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“And this one’s on me,” Megan said to her. Ellen laughed and cocked her head in acquiescence. “I can get more social media posts up tonight, too.”
“I’ll get the hotel to advertise it as well,” Ellen said. “And you know Kane’s already started strong-arming his friends. No one’s going to forget about your community center from now on.”
Etta put her hand to her chest. “Do you know what the budget was for this fundraiser?” she said. “The thought that we can put itallback into the center… Suze, we might be able to update the heating!”
“Wonderful!” Megan said. “I’ll leave you guys to it.” She hugged Ellen and the other women goodbye before realizing thatnothugging Alessandro would now be weird.
But there was no part of him that radiated hug-me vibes. Unlike the other night, he was giving her nothing but leave-me-alone. “Bye, Alessandro,” she said instead. “Thanks for bringing me in on this. Good luck with it.”
She didn’t wait for him to answer. If he couldn’t be civil after a woman had rejected him—for very good reasons—then forget him.
She was halfway up the corridor to the lobby when she heard him behind her. “Megan.”
May-gan. She couldn’t resist it. She turned around. “Yes?”
He’d lost the jacket he’d been wearing to go outside, as well as the hat and glasses. His hair was scruffy and gorgeous, his eyes silver in the light from the hallway sconces. His hands were in his jeans pockets, like a teenage rock star.
And for a second, he didn’t say anything. Megan waited, then put her hands on her hips. Dammit, she was getting mad! And not just because her heart wouldn’t cool its jets whenever she was around him. “What is it?” she said.
“I just have to know,” he said, choosing his words as he had the other day in Roman’s office. Only without the warmth of that day. Megan had no intention of letting her knee get anywhere near his anymore. “You made that video the other day.”
“Which video?” She’d watched a dozen videos in the last couple of days.
“The one in the coffee shop.”
He paused, so Megan prompted him impatiently. “Yes? What about it?”
“It was… very good.”
What the hell did that mean? “Thank you?”
“You are a professional at this,” he said. “More than you said you were.”
“Well, yes,” she said, not seeing the problem. “I told you. I’ve been in PR for two years and involved with Kane’s public life for years before that.” Wasn’t that the whole reason she was here?
“You are now…” He looked away, as if searching for words. “You are now famous.”
“Am I?” She had stayed away, turning off her notifications and only working from the community center’s social media pages. “I think it’s more like the Studio and Oh Beans! are famous.”
He stared at her so hard, she couldn’t stop her fingers from touching the tips of her hair. “No, Megan. You. Are. Famous.”
“Well.” She thought of Kane first. Then Ellen, back in the banquet hall. Then Cat, who would slam her hard for bringing the press back into their lives.
“That wasn’t my intention,” she said. “I was stuck with all those people. They were already filming me. So I used the opportunity. Wouldn’t you have done the same?”
He shook his head, slowly. “You did it very well.”
“All right,” she said, letting her annoyance show in her voice. Her hand fell back to her side. “You make it sound likeyouhave a problem with it. Didn’t it get you what you wanted from me? Publicity for your fundraiser?”
“WhatIwanted? Megan, you told me you do not do publicity. You told me that you could not… that we could not… because you had to stay away from the cameras. And then the next minute, you’re out there giving a virtual press conference.”
Her mouth dropped open. She felt it. “Iwas just doing what I had to in the moment! What would you have me do? Run away? How would that have helped anyone?” She held up a finger. “I told you the truth. Why else would I—”
Suddenly, she noticed that they were barely a foot apart and her words were echoing up and down the corridor. She looked up at him. He seemed to surround her, even though they weren’t touching. For a second, she just held his eyes with hers, hoping she could show him that she hadn’t been lying to him without giving away any more of what she felt about him.
“Why else would you what?” he asked, his voice softer.
“I—” She didn’t want to say.
