Page 32 of Summer Affair

Andrea’s shoulders tensed but before she could move, Dean placed a hand on her arm. “I’ve got this,” he said, turning to head to the bar.

Amy’s eyes widened slightly as Dean approached with a fresh glass of wine. “Here you go, Mrs. Montgomery.”

Amy took the glass, her gaze lingering on him. “Thank you, Dean,” she said, her tone still laced with that faux sweetness.

Dean nodded and walked back to Andrea, who was watching him with a grateful expression. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said softly.

“I wanted to,” he replied. “You shouldn’t have to deal with her all night.”

They stood there for a moment, the noise of the party fading into the background. Dean could see the exhaustion in Andrea’s eyes, the weight of her family’s expectations pressing down on her.

Then she turned and walked back to Amy, who had waved her over.

As the night wore on, Dean found himself more and more frustrated with the way Amy and her friends treated Andrea. Amy flirted shamelessly with him, trying to catch his eye whenever she could, and Brad continued to flirt with other staff members and guests, ignoring his wife completely.

At one point, Heather and Tiffany cornered Andrea near the bar.

“Andrea, darling,” Tiffany drawled. “Why don’t you just leave the serving to the staff and enjoy the party?”

“Yeah, you’re practically a guest tonight,” Heather added with a smirk.

Andrea forced a smile. “I’m just helping out where I can.”

Dean saw the exchange and felt a surge of protectiveness. He walked over, slipping an arm around Andrea’s waist. “Actually, Andrea is the most important guest here tonight,” he said, his voice cool. “Without her, this event wouldn’t even be happening.”

Heather and Tiffany exchanged glances, their smirks faltering. “Oh, we didn’t realize,” Tiffany said, her tone suddenly much more respectful.

“That’s right. She’s the one that moved a very important event so that Amy could use the hall tonight. It’s been booked solid for months. Andrea single-handedly made sure tonight’s event could take place here.” Dean motioned around the room to all the guest enjoying themselves. “So if you’ll excuse us, we have some important things to discuss.”

He guided Andrea away from the bar, feeling her relax slightly under his touch. “Thanks. It’s a lie, but thanks,” she murmured. “I didn’t know how much more of that I could take.”

“Just let me know if they start bothering you again.”

The event finally began to wind down, and guests trickled out of the building. Amy and her husband sat at a table with Alicia and two other guests.

From where he was, it appeared as if Amy and Brad were arguing. When her mother said something to them, they stood up and left, followed shortly by the rest of the group.

The hall sat empty now, except for the employees, who would spend the next half hour cleaning the place and pulling down all the decorations.

He walked over to Andrea, who was leaning against the bar. “Hey, how about that walk?”

Andrea sighed. “Honestly, I’m too tired. How about you walk me to my car instead?”

He nodded and held out his arm for her. When she wrapped her hand in his, he smiled.

As they walked towards the parking lot, Dean caught sight of Amy and Brad arguing near their car. Brad’s voice was raised, his tone harsh and dismissive. “I don’t have time for your whining.”

Amy’s face was a mask of anger and hurt, but she quickly composed herself as she noticed Dean and Andrea approaching. “Dean, darling,” she called out, her voice dripping with false charm. “You were wonderful tonight.” Amy seemed to notice suddenly that Andrea’s arm was in his. Her eyes turned from flirtatious to burning in seconds.

“Thank you,” Dean replied curtly.

Andrea squeezed his hand, and they continued walking to his car. Once they were out of earshot, he let out the breath he’d been holding. “I don’t know how you put up with them.”

Andrea sighed. “It’s not easy. But having you here tonight made it a lot more bearable.”

Dean stopped by her car and turned to face her. “You deserve so much better than this. Better than the way they treat you. Better than all of this.”

Andrea looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude and something else—something that made Dean’s heart race. “Thank you. For everything.”