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Ryan smiled thinly. “I went into Montano’s today. Miss Franklin works there. Isn’t that right, Miss Franklin?”
“I worked there until this afternoon,” Devon said defiantly. “I was fired.”
“How unfortunate.” Ryan smiled and leaned back against the edge of his grandfather’s desk. “Why not tell us about it?”
Devon felt color rush into her cheeks. Damn Ryan Kincaid! Hadn’t he embarrassed her enough today?
“Miss Franklin?” His voice was silky. “We’re all waiting to hear the details. I’m sure it’s a fascinating story.”
He smiled, folded his arms over his chest and rocked back just a little on his heels. That was just how he’d looked at Montano’s, that smug, superior smile curling across his too handsome face, that arms-folded, back-on-his-heels stance that said he was far too good for the rest of the world and especially for mere peons like her.
Devon drew a deep, deep breath.
“It’s not fascinating,” she said, “it’s depressing. To think that a...a male chauvinist pig like you could—”
“Devon!”
“It’s the truth, Mother,” Devon said furiously, “and I’m not going to pretty things up just so we don’t offend the Kincaids!”
“The truth is never offensive,” James said mildly. “Why don’t you tell us what happened, girl?”
Devon spun toward him. “I’ll tell you what happened,” she said through her teeth. “I was doing my job and your grandson here decided to make an ass of himself, that’s what happened!” She flung back her head, crossed her arms over her breasts, and glared at Ryan. “And when I refused to let him insult me, I was fired.”
Ryan smiled thinly. “It’s amazing, how a few details left out of a story can change it so completely.”
“The only detail I’ve left out is my full opinion of you,” Devon retorted, “but I’ll keep that much to myself.” Her eyes glittered. “I wouldn’t want to shock your grandfather.”
“How generous of you,” Ryan said.
“Listen, you...you—”
“Careful, sweetheart. Watch your language, or you’ll blow the Miss Innocent image completely.” He smiled with malice. “Actually, I think you already have. It’s probably too late to salvage anything now.”
“Devon?” Bettina, her knuckles white as she clenched the back of a chair, stared at her daughter. “What on earth is he talking about?”
Devon gave Ryan one last glare, then swung toward her mother.
“He’s talking lies,” she snapped. “I told you, I was at work—”
?
??She was coming down the steps in an ankle-length, velvet cape,” Ryan said coldly, “looking like every man’s dream, and I said—”
“A velvet cape?” Bettina blinked. “You, in a velvet cape?”
Devon flushed. “Montano’s does an end-of-week fashion show Fridays. One of the girls took sick and the store manager dragged me out from the perfume counter—”
“Dragged her,” Ryan said sarcastically, “tossed her over his shoulder, stripped off her clothes, stuffed her into six inches of black silk and covered the concoction with six yards of velvet.” He shook his head sadly. “Really, Devon, you ought to report the guy to the Department of Labor.”
“—dragged me out from behind the counter,” Devon said through her teeth, “shoved me into the models’ dressing room, and the next thing I knew I was going down the steps from the mezzanine, modeling this crimson velvet cape.”
“Crimson,” Bettina whispered. “It must have looked lovely with your coloring.”
“And then this... this man said something awful and I heard it. Everybody heard it! So I went over to tell him he ought to get his brain washed out with soap and... and one thing led to another, and—”
“She said...” Ryan said pleasantly, turning to James, “that I was a goat. A jackass. A baboon. And a caveman—or was it a Neanderthal?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I really can’t remember.”
“I said he had no manners, and I was right,” Devon snapped. “And then...then the crowd got into it. People laughed, and...and—”
