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“I’ll be right back,” Theo said, his hand brushing across my back.
Charles smiled at me. “You know he’s crazy about you.”
“We get along well.”
“You get along great,” he said. “But that’s not what I mean. He’s crazy about you. Like the kind of thing you find when you date like a normal person and you both reach for the same breadstick.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s very Disney.”
He shrugged. “We can’t all have that kind of connection. Those of you that do get it should feel pretty damn lucky.”
Theo came back and handed me a cold bottle of water. “We should find our seats,” he said. “I was told they’re going to be starting soon.”
“I’m going to find my lovely lady,” Charles said. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.”
Once again, Theo’s hand went to the small of my back as he gently guided me through the crowd to the stands. We found our seats and sat down. Theo leaned in, his shoulder brushing mine. “You really do look pretty,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“I like the hair,” he teased. “Did your lady’s maid ever come back?”
“She did, but I told her to take the rest of the day off. What about Jack?”
“I passed him while I was on my way out,” he answered.
The announcer came over the loudspeaker, letting us know the races were about to begin. Just as things were about to kick off, I was jolted by a tap on Theo’s shoulder. I turned to see Sophia leaning in to speak with him.
“Theodore, please, don’t act like you don’t remember me,” Sophia said.
I put my hand on his knee, giving him the strength he needed to deal with the woman.
“Hello, Sophia,” he said with a smile. “A pleasure to see you again.”
“How’s your brother?” she asked with apparent bitterness. “Roman. How is Roman? You know, the guy that left me hanging?”
“Very happy, thank you for asking,” he replied with a smile.
I couldn’t help but smile at his polite response, even as I sensed that there was more to Sophia’s inquiry than met the eye. She barely looked at me, like I didn’t matter in her eyes. I didn’t care, not really.
“Good for him,” she said. “What about you?”
“Me?” Theo asked.
“Yes, everyone knows about all that horrible business about your match running off with another man,” she said. “How awful for you. It seems to be the Ashford curse. Or maybe it’s some kind of cosmic retribution for what he did to me.”
“My match is sitting right here,” Theo replied. “Sophia, please meet Emilie.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, smiling.
“Oh, you’re the other one,” she said in a haughty tone. “You’re the younger sister.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy with insinuation. She very clearly made it sound like I was the throwaway. Second best. I was the consolation prize.
Theo’s response was measured and diplomatic. “She is Nora’s younger sister,” Theo said. “Emilie and I are very well matched. I believe everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, original matches are wrong. We have to let fate intervene to get back on track.”
Sophia shot me a look. I smiled like I was supposed to. “Enjoy the races,” I said and turned back around.
Theo took my hand and squeezed. I pulled away, pretending to adjust my hair. He had said all the right things, but beneath his words, I sensed a lingering discomfort. I knew that this situation was just as awkward for him as it was for me, perhaps even more so. He was being looked at as the guy that got jilted before the first date. I was the one that filled in the void. I was Plan B. Not exactly an ego booster.
