She glances at Nora. “Since I wasn’t able to do my presentation for you the other day, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind terribly if I present it over dinner. I thought Cormac might be interested too. Pads by Pansy is on the verge of blowing up. This is the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground level.”
“This isn’t a business meeting,” José says, sounding pissedoff. “They want to enjoy dinner. We can arrange a rain check for the presentation.Like I said.”
“No need. We’dloveto hear your presentation,” Nora says, which is such a blatant lie that I can only stare at her in horror. Surely, she doesn’t mean it.
Does she expect me to actually invest in this woman’s business? Just how far am I supposed to roll with this?
The good feeling from earlier seeps away, and I’m left feeling used.
Nora doesn’t want to spend time with me, and she definitely doesn’t give a shit about my rolled-up sleeves or the stupid, destructive crush I had on her in high school. She only cares about ending her friend’s relationship—whatever it takes.
She’s in this for José, because he’s someone she cares about. Maybe she still wants to sleep with him, maybe not, but it’s obvious he’s the only person at this table who matters to her.
Nora beams at me. “Do you mind, honey?”
“Yes, a little.”
She laughs as if I said something funny. “Oh, he’s only joking.”
“I need a drink,” I say. “Would anyone else like a drink?”
José swears under his breath and wipes his forehead. “Yes, please.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
NORA
There’s no sign of the server, so Cormac and José head inside to the bar to grab our drinks. I feel a twist of uneasiness in my chest as I watch them disappear into the restaurant. Is Cormac okay with all of this? I didn’t have a chance to ask him.
I know I should have talked to him in private before agreeing to listen to this presentation, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity for Pansy to make an ass out of herself. The sooner she does that, the sooner José can move on, and I can stop making demands on Cormac.
You won’t have a reason to spend time with him either,the voice in my head whispers.
Yes, our parents are married now, but realistically, we’ll only be thrown together with them a few times a year. Less, if he decides to spend the holidays with his mother this year.
I ball up my napkin as a tight, uncomfortable feeling steals over me.
Our talk in the car earlier must have gotten to me. It seeped into me and made me wonder if there was more to the made-up story we came up with. I know he was speaking hypotheticallywhen he said he used to have a crush on me, but he seemed so sincere…
Pansy pats my arm with her fingertips. “You didn’t tell me he was loaded,” she says in a loud whisper. “I was surprised when I found out about you two at the wedding, especially since I know you and José used to date. I mean, José is so sexy and charming. I knew within fifteen minutes of meeting him that I wanted to marry him. Cormac is cute enough, but he’sreallyawkward. But, yeah, I totally get it now.”
“Excuse me?”
She laughs. “Oh, don’t play dumb, Nora. You knowexactlywhat I’m talking about. We both know you’re in it for the money.”
Then it hits me: the sale, his early retirement, his work with Kenji…
I hadn’t thought about it much, particularly since Cormac doesn’t act like someone who has money, but he must be wealthy. Leave it to him to make bank and live exactly the same way he always has.
“You think I’m with him because he might be wealthy?” I ask, feeling the burn of resentment.
She’s acting like money would be the only reason a woman would want to be with Cormac, which is straight-up ridiculous. No, he’s not smooth, but honestly, thank God. I’m sick of slick assholes with dozens of dumb pickup lines. Cormac is smart and funny, and as much as it makes me cringe to admit it, he’snice. He’s a legitimately kind person.
I mean, hell, it was beyond nice of him to agree to this mess. Sure, he needed someone to look after Cookie last weekend, but he could have easily found someone else, someone who would have accepted a few twenties for it.
“Iknowthat’s why you’re with him.” Pansy flips her golden hair over one shoulder. “But I don’t blameyou. We women need to look after our own interests, don’t we? That’s why I’ve been pushing Pads by Pansy so hard.”
“Wow.”
