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“Lacey,” Luke said, drawing out the name as a warning, but I turned into him so my chest was pressed into his side and I set my hand on his shirt. The possessive touch was pretty clear.
“A community is as rich as its people,” I commented, offering her a neutral smile.
Lacey frowned, or she tried to since her forehead seemed to be frozen, probably with Botox. My vague statement confused her.
Luke stilled beside me, then leaned in and whispered. “Tiger, what are you doing?”
“You know Derek was with me first,” Lacey said. “That you’re just a country bumpkin he’ll tire of.”
There was a distinct correlation between the volume of Lacey’s voice and the amount of noise there was in the coffee shop. No one was talking. No one was making coffee. Not a hiss of steam could be heard. Everyone was watching this live scene play out.
I felt Luke’s body tense.
“Lacey,” he said again.
I wasn’t falling for the drama trap. It was what Lacey wanted. Her aim wasn’t Luke any longer. It was me. She wanted me to respond. Maybe I’d yell. Or cry. Or throw a croissant at her. Or to get Luke to do all of that.
Not happening. I’d learned from the expert, Senator Marsha Bergstrom, on how to handle myself in sticky social situations. I met the President when I was seven. I had to negotiate interactions with senators and members of Congress and CEOs and other boring people as a child. Could I have done that without coaching? No way. I’d had a social tutor starting at five.
Yeah, it was as awful as it sounded. But it was coming in handy right about now.
I patted Luke on his rock-hard abs. “It’s okay, baby.” Then I gave Lacey my megawatt senator’s daughter smile. “Derek’s fortunate to have such a great community surrounding him.” I made sure to use Luke’s actor name. Pen name? Stage name? “I know his working with you and the others on the show have made him the actor he is today. I’m so eager to see him in the movie role. Aren’t you?”
Lacey blinked. “Well, yes.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you stopped by and introduced yourself. When you’re in Montana next, be sure to look me up.”
I glanced up at Luke. He stared at me, and I wasn’t sure if he was incredulous, amused, or angry.
“I think our drinks are ready,” I said. “Shall we go?”
He nodded dumbly and I steered him toward the counter where our to-go cups were waiting.
“Oh, Lacey, wait,” I called.
She hadn’t moved.
“How about a photo of the three of us together? I know how much you like to share photos of you and Derek on social media. Your man there can take it for us, I’m sure. Oh wait, is he your boyfriend? Lucky you, he’s so handsome.”
Luke actually snickered as Lacey was caught out. She had no choice but to acknowledge the guy, who it turned out was not her boyfriend–surprise, surprise–and stand with us to take a photo. He probably already had a bunch, enough candids that could be sold to the tabloids. Several random people in the shop stood beside him to take photos of their own of the three of us together and I was sure Lacey picked up on that. This couldn’t be misconstrued as anything but what it was: co-workers meeting in a coffee shop.
Luke had his arm around me, and I turned my body into him so it was more than obvious we were an item.
I leaned across Luke so I could whisper to Lacey. “If you post shit about my man again, I won’t be so nice next time. You might think I’m a country bumpkin, but this tiger has claws.”
Luke growled as Lacey’s eyes narrowed.
“Good seeing you,” I said, my voice loud enough for everyone to hear, patting her on the surprisingly bony shoulder as Luke steered me toward the door.
29
LUKE
* * *
What the hell just happened?
We were walking down the street, Aspen sipping her tea as if she didn’t just diffuse a huge cat fight. No, there hadn’t been one at all because she deflected it like a pro.
