Page 29 of Trouble from Abroad
Best I can do is mumble a “Hmm?”
“This is the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you for picking it. I still can’t believe you said yes a year ago. You make me the luckiest man alive.”
He kisses my forehead, pulls me closer and sways us side to side, his hands now resting dangerously low on my back. Resting my head on his pecs, I face the glass and let my what-the-hell-is-going-on manic expression run wild, hoping he can’t feel my heartbeat thundering against his chest.
I might have gone deaf on shock, but I can’t hear a peep from the women behind us anymore.
After an eternity of rocking in Preston’s arms, the hostess comes to get us. The doctor leads the way, never letting go of my hand. Part of me wants to turn around and blow raspberries at those bitches, but I get distracted by the way his thumb draws slow circles on my palm.
As soon as we reach the table, he releases my hand and pulls out my stool. Is this still part of the act? My brain is bouncing around my skull.
“Was that too much?” he asks quietly. “I was trying to return the favor.” He pauses, then shakes his head. “No, that’s bullshit. I was outraged. I would not, in a million years, let that pass.” Fury hardens his gaze again. If he keeps going like this, foam will be coming out of his mouth next. “What is wrong with people? Don’t they have filters anymore? Don’t they care about anyone else?”
I’m not about to break the bad news to him. I don’t have the heart.
“If that had been a man? He’d be missing teeth and bleeding on the floor right now.” He presses his fists into his eye sockets. “I know. I can hear myself. That’s wrong, sexist, and not what I want to teach my daughter, but so help me God, it’s the truth.”
His hands drop to the table, his focus zeroing in on me. The next hit lands squarely in my chest. “No one gets to speak about you like that, Mia. No one.”
I lay my hands over his, fighting a stupid smile. “Breathe, Preston.”
Preston. Oh, brilliant. I forgot to addDoctor. He’s so flustered I don’t think he even notices.
“She’s not the first mean girl I’ve encountered in life. She won’t be the last either.”
“Under my watch, she will.” He slaps the table, my hands still on top of his, and I jump.
He needs to stop being cute. And sounding so possessive. It’s not helping me keep my hormones in check.
“And—fuck—I should be apologizing. I got carried away. Crossed a number of boundaries. I meant no disrespect, Miss Thorne.”
“None taken.”Ready for a replay, if you’re up for it. Let’s go back there and make sure those girls got the message.“You just vindicated every version of me who never stood up for herself. Thank you for doing that.”
I refuse to give those bitches the power to hijack the rest of our night, so I change gears. “Thanks for bringing me here today. Wow. This view.”
“Thanks for giving me a reason. I’ve been meaning to come to this bar for ages.”
Not sure if it’s meant as one, but I’ll take the flattery.
And even though I’d also take the illusion that this is a real date rather than Dr. Preston being nice to his house guest and soon-to-be-nanny, I spend the rest of the night reminding myself I’m here for work. As a favor to Liam Gunn, who I hope will give me my next job in the career I really want.
So don’t screw this up, Mia.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
mia
Once more,I’m waking up to chaos in this house. Now it’s to clashing cutlery, laughter, overlapping voices—each one sharper than the last. It takes me a minute to untangle the sounds, but then I catch it: the high-pitched giggle of a child.
No. It can’t be. Is Lilyhome? She was supposed to come back tomorrow.
Why didn’t Dr. Preston say anything last night? And who else is down there? I don’t recognize them.
Leaping out of bed, I dive straight into my open suitcase, searching for the outfit I picked out for this exact moment.
For all my previous jobs, I’d stalk my future boss on LinkedIn, socials, and whatever digital crumbs they might have left online. But I couldn’t quite search a six-year-old online, so I did the next best thing. I bought something I hope will make her love me.
Ripping the tag off the unicorn T-shirt I never gotaround to washing, I face the full-length mirror and put it on.
