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“I was wondering if I’d run into you here,” Marion said. “I knew Carlo used to be your client.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” I said calmly.
“Or I to you. Except, well, perhaps a friendly warning. Don’t get too attached. Doubt you’ll keep Reid’s interest for much longer.”
“Lucky I don’t care about your opinion.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night. But you don’t really think he’d drop his standards so fast, do you? I mean, look at me, and look at you.”
I gripped my bag tighter, holding my chin high. I wouldn’t let anyone bully me, least of all Marion.
“I am looking at you. All I can see is a soulless person. Someone who disregards others’ feelings. Reid doesn’t care about you.”
Marion smirked. “Well, he doesn’t tell you everything, does he? You’d be surprised.”
What was that supposed to mean? My gut tightened, but I didn’t react. Marion was baiting me. Clearly, she wanted to drive a wedge between Reid and me, and I wasn’t going to let her.
“Let me give you a piece of advice: stop trying to get attention for all the wrong reasons. You won’t last in your industry if you keep at this.”
Marion bristled, and I walked past her, not interested in the slightest in continuing this conversation. I was also no longer in the mood to hunt for new outfits.
Despite my determination not to allow Marion’s words to get to me, I did feel off-balance. I tried to pull myself together by the time I stepped out of the venue at six o’clock. Reid was picking me up. He parked in the designated lot next to the building, getting out of the car and opening my door.
I sauntered in his direction, grinning.
“Right, we need to set some ground rules,” he said playfully, pulling me against him. “If you’re going out looking this gorgeous, I need to be on your arm.”
Reid drew his fingers down my cheek, tracing the contour of my lips before dipping his head to my neck. He drew the tip of his nose there too until I began to shiver.
“All I can think about is taking this dress off you.”
“Reid—”
He feathered his lips on the shell of my ear. “And I wouldn’t be gentle about it.”
My knees weakened, but I stood my ground, playfully pushing him away and pointing my finger at him.
“No dirty talk until we’re alone tonight.”
“We’ll see about that.” He gave me a wicked smile but opened the door for me.
“How was your day?” he asked once we were in the car.
“I have a rule too. No talking about work.”
But it was too late, because I was already thinking about the fact that every phone call turned into a circus lately. Marion’s words were also hounding me.
I chitchatted about Carlo, hoping Reid wouldn’t catch on, but of course he did.
“You okay?” he asked in a soft voice once we were almost at Val’s house. “You sound a little off.”
I nodded, willing myself to either gather my courage to ask, or just forget about Marion. Asking was the easiest way to get rid of any doubts, but I was afraid he’d get mad, accuse me of not trusting him... and even more afraid that he’d admit what Marion said was true. I was all about communication, but I didn’t see how this conversation could do anything other than sour our evening.
Compartmentalize, Hailey. Come on, you’re good at this.
When things went downhill in my professional life, I hung on to my personal life, and vice-versa. But now I felt stretched thin in every direction. I decided not to bring up Marion. She was a spiteful person, and I’d just come across as insecure. Goddammit, I was insecure, and I didn’t like the feeling one bit.
“Just wondering if my brothers will behave or not,” I said. It wasn’t a lie.
