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I shook my head. “You shouldn’t call them names.” Though granted, the only one he was derogatory about had been Pretty Boy. His tone, where Adam and Bodhi were concerned, wasn’t remotely friendly.
That—especially about Adam—bothered me.
“I just want to talk to you alone.”
“Promise to keep your hands to yourself?”
Surprise jerked across his expression. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” I answered. “You want to talk to me, then I will agree to talk to you—butonlytalk.”
I’d made a promise to Pretty Boy and I intended to keep it.
“Fine, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“Promise me.”
His lips compressed.
“I want your word, or I won’t go. And you can wait.”
For his word did actually mean something to him.
The struggle playing out in his eyes was real and fascinating. At any other time, I would have wanted to study it. Now? I just needed him to reach an answer.
“I promise.”
Draining the champagne, I nodded to him. “Where do you want to do this?”
ChapterTwenty-Nine
EZRA
Thankfully, the event center hosting the charity runway show was one I knew fairly well. Relief flooded me at her agreement to speak with me. As it was, I offered her an arm, but she merely gave me a firm look and I blew out a breath. I’d wanted to be a gentleman. Instead, I nodded toward the exit, leaving the hall. There were escalators out there, so we could go upstairs or take the elevators into the parking garage.
Actually, the parking garage meant we could go to the car, but I didn’t think she’d agree to that, so once we left the sound of conversation, music, and whatever the fashion designers were showing off—most of it was terrible—I gestured to the escalators. While she didn’t fold her arms and hunch her shoulders in reality, she had proverbially.
At the top of the escalator, Karagiani headed to the glass doors that opened onto the concourse. The harbor wasn’t far from this event center, so we were looking out over the water. It was a leaden gray day, lacking sunshine and warmth. If anything, the weather was nearly as depressing as the silent treatment.
“Mitchum has an office here,” I said. “We’re going to borrow it.” As I opened the door for her, it hit me that I knew the site managers. They would be out on the floor with an event this large, which meant I could lean on those relationships. A couple of businessmen in suits who I recognized in passing were standing at different spots on their phones taking calls.
One nodded to me, and the other just turned back to look at the water while he spoke. It was a good five-minute walk to Mitchum’s office. I forgot how big this place was. Still, it gave me a chance to enjoy Lainey’s graceful stride and how her hips swayed more from her heels than any conscious choice on her part.
An assistant had a desk in the outer part of Mitchum’s offices. She rose as we stepped inside. “Mr. Graham,” she murmured, surprised, then looked at Lainey and finally Karagiani before letting her gaze rest on me.
“Constance, we wanted to borrow Mitchum’s office for a quick meeting. He won’t mind but go ahead and call him if you need.”
She made a face, then opened her top drawer and pulled out a set of keys. “I won’t bother him. He did say you could use his office whenever you needed.” We were here often enough for events the last few years. Adam and I had both needed a place to take private calls. Mitchum hated even being in his office, so it worked out.
“Thank you.”
She smiled as she unlocked the door then turned on the light. “Can I get you anything?”
“Water is in his fridge,” I assured her. He had alcohol in there too, but I’d be a decent guest for a change. “Karagiani will be staying out here as well.” The last was more of an order than the beginning, but he merely gave me a look.
“After I sweep the office.”
Right.
