“Where are you going tonight?” Brennan grouches.
“Some gala with Maxim. It’s called FAST?”
“That’s a worthy cause,” Camille acclaims. “They help pregnant women continue their educationand/oroffer healthcare throughout their pregnancy.”
“Including abortion?” At her nod, I whistle. “Then I’ll make Maxim donate a million. Who has a right to decide what I do with my body, Brennan?”
“Not a crusty old white man?”
“Damn straight.” I hold up my hand for him to high-five. Then, I flutter my lashes at him. “Do you mind looking after Yipper?”
“I refuse to call a dog Yipper.”
“What will you accept?! Jane? Cleopatra?” I pause. “Salome.”
“No way am I having a dog called Salome in my apartment. If my ma finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it! She chopped off John the Baptist’s head!”
“Too late,” I sing. “She’s called Salome.”
Camille admonishes, “Less about the dog and more about the man. Is he treating you right?”
“Maxim? Sure is.” My beaming smile turns into a scowl that has both of them studying me. “But the jerk won’t sleep with me!”
Brennan rolls his eyes, collects Salome, and plops her on my knee. “Good.”
Salome decides she prefers Brennan’s knee and returns to Roman’s lap. That sets off another round of giggles.
“It’s fine. I have a plan to make him put out.”
“Victoria!”
“What?! He’s being all chivalrous. That’s why I’m here, Camille. I need your help to blow his…” I peep at my nephew. “…mind.”
Brennan groans. “I think I’ll leave this conversation.”
Both of us ignore him.
Camille objects, “Youwantto attend with him?”
“Would I prefer to go to a nightclub with him? Sure. But it’s fine. The fundraiser is for a worthy cause. I know the organizer too, so maybe I can talk about helping her next year with the arrangements.”
“By attending with him, you’ll raise eyebrows,” she warns, tutting as the puppy tries to burrow beneath Roman’s sweater. She picks up Salome to stroke her. “Especially if you don’t keep up attendance.”
I smile at her—smugly. “I know. This is my unofficial introduction to New York society.”
“Did you tell your guards about this?” At my mutinous expression, Brennan gripes, “Victoria, we talked about this before. You have to be better at keeping them in the loop. How can they protect you if they don’t know where you’re heading?”
“Brennan,” Camille chides. “She has two sets of heavy guards. It must be very difficult for her to manage them.”
I stick out my bottom lip. “Yeah, B.”This time, I’m not lying when I say, “I try my best.”
That earns me a long, drawn-out sigh. “Let me handle it.”
I’m not surprised when he doesn’t cut and run as we talk around him, but he definitely shuts us out and goes into “focus” mode after retrieving his cell from a pocket.
With Salome calming down, Roman snuggles into her fluff and promptly falls asleep with his daddy’s hand on his back so he can’t fall off Brennan’s lap.
“You sure about this, Vicky?” my sister asks me, her heart in her eyes as she watches over her little family.
