomfortable, especially not in a public setting.The last thing she wanted was a staff member that could cause her a PR nightmare.
She leaned in towards me for an air kiss. "Darling, you look sensational," she said, her voice warm.
"Thanks," I replied, offering her a smile. "You look amazing too. Everyone does, actually."
It was true. There was an energy in the room, with everyone dressed up and looking sharp.
"How are you?"
"I'm good."
Marie caught my lie, her eyes sharpening. She wasn't buying my bullshit. I knew this look. It’s the one women share when they can tell something’s off. She clearly knew something was wrong. Maybe I didn’t hide my feelings as well as I thought I did.
